Megan stood. “You should know that some people are tired of your self-serving antics, including me. Ean made his choice and he chose me.”
Ramona angled her head. “Are you actually color blind?”
Megan lowered her brows. “What?”
Ramona gestured toward Megan’s outfit. “Your pantsuit is very nice. It flatters your figure. But that’s a god-awful ugly color.”
Megan spoke through clenched teeth. “Stop chasing after Ean. He’s mine.”
Megan left Ramona’s condo feeling like the strong, assertive woman Ean saw whenever he looked at her. She should have drawn the line for her cousin years ago.
What was behind Ramona’s crack about my clothes? Megan shelved the mystery for another time.
She exhaled as she climbed into her car. Guilt at the possibility Ramona had given up her life in New York to stay with her in Trinity Falls had made her the passive one in their relationship. Ramona claimed that wasn’t the reason she’d stayed. Megan didn’t believe her. Nevertheless, she was done being the doormat. Today she’d fought for her man. Tomorrow she’d fight for her bookstore.
CHAPTER 20
Later that day, Ramona paused outside of Quincy’s office. He was right where his neighbor had said he would be when she’d gone to his town house first. Why was he working on a Saturday? She’d much rather have entertained him in her condo or his town house. Having this conversation in his office was the reason she was out of sorts. It wasn’t because of nerves. Why should she be nervous? She was about to make Quincy’s day—his year. Ramona patted her flowing brown hair into place again and adjusted her formfitting emerald dress.
She stepped into view and knocked on his open door. “Am I interrupting?”
Quincy eyed her with suspicion. He laid his pen and papers on his already cluttered desk. “Are you lost?”
Ramona forced a laugh. It cracked in the middle. “I guess I can’t say I was in the neighborhood.” She leaned a shoulder against the doorjamb with studied nonchalance. “It doesn’t take long to get anywhere in this town, not even the college.”
“It’s a university, Ramona. We offer graduate courses here. You’re an alumna. You should know that.”
“That’s right.” Why did he always have to be so superior? “It was a slip of the tongue.”
The silence grew brittle as Ramona searched for a better conversation topic. Quincy wasn’t offering any help. The least he could do was stand. Chivalry was dead and six feet under the ground.
She stepped farther into his office and looked around. She’d never been here before. She didn’t see much to talk about, though. Just a couple of bookcases crammed with stuffy books, a bulletin board littered with boring memos and the tiniest coffeemaker she’d ever seen.
She pointed at it. “Do you know how many pots I’d have to make with that, just to get through the afternoon?”
That comment earned her a smile that was gone in a blink. “Why are you here?”
Ramona spied his family photos beside a picture of the young Terrible Trio on a shelf above his desk. Inspiration struck. “How’s your family?”
Quincy’s coal black eyes narrowed. It was a good look on him, very virile. He often looked at her that way. “What do you want?”
It took Ramona a few seconds to shift her focus from his expression to his words. When she did, her anger stirred again. “I want to know how your family is doing.”
“Cut the crap, Ramona. We’ve known each other for more than twenty-five years. When have you ever asked about my welfare or my family’s well-being?”
He was a bit sarcastic, a little amused. She’d heard that tone from him before. But it had never seemed as naughty as it did today. What had changed? Her? Was she manufacturing an attraction to him to make her plan easier?
“I’m interested now.” She couldn’t help her defensive voice. Her mind was spinning too fast for a more sincere tone.
“Why?” He waited for her answer. When she didn’t respond, he picked up the papers he’d been reading before she’d arrived. “I’ve got work to do, Ramona. Close the door on your way out.”
He was serious!
Ramona stared at the top of Quincy’s bent bald head. No one had ever dismissed her before. No one. In her entire life. But Quincy had the obnoxious habit of treating her unlike anyone else. He frequently disagreed with her. He challenged her. He chastised her—in front of other people. And now he was dismissing her.
She stood for several moments in uncharacteristic indecision. Their encounter wasn’t supposed to happen this way. Quincy should have been surprised, happy and excited to see her—like other men were. He wasn’t supposed to send her home. She needed to be more direct.
Ramona cleared her throat. “I’ve been meaning to ask if the rumors were true.”