Quinn walked out of her meeting, it wasn't often she had to come into the store, but today was a quarterly meeting. All in all, it went pretty well- even if Sonia tried to steal her thunder. It was her second year as a buyer for Saks, she loved her job but it was the first time she felt in control. Her boss loved her but her co-worker hated her, of course she was partnered up with the biggest bitch imaginable. She was done for the day and decided to walk around the store and admire her merchandise. She made mental notes of how items were presented and what was selling. That's when she spotted him, to say he stuck out was an understatement. He looked confused and from what she could tell, none of the employees were paying him any mind. Sure, he looked like he normally shopped at Old Navy and he was kind of goofy looking, in a cute way. But this was Saks, they had the highest quality customer service, these employees must of forgotten that. She decided to help him out, he was obviously uncomfortable; all for the sake of business of course, not cause she wanted to flirt with him. She studied him for a moment, he didn't look too shabby, just casual. He wore what she dubbed, the lower east side look: plaid button down, straight leg jeans and converse, everything she hated, yet she was drawn to him. She watched him go through different scarves, each one uglier than the one before it. He really needed help, he must be shopping for an older woman, no way anyone would look at those for someone their age.
"Can I help you find anything?" Finn looked down at the woman talking to him, she was the first person to acknowledge his presence. He had no idea what he was doing, who knew buying your mom a birthday gift was so hard.
"Um... well, I'm looking for a gift, for my mom. It's her sixtieth birthday, Puck said I had to get her something nice and womanly. A friend suggested I come here, she said this was the best place to shop." Quinn smiled at his ramblings, she could tell he was nervous. She hoped it was because of her and not the atmosphere. He had such a sweet boyish charm, she found him totally appealing. Putting on her best show-face, (Rachel would be so proud) she decided to find out if he was available.
"Your friend was right, we carry the best selection. Tell me a little about your mom, what is she like, what does she like to do, what are her favorite colors. If I can get a feel for her, I can help you find the perfect gift." He gave her a big grin, he was happy to have some help. It didn't hurt that she was easy on the eyes, he was glad that Puck refused to come with him. He knew Puck would have taken one look at her and she'd be tip toeing out of his apartment tomorrow. Even though she seemed to be too sweet to be a Puck groupie, somehow his friend always managed to get what he wanted. He shook himself from his thought and tried to focus on what she was saying.
"Well... she's retired now, she used to be a secretary. She likes flowers and stuff, I mean she has her own garden back home. I'm not sure what her favorite colors are but she wears a lot of jeans and she's pretty casual. I wanted to get her something nice, we're taking her to a fancy dinner." Quinn wondered who the 'we' were. Did he have a girlfriend, if so, where was she?
"Was your heart set on giving her a scarf?" Finn looked down at the assortment of silk he was rummaging through. Even though they were all expensive, he found them all ugly.
"Not really, my step-brother suggested I get her an Hermy scarf, I can't find it though." Quinn smiled at his mispronunciation, normally she'd be instantly turned off.
"I think your step-brother meant Hermes, they're in the case. Follow me, I'll show you," he was more than happy to follow her. He was wondering how to find out if she was single, it'd be creepy if he just flat out asked her, at least she wasn't wearing a ring.
"These are the Hermes scarves," he looked at the case she was pointing to. They were just as ugly as the ones he was looking at, only more expensive.
"Um... do you like them?" She could tell he wasn't impressed, honestly, neither was she. She was not an Hermes fan, even if she had to buy it, it just wasn't her personal style.
"No. If it were me, I'd go for some jewelry. If you don't mind me asking, were you working within a certain budget?" He creased his forehead thinking about it. He didn't really know how much he wanted to spend, he just knew that his mom was worth it.
"I don't really have a budget. I mean, my mom is awesome, she raised me alone after dad died. She deserves the best, if you have any ideas I'd love to see them. I just don't have an endless supply of money, so it can't be ridiculous." Quinn smiled at him and grabbed his arm to lead him over to the jewelry area. She was still wondering how to bring up his status, he wasn't wearing a ring at least. If Rachel were there she would have found out already. The things he said about his mom were so sweet. It made her think about what daddy Alex always said, 'the way a boy treats his mother is the way he'll treat you'.
"I'm Quinn, by the way," she said, pulling away from his arm to shake his hand. His hand was much larger than hers and warm, a little rough but pleasantly so.
