Our Love

Quinn

I was already wide awake when my alarm went off. I had been tossing and turning all night. An emotional day had the potential to end on a nice, relaxing note until I ruined it by acting like a dog in heat. I jumped up and got into the shower right away, hoping to wash the feeling of stupidity off and get ready to head out before having an awkward encounter with Wade.

I was able to put together a nice outfit with the clothes Carrie had given me. I styled my hair and put on a tiny amount of makeup. I decided I would grab a coffee and fruit once I got to the office. I quietly made my way downstairs, peeping around like I was on some sort of spy mission.

Wade was nowhere to be found when I entered the kitchen; the whole house was quiet and looked untouched from the night before. I grabbed my keys and bag and headed out, not seeing Wade's truck in the driveway either. Perhaps he left early to avoid seeing me as well. That thought sent a twinge of sadness to my heart.

"I am so glad to see you this morning!! I was worried you wouldn't come in." Carrie sang, handing me a coffee as I entered the lobby.

"What? Of course. It's my job!" I laughed, grabbing the liquid fuel I desperately needed.

"Mr. Asher wants to meet with us. I think he just wants an update on everything; make sure you're ok." She led the way down the office hall.

"He's going to fire me, isn't he? I've barely been here and already missed work due to personal issues." I groaned as I followed her along.

"He is not going to fire you. Mr. Asher is a good man overall." I couldn't help but wonder what exactly she meant by that. Before I could think much more on the topic, we were greeted by Grant holding the elevator door for us.

"Good Morning, ladies." He smiled. "Glad you're here, Quinn."

We all piled into Mr. Asher's office, taking our seats as he sat at his desk typing away on his computer. It was a little awkward as he didn't even greet us as we entered. This was only the second time I was seeing him, the first being the day I was hired. I watched him as he sat, looking so much like his son.

"Good Morning. Sorry, I didn't intend to be so rude." He smiled, turning in his chair toward us. "How are you this morning Ms. Gordon?" He seemed to genuinely care.

"I'm fine. Thank you for asking, and thank you for your help yesterday. That was very kind of you. I apologize for all the disruption I may have caused." I was rambling my apologies and determined to continue on, but fortunately, he held his hand up for me to stop.

"No need to apologize; you've done nothing wrong, Ms. Gordon. I was happy and will always be happy to assist if you need me. Now that is all taken care of; let's get to work." He clapped his hands together. I was appreciative that he didn't want further clarification of exactly what all went down. I was sure Grant or even Carrie had filled him in with any questions he may have had.

"Next week, Grant, you'll be flying out to meet with the Bunton firm. Ms. Gordon, will you be able to accompany him on this trip?"

"Yes, Sir." I was a little nervous at the thought. With Rex in jail and facing several charges, I was hopeful I'd be rid of him. Knowing he was locked up brought a sense of relief I hadn't felt in quite some time. I was looking forward to this step in the direction of starting my life again.

"Carrie, make sure you get their accommodations and travel taken care of, please. I've also set up a meeting with Scholts on Monday."

"I won't be here," Grant complained.

"It'll be fine. Carrie and I can take care of it." Mr. Asher spoke firmly.

"Ok. What about Wade?" Grant continued.

I felt myself tense up for a moment hearing his name, thinking about the evening before. I wasn't looking forward to the awkward exchange we would have to have at some point. I listened as Mr. Asher explained to Grant that he would deal with that issue from now on. He gave us a few other tasks then we all went off to our desks to get to work.

I went over the schedule for the trip next week and made a note of our accommodations that Carrie had emailed to me. I returned calls, faxed documents, and sat in with Grant during a conference call to take notes. It was a pretty busy day, but I was grateful for the work. I was typing up the notes I had taken when Carrie waltzed in with a smile on her face.

"Lunch?" She asked.

"I'll probably just grab something in the break room," I replied, not wanting to mooch another meal off of someone. She rolled her eyes with a grunt before plopping down in the empty chair across from me. "What?" I asked with a laugh at her dramatics.

"There's a new restaurant I wanted to try." She pouted.

"Take Grant." I offered.

"He's already left with Mr. Asher. I text Wade, but he's busy at the farm." I felt a little guilty that he was busy, I assume busy avoiding me. "What's that?! What's going on?" Carrie pried, leaning forward.

"What? Nothing." I stuttered out.

"Lies! I can tell! Did something happen?!" Her eyes lit up in excitement. I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms across my chest. "Fine. Sorry. I shouldn't pry." She held her hands up in defense. I just shook my head at her before rising to my feet. I led the way to the break room, where I rummaged around for lunch options.

"Bet that new restaurant is sounding pretty good right now, eh?" Carrie sassed. I turned myself, so I could reply, but words escaped me as I saw Wade standing in the doorway, holding two bags of what appeared to be takeout.