Quality Assurance Read online

  "You could've called me," Josh said. He'd thought Elena would be busy with Brad all weekend. For all she complained about Carrie's investment in her husband and son and Ashley's investment in her house, she was just as invested in her boyfriend. "I cleaned out my fridge, that's how bored I was."

  "Really," Elena said, a slow smirk curving her lips. She reached out and plucked at the sleeve of his sweater. "You sure look like you had a boring weekend."

  "I did," Josh said, shrugging. "This is Friday's aftermath—my weekend was boring after that."

  "You went out after the bowling alley?" Elena asked, her eyebrows rising in surprise. "You were trashed when we left."

  "I don't remember very clearly, but I thought I pulled someone there?" Josh said, shrugging dismissively. Though that begged the question: how had Quinn ended up at their weekly bowling night when he'd only started working at the office today?

  Elena shook her head at him but didn't comment, waving him off when her phone started to ring. Josh took that to mean she'd grill him later, though hopefully not in front of Quinn at lunch—that would be awkward beyond belief.

  Quinn was elbow-deep in papers and a few binders when Josh returned nearly an hour later. He looked up, not seeming to focus on Josh. There was a pen between his teeth and he seemed distracted by whatever he'd been working on.

  "Can I borrow your computer for a minute?" Josh asked cheerfully, feeling more awake and upbeat with a second cup of coffee in his bloodstream.

  "Right," Quinn mumbled around the pen in his mouth before focusing on Josh. His eyes widened, and he grabbed the pen, looking horrified at himself. "I mean, yes, sorry."

  "You're fine," Josh said easily, noting again how pale Quinn was. Did he never go out in the sun? Well, maybe not, if he was trying to be a vampire. "This should only take a few minutes. Mike thinks you're missing a patch, so I have to install that, but then you should be all set."

  "Thank you," Quinn said, glancing around the cubical with a frown before leaning against the cube's counter top. He bent his head to study his papers again, and Josh took the hint, sitting at Quinn's computer and getting to work.

  "So has Elena come to talk to you yet?" Josh asked as he breezed through the patch installer's steps.

  "I don't think so?" Quinn said, and when Josh glanced over, his forehead was furrowed in confusion. "I think—the woman I talked to last week was named Carrie."

  "On Friday?" Josh hazarded because that would make a lot of sense. Carrie was the one who'd started and organized the Friday night post-work bowling trips. If she'd run into Quinn and made him come… that still didn't explain why no one had seen him leave with Quinn.

  Quinn nodded, looking away briefly before giving Josh a small, rueful smile. Josh grinned back, amused despite his reservations about Quinn. Quinn was his type: shy and sweet with dark hair and bright eyes, even if Josh mistakenly kept remembering them as green instead of blue. That was probably why Carrie had dragged him along; that woman had an amazing talent for sussing out the guys who swung Josh's way.

  "Anyway, Elena's going to ask you to join us for lunch," Josh said easily. "I figured I'd warn you beforehand since she doesn't take no for an answer."

  "Oh, but—" Quinn started, frowning again. He looked torn, and Josh took pity on him.

  "I don't mind, if that's what you're worried about," Josh said, clicking Next on the installer. "And I'm pretty sure no one realized that you and I…" Josh paused, well aware of how easy it was to eavesdrop on conversations from other cubes.

  "Met previously?" Quinn suggested, his small, rueful smile returning.

  "Right," Josh said, leaning back in Quinn's chair. "As far as I'm concerned, that was hardly a meeting, and we're starting fresh today. If that's okay with you."

  "It's—good," Quinn said, relaxing.

  Josh wondered at the chances of getting Quinn into his bed again. He'd love to see if Quinn lost his shyness in bed when he would actually remember it later. He dismissed the thought almost immediately, however. Quinn was a biter for one, possibly with some sort of vampire complex, and he was a coworker for two, a poor idea as Ashley had proven quite painfully with her fling with the head of accounts receivable.

  Turning back to Quinn's computer, Josh finished installing the patch, asking curiously as he set the computer to restarting, "So where did you move here from?"

  "Tamaskey Bay," Quinn said absently, not looking up as he flipped over a page to read the other side of it. "I moved to be closer to work and away from my family. I like it here okay so far, but I've spent most of my time unpacking boxes."