He took her hand, smiling, "I'm Finn." Their names rhymed, it had to be a sign. She gave him a small smile and gestured her hand over the glass case.
"These pieces are Roberto Coin, most of them are very expensive. However there are a few beautiful necklaces, that are very well priced for the quality you're getting." He was trying to pay attention to the necklaces she made the sales lady take out, but he was just too caught up in her.
"My mom is kinda simple, those are too flashy." He said at the necklace, with a large purple stone the lady held. Quinn gave the salesperson a frown, that was not one of the pieces she asked for, especially since it was over four thousand dollars.
Smiling at Finn, "I agree, I didn't ask her to take that piece out. Actually, I like this one," she said, holding up a necklace. Finn took it from her to look at it, it was simple, a white gold strand with three small diamonds clustered together. He could see his mom wearing this, shit, she'd go crazy over it. The tag had no price, he had a feeling it would be pricey.
Looking down at Quinn, she was all smiles, she obviously liked the necklace. "I like it, so will she... how much does it cost?" He whispered the last part to her, the sales lady was making him feel uncomfortable. Normally, this is where Quinn would be turned off, she was used to men who could spend whatever they wanted. But he asked so innocently, he wasn't being cheap, he was being realistic and the fact that he wasn't just putting it on a credit card to impress her... well it impressed her.
"It's six hundred fifty, plus tax. I figured if you were willing to spend five hundred on a scarf, this wasn't too far of a stretch. We can find something else, if its more than you wanted to spend" Finn was torn, truth was he had an idea of spending about five hundred, that's what he was told the scarf would cost. He could afford the necklace and his mom would love it, she deserved it. It wasn't like he was planning on making any big buys anytime soon. That new 3D LED TV he wanted would just have to wait a bit longer.
"Sold, I think she'll love it. Um... do you guys wrap?" Quinn clapped her hands and gave the salesperson instructions. She then turned back to him and smiled.
"That wasn't so bad was it?" He shifted his feet, soon he'd leave and he still didn't know if she was single.
"Not at all, thanks to you," she blushed a little. She decided to be a little bold, what the worst that could happen, he was taken and she'd never see him again.
"Maybe next time your girlfriend should come with you. It's always easier to shop for a woman, when shopping with a woman." He looked at her confused.
"Uh... you're right, it is easier," she tried not to look disappointed. Damn it, of course he was taken. "but I don't have a girlfriend... what about you?" Way to go Finn, you're officially an ass, he thought to himself.
"What about me," she asked, dumbly. She knew what he meant, she wanted him to ask her. If she worked up the nerve, he could do the same.
"Are you single?" She noticed him turning a little red, he was nervous.
"I am," he smiled at her. The salesperson came back with his purchase bagged, he thanked her and turned back to Quinn.
"I know you're working but would you like to get together sometime? I'd like to take you out." Sometimes he wished he had Puck's game.
"Actually, I'm not working. I was here for a meeting and my day is over. I'm a buyer for the store, so I don't physically work here. I'm free now, there's a coffee shop near by. If you want." She stammered a bit, what has gotten into her, she never made the first move.
"Awesome, lead the way." She did and he smiled the whole time. He would have to call Kurt and Tina later and thank them, he wouldn't have stepped foot in that place if it weren't for them.
Rachel sat at the bar, sipping her drink, waiting. A quick glance to her watch told her Quinn was twenty minutes late. This wasn't like her at all, Quinn was never late to anything. She fought the urge to text her again, she knew she'd get the same response. Quinn was already on her way, no need to stress her over her tardiness. She glanced around the bar and quickly averted her gaze, the same guy had been trying to get her attention since she walked in. He sat there staring at her, pretty soon he was gonna burn a hole in her head. Too bad he wasn't attractive, she could use a distraction from her hectic schedule. Especially now that Mike had a new girlfriend and was no longer available to meet her needs. Damn him for falling in love, she was happy for him but now she was back to being sexless. Everyone else at the bar seemed to be in couples, the few single men weren't worth a second look. She caught a flash of blonde hair, from the corner of her eye and smiled. Quinn finally arrived and she was practically running.
"I'm so sorry I'm late," she said, taking the seat next to Rachel. There was no way she could be mad at Quinn.
