Page 31 of The Truths We Seek

Rolling my eyes, I head to my old apartment and knock on the door, ignoring Bruno and Tonio’s sounds of disapproval.

“We called up for goodness sake, chill out. Sam or Eric would have said if anyone else was up here.”

The sound of locks turning alerts us to Tina, and moments later, the door is open. I find my slightly-frazzled friend chewing on her thumb. “Hi.”

“You okay?” I ask as I give her a quick hug and step into the apartment. There are clothes thrown everywhere.

Bruno pushes past and looks around the apartment before nodding to Tonio. “We’ll wait outside.”

“Yes, yes you will,” Shae says, her new sleek bob, now styled sharp enough to cut, swinging around her face. She ushers them out of the apartment and shuts the door before turning back to face us. “What in the name of wardrobe tornadoes happened in here?”

“Tina, this is Shae. Shae, Tina. She’s Meyer’s sister.”

Tina nods, obviously freaking out a little.

Shae rolls her eyes and folds her arms across her chest. “Yeah, yeah, I’m my own person, now back to the tornado.”

“I can’t decide what to wear for work.” Tina’s words are mumbled, but I squeeze her with a hug anyway. Focusing on her seems like a much better distraction than shopping.

“I was the same my first shift,” I tell her as I release her. “But honestly, you’ll be fine in almost anything. Harper’s bark is worse than her bite.”

Shae barks out a laugh. “Yeah, she’s a pussy cat, really. Just with really sharp claws. Now, let’s go through this mess and figure it out. Go shower, wash your hair, and we’ll prep you. It’s kind of my thing, just ask Quinny baby here.”

I roll my eyes at Shae, but turn to reassure Tina. “She’s kind of a pro at this stuff,” I say, gesturing to my hair, waxed brows, and curled and tinted lashes with a flourish. “Go shower, we’ll sort this stuff out.”

“Thank you,” Tina whispers, squeezing my hand and smiling at Shae before escaping to the bathroom.

“You’re sending her to Harper? I thought you liked her…” Shae jokes once the shower turns on.

“I do like her, and you know the club will be a safe, steady income for her. Her ex… well, he’s a giant fucking flaming dumpster who beat the crap out of her. He can’t get to her here or there.”

Her face softens and she nods. “Now it makes sense. Okay, we can totally prep her for HellScape. I assume she’s taken your old spot at the bar?”

“Yeah,” I tell her as I start rounding up the discarded clothing strewn around the room and putting it in a clothes basket that’s lying in the corner. “She’s more nervous than I thought she would be though. Feel like going to the club with her for a bit?”

I look over at her, hopeful, and the wicked grin on her face is a dead giveaway of her agreement. “Hell yes. But we should probably tell Tonio so they can have their little conniption now and let Meyer know.”

She drops the clothes in her hands into the basket at my feet before heading to the door and wrenching it open. “We’re going to HellScape. Do not throw a fit, Princess. Do what you need to, but it’s happening.”

She slams the door closed and I’m too busy laughing at the look of shock on Tonio’s face as she just laid out her demands to even wince at the loud noise.

“Well, that’s one way to do it.”

She shrugs as she walks back over to the main of the room. “Needs must, and I’m bored of asking for permission. I’ve done that enough for one day. I’m all out of spoons for their bullshit.”

“Understood. Now, what do we put Tina in for tonight?” I ask, picking up the last of the clothing that’s been thrown around.

The wicked grin appears again and she winks at me. “Quinny, baby, we went shopping. If I can’t find something here, you think I don’t have something downstairs? Plus, if we’re going too, we need to change.” She claps her hands together as her eyes sparkle in delight. “We’re about to have a total nineties’s Clueless moment. Just call me Cher.”

* * *

“Are you sure this is right for tonight?” Tina asks, tugging on the micro skirt that Shae persuaded her into after having Tonio and Eddie haul our entire shopping spree up to the apartment earlier.

We’re sitting in the back of the car outside of HellScape, the line already wrapping around the block, and I feel for Tina. I’ve been her.

“It’s perfect,” I try to reassure her. “It’s going to be hot, and in the words of Lil from Coyote Ugly, you need to make the kiddies drool.”

She looks at me a little confused while Shae cackles next to me. “Showing your age there Quinn.”

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