  Josh laughed sheepishly. "Been asked that a few times, I guess."

  "A few," Quinn said, smiling wryly at Josh over the top of his papers. "But everyone's been nice so far, though most of them think I'm a brand new employee."

  "You're new to the building," Josh said, pointing out the obvious as the Windows start screen appeared on Quinn's monitor. "That's rare enough you'll be pestered for weeks and referred to as the new guy until someone else gets hired."

  "Yay," Quinn said deadpan. Josh grinned, distracted by the window that popped up on the monitor. It didn't take him long to finish making the changes to Quinn's computer, and he closed out of the program he'd fixed.

  "You should be set," Josh said, standing. He gestured to the computer. "But if you have any problems, give me a call or send me an email."

  "Okay, thanks," Quinn said, giving him another smile before returning to his papers.

  Josh headed back to his cube, smiling more than was necessary for a Monday, let alone a Monday before noon. Still, for all the ways for "accidentally sleeping with a coworker" to turn out, this wasn't half-bad.

  The lobby was empty when Josh reached it at lunch time. He was the first to show, which didn't surprise him. He'd heard Elena's department was getting slammed, and he didn't doubt that Quinn was the type to linger over his work.

  Digging out his cell, Josh sent a text to Elena demanding her whereabouts. Less than a minute later, his phone buzzed in return, and Josh frowned at the message that read, "swamped. have to take a late lunch. have fun with Q. <3"

  "Something wrong?"

  "Hmm?" Josh asked, flipping his phone shut and sliding it back into his pocket as he glanced up at Quinn. "Oh, no, just Elena can't get away from work. It's you and me, unless you'd prefer we go our separate ways for lunch."

  Quinn hesitated, and it was probably stupid, but Josh hoped Quinn didn't say no to lunch. He wouldn't mind getting to know Quinn better, and maybe he could bring up the bite casually. It had been bothering him more since he'd left Quinn's cube earlier.

  "It's fine," Quinn finally said, shrugging. "Where are we going?"

  "Elena suggested The Corner Deli. It's close and you're not wearing heels, so we can walk if you like," Josh said, glancing outside as he spoke. It was bright and sunny, so rain wouldn't be an issue either.

  "Okay," Quinn said. He hesitated until Josh gestured for him to lead the way from the building. The day was on the warm side of cool with a nice breeze to stir the fall leaves around their feet as they walked.

  "So where did you end up getting a place?" Josh asked as they walked. Quinn's eyes were brighter out here, he noticed, then berated himself for noticing. He wasn't going to date Quinn, so he had no business noting anything about Quinn.

  "Riverside apartments?" Quinn offered, making it a question.

  "You're close to downtown, then, if I'm thinking of the right place," Josh said thoughtfully, tucking his hands into his pants pockets and nodding hello to a businessman they passed. "Have you had a chance to do any exploring? You're near the docks, I think. They have events down there most weekends."

  "I haven't really," Quinn said, sounding defensive. "I've barely left my apartment."

  "Too busy unpacking?" Josh suggested, biting back the offer to show Quinn around. Maybe he should've bailed on Quinn, too—obviously he needed to keep some distance if he was going to behave.

  "Yeah," Qui
nn smiled, shrugging. "I have a lot more stuff than I thought I did before I moved. It took ages to pack, and it's taking longer to unpack."

  "I haven't moved since I graduated—three years ago—but I still don't want to do it again for a very long time," Josh said with a grimace.

  "Me either," Quinn said, making a face.

  "Well, if you get a chance, check out the dock's events. They're always fun," Josh said, wondering if Quinn would take that advice even as he spoke. Quinn seemed more the type to play hermit than to go out and party it up. Except he'd gone out and presumably gotten drunk enough to go home with Josh, so maybe Quinn's appearance was deceiving.

  "There's also a lot of good restaurants in your area," Josh said when Quinn's only reply was a hum of agreement. "You should try the pizza from Mama Luciana's—it's good, and their garlic sauce is to kill for."

  Quinn made a funny noise, then covered his mouth with a hand. Josh blinked, frowning at Quinn—it looked like he was about to throw up, but in the end, he only made a face as he dropped his hand.

