Tangled in Yesterday

CHAPTER FIVE: Fried Chicken and Wine

Quinn woke up, groggily sitting up in her room. Her vision blurred as she stretched and yawned, but she froze suddenly, like she'd seen a ghost. The events of the previous night crashed into her mind. "Oh sh*t," she muttered under her breath, throwing her arms and legs all over the place. "Why did I have to cry in front of him of all people?" she groaned, tossing and turning on the bed, burying her face in the blanket.

"I can’t go to work today. How will I explain what happened?" she muttered, a mix of frustration, embarrassment, anger, and confusion flooding her thoughts. "Augh... I can’t," she said, flinging the blanket across the room. "I’ll just stay home... I can’t face them."

But then she sighed deeply, sitting up again. "I can’t run away forever, though. Alright... I’ll go. But please, just this once, let me run away. I swear I’ll give all my salary as tithe, please!" She said, kneeling on her bed, staring at the ceiling as if waiting for an answer. "AHHH, I hate myself sometimes!" she screamed in frustration, flopping back onto the bed. "Fine, I’ll go... I have no choice."

She reluctantly got up and prepared for work, the indecision lingering throughout the process. By the time she reached the office, she was trying to steady her nerves, taking deep breaths. She stood outside the door, silently inhaling and exhaling for five minutes when she heard a voice behind her.

"Good morning, Quinn," said Eric.

Startled, Quinn spun around, her heart racing. There he was—the one she’d been mentally preparing to meet, and yet, her words were tangled in her throat.

"G-Good morning, Mr. Eric," she stammered, forcing herself to smile.

"How are you feeling? I hope you're feeling better today," Eric said with a slight grin.

Quinn blinked at him, confused. What’s with that grin? Does my face look ridiculous? she thought.

"I'm fine, and thank you for yesterday," she said, her voice a little shaky as she started to walk into the office.

"Quinn," Eric called after her. "If you don’t mind, would you like to have dinner with me after work today?"

Quinn froze. She hadn’t expected this. Was he just being kind, or was there something more?

She hesitated for a beat. "Okay. I’ll see you after work then," she said, turning and walking inside before her mind could keep running in circles.

Inside, Emma practically leaped out of her chair the moment she saw Quinn. "Quinn! You’re finally here! I missed you and all your mischief so much!"

"Did you really miss me that much after just one day?" Quinn asked, laughing as Emma enveloped her in a tight hug.

"Of course! You’re like the light of this office. Without you, everything becomes so serious!" Emma replied.

Eric walked in just then, raising an eyebrow. "Miss Emma, you’re starting to sound a bit more like Quinn, don’t you think?"

Emma playfully grinned. "Well, you know, Eric, it’s not so bad. I think it’s good to know how to enjoy life and not just work yourself to death."

Eric didn’t seem amused, walking to his seat with a void expression.

Damien, who had his head buried in paperwork, lifted his gaze and nodded. "Welcome back, Miss Quinn."

"Thank you, Mr. Damien," Quinn replied, exchanging a glance with Emma before sitting at her desk.

Lyra walked in a few moments later, noticing Quinn’s return. "Quinn, you’re here! How was your break? Are you feeling better now?"

Quinn put on a smile, but it was a little strained. "I’m very sorry for worrying you all, but I’m fine now."

Lyra’s expression softened, her voice gentle. "If there’s ever anything you’d like to talk about, I’m here for you. Don’t hesitate."

Quinn smiled faintly as Lyra turned back to her desk. Lyra pulled out a set of documents and continued speaking. "We’ve been assigned the Cnd S contract. Our department is in charge of getting the documents signed and the partnership approved. Cnd S is hosting us next week for a meeting. I’ll be going with Mr. Damien, but first, we need more information on the people we’re dealing with. Everyone, please go over these documents."

Quinn stood up and collected the papers from Lyra, then shared them with the team. As she handed them out, she could feel the weight of the information. My family’s estate... included in this deal? Quinn’s mind raced.

Eric broke the silence, "Your estate is one of the companies involved, Quinn."

Everyone froze, their eyes darting toward Eric, but he didn’t even notice the tension.

Lyra was the first to speak up. "We’ll begin the research tomorrow. Remember, this is all confidential."

After everyone had left, Quinn stayed behind in the office with Eric. "Are you done for today?" Eric asked, the question lingering with more intent than he let on.

"Yes," Quinn replied. "Shall we head out for dinner?"

Eric drove them to a diner not far from Quinn’s place. "Quinn, what would you like to have?"

Quinn had been staring at the menu for a while, but finally, she grinned. "Mr. Eric, there are two types of food, you know. Food for the stomach and food for the heart."

Eric blinked, taken aback by her sudden enthusiasm. "Care to explain?"

"Instead, let me show you! I know a place that has the best fried chicken in town! You wanna try it?" she said, her excitement infectious.

Eric, not prepared for Quinn’s energy, found himself in a small restaurant with the smell of fried chicken in the air. Quinn was already bubbling with excitement, ordering for them both.

As they sat down, Eric thought to himself, At least this will keep her mind off whatever made her so upset yesterday.

Quinn finally turned to him, her smile wide. "Mr. Eric, I’m sorry, but do you drink... like alcohol?"

Eric raised an eyebrow. "Why are you asking?"

Quinn flushed slightly. "Well, it goes well with fried chicken. But if you don’t, it’s fine."

Eric stared at her for a moment before responding. "So, you drink?"

"Only when I’m eating chicken with my brother," Quinn admitted sheepishly.

The silence that followed felt heavier than it should’ve been. Quinn, determined to break it, asked, "So, any sports you like?"

Eric shrugged. "I play basketball sometimes. What about you?"

Quinn smiled. "No, I’m not a sports person."

The food arrived just then, breaking the awkward silence. Quinn, still wanting to lighten the mood, turned to the waiter. "Two bottles of wine, please."

Eric’s brows furrowed. "Quinn, I’d really prefer it if you didn’t drink today. Just for today."

"But Mr. Eric, I can’t eat chicken without it!" Quinn pouted.

Eric sighed. "This is for your own safety. You can’t just drink with anyone."

Quinn chuckled. "I’m not with just anyone. I’m with you. You’re not one of those evil people, are you?"

Eric raised his hands, exasperated. "Of course not... but—"

Quinn interrupted. "Then it’s settled!"

The waiter returned with their order, and Quinn, looking pleased with herself, turned to Eric with a playful smile. "You know, you look really cute when you’re upset. Like a baby."

Eric smirked. "I’ll have to report this to Miss Williams. How dare you call your senior a child?"

They continued their back-and-forth, like an old married couple, when an elderly woman walked by and stopped at their table.

"It’s been a while since I’ve seen such a happy, young couple. May you both always be happy together!" she said, giving them a bright grin before walking away.

Eric blinked, processing what just happened. "Happy couple?" he echoed, his voice thick with confusion.