TWENTY SIX

Elodie

Azeroth seems preoccupied for the rest of the week. When we're talking or making love, he's his usual playful self, but sometimes in quiet moments, I catch a look. A frown, a flick of his tail. It makes me wonder if everything is OK.

He says it's normal for me to be feeling flat and low on energy after the reaping and that sounds reasonable.

On Saturday, Quinn asks me to come shopping to pick out a new outfit for a fancy work function they've got coming up. We haven't caught up in what feels like ages and I should be excited, but I'm also slightly nervous they're going to be tetchy that I've been ignoring them.

I can't help smiling when I spot them standing on the corner where we agreed to meet. They look great—as usual. They have on leather-look leggings and black platform buckled boots that make them almost seven feet tall. A faux fur collar on their sweater and designer glasses finishes the look and makes me feel a little underdressed in my bodycon maxi dress and cardi.

They're standing by our favorite coffee cart and when I smile and call out, they look around as if they haven't seen me. Quinn finally fixes their gaze on me, pushing the glasses down their nose to look over them. "Oh, Elodie, is that you? It's been so long I almost forgot what you look like."

I wince and stretch up on my toes to give them a hug. "Hey, sorry. I know. I know. I've been AWOL. How are you?"

"Oh you know. Same as always. Fabulous." They turn away before I can get a read on their expression. "I already ordered us coffee because there's no time to lose. We have to get going!"

Their tone is upbeat enough, but I can tell they're still salty with me. That's OK, I'm going to be so perky they won't be able to stay mad.

The coffee cart owner calls out, "Two grande lattes, extra strong!"

"Just in time." Quinn snatches the takeout cups and hands me one. We head down one of the smaller side streets.

"What sort of outfit are we looking for? What's the plan?" I hurry along after Quinn's long strides.

"No plan," Quinn shrugs. "I'll know it when I see it."

I keep up the lighthearted banter as we walk and Quinn generally answers my questions. They're tense, but by the time we've walked a few blocks, they've loosened up a bit.

When we walk by a cute little boutique, I slow. "Hey, you wanna look here?"

Quinn sniffs. "Not here."

I crane my neck to look in through the window as we keep walking. There's a cute little purple number on a mannequin in the window that catches my eye, but it's more my style than Quinn's. They don't tend to wear dresses.

"Did you do anything fun on the weekend?" I ask them.

"Not as much fun as who you did." Quinn laughs. "Are you going to spill the tea yet?"

This feels better. I grin. "Sure. What do you want to know?"

"Well for starters, what happened? He is your boss, isn't he?"

I look around, wondering how much to say. Monsters are out and have been for years, but I don't know how much I should say about the summoning. I figure I can be open with Quinn, though. "Well it was sort of an accident."

"Mhm. Tell me more. After work drinks? He's the executive director, though, right? Do executive directors even go to after work drinks?"

"Well there were drinks involved..." I lower my voice. "You remember the night we went out?"

"Yes." They give me a sympathetic look.

"I kinda, might have gone home and um... summoned him."

Quinn raises a brow. "Like summoned summoned? Not just a booty call?"

"Really summoned. Candles, chanting. The works. To help me get revenge on Dustin." I hang my head. Saying it out loud makes it feel just as shortsighted and childish as it was.

Quinn smiles. "Now we're talking. So, did you get revenge? Tell me you did something nasty to him and that bimbo."

I shrug. "Kind of. We smashed up his Camaro."

"Fuck, yes. What else?"

"I mean that's mostly it. That and the fake dating Azeroth and the part where he told Dustin to his face that he has a small dick."

"Oh, I think I like this guy. But wait, you're faking? Honey, you look too well fucked to have been faking."

I flush and can't help giggling. "Um... yeah. Long story short, it's not so fake anymore." How real is it, though? I mean I know we're not faking the sex or the sweet way he treats me, but we haven't really talked about how serious this is. I'm a little scared of that conversation. To be honest, I'm a little scared of the outcome I'm hoping for given how recently I had my heart broken.

I gather my thoughts while Quinn leads the way into a large shop across the street. For a while we're looking around distractedly. I hold Quinn's coffee while they pick things off the rack and hold them up. We find a red suit that reminds me of the color of Azeroth's skin. Quinn doesn't even want to try it on, though.

A shop assistant eyes us from the corner of the store, but doesn't approach.

Eventually, Quinn selects three blazers from the menswear section and a few pairs of trousers from womenswear to try on and we make our way to the changing rooms.

"Men's changing rooms are on this side, um, sir?" The attendant begins.

We pause and Quinn draws in a long suffering breath. Before they can even begin to explain, a short woman with an armful of clothes pushes past us and heads straight for the last remaining changing room.

"Hey!"

She swishes aside the curtain and disappears behind it as if Quinn didn't even speak.

"Are you just going to let them do that?" Quinn gestures at the customer and the shop assistant shrugs.

"What would you like me to do? I can't exactly open the curtain on them."

Quinn is seething.

