PARADISE IMPERFECT
Chapter 11
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Glee (except a beach towel and Season 2 DVD). I own nothing related to any of the songs I use (except for an admiration of the tune).
Quinn surveyed the dining room nervously, looking for any sign of Sam or Finn. Maybe they were off tonight? She really hadn't talked to Sam so she didn't know what he was doing, with the exception of taking their twin daughters out for a 'date' the next night, the girls' birthday. She didn't see any sign of the two men she knew so she focused on her menu until a completely annoying too-perky voice got her attention.
"What kin I get fer you two t'night?" Katy asked, popping her gum, a hip jutting out. When Quinn lowered her menu, Katy's eyes got huge. She cleared her throat and muttered, "Quinn."
"Hello, Katy. I see Sam has you working for him now?"
"Actually, Finn hired me...just a temporary gig. Are you coming to the cheerleading show tomorrow?" she asked, smiling like a cat about to attack. She looked from Quinn to Adam and back to Quinn again, her smile widening.
Quinn's face heated. She should've known Sam would go to something Katy was involved in.
"No...Sam will be taking the girls. They say they've learned so much from you," Quinn said to her, smiling equally as ferociously. "Like how to steal-"
"I'll just have a tenderloin, please," Adam interjected quickly, looking from Quinn to Katy.
"I'll take a salad and sweet tea," Quinn said, not taking her eyes off Katy. The conversation turned snippy.
"House dressing?"
"Please..."
Katy took their menus and said cheerfully, "Enjoy your date!" and dashed off.
"Is this going to affect our night out, Quinn? I had no idea she'd be here," Adam asked, reaching across the table for her hand. She forced a smile.
"Of course not," she replied, squeezing his hand, maybe not as gently as she had in the past.
xxxxx
Another server brought their food and refilled their drinks. At one point, Quinn thought she saw Sam around a corner but wasn't sure. As the evening wore on, the place became even busier. At around 10 p.m., karaoke began upstairs with Finn and Sam both singing Welcome To The Jungle. Suddenly, the entire place went from being a family-friendly business to a nightclub. Quinn and Adam had finished their desserts and were sipping their drinks, talking quietly, but with the karaoke fired up, it permeated the entire building it seemed and they gravitated upstairs toward the music.
Adam stopped her on the stairwell. "Are you going to sing, Quinn?" He pulled her closer to him.
"Maybe," she said slyly. "Are you?"
He smirked. "Maybe…"
After 10 p.m., only the second and third floors were accessible to patrons, 18 and over. There were some stragglers on the second floor, playing pool, but most were heading to the third floor where the action really was. The glass-topped tables etched with jungle animals were placed around the dance floor. The chairs were covered in a jungle-themed tapestry to carry on the theme. On each table, there was a booklet listing all the song choices for karaoke, along with candles floating in short round vases. To sing, you had to choose your song and give it to the karaoke guy, first come, first sing. For an extra five bucks, you could have the special lights on. Adam and Quinn found a table, sitting side by side to go through the book of songs and watch the stage.
They were discussing song choices when Sam approached their table. He wore a simple black suit like his navy blue suit but that night he had added a tie adorned with monkeys.
"Have you enjoyed your experience so far?" he asked. He wore a smile but he was obviously not happy.
Quinn remained silent so Adam answered. "Very much so, thank you, Sam."
Sam looked back and forth between the two, knocked on the table, and said, "No problem." He then wandered off.
"Well, that was awkward," Quinn said, being silently thankful that punches weren't thrown.
"Not anymore awkward than running into Katy downstairs," Adam replied. "I've got a song..." He went to take his song choice to the deejay leaving Quinn to ponder the consequences of this evening, then returned to watch the others perform with Quinn.
Most people were there to belt out a tune and perform on a stage or dance. Maybe they had been passed up on American Idol or didn't make the cut for The Voice or whatever competition was going on so they chose The Jungle to get their sing on. The rejects from So You Think You Can Dance filled the dance floor.