  "I'm allergic to garlic," Quinn said, sounding apologetic. "I usually avoid Italian and pizza places since they put it in everything."

  "That sucks," Josh said on auto-pilot, wondering if Quinn was fucking with him. Allergic to garlic, pale enough to be dead, and he'd left two puncture marks in Josh's throat. Why did Josh always seem to attract the nutcases? At least Quinn was more low-key about it than some of his past lovers had been. The one guy, George, had been convinced that Josh was magic and had tried for a few weeks to collect bits and pieces of Josh to cast spells with.

  "Here we are," Josh said unnecessarily as they reached the busy deli. He held the door open for Quinn, then followed him inside. Quinn hesitated just inside the door, but then headed for the short queue at the ordering area.

  Josh followed him, wondering as they ordered whether or not he should mention Quinn's vampiric habits. He was curious despite himself—and that was always how he got into trouble, so no asking questions. He didn't need another George-type stalker, but this time after his blood instead of his hair.

  Even knowing it was a bad idea to consider it, he couldn't help being curious as to whether Quinn thought of himself as a vampire or was only turned on by it.

  … which wasn't a good thing to be thinking about when he was supposed to be grabbing his sandwich. Josh snagged the tray that held his sandwich, chips, and bottle of soda. He waited for Quinn before heading toward an empty table by the window. Halfway there, a woman with a hairstyle that should've been left in the '80s accidentally knocked his arm, jostling his shoulder and sending a fresh stab of pain down his arm from the bite.

  Barely keeping from spilling the contents of his tray, Josh gritted his teeth as the woman muttered a half-hearted apology and moved around him. The pain subsided slowly as he walked the rest of the way to the empty table, but the bite itself kept throbbing. He was going to have to get the damn thing looked at. It couldn't be normal for such a small wound to cause so much pain.

  "Are you okay?" Quinn asked, looking concerned as he sat down across the table from Josh.

  "Yeah, I'm fine," Josh said, rolling his shoulder carefully. It didn't hurt as much when he moved it on purpose. "Just a sore neck. I'll get it checked out tomorrow if it still hurts like this then."

  "Oh," Quinn said, his frown deepening for some reason. Maybe he'd realized what the cause of Josh's discomfort was and was feeling guilty?

  "It really is fine," Josh said, trying to reassure Quinn. Stupid because it was Quinn's fault his neck hurt in the first place, but it was only a bite, albeit an annoying, painful, and probably infected one.

  "Okay," Quinn said and then lapsed into silence to focus on his meal. Josh followed suit, letting his mind wander. He'd call his doctor in the morning if the bite was still bothering him. He didn't relish explaining it, but hopefully he could spin it that it had been his mysterious partner who'd been into the biting and the doctor wouldn't laugh at him too much.

  "So is your computer still working fine?" Josh asked after he'd inhaled half his sandwich. Pastrami on rye, hold the vegetables, was a great way to spend Monday lunch.

  "Mmhmm," Quinn managed with his mouth full of sandwich. His looked to be more lettuce than anything else, though he'd clearly heard Quinn order roast beef.

  "Have you worked in a cube before?" Josh asked, wondering what it'd be like to work from home. Probably boring, not that his job was suited for it.

  "No, only from home," Quinn said, shrugging. "This has been my only job so far."

  "Fun, isn't it? Be thankful you're not seated by Chester. He's on the phone all day, and he's the type who believes the people on the other end can only hear him if he shouts," Josh said, trying to remember who was in the cubes around Quinn.

  "I sneezed earlier and someone on the other side said bless you," Quinn said, his lips quirking into a smile. "But it's not so different. I have to dress nicer, but that's about it."

  "Pajamas all the time?" Josh teased, then crushed down a few more chips.

  "Jeans, mostly," Quinn said, and Josh did his best to not think about Quinn wearing old, worn-in jeans that fit just right because that was not the sort of thing he needed to be thinking about a coworker.

  "Still better than slacks," Josh said, making a face. He hated business casual, but at least the dress code was business casual and not stricter.

  Quinn nodded in agreement, then stood and picked up his tray. "I'll be right back."

