Flutter

Flutter: Quinze (2)

As she sat in the black leather seats of Quinton's private car, Nora wrung her hands and tapped her foot incessantly. Blaine smirked.  Blaine, who was seated directly across from Nora, was not trying to hide his amusement. Nora understood that she gave him cause for laughter, with all her fidgeting and blatant excitement.

As the car made it's way towards their destination, Nora's heart raced even faster.

"Will you calm yourself?" Quinton stated out loud. his deep voice reverberating in the small confines of the car.

"I can't help it." Nora replied, gripping onto the edge of her seat.

"Quinton, this is the kind of enthusiasm you need. Imagine if everyone we worked with was this eager." Blaine commented.

"I won't even bother entertaining the idea. Now, I hope Nora, that you won't make me regret inviting you out."

"Excuse me?" Nora sputtered, her giddiness abating. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean,  I hope you can contain your eagerness. Not to say that I am not appeased by your zealousness, but I don't want your nerves to get the best of you. We must conduct ourselves in a professional manner."

"I won't be embarrassing you, if that's what you're trying to say." Nora scowled, crossing her arms over her chest.

"That was not what I was im-"

"Wasn't it?" Nora said, rolling her eyes. "Excuse me for being a bit enthusiastic. You always make me out to be incompetent."

Quinton grimaced.

"I don't recall using the word incompetent. I was just trying to tell you that -"

Blaine saw the conversation getting heated and realized that he needed to divert their attentions before they began grasping at each others necks.

"Please. Let's leave all that behind. Quinton, how about telling Nora what she's to expect? I doubt you've been to Sheridan, Nora."

Nora shook her head, "No."

"Quinton..." Blaine said, looking at him expectantly. Quinton cleared his throat, fighting down his defensiveness.

"Sheridan is the governmental building of this region. It's like the "town hall," you can say, and it's where I meet, nearly on a daily basis, with my advisers. "

"Your gammas." Nora added. Quinton looked at her in surprise, but nodded his agreement. "Carl is actually teaching me stuff."

"Indeed. Yes, you are right. My gammas - individuals like Blaine here - who I have appointed to watch over certain counties, and they will report back to me. We all meet at Sheridan, a large residential household owned by some wealthy benefactors."

"Ah. Sounds fun. Does Wicks have a gamma?"

"Wicks is too small a location to have an individual gamma. However, since Wicks is apart of Gillan County, it is presided over by Blaine in fact."

"Really?" Nora said, looking at Blaine.

"Really. Really. I've been to Wicks now and again, but I don't think our paths have ever crossed before."

"Oh..." Nora's voiced trailed off, as she flicked through her memories. She recounted moments where her father would send her off to play, stating that he had important business to attend to. D.D. would go huddle himself in his office with mysterious, unknown individuals. Never would she imagine that that unknown person could, in any way, be the adviser to her future mate.

"Then, why were you in Wicks?" Nora asked of Quinton.

"I beg your pardon?"

"That day. When we met...what were you doing in Wicks?"