Adam's name was called, and he pecked Quinn on the cheek before going up to the stage. He looked at her slyly as the music began and the lights flickered about the room. Quinn could see Sam scowling in a corner off stage. She had also seen Katy vying for Sam's attention since she and Adam had gone upstairs, but, for the most part, Sam was blowing her off.
And then she learned something new about Adam...he could sing.
You don't know how you met me,
You don't know why,
You can't turn around and say goodbye.
All you know is when I'm with you,
I make you free,
And swim through your veins like a fish in the sea...
Follow me everything is alright,
I'll be the one to tuck you in at night,
And if you
Want to leave I can guarantee,
You won't find nobody else like me.
I'm not worried 'bout the ring you wear,
Cuz as long as no one knows than nobody can care.
You're feelin' guilty and I'm well aware,
But you don't look ashamed and baby I'm not scared...
"Is this how we're gonna do this?" Sam was standing directly behind her, his voice deep and low. He had put his hands on the back of her chair and leaned down toward her ear. She could feel his hot breath wisping across the nape of her neck...did his lips just brush my skin? Something she hadn't felt in what seemed like forever stirred low in her belly. Adam was totally unaware of this interaction as he now was performing to an audience and was seemingly very much enjoying himself.
"Do what, Sam?" she asked without looking at him though every one of her nerve endings could feel his presence.
"You came here with him..."
"And you're here with her..."
He said nothing more, and she felt him push off her chair. He was breathing hard; he hadn't been that close to her in so long, and, without really thinking about it, he kissed the back of her neck, inhaling her scent. His heart was racing...he needed to move away from her.
Quinn looked around the room but saw no sign of Sam. Adam's song finished, and he took a bow and returned to their table to a round of applause.
"God, that was great, Quinn! You ought to try it! So exhilarating!" he exclaimed.
"I'm sure it was...you sounded terrific-"
The house lights dimmed, and one single spotlight hit the stage. Sam stood there and began his song.
I'm at a payphone,
trying to call home,
all of my change,
I spent on you...
Where have the times gone,
baby it's all wrong,
where are the plans
we made for two?
The crowd cheered and most people began dancing. Adam tried to pull Quinn to the floor, but she refused. A gaggle of girls were at the stage, including Katy, cheering Sam on. Quinn realized that Katy was not even aware of why Sam was singing that particular song.
Yeah, I know it's hard to remember,
the people we used to be,
It's even harder to picture,
that you're not here next to me...
You say it's too late to make it,
but is it too late to try?
And in our time that you wasted,
all of our bridges burned down...
I've wasted my nights,
you turned out the lights...
Now I'm paralyzed,
Still stuck in that time when we called it love,
But even the sun sets in paradise...
Sam returned to the chorus, now facing the audience. The first verses he had sung directly to her. But then, his eye caught hers again.
If happy ever after did exist,
I would still be holding you like this,
All those fairytales are full of shit,
One more fucking love song I'll be sick...
Quinn scowled at him. Adam was singing along, but she ignored him. He didn't get the significance of Sam's song choice either.
You turned your back on tomorrow,
'Cause you forgot yesterday,
I gave you my love to borrow,
You just gave it away...
You can't expect me to be fine,
I don't expect you to care,
I know I've said it before,
But all of our bridges burned down...
Sam came down off the stage with the wireless microphone in his hand, making his way through a gaggle of screaming and dancing girls until he stood at Quinn's table, singing directly at her.
I've wasted my nights,
you turned out the lights,
now I'm paralyzed...
Still stuck in that time,
when we called it love,
but even the sun sets in paradise...
He was practically shooting daggers at her from his eyes; his gaze icy. He went on singing the chorus to his audience, leaving her sitting with Adam in astonishment. Adam was staring at her; he finally got it, the song Sam was singing.
"Are you ready to go, Quinn?" he whispered to her, leaning in closer.
"Yes please," she replied, still stunned by Sam's choice of song.
They slipped out while Sam was being applauded by the raucous crowd.
xxxxx
When Adam pulled up to her house, he turned off his car.
"Listen, about tonight, Quinn...yeah, I knew Sam was running that place...it was a bad decision on my part to take you there..."
She started to protest.
