Episode 610: Things

Quentin rinsed his mouth. He slid his toothbrush into the slot in the holder and turned to leave the bathroom, to go to bed apparently without saying things it was probably healthier for them to say.

Justine stepped in front of him and blocked his path. He quietly smiled and pressed a tender minty fresh kiss to her lips. That still didn’t buy him passage from the room.

"Just?" Quent asked. The unease she suspected he felt on the inside began to show on the outside. He grimaced a touch and squeezed her shoulder. On a deep breath he asked, "What is it?"

"The new guy at the garage," Justine said. "I know he has Tansy’s seal of approval and our girl does have surprisingly sound judgment, but it would be good to know that you didn’t just agree to this because she has her daddy wrapped around her finger. You do think he’s an okay guy, right? You’re not in any danger around him are you?"

"I think the only one he’s a danger to is himself."

"That doesn’t sound great for him. I’m sorry. But I am grateful for you and the other guys, Tans, too. I want you all safe." Quent nodded. "You don’t need to worry."

Something else still worried Justine though. "Is that what you think about me, too? That I’m a danger to myself? That taking on more responsibility at work will be too much for me to handle. I’ll turn into some egomaniac and self-destruct. If that’s what you think then I won’t do it. I don’t want to worry you or myself."

Quent touched Justine’s face. "I’ll be fine with this promotion, we’ll all be fine with it if you’re accepting it because you love the job and it makes you happy. But if you’re doing it because every promotion brings you one step closer to besting your father then yeah I think it’s dangerous. I’m scared for you, us, and Tansy. Look at your dad’s life, for all his business success there’s personal disasters with every one of his kids."

Episode 611: Shine