  Josh nodded and watched as Quinn walked over to the trash receptacle and emptied his tray. He headed to the restrooms next, turning back as he reached the bathroom door, his green eyes visible across the restaurant as he smiled at Josh enticingly. Josh stood, barely remembering to grab his tray and drop it off before following Quinn to the restroom. It was empty except for Quinn and himself, and Josh put up no resistance when Quinn pushed him into the handicap stall and latched the door behind them.

  "Show me your neck?" Quinn requested softly, his green eyes glowing faintly. It should be wrong, something was wrong, but Josh tugged down the collar of his sweater. Quinn leaned close enough that Josh got a whiff of his spicy deodorant and carefully peeled off the bandage Josh had taped over the bite.

  "Hey," Josh objected half-heartedly. He was all but tripping over the toilet, and Quinn was behaving strangely.

  "It's okay," Quinn said, running a soothing touch along Josh's jaw. His green eyes suited him much better than the blue, Josh thought hazily as Quinn bent his head, his teeth brushing against the bite mark. Josh tensed, prepared for pain, but instead he felt a soft wash of warmth across the area. It made his skin tingle all the way down to his toes, and Josh wondered if they'd be late, or if they'd have time for a quickie—

  Pulling away, Quinn covered his mouth with his hand, so Josh took the initiative, knocking Quinn's hand aside and kissing him. Quinn gasped, startled though he shouldn't have been, and he tasted of the syrupy sweet of his drink and something sharp and bitter that Josh couldn't place.

  Quinn tensed when his back hit the door of the bathroom stall, making it rattle. Josh paid it no mind, hooking his fingers in one of the belt loops on Quinn's pants and tugging him closer as he deepened the kiss. Quinn was kissing back, and Josh tugged again—

  "Not here," Quinn said breathlessly, his head turned to break the kiss.

  Josh made a disappointed noise, wondering if he could push it.

  "I'm sorry," Quinn said. His eyes were still green, and Josh should have been more worried about being dragged into the men's room for some arcane purpose, literally arcane, and his neck should still hurt, but it didn't, and he still, somehow, wasn't worried about any of it.

  "I like you anyway," Josh confided solemnly. He didn't know what Quinn was apologizing for. Maybe for biting him? Quinn smiled, sad and sweet, and Josh really wanted to kiss him again.

  "Good," Quinn said. "Hold still for me, please?"

  Josh nodded and Quinn reached out, touching his forehead lightly a
nd staring at him with those green, green eyes—and Josh blinked, startled to find himself alone in the bathroom stall, the door securely latched from the inside.

  Blinking a few times, Josh frowned, staring at the plastic door of the bathroom stall. Had he imagined that? He had to have. There was no way Quinn would drag him into the men's bathroom, bite him again, and then let Josh kiss him as a follow-up.

  But he didn't remember how he'd gotten in here otherwise. He couldn't account for how he'd crossed the restaurant or entered the stall.

  Moving slowly, Josh let himself out of the bathroom stall and walked over to the sinks. He looked ruffled too, as though he'd been involved in a make-out session moments ago. Frowning, Josh flattened his hair, wincing reflexively when he accidentally brushed the bite on the side of his neck—except it didn't hurt. Completely confused, Josh leaned closer to the mirror, tugging down the collar of his shirt to expose the bite.

  Nothing. Josh stared. There was nothing—no bite, no scar, no bruise, nothing.

  Josh let the turtleneck fall back into place when someone else entered the bathroom. He turned the knobs on the sink to wash his hands because that was more normal than staring at himself in the mirror like he didn't recognize himself.

  There had to be a logical explanation for it. Unfortunately, the only logical explanation he could come up with was that he was going crazy. Either the bite had never been there, or Quinn had magically removed it.

  Drying his hands slowly, Josh headed out of the restroom, not wanting to seem weird to the other man using the facilities. Quinn was waiting outside the bathroom, looking tense and conspicuous, and Josh stared at him for a moment.

  He was going crazy. He really, really was. Quinn's eyes were blue, a nice blue, but nowhere near the brilliant green Josh had imagined them to be. He needed to stop drinking so much he blacked out—but that still didn't explain the weird memories in the bathroom.