"It's okay, I was just worried. You're never late for anything but by that smile, I can tell you've had a good day" Quinn smile at her friend, she was so excited to tell her how good her day had been.
"Well... let's just say that my day started good and ended great." Rachel hated when she gave vague answers, which were a Quinn special. She knew what was expected of her, she had to play along and pry it out. Quinn wouldn't have it any other way.
"So what happened? Did you get a promotion?" Quinn bit her bottom lip and shook her head no. Rachel let out a frustrated sigh, she knew it wouldn't be so easy.
"Did Sonia finally get fired?" Again, Quinn shook her head. Rachel took a big gulp of her drink and smiled. They had been playing this game since middle school, even though they were reaching thirty, not much had changed.
"Did you meet a sexy, rich man?" Quinn ignored Rachel's question and ordered a drink from the bartender. Rachel knew her last guess was right, the way Quinn ignored her comment, told her everything.
"Okay, enough with the silence. Spill. Now." Quinn took a sip of her drink, just to annoy Rachel. She loved making her wait, it was the best part of the game.
"Well, to answer your question... yes I met someone." She took another sip and smiled at Rachel.
Rachel was not amused, she hated when she did this. God, people called her a drama queen, that's cause they didn't know Quinn.
"That's nice, I'm happy for you," she said primly. Turning her attention back to her drink, she could still see Quinn, trying to hold back laughter.
"I'm sorry, I just like making you work for it." Rachel huffed a bit but smiled. "I did meet a guy, he's definitely sexy but he's not rich. Well at least I don't think he is. He is really sweet and he's adorable." Rachel looked at her friend incredulously, did she just say adorable? Quinn doesn't do adorable, she dated successful, sexy douche bags.
"Adorable? Is he five, cause the only time you use that word, is when you're talking about kids or puppies." Quinn rolled her eyes, so maybe she was superficial in the past.
"Yes, adorable and sweet. I met him at Saks, he was buying a gift for his mom -" Rachel interrupted her.
"Saks, he was shopping there and you say he's not rich. Hm... I think your idea of wealthy needs some re-evaluating." Quinn let out a sigh, she hated when wasn't able to finish her thoughts.
"If you would have waited for me to finish, you'd understand. So he was looking for a gift for his mom. Apparently, someone told him to buy her an Hermes scarf," Rachel made a gagging noise, "and they sent him to Saks to get it. Well, no one was helping him, so I offered my expertise. He didn't like the Hermes, thank god, at least he has some taste. Instead, I showed him some jewelry and he liked it. Needless to say, his mom will have a beautiful Roberto Coin necklace for her sixtieth birthday. He was working with a budget and he wasn't shy about saying so. But Rach, what got me, other than how cute he was, he said some of the sweetest things about his mom. Anyhow, after he bought the necklace, we went and got some coffee." She left out that fact that she had asked, she'll leave that tidbit for later. "We ended up spending the day together, we had a hot dog and walked around the park... it was great." Rachel looked at her friend as if she was seeing her for the first time.
"You ate a hot dog? From a hot dog stand?" Out of everything Quinn told her, that was all she cared about?
"Yes, I ate a hot dog from a hot dog stand. Whats the big deal?" Rachel couldn't close her mouth, from the shock.
"Um... I've been trying to get you to eat street food since we moved here." Quinn just rolled her eyes.
"Yeah well... you're not as cute as him." Rachel smiled, it wasn't often a guy made an impression on her friend and this one seemed to make a big one. She was happy for her, even if it did seem a little crazy to her.
"So... how did your impromptu date end?" She watched Quinn daze off.
"We exchanged numbers and he asked if I was free for lunch tomorrow. Of course I told him I was and he said he'd take me on a real date this week. Oh, and he's a total Lower East Side boy, you'd like him" Rachel raised her eyebrows at that.
"Lower East Side, really? Quinny, I'm impressed." Quinn shrugged her shoulders but she perked up in realization, when she remembered something.
