Page 34 of More than Paper

“Not normally.”

“Get the sampler, then.”

“Good idea.”

The waitress comes over, and I order two samplers. We each order a burger and fries, and she leaves.

“So, you were a paramedic with Chase, Noah, and Xander?”

“That’s how Chase and I met Noah and Xander.”

“You’ve known Chase the longest?”

“Yes. Who have you known the longest?”

“Piper.”

“I like Piper. Still can’t believe she dropped twenty-five G’s on Noah’s sorry ass.”

“No way Piper was going to let that blonde win.”

“She told you about the blonde?”

“No. She had Charlotte, Vivian, and I on FaceTime. We saw the entire show. It’s how Charlotte bid on Xander.”

So she saw me in a speedo, acting like a macho dickhead for the crowd. Awesome.

“You saw me on stage?” I wince. “Thanks for not holding that against me.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s a pretty egotistical contest.”

“Why do you do it, then?”

“For charity.”

“You don’t have fun doing it?”

“Not really. I have to drink a lot before I get up there.”

Quinn laughs. “I think I would have to as well. But for the record, I thought you were pretty hot.”

“Not really fair. You saw me, but I didn’t get to see you.”

The waitress sets two samplers down with six glasses of beer in each. “Need anything else?”

Quinn shakes her head. “No thanks.”

“All set, thanks,” I tell her and she leaves again.

Quinn picks up our conversation. “You’re not a paramedic anymore, right?”

“I own an ambulance company with Chase and a few other investors.” I leave out the fact I also own part of the restaurant we are sitting in, the company that makes the ice cream we licked off each other last night, and hundreds of other companies across the world.

“Was that a scary leap?”

“Going from being a paramedic to the owner?”

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