“When you were eighteen, you hitched yourself to Ean’s ride. Now you’re thirty-two. Instead of making your own opportunities, you want to tag along with me. That’s pathetic, Ramona.”
“You’re grossly mistaken.” Ramona’s temper snapped. “I wouldn’t hitch myself to your ride, as you so crudely put it, if you were the last man on earth.” She spun toward the door and strode across Quincy’s office.
“Does this mean you won’t be taking me to dinner?” Quincy’s voice taunted her.
Ramona ground her teeth. Without breaking stride, she gave him the one-finger salute. Quincy’s laughter followed her down the hall.
CHAPTER 21
“Shouldn’t we wait until I’m open for business before you write about my practice?” Ean straightened from his crouch, allowing the tape measure feed to snap back into its case. He tried to ignore Darius as he recorded the measurement of his office’s width.
His stomach growled again. It was almost 1 P.M. on Saturday, but he wanted to finish this last room before he and Darius broke for lunch.
“You’ll be open in a couple of weeks.” The reporter spoke from his perch on the office’s bay window. “Besides, your practice will be old news if I wait until it opens. So quit the bullshit and give me a quote, asshole.”
Surprised laughter burst from Ean. “Do you get a lot of interviews with that attitude?”
Darius gave him a reluctant smile. “This article will be free publicity for you, man. What’s the problem?”
“It’s easier to talk about cases than myself.” Ean crouched again. This time, he measured the room’s length. “What do you want me to say?”
“Just answer my questions—”
“First answer mine.” Quincy’s voice interrupted them.
Ean rose, turning to face the university professor. He ignored the temper snapping in Quincy’s eyes. “Hey, Q. What brings you to my humble office?”
Quincy stepped forward. “Why did you tell Ramona that I’m going to Philadelphia?”
“Because you are,” Darius answered. “Penn is going to offer you its faculty position. If you’re smart, which you are, you’ll accept it.”
Quincy scowled at the reporter before meeting Ean’s eyes again. “Were you trying to set me up with Ramona?”
Darius laughed. “Ean wouldn’t do that.”
Ean spoke over the other man. “Yes, I was.”
“What? W-why?” Darius stuttered.
“Because he’s the great Ean Fever.” Quincy sounded as though he was chewing glass. “No one measures up to him. He’s too damn perfect. He has no choice but to help us mere mortals because we could never be as perfect as he is.”
“Quincy, you know damn well that’s not what I was thinking.” Ean pulled a hand through his close-cropped hair.
“Grow up, Q.” Darius turned to Ean. “Dude, what were you on?”
Ean cast his gaze around the freshly painted white walls before meeting Quincy’s snapping eyes. “Ramona and I broke up six years ago. You had all that time to make your move. Why didn’t you? Are you that big of a coward?”
Quincy’s scowl darkened. “Who the hell do you think you are?”
“Your friend.”
Darius rose from the bay window ledge and put a hand on Quincy’s shoulder. “Only a friend would tell you the truth. And the truth is, Q, you’ve been a gutless wonder with Ramona. I should have told you that six years ago.”
Quincy shrugged Darius’s hand from his shoulder. “You’re one to talk. Do you think people don’t realize why you sneak over to the next town every weekend? You’re dating some woman over there because you don’t want her to meet your family.”
Darius’s expression tightened. “You’d hide your dates, too, if you had my family.”
Quincy lowered his head and braced his hands on his hips. “I’m sorry, man. That was uncalled for.”