Chapter 21~What's Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing...not the Glee characters/ideas or any other product/song mentioned here.

Quinn concluded that the nap she took before the signing was one of the best naps she'd ever taken. The bed in her room was like sleeping on a cloud. When Mrs. Bucktrout called her to wake her, she really didn't want to climb out of the fluffiness. She had pulled the drapes in her room, so her room was now like a cave, warm and dark, and all she wanted to do was hibernate. However, work called and she needed to pull herself together for her signing that evening. Reluctantly, she checked her phone before taking a shower and saw no messages from Sam. Underneath the hot steamy water, she leaned against the wall and cried quietly.

She hated herself for bawling like a baby over Sam and him not contacting her. She sucked in her breath finally and stood up straight and finished her shower. She was not going to let him disappointing her ruin what was sure to be a fun evening, after hours in Williamsburg! She sighed again.

Out of the shower, she checked her outfits for what to wear.

She chose a dress she had not yet worn on the tour...a pale green cocktail dress that fell to just below her knee. The saleslady had remarked on how it made her eyes shine the day she tried it on. The skirt was full from an empire waist and had an emerald green tulle overlay. She also had an emerald green tulle shrug about her shoulders. The bodice was just a simple tank style top with a large flat bow at her right hip. The saleslady called it "modern vintage."

Quinn laid it on the bed, then chose her undergarments, a simple nude strapless slip and nude thong. She planned to go without hose that evening, just bare legs, so she smoothed on a slightly shimmering lotion to her legs, arms, décolletage, and face. She straightened her hair, then swept it back into a simple pony using a green clip to match the dress. She next did her makeup, vamping it up a little. Usually, she went fairly light on colors, preferring a simple face, but that night she wanted to make a statement...mainly that she didn't care that Sam had not spoken to her. She used purple eye shadow and black liner and mascara on her eyes, a deeper shade of blush and lipstick even. She added a matching set of earrings, a bracelet, and a cocktail ring...all emerald green costume jewelry with multifaceted crystals. Finally, she slipped her feet into a pair of emerald green peep-toe satin pumps, showing off her emerald green pedicure.

She put her necessities in an emerald green satin clutch and headed downstairs to the common room to await the carriage ride to the bookstore. As it turned out, the others were waiting on her. Chet immediately jumped to his feet at her arrival; Cutter whistled low, then stood as well. Quinn noted that Marcy and the other two agents were dressed as usual, as were Chet and Cutter, in suits, ties, and pantsuits. She was obviously overdressed, but she didn't care.

"Shall we go?" she purred to the room. Chet rushed to offer her his arm, and Cutter followed closely behind her.

"I didn't realize this was a black-tie function," he murmured quietly behind her.

"It's not...I just felt like dressing up," she replied.

Two carriages were waiting outside the Bucktrout House. Chet and Cutter both tried to help Quinn up into the carriage, but she allowed the driver to do that. Marcy plopped down next to her.

"You look exquisite, Quinn," she whispered. "Do you know something?"

Quinn looked at her. "Know what?"

"I mean, did you, you know, talk to Sam yet?" Marcy sputtered out.

Quinn turned away and looked out the side of the carriage. "No, not yet."

"Oh...well...tonight should be fun!" Marcy said cheerfully.

Quinn remained quiet.

xxxxx

At the bookstore, they were dropped off at the front door. The bookstore itself was comprised of two stories; the ground floor was reserved for Williamsburg items and books; the upper floor was where the more mainstream books were located. The manager who had met the others in Charlotte, Mr. Martin, was on hand and awaiting their arrival.

"Welcome to Williamsburg Booksellers!" Mr. Martin said. He was obviously a jovial man, and Quinn wondered if he ever posed as Santa during Christmas.

"Mr. Martin, thank you so much for having us. You haven't met two of the authors who are signing tonight, Jensen Cutter and Quinn Fabray," Marcy told him.

Quinn shook the man's hand, blushing a bit as he eyed her up and down.

"It's so very nice to meet you, Mr. Martin," she said quietly.

"The pleasure is all mine," he responded, moving on to Cutter.

He led the group to the rear of the store where they took the elevator to the next level.

The second floor of the bookstore was well lit and spacious with a lot of room to move around and check out their books and other goods. The book signing area was set up near the windows that overlooked the main street of Colonial Williamsburg. All of their usual items were handy: pens, water, props, and even books. Mr. Martin had expedited an order of extra books of theirs to have on hand. Quinn's station was in the middle, between Cutter and Chet at this signing. She noticed several glances from the few customers milling around, checking her out. Both men tried to pull out her chair when she went behind the table to sit down. She smoothed her skirt beneath her and sat down gently. Both men then tried to push her up to the table. In her mind, Quinn was finding it very comical.

Mr. Martin had been talking with their agents during this. He then came over to the authors to speak with them.

"I just wanted to let you all know that we have really increased our advertising about you three being here tonight and tomorrow, all around this area, so we anticipate a nice turnout. At 7, we'll allow your readers to come upstairs. After the signing, your dinner will be waiting for you at the Inn."

Quinn stood up suddenly. "Mr. Martin, could you please direct me to the ladies' room?"

