day. However, she was content at her slow and steady pace. She would make it. Eventually. And it would be all the sweeter because she made it without her father's help.
Rinsing her mouth out with water, Quinn wiped the moisture from her lips, sighing with pleasure at the feel of the ultra-soft towel on her face. There was something to be said for luxury.
Carefully, Quinn hung up the towel. Someday, she promised herself. Someday soon.
CHAPTER SIX
AFTER STOPPING TO eat—where Quinn ate a stack of the best pancakes ever—they had checked into the hotel. Everyone dragged themselves to their rooms—presumably to sleep. Quinn felt surprisingly wired, but she tried to rest. Her internal clock wasn't used to rock band hours. The way she figured it, she should have adjusted right around the time the tour ended.
To her surprise, she fell asleep the second her head hit the pillow. Four hours later, her eyes popped open when her phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Want to hit the mall?"
"Zoe?" Quinn sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Is there time?"
"Shopping relaxes me. We'll take the limo, do our part for the local economy, then the driver can drop us at the stadium. Are you game?"
"Sure." Quinn wasn't as big of a buyer as she used to be, but she loved to look. "Should I meet you in the lobby?"
"Come up to my room. We'll take the service elevator to the parking garage."
Quinn rolled out of bed, stretching her arms over her head. Checking her appearance, Quinn was satisfied that all she needed was to fluff her hair and splash some water on her face. Okay, a little blush wouldn't hurt.
It was hard to complain about her hotel room. It had all the amenities. A comfortable bed. Hot and cold running water. A toilet that didn't flush on its own every ten minutes—try sleeping through that nightmare.
She shuddered when she thought of some of the holes where she had stayed. The life of an itinerant photographer was not as glamorous as some people might think. By comparison, her room at the Philadelphia Regent was a suite at the Ritz.
Then she stepped into Zoe's room and had to laugh.
"Want to share the joke?" the blonde asked as she slipped on her jacket.
"I think I have a case of luxury envy. First the bathroom on the bus. Now this?" Quinn motioned to the huge room with a floor-to-ceiling bank of windows. The view wasn't New York, but it would do. "I thought I was used to generic peanut butter and bargain basement sheets. Now I wonder."
"Ryder said that you grew up rich." Zoe's were a different color, but in a blink, her eyes took on the same intense look that Quinn had seen in Ryder's.
"I grew up with a rich father. I found out quickly that it wasn't my money. It was his to dole out at his discretion." Quinn shrugged. "It was a shock when he cut me off. Luckily, I'm smart and surprisingly adaptable."
"And still standing."
"Stronger than ever."
Quinn waited while Zoe applied a pale-colored lipstick. The other woman was a natural beauty and was wise not to cover it up with heavy makeup.
"How was the sound check?"
"I gave you the perfect opening to ask me about my childhood. Why didn't you take it?"
They left the suite. Instead of retracing Quinn's steps, they walked in the opposite direction.
"Did you want me to?" Quinn shot Zoe a speculative look. "Or was that a test to see if I would dig for information?"
Zoe didn't deny it. "I've never hung out with a reporter. I don't know what to expect."
"I'm a photographer, not a reporter." Quinn wondered if she should have it printed on a card. It would be easier than saying it over and over again. Besides, if she had it embossed, it would look official.
The service elevator made a creaking noise as it came to a stop. The doors opened. And though Quinn didn't hesitate to step inside, she noticed it looked as though it had been lifted from The Shining . Not the most encouraging image she could have summoned as the doors slid shut.
"That's what Ryder said."
"Did he?" It was good to
Rinsing her mouth out with water, Quinn wiped the moisture from her lips, sighing with pleasure at the feel of the ultra-soft towel on her face. There was something to be said for luxury.
Carefully, Quinn hung up the towel. Someday, she promised herself. Someday soon.
CHAPTER SIX
AFTER STOPPING TO eat—where Quinn ate a stack of the best pancakes ever—they had checked into the hotel. Everyone dragged themselves to their rooms—presumably to sleep. Quinn felt surprisingly wired, but she tried to rest. Her internal clock wasn't used to rock band hours. The way she figured it, she should have adjusted right around the time the tour ended.
To her surprise, she fell asleep the second her head hit the pillow. Four hours later, her eyes popped open when her phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Want to hit the mall?"
"Zoe?" Quinn sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Is there time?"
"Shopping relaxes me. We'll take the limo, do our part for the local economy, then the driver can drop us at the stadium. Are you game?"
"Sure." Quinn wasn't as big of a buyer as she used to be, but she loved to look. "Should I meet you in the lobby?"
"Come up to my room. We'll take the service elevator to the parking garage."
Quinn rolled out of bed, stretching her arms over her head. Checking her appearance, Quinn was satisfied that all she needed was to fluff her hair and splash some water on her face. Okay, a little blush wouldn't hurt.
It was hard to complain about her hotel room. It had all the amenities. A comfortable bed. Hot and cold running water. A toilet that didn't flush on its own every ten minutes—try sleeping through that nightmare.
She shuddered when she thought of some of the holes where she had stayed. The life of an itinerant photographer was not as glamorous as some people might think. By comparison, her room at the Philadelphia Regent was a suite at the Ritz.
Then she stepped into Zoe's room and had to laugh.
"Want to share the joke?" the blonde asked as she slipped on her jacket.
"I think I have a case of luxury envy. First the bathroom on the bus. Now this?" Quinn motioned to the huge room with a floor-to-ceiling bank of windows. The view wasn't New York, but it would do. "I thought I was used to generic peanut butter and bargain basement sheets. Now I wonder."
"Ryder said that you grew up rich." Zoe's were a different color, but in a blink, her eyes took on the same intense look that Quinn had seen in Ryder's.
"I grew up with a rich father. I found out quickly that it wasn't my money. It was his to dole out at his discretion." Quinn shrugged. "It was a shock when he cut me off. Luckily, I'm smart and surprisingly adaptable."
"And still standing."
"Stronger than ever."
Quinn waited while Zoe applied a pale-colored lipstick. The other woman was a natural beauty and was wise not to cover it up with heavy makeup.
"How was the sound check?"
"I gave you the perfect opening to ask me about my childhood. Why didn't you take it?"
They left the suite. Instead of retracing Quinn's steps, they walked in the opposite direction.
"Did you want me to?" Quinn shot Zoe a speculative look. "Or was that a test to see if I would dig for information?"
Zoe didn't deny it. "I've never hung out with a reporter. I don't know what to expect."
"I'm a photographer, not a reporter." Quinn wondered if she should have it printed on a card. It would be easier than saying it over and over again. Besides, if she had it embossed, it would look official.
The service elevator made a creaking noise as it came to a stop. The doors opened. And though Quinn didn't hesitate to step inside, she noticed it looked as though it had been lifted from The Shining . Not the most encouraging image she could have summoned as the doors slid shut.
"That's what Ryder said."
"Did he?" It was good to
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