Page 44 of Dad Next Door
Within minutes, a crowd of people stood around us, each vying for Quinn’s attention and trying to figure out exactly what we were to each other without explicitly asking.
One of the best things about having Quinn as my date was I didn’t have to do any of the talking. People weren’t interested in me, and he was more than capable of keeping them engaged as he turned his charm up to one thousand.
He seamlessly flipped between conversations with the various guests. He talked about landmark cases with the attorneys and, in the next breath, discussed the latest trends in the stock market with the corporate folks in attendance. He traded recipes with some of the spouses and talked home improvements with everyone who asked for advice or recommendations. He treated everyone with the same level of respect, whether they were a guest or part of the staff.
All I had to do was stand there and listen. And try not to combust every time he touched me. Which he did. A lot.
When it was time to start the meal, we found our seats. Kim had put us at a table with our old college friends. Simon was on the other side of the room at a table with some of his and Brian’s colleagues.
Now that I was around people I knew, I was able to relax and join in on the conversations. We laughed, joked, and traded stories about our college days as we caught up on what had been going on in each other’s lives.
I used to spend every party or event sitting with Simon’s friends or colleagues and daydreaming while they talked business or about things that didn’t interest me. Being with my friends and not having to worry about what I said or did was some of the most fun I’d had in forever.
When the dinner was over and it was time for the party to start, some of my earlier trepidation came back.
“You okay?” Quinn handed me a glass of water.
“I’ll be fine.” I sipped the water. “Thanks.”
“You sure you’re okay? You look pensive.”
“It’s just a lot of peopleing after so long of not going to things.”
“Are you getting overstimulated?” He gently rubbed my back.
“A little.” I flushed, but this time out of embarrassment. The chaos that came with working in a vet clinic or being a parent didn’t bother me, but spending hours at business events or parties drained my social battery, and I sometimes needed to step away to recenter so I didn’t get anxious. I’d told Quinn about this, but it was the first time he saw it in real time. “It’s fine. Just loud. And warm.”
He kept rubbing my back. I reminded myself he was doing it to make Simon jealous and my dick needed to calm the fuck down and not wake up.
“Let’s find somewhere quiet for a bit.” His face was full of concern.
I nodded and let him lead me out of the ballroom. The near silence that surrounded us as we walked down the hall helped calm my building anxiety.
He took me to a secluded corner near a set of ornate doors. He tugged on the doors, but they didn’t budge.
“Too bad.” He let go of the handles. “I was hoping these would be open. The balcony is the perfect place to hide, and the fresh air would probably help more than the quiet.”
“You’ve been here before?” I asked, taking another sip of the cool water. I’d always been sensitive to the heat, and the ballroom didn’t have the greatest ventilation, which only added to my discomfort.
“A few years ago.” He leaned one shoulder against the wall in a casual pose. “For a fundraiser.”
“A fundraiser?”
“A charity auction.” He smiled wryly. “That was an experience.”
“A bad one?”
He nodded and kicked his dress shoe against the shiny floor. “People tend to forget that sex workers are humans and we don’t like being groped any more than the next person. That’s one of the reasons I stopped doing any sort of appearances other than featured dance spots. At least at the end of a set, I’m prepared for the touching, and I have a bouncer to step in if people push my boundaries.” He shrugged, like he was shrugging off the memories.
“I’m sorry you have to deal with that. That anyone has to deal with unwanted touching.”
“You get used to it.” He shrugged again, but I could see a mess of emotions in his eyes that suggested it was a big deal. “So, are you having fun? Outside of the noise and heat?” he asked, obviously trying to change the subject.
I nodded and drank more of the water. “This is the first time in forever I’ve had any sort of fun at one of these things. I used to spend every party or event trailing behind Simon and being ignored while he networked and made connections. Everything was a business opportunity for him, and he could never just enjoy whatever was going on and relax. I always felt invisible, like no one would notice if I walked away or just didn’t exist.”
“You know, the more you tell me about Asshole McDouchenozzle, the more I hate him. He’s exactly what’s wrong with society.” He sighed and crossed his arms. “And with dating culture. I wonder if half the people I see coupled up even like their partners. The way some people treat or talk about the person they’re supposed to love more than anyone really makes you wonder if they’re with them because we’ve been trained to believe it’s better to be miserable in a couple than it is to be happy alone.”
My stomach soured, and I had to swallow the lump that formed in my throat.