"No...I wanted to put it in his face, that he's lost you...why on Earth would a guy let you go?" he continued. While he talked to her, his hand rested on her shoulder, his fingers twined in her hair. "I would never let you go..."
He leaned closer to her, and she moved toward him. Their lips touched in a soft brief kiss. They broke but then kissed again, this time with a little more emphasis. When his tongue touched her lips, a thought raced through her mind...she had never even considered another man's private parts since being married to Sam, another man's junk being naked in front of her, touching another man. She pushed away from Adam, apologizing and reaching for her purse. He leaned back into his seat, watching her.
"I'm really sorry, Adam...I-I...I'm not sure I'm ready for this..."
"I understand, Quinn...I shouldn't've rushed it...I should apologize. I had a lot of fun tonight. Hopefully, we can do it again sometime?"
She cleared her throat before opening the car door. "We'll see..."
xxxxx
As the evening wore down at The Jungle, the crowd thinned. They still had the few regular die-hard karaoke fiends, Finn included, who loved to perform.
Shot through the heart,
and you're to blame,
Darlin', you give love...a bad name...
Finn started with those lyrics and the few remaining people there shouted and jumped up to dance. Sam felt his hand being grabbed and suddenly he was pulled into the middle of the group by Katy. She pushed up against him, stretching her body the length of his, her hands resting on his shoulders. Out of habit, he guessed, his hands curved around her waist. The liquor he had ingested since Quinn and Adam had left probably encouraged him more than he realized. They began moving together to the beat of the music.
Chains of love, got a hold on me,
When passion's a prison you can't break free...
He felt her lips on his neck, her tongue sliding up, up, to his ear. She nibbled his earlobe, and he could hear her moan. The sensation tickled his ear and sent shivers down his arm. Before he realized it, his mouth was on hers, taking her in, losing himself in that kiss...
No one can save me,
the damage is done...
She was grinding her ass against his cock, working him up. She turned to face him, and he felt her hands working downward...to his shoulders, his hips, to the front of his pants.
Your very first kiss was your first kiss goodbye...
She palmed his half-stiff cock, then whispered in his ear, "I wanna see your place tonight."
All he was thinking about was Quinn at that moment...was their first kiss their first kiss goodbye? Had she always planned on leaving him eventually? What did that even mean? It felt so good to feel that warmth against his body, the warmth of someone else, then the surge of sensation in his groin from her hand.
"What? What did you say?" he mumbled into her hair.
"Your place...tonight..."
What had Quinn said that one time? Now his mind wandered while his body pulsed to the beat. It was a wedding, they were still in school at the time. At the reception, they were dancing and he was singing to her and she had whispered tonight your place. They had gone back to his house and it was their first time.
Sam snapped his fingers. "Of course! The Hudson-Hummel wedding!"
He realized he had said that out of the blue, in front of Katy. "What?" She looked dazed and a bit confused.
"Nothing...I'm sorry...um..." He took her hand and led her from the dance floor to a table. "I can't have anyone over tonight...my daughters' birthday is tomorrow and I need to get some sleep."
She pouted at him and moved over to sit on his knee.
"Sam...I know you were enjoying our dance out there...I'm just asking for a little more time with you," she purred into his ear, her hand sliding up his thigh.
He knew she knew...his dick was still swollen and throbbing against his thigh. He put his hand on hers to stop it.
"Didn't you see her with that other guy, Sam? Looks to me that she's moved on..." Katy told him. "Maybe it's time for you to do the same?"
He looked up at her...her willing eyes, soft smile, glossy hair. Even though he had seen Quinn with Adam...on a real date...Quinn didn't look happy. But, maybe Katy was right, maybe Quinn was moving on...
He held her around the waist as he stood up, then took her hand. Even though he hadn't felt it earlier with Katy, the shiver that coursed through his body when he had been so close to Quinn, maybe he'd feel it soon.
"C'mon, Katy," he said quietly, leading her downstairs and outside to his truck. She squealed a little and practically skipped after him.
A/N: LOL, I realize the songs I'm using are obviously current tunes and this story is set in, I dunno, around 2029. Let's just say they're having a resurgence of "old" music, hence music from 2013. :)) And karaoke too!