Luckily, another curtain is pushed aside and a trio of schoolgirls come out giggling. I hussle Quinn into the vacant room before they can give the shop assistant a retort; I perch on the little seat in the corner while they change.

Quinn calms down after the first bright blue shirt.

"Dee, please tell me you were only talking about the fucking before." In typical fashion, Quinn doesn't lower their voice at all.

"What do you mean?" I hiss, wondering how likely it is that the shop assistant is still listening.

"Being fake. I mean, a hot rebound fling is one thing. I approve of hot rebound sex. I do not approve of dating for you right now."

"What?" Wasn't that just what I was thinking myself? Only it feels harsh hearing it from Quinn who is always so supportive.

"Don't date. You're not ready to date. You only just broke up with Douchebag Dustin, and I hate to tell you this, but you have the worst taste in men. I mean this guy is a literal demon, Dee. A demon. You think he's going to be good for you?"

My mouth falls open. They haven't even met Azeroth yet. Besides, not like I've dated anyone apart from Dustin for years. A sample size of one is not enough to make statistics from. I'm about to tell them as much when we're interrupted by a cough from outside the curtain.

"Store policy is that we only allow one person per changing room."

Quinn zips the front of the purple, sparkly vest they're trying on up to their chin and whips aside the curtain. "What do you think we're doing here, Karen? Are you getting jealous?"

The shop attendant's face is bright red, but she doesn't look away. "I'm just doing my job. There's no need to be rude."

Quinn rolls their eyes. "The clothes are ugly, anyway. We're leaving. Would you like to watch me undress to make sure we aren't fucking in your precious changing room or do you think we can have some privacy?"

I feel a little bad for the attendant when she hurries away without answering. She's being a cow, but Quinn can be like a predator on the hunt for blood.

"Go call your manager," Quinn calls after them. "When they get here, I'd like a word about the assumptions you made about me and my friend."

"Quinn." I tug on their arm. "Come on, let's go. We're not buying from here, are we?"

"Damn right, we're not."

They get changed and I drag them out of the shop before they can cause more of a ruckus.

It's the same in the next shop, only this time Quinn definitely starts it.

All it takes is the shop assistant greeting us. "Hi there, can I help you find something today?"

Quinn casts her a withering look. "Hi, perhaps you were about to tell me your shop actually has unisex changing rooms, or that you don't arbitrarily divide clothes along stereotypical gender lines? No? Then you can keep your help to yourself, thanks." They stalk off to the back of the store toward brightly colored sequined jackets hanging along a row on the wall.

"Haha, sorry. Bad day." I give the shop assistant my brightest smile and hurry after Quinn.

They're already rolling their eyes and muttering to themselves when I get there. "I don't even know why I bother sometimes."

"Hey," I say softly. "You OK?"

"Sure. I'm great. This is great, isn't it?"

I set the takeout coffeeson the floor. "Hey, we don't have to stay if this is getting you down. We can take a break, or just forget about shopping, and go get something to eat. You have so many fabulous things in your closet, I'm sure you could find something."

"No. I want something new. Why should I let these assholes stop me?" They snatch a jacket from the rack and stalk off toward the changing rooms.

"Quinn!" Chasing after them is tricky. I wind my way between the racks of clothes, but they're fast. They've already disappeared behind a locked door by the time I do.

"Quinn, come on, you'll look amazing no matter what you wear. You always do. Why worry?"

The door opens to reveal Quinn, tight vest hugging their slim waist and emphasizing muscular shoulders. They glare at me, thick brows drawn together in a deep scowl. "You don't get it, do you?"

"I get it. We had a bad experience at the last shop."

"Not we. Me ! I had a bad experience. The same fucking experience I have almost every time I go somewhere."

"Oh, Quinn." I hate this.

They fold toned arms across their chest and say nothing.

"That lady was way out of line."

A frustrated little noise bursts from Quinn and they toss the sequined vest to the floor. "She wasn't even that bad. I've had worse. I'm just so sick of being invisible. I spend my whole life trying to avoid being invisible to everyone, and I thought you got that."

"I do!" I love the way Quinn is so determinedly themselves without compromise.

"Do you?" A dark brow arches. "I thought you did, and then you made me feel like an insect all week while you shacked up with your new demon boyfriend. You didn't call. You hardly answered my texts. Which, by the way, is exactly what you were like when you were first with Douchebag Dustin."

My answer dies in my throat. They're right. They're one hundred percent right. I neglected them. I let myself get swept up in a new relationship, or situationship, or whatever it is. And right up until now, I didn't even get what all the drama with the changing rooms and the shop assistants was all about.

I'm a bad friend.

"Yeah. That's what I thought." Quinn brushes past me. "Maybe I'll call you in a couple weeks and hope you still remember my name."

I can only stare as they storm out of the store. Tears brim in my eyes and I step hurriedly into the changing room and lock the door to cry in private.

Was I really like that with Dustin, too? What does that say about things with Azeroth, if it's already turned me into a person I don't like?

But Quinn will forgive me, right? No way I've let a relationship lose me a friend.