Dispute Resolution

Chapter Twenty

Quinn stared at the cover of the magazine. She'd bought the copy last night when she'd stopped by the convenience store on the way home from having lunch at her parent's house and she hadn't left her apartment since. This time, there was no mistaking the fact that it was her on the front cover. There she was with Gray at the football match in his private box just before the game had started on Friday, before Dylan came along and ruined everything. Gray was whispering into her ear.

How on earth was she going to face everyone at work today? The image was already yesterday's news since she and Gray had split up but she didn't think she could face a hundred questions from a hundred different people. She grabbed her mobile phone from her bedside table. There was only one thing to do.

"Kat, it's Quinn. I'm sick. I'm not coming into work today," she said.

"No worries, hun," Kat answered after only the briefest pause. "Get plenty of rest and drink loads of tea. And maybe get yourself a block of chocolate, too."

"Thanks, Kat," she said hanging up.

Her friends knew her too well and it was times like this she appreciated just how close they were. She threw herself back under the covers of her bed and willed herself to go back to sleep, but her phone rang. Thinking it was Kat calling her back she answered it without even looking at the caller I.D.

"Quinn, it's Rory."

Quinn sat bolt upright, suddenly wide-awake and on high alert. "What do you want?" she asked, highly suspicious. It was strange that her ex-boyfriend of almost two months now was suddenly calling her the very same morning her photo was splashed all over the cover of a national women's magazine.

"I just needed to hear it from the source, are you dating Gray Holloway?"

"Why do you want to know, Rory?"

"Because if you are dating him then I was wondering if you might do me a favour?"

Quinn couldn't believe the audacity of the guy. Was he serious? Bile rose in her throat as she thought of how much she had wanted to marry him. What a creep.

"I'm not dating him."

"Come on, don't be so protective. You don't have to with me. I know you are seeing him."

"I dumped him and there's a bit of inside knowledge for you, go and write an article on it. Now leave me alone, Rory," she said just as she was about to hang up the phone.

"Wait!"

"What?"

"Are you going into work today?"

"No, I'm trying to steer clear of that place for as long as possible."

"So you did dump him. Otherwise, you'd be going into work."

"Rory, you have about two seconds to make yourself clear."

"It seems my relationship with Natalie didn't work out."

"I'm not getting back with you, Rory," Quinn snapped.

"That's not what I'm calling for."

Quinn was relieved, but she still hated him.

"I'm taking on a job in Bali," he said. "I got offered the position yesterday. My boss is looking for a female reporter to accompany me."

"And you're asking me?"

"Yes, you'd be perfect and it's the kind of journalism you've always dreamed of doing," he said. "It will further your career just like you always wanted."