“Oh man, I feel terrible,” Quinn said. “I was supposed to feed you but instead I carried you off to bed.”
“You fed my soul,” Imaani said, pulling his head to rest on her collarbone. “I feel kind of silly admitting this, but I needed to know you found me desirable.”
“Oh, you have got to be kidding me,” Quinn replied, looking up at her and grasping her bare left hand. “The only thing holding me back all this time was that ring on your finger.”
“I left it on the kitchen counter Sunday morning,” Imaani smiled wryly. “On top of a sticky note that said ‘go straight to hell.'” Her stomach rumbled again and Quinn all but bolted up.
“Let me clean up and run across the street to get a pizza,” he said on his way to the bathroom. “The ones they have ready for pick-up don’t have toppings on them but I need to get some hot food in you, fast.”
A minute later, Quinn came out wearing unzipped jeans and looking for his shirt. Imaani found herself admiring his lean stomach and shoulders, forgetting for a moment she was still nude. Quinn couldn’t tear his eyes from her as he did up his buttons.
“I’ll be back in a few,” he softly told her, kissing her lips. “I love you, Imaani.”
***********
Quinn had hardly exited the front entrance of his building when a figure hopped out of a silver convertible in the side parking lot.
“Quinn!” Clayton called out.
Salaud, Quinn cursed at him in his mind when he spotted him. Then he shook his head and upped his pace toward the plaza.
“Hey, Quinn, slow down,” Clayton said, breaking into a fast walk to catch up.
“Save it, Clay. I know what you did to Imaani. We all know, and you’re a breathtaking piece of shit.”
“Well, I know my wife’s up there in your apartment and she’s been there with you for at least 45 minutes,” Clayton said, scooting in front to Quinn and bringing him to an abrupt stop. “Her car’s right there. I just want to talk to her and she’s not answering my calls or texts.”
“Gee, I wonder why,” Quinn flatly replied.
“Just what have you two been doing up there?” Clayton asked pointedly, blocking Quinn from darting around him.
“How the fuck do you have the gall to ask about Imaani’s activities, nevermind imply what I’m sure you’re implying?” Quinn spat out. “Don’t you have anywhere else to be, like balls deep in your assistant?”
“No need to be crass, Mr. Michaud,” Clayton said in a low voice, putting his hands in the pockets of his three-piece suit.
“Right. Instead, let’s just behave crassly and–” Quinn’s phone pinged and he reflexively fished it out of his jacket pocket.
Remind him of the restraining order attached to the divorce papers, Imaani’s text read. He glanced up at the window of his apartment, only to see the curtains ruffle.
“Do you know you could be arrested if you try to contact her?” Quinn asked. “Did you even read what she served you or did you just hand it off to–” He started laughing. “Jesus, Clay, you’re a city councilor for a mid-sized Canadian city; not a United States senator. “You are way less important than you think you are.” Clayton bristled and crossed his arms.
“You’re just another guy getting a divorce, man,” Quinn went on, visibly more relaxed. “She doesn’t want to talk to you anymore; that’s what she was trying to do way before now and you blew her off. Now she just wants an amicable split.” He made his way to the crosswalk and Clayton followed.
“I’m sure you’d love that, wouldn’t you?” he goaded.
“Imaani’s one of my best friends. So yeah, you’re right. I love it when my friends are happy,” Quinn replied as they stopped at the red light. He wasn’t sure if he imagined it, but Clay seemed thrown for a moment at his response.
“But this is just a misunderst–”
“There’s a video of you going at it doggie-style,” Quinn interrupted. “So this can be as clean or as messy as you choose. Good luck convincing a judge you deserve joint custody of Nat if you become Internet famous.”
“Is that a threat, Michaud?”
“It’s literally you fucking around and finding out, Councilor Farah,” Quinn said crisply before the light turned green and he started walking again. “Just tell everyone some bullshit about your job taking its toll on your marriage and sign the damn papers.”
He glanced back when he reached the plaza parking lot, relieved to see Clayton still standing where he’d left him. When he emerged from the pizza place a few minutes later, the older man was gone.
“So you were watching me walk away, huh?” Quinn winked at Imaani as he entered his apartment. She rolled her eyes with a smile.
“Is everything okay? Did Clay threaten you?”
“He didn’t, but he seemed like he was going to get upset when I called him on his bullshit. Your text couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.” Quinn put the pizza down and gathered Imaani in his arms. “He hadn’t even looked at the papers and didn’t know there was a restraining order in there.”
“I knew this is what he’d pull, trying to track me down,” she replied, hugging him back. “He just wants to keep me and Nat for appearances. Did he accuse you and I of having an affair?”