To clarify, no matter his decision, it won’t limit his “options”, it will just tell us his method and final goal. Don’t worry too much about it.
Also, sorry for the crazy late update! Each chapter is usually ~10k words long, but this one was about 17,000. Writing at my base speed (assuming I could just write without planning or editing), that takes about 4 or 5 HOURS.
Chapter 2
Jared awoke to the smell of something delicious. Toast? And was that… eggs? He opened his eyes and sat up.
Quinn smiled and extended out the tray. “Good morning, stranger. Care for some breakfast?”
She had really gone all out. Orange juice, scrambled eggs, toast, pancakes… It was enough food for a small army.
Jared grinned. “Don’t mind if I do.” He grabbed a plate and gestured for her to sit down. “Did you already eat?”
She shook her head. She looked tired. Her hair was frumpy and wild, her clothes wrinkled from sleeping in them. “I’m sorry I wasn’t awake when you got back. I was planning on it, but I guess I fell asleep.”
Jared nodded. “Good. It’s probably for the best that we couldn’t talk last night. We’ve got a whole lot to discuss, and it’s not all good.”
Quinn grabbed some food from the tray and sat down next to him as he explained the events of last night. His meeting with Miss Senguine didn’t seem to surprise her, but she seemed more than a little intrigued when he mentioned meeting with her proteges. She asked a lot of questions about them and his impression of them, which he answered honestly.
When he finished, she sat there in silence, contemplating everything that he had said. “So….” she said slowly. “What are you going to do?”
Jared sighed. “I don’t know. I was kind of hoping you could tell me what I should do. Ria seemed nice enough, I guess, but she didn’t seem terribly sure of herself. Kiara wants to help humans, but I’m not sure how capable she is.”
Quinn leaned forward. “What about Annika?”
He winced. “She certainly seemed confident in herself, but it sounds like a lot of trouble. Honestly? I have no idea what to do.”
Quinn nodded. “Then don’t decide. Yet, at least. Explore your options. Do you even have to make a deal with any of them? From the sounds of it, it’s not a requirement. And if you’re as powerful as Annika says, maybe you don’t have to make a deal at all.”
Jared chuckled. “Quinn, you’re a genius.”
His phone buzzed, and he took a moment to grab it and look at the message he had just received.
Meet at Fairway at 12:00 PM. Don’t be late.
It was in a group chat. Fairway was the street that Miss Senguine lived on.
How did she even get his number? Now all of the proteges probably had it. He wasn’t sure he was so comfortable with that.
“What’d it say? Good news or bad?”
Jared turned around. “See for yourself.” He handed her the phone.
Quinn read it earnestly. “Hmmm…” She handed it back. “Well, it’s sooner than I was expecting, but I guess there’s not time like the present.” She checked the time. “11:00 already? I was hoping we would have more time to talk.”
Jared nodded. “I wish I could talk to you all day. Everyday.” He hesitated. “Quinn…”
She met his gaze. Suddenly he felt his tongue tie up in his mouth as it went dry. There was so much he needed to tell her, so much he needed to say.
She held up a hand. “Don’t. Please.” She sighed. “Look, we’ve got a lot going on right now, and I think I have an idea of what you’re about to tell me. So much is happening, and I need some time. Is that okay?”
Jared nodded, relieved. “Yeah. Sure. I get it, I’ve been dumping a lot on you lately.” Did she really know? She had to. What else could she be talking about?
Quinn smiled. “Good. You’d probably better get going…” She got up and headed for the door but paused before leaving. “Change into something nice. Well, nicer.” And then she left.
Jared rubbed his eyes. She was probably right. Probably not the best idea to show up back at Fairway in the same clothes he left in. He got up and quickly dressed.
It was time to see what Miss Senguine had to say.
**************
He arrived after a little over a half hour drive. He was a bit early, even for politeness’ sake. As he parked the car outside the gate, he considered his options. He could either wait out here for the allotted time, or he could head on in. He opted for the latter. She had emphasized being on time, and she hadn’t said anything about being early.
His doubts returned after he knocked on the door without getting a response. “Hello?” After an extended pause he tried again. “Miss Senguine?”
That’s when he noticed the note. Mr. Bertreck. Please enter and meet me in the study. -MS
Okay. Kind of weird. He looked around, hoping to see someone nearby, but to no avail. The study? He could only assume she meant their usual (twice now?) meeting place. He opened the door with a creak and peered inside.
They had cleaned up nicely. Nothing in the house indicated that there had been a huge party the night before. It was immaculate — eerily so. He shook his head. He was just nervous, that was all.
He strode up the stairs, expecting to find Miss Senguine seated professionally in her white cushioned chair. He was very wrong.
Jared pulled to a halt at the sight of two tight, legging-clad butts sticking into the air. Two women were bent over on Yoga sheets, breathing deeply. He quickly pulled his gaze away and retreated to the stairs.
“Mr. Bertreck. You’re early.”
He winced and turned around. “Sorry, Miss Senguine, I was just-”
His words cut short. She was wearing a white, low-cut tank top that displayed a fair bit of her cleavage. She had been quite pretty before, but it could hardly compare to her current state.
She raised an eyebrow. “I must say, I was not expecting you so early. Ria,” she called out behind her, “We’ll continue this later. I need to have a chat with Mr. Bertreck here.”
Behind her, Ria emerged and gave him a dazzling smile. Her blonde hair was tied in a ponytail, which nearly whipped him as she walked down the stairs behind him. He resisted the urge to turn and stare after her.
Jared cleared his throat. “Do you need a minute, ’cause I can always-”
She waved her hand dismissively. “No. This will do. Please, come in.”
As they returned to the room, Jared stared around once again. The afternoon light bathed the room in a gentle yellow glow. The reflection of the running water over the windows mixed wonderfully with the swaying leaves outside.
Miss Senguine reclined at what he assumed to be her favorite chair and gestured for him to have a seat.
He obeyed. “So what did you want to talk to me about this time? Are we actually going to have that interview now?”
She didn’t seem to find that as amusing as he did. “Our first step will be to understand what exactly you are, and what we can do about it. I have my suspicions, but I would first like to confirm with you certain… details.”
She retrieved a few papers from the coffee table in front of her. “Your youthful ‘escapades’… How accurately were they described in the news? Did they cover all of them?”