"I almost forgot! Part of his moms birthday gift is dinner at a fancy restaurant Well he tried to get reservation at La Esquina Brasserie but he wasn't able to. Instead he got reservations to The Harrison, he said someone told him the food was great." Rachel just looked at her dumbly, hoping she'd get to her point soon, she knew Quinn was going somewhere with this. " We both know the Harrison is good but boring. Not the best place for a sixtieth birthday, I mean that's a big deal. So of course I told him about my amazingly talented and famous best-friend and how you have pull in this town." Rachel giggled at her comment, she was known but she didn't consider herself famous. "So I offered to speak to you about obtaining him reservations for this Friday at La Esquina. Have I told you lately how much I love you." She said giving Rachel her best pout. Rachel smiled at Quinns enthusiasm, she was acting like she was sixteen again. It was nice to see her friend caught up in something other than work and labels.
"Of course I'll help you out, I'll call Peter tomorrow. Just tell me what name to put it under and how many people."
"Finn Hudson, party of five," she said quickly. Rachel just couldn't help but laugh, Quinn had officially gone boy-crazy.
"Okay, I guess that's all I need, I'll make the reservation." Quinn bit her lip and looked sheepishly at Rachel.
"Oh god, what?" Rachel knew that face.
"Can you call your hook up at the Boom Boom Room and get us on the list for Saturday night." Chugging the rest of her drink, Rachel asked.
"Us? Who exactly is us?" Quinn gave her a guilty smile.
"You, Me, Finn, his business partner, his step-brother with his boyfriend and another couple he's friends with." Rachel rolled her eyes, she hated the Boom Boom Room. It was one of the most pretentious spots in the city and she always ran into unwanted people there.
"You owe me, big time. I hate Boom Boom Room but for you my dear I will suffer. Isn't it a bit early to be meeting the friends?"
Quinn frowned at her, her friend had no idea how she was feelings, she barely believed it herself. "No. We're going on our date Thursday night, he's taking out his mom Friday and Saturday is just a group outing. It's not a big deal, he's a casual guy, I'm sure he feels safe in numbers. Just go with it, please. There's something about him, when you meet him you'll understand. Plus you and I will go straight to Boom Boom after your show. There is no way I'm missing your final night, even if the girls can't make it." Besides her fathers, Quinn was her biggest fan. Spending a night in Boom Boom hell won't be so bad, as long as she's inebriated. It would be better if San and Brit were going, but they were going out of town. Her friend look so happy and almost giddy it was kind of sickening. She knew she should be concerned but she didn't want to rub her cynicism on her new-found emotions. Quinn was a big girl and she was smart, she knew bull shit when it was fed to her. She had a feeling wedding bells were going off in her friends mind. Thank god she had two fathers, they'd throw a wedding together in no time. At this rate, she was sure there would be a wedding in the near future.
"I'm happy for you Quinny, you know I am. I'm just a little jealous, you'll be having sex and I'll be using my vibrator." Quinn smack her on the arm.
"Sorry about Mike, that sucks." Rachel shrugged, "we weren't involved. I'm happy for him, he's a good friend I want him to be happy. Even if it means I'm short a fuck buddy." Quinn pouted at her, "maybe Finn will have a friend for you." Rachel was shaking her head before Quinn could finish.
"No way, no how. No hooking up Rachel, promise me Quinny."
"Fine," she said huffing a bit and crossing her arms.
"So are you gonna call dads and tell them about dream boy?" Rachel knew they'd get a kick out of this.
"Already did when I was in the cab coming here." Rachel laughed as Quinn recounted her conversation with them.
"So how was you're day?" Rachel filled her in on her day, which was her only day off. She had a hectic schedule this week, since she was leaving her show but it was all worth it. She kept thinking how happy Quinn looked, she deserved it. She still couldn't help the small pang of jealousy she felt, not cause Quinn met someone but because now she had to share her best friend. She brushed it aside, she was too old for that silliness. The time would come, when they both moved onto the next step in their lives. Hell, Rachel almost did once, it didn't work out but she got close. She knew Quinn would always be there for her, no matter what. She hoped this Finn guy was cool, she never got along with any of Quinns ex's. They were always the wall street, stuck up type. This Finn guy sounded real, that's what Quinn needed and their names rhymed, how cute was that.
Puck was sitting at a table with an order of wings and a pitcher of beer. Where the hell was Finn? Puck had showed up ten minutes late, surprised that Finn wasn't here waiting for him. What the hell, he sent him a quick text after sitting down and he got a quick, on my way reply. He sat and looked around, the pub wasn't that busy, it was still too early but there were some female tourist. He knew they were tourist, why else would each of them have their camera out on the table. Not to mention the messenger bags they each sported, it wouldn't be hard to get one of them or all of them home tonight. He blew out a breath, it was too easy. When the hell did life get boring? Seriously, this is New York, he spent his whole life wanting to live in the city, craving the excitement and the variety of people, well women. Oh and there were women, lots of them, getting laid in a city as big as this wasn't hard. Lately, most of those women had lost their novelty. Fucking some random easy chick, got boring fast. So he had to move on, he called it maturing, that's where the married chicks came into play. Sure, it was fucked up, but he wasn't the one cheating and it was nice, not having to worry about them getting clingy. But the married chicks lost their luster fast, so he was back to random women, just not as often. Dating had crossed his mind a few times, he quickly squashed that thought, he wasn't ready for some clingy, nagging, jealous, and crazy chick. He didn't want someone checking up on him or butting into his guy time. He had his business to worry about, he didn't have time to be part of anyone's girly fantasy. He was a motorcycle type of guy, not one of those gay ass white horse dudes. He looked back to the table of chicks, sure enough they were checking him out. He gave them a wink and took a sip of his beer, totally not worth it. He was finishing up his wings, when he finally spotted his friend, took him long enough. He watched Finn look around, before spotting him and walking over.
"Took you long enough," he complained, with his mouth full. Finn just gave him a big smile unperturbed by his friend.
"Oh, it's twenty cent wings and dollar mini-burgers today." Puck just rolled his eyes at Finn, the guy got excited over the dumbest shit. His friend had the biggest eat shit grin, he'd ever seen. Shit, he wished he could get that excited over food, hell, he can't even get that excited over pussy anymore.
"Dude, what the hell is up with you? Did you just come out of the closet or something?"
Finn didn't rise to the bait, he just ignored his comments and kept smiling.
"Actually, I met someone today, while I was shopping for a birthday gift for mom." Puck raised an eyebrow at that, he was acting all happy and shit over a chick. Finn was such a damn girl sometimes.
"Uh... cool, did she blow you in a cab or something? Cause you can't be this excited over meeting a damn chick." Finn shook his head at his friend.
"That's cause you haven't seen her. Dude, she is like perfect... she's blonde with green eyes, small, really nice and she has like, the cutest laugh ever." It was official, Puck thought, Finn was gay.
"Dude, if it wasn't cause I've seen them with my own eyes, I'd say you were ball-less." Finn just shrugged his shoulders, he expected this reaction from him. After years of being friends, nothing Puck said or did could faze him.
"Whatever, she's pretty awesome. Before you start, I know I've know her for less than a day but we just clicked, it's weird." Puck shrugged, what could he say? It wasn't like he had any knowledge on this shit. Puck only knew one thing when it came to women, sex, that was it. If Finn found something good, then that was cool.
"Whatever dude, if you like her, good for you." He said, reaching over the table to fist bump him.
"You'll like her too, her friend is getting us into the Boom Boom Room on Saturday. You did say that you wanted to prowl there." Puck fist bumped his friend again, things were looking up. He'd find something new on Saturday, he just knew it.
Rachel met up with Santana after rehearsals on Wednesday. They decided to go for some Italian food at Little Frankies and gossip about Quinns new guy. It felt so good to be in jeans and flats, Rachel thought. Dress rehearsals were harsh today, her costume was a little too tight, she must be pmsing.
"Okay slut, lets hear it," Rachel shoved a forkful of pasta into her mouth and rolled her eyes at Santana.
"Eloquent as always, San. What exactly do you wanna hear?" Santana snorted and thrust her fork into Rachels food. "Hey, I didn't say I'd share," she whined.
"Come on, spit it out... it's not like you're spilling a secret, Quinn already gushed over fish boy." Rachel gave her a questioning look.
"Fish boy, what the hell are you talking about?" She took a gulp of her drink, slurping a little, just to annoy Rachel.
"That new guy she met, his name was fishy... I don't remember." Rachel laughed at Sans outburst.
"His name is Finn and what exactly did you wanna know?" Santana adjusted her napkin on her lap. Rachel and Quinn were so much alike in some ways, it was disgusting. Seriously, neither of them could just spit something out, they kept dragging it till there was nothing left.
"Is he hot, paid, hung?" Of course Santana would want to know those things.
"Well, I haven't met him so I don't know if he's hot. Quinn just met him Monday, so it'll be at least two and half weeks before we know if he's hung. I don't know if he brings in a lot of money, I do know he owns a business with his friend. Quinn said, they had a small gym that concentrated on Personal Training and that he shared an apartment with a friend, to save his money so he could purchase something." Santana looked at Rachel like she grew another head.
"He shares an apartment? That's awful, he obviously isn't making good money, business or no business. I'm surprised Quinn likes him, he doesn't sound like the type that will be buying her Louboutins and Chanel handbags." Rachel frowned at that, Quinn wasn't that bad.
"He's not, she said so herself but she likes him. I swear, if she wasn't so happy I'd be freaked out, I mean shes known him three days. She said when she met him, it was like all the puzzle pieces fell into place." Santana made a gagging noise and Rachel chastised her.
"Okay, so Quinn is officially mental. I mean, seriously, she doesn't know this guy... he could be crazy." She said, her voice getting louder with each word.
"San, don't be so judgmental. She's been talking to him and they went on a date yesterday and have another planned tonight and tomorrow is their big date." Santana rolled her eyes, what ever happened to playing hard to get.
"When do we get to meet boy wonder?" Rachel wondered sometimes how she and San became such good friends.
"Well after my show on Saturday, we're meeting him at the Boom Boom Room. If you weren't such a loser going to the Hamptons this weekend, you could come with us and meet him too." Santana quietly clapped her hands.
"You're becoming almost as bitchy as me, congrats." Rachel rolled her eyes and flung a piece of bread at her.
"Whatever, like anyone could even come close to being as bitchy as you, you're like constant PMS." Sanatana laughed out loud a few people around them stopped talking and stared.
"That was good, Ray, you've been learning well. Anyhow, we'll meet fishy when we get back, I'm looking forward to it." Rachel felt concerned at Sans tone, she knew her friend liked to push buttons.
"Yeah, I guess so. Just promise me you won't do anything to embarrass Quinn, she really likes him and she deserves to be happy, so keep the bitch on a leash." Santana frowned at her.
"Give me some credit, Rach. I know I can be a harsh but I wouldn't do that to Quinn." Rachel looked at her skeptically.
"Do I need to remind you about Owen or Jeffrey... oh, how about Christopher?" She waved Rachel off with her hand.
"They were all stuck up douches, this guy at least sounds normal. I promise, I'll be on my best behavior."
"Okay... but I'll be watching you." Santana kicked her under the table.
"Ow... why the hell did you kick me?" She asked.
"That's for doubting me, slut." Rachel kicked her back and before they knew it they were shoving each other under the table, cracking up.
"We're acting like children, not like women that are almost thirty." Rachel said, between her giggles.
"Shut up, bitch. We're twenty seven, thirty is three years away, we're still young and hot." Rachel gave her another kick and straightened up. Looking around for their waiter, she locked eyes with an amused stranger. A very attractive amused stranger, with a sexy smirk on his face as he appraised them.
"Don't look now but someone was enjoying our little escapade." Of course the first thing Santana did was turn around to find whoever was being fucking nosy. When she spotted him she sent him a wink and turned away.
"Rach, that is one hot piece of man. If I wasn't a lesbian this year, I'd totally go get him." She felt Rachel kick her again and turned back around.
"I told you not to look and the first thing you do is make it obvious we're checking him out." San didn't see the problem with that.
"Who cares, he's on a date anyway. He looks pretty fucking bored, I should tell him her tits are fake and they don't feel as good as the real thing." Rachel covered her face with her hands, as Santana touched her own breast while making that comment.
"San, I have a feeling he's dealt with fake breast before. Come on, lets pay and leave before you wet your chair."
When they were leaving, Santana couldn't help but turn around and wink at him again gesturing to Rachels back. She knew they'd never see him again but she couldn't wait to tell Rachel what she did. Sometimes it was too easy to get a rise out of her.
A/N: I'm stuck in doors, bored, with a fractured ankle. As much as I love NY, it's not crutches friendly. I'm already writing the next chapter. I know there was no Puck/Rachel interaction but there will be in chapter 2. There will also be Quinn & Finns date, along with some background on the girls. Most of the Glee characters will make an appearance but not all of them. Enjoy.