"Most certainly, Ms. Fabray! Right this way," he said, offering her his arm. She took his arm and walked with him past the elevator to an employees-only area of the second floor, to a hallway and the last door on the right.

"Here you are, Ms. Fabray. And, again, please allow me to express my gratitude to you for visiting us here at Booksellers," he said, happily, then turned and returned to the main area of the floor.

She chuckled a bit, shook her head, and entered the ladies' room. The room was more like a lounge with a couple lush loveseats, tasteful accents, and perfect lighting. She sat down on of the loveseats and pulled her phone from her clutch. Checking it one last time before the signing began, she saw only one new message...from her mom.

You know, I've been thinking Quinny...that Sam might just be the one for you!...her mother had said in her message.

Hot stupid tears stung her eyes as she read that message. She had foolishly thought the same thing but now was questioning it, which was stupid in and of itself since it had really just been less than a day that she hadn't heard from him.

"Get yourself together, Quinn Fabray," she muttered, standing up and facing herself in a mirror. She fixed her makeup and hair, took a deep breath, and returned to her table.

Again, she felt like the center of attention while walking to her station and that boosted her spirits a bit. Again, Chet and Cutter both stood and pulled her chair out.

"Thank you, boys," she said with a bit of flirt in her voice, for the fun of it. She plastered a smile on her face and prepared for the first of her fans.

xxxxx

The first thing she noticed was a lack of protesters at the bookstore. She assumed it was because they were there on such short notice. However, Mr. Martin had not lied when he said they had done their best at promoting their signing as the second floor of the bookstore filled up quickly.

The crowd was about evenly distributed between the three authors with a seemingly unending throng of people at their tables. When Quinn had the opportunity, she'd look out at the crowd to see when there might be a break. At one point, a flash of blond hair caught her eye but then the crowd shifted and she lost sight of it. Her first thought was Sam but then it could've been anyone's blond hair.

Every once in awhile, Chet or Cutter would offer her a drink or snack or would try to chat between signings.

The atmosphere at the signing was fun, light, and happy. Cutter and Chet began telling Quinn jokes, to get her to smile and laugh and trying to one-up the other.

"How do you catch a squirrel?" Chet asked Quinn.

She smiled. "I don't know...how?"

"Crawl up a tree and act like a nut," he replied, chuckling.

"Really Vickers? That's all you have?" Cutter said from Quinn's other side. He turned his gaze to Quinn. "I never wanted to believe that my dad was stealing from his job as a road worker."

"Oh yeah?" she asked.

"Until I went home and all the signs were there," he finished.

Quinn snorted. She then turned to a young girl and her mother and signed their books.

"How does the man in the moon cut his hair?" Chet asked her at the next break.

"I have no clue..."

"Eclipse it!" he laughed.

"Why did the cowboy adopt a wiener dog?"

Quinn was still giggling; she shook her no as in she didn't know.

"Because he wanted to get a long little doggie," Cutter said in his best cowboy voice, making Quinn laugh out loud.

"What's missing from me?" a voice in front of her asked, sliding a new copy of her latest book across the table to her.

She looked up from the tan slacks to the navy blue cardigan, white shirt, and navy blue tie, into Sam's eyes. He was smiling, his lop-sided smile, at her. She jumped up and into his arms over her table.

"It's you, Sam! It's you!" she cried into his shoulder.

Chet looked over to Cutter. "She got that one...he's not a very good joke-teller." Cutter shrugged and went back to signing.

Quinn broke their embrace to come around the table and hug him properly.

"Oh my god, Sam, I can't believe you're here...you're actually here!" she said, excited. He kissed her suddenly, right on the mouth, holding her closer, bending her backward with the force of his kiss.

"My god, I've missed that," he said when he came up for air.

"Me too, Sam, me too..." she said, breathless. "C'mon..."

She nodded to Marcy and grabbed Sam's hand and pulled him back to the employees' only hallway and into the ladies room. Again, they were in each other's arms within seconds.

"Sam, Sam, Sam...how did you...?" she asked in between planting kisses all over his face. He stopped her, holding her face in his hands to just gaze at her.

"I-I missed you...so here I am..." he leaned in and kissed her tenderly, slowly. Their lips parted as if on cue, and their tongues were suddenly touching, tasting.

"I missed you too...this is such a surprise, Sam Evans!" she nearly screeched. She hugged him again. "Time? What time is it?"

He pulled his phone from his pocket and told her 8:45.

"Okay, good...I've got 15 minutes to go, then supper I guess. Please say you can stay," she said, gripping his arms, imploring with her eyes.

"Yeah, yes, of course...until Sunday night..." he said.

She squealed in delight, then hugged him again. "I've got to get back out there..."

"Okay...is there, uh, maybe a men's room nearby?" he asked sheepishly, glancing down at the front of his trousers, tented out by even that slight touching.

"Across the hall...you don't know how happy you've made me, Samuel!" She kissed him again before poking her head out of the door, then ushering him into the men's room.

She returned to her table, flushed and obviously happy. The next girl in line said, "He sure is hot in person!"

Quinn just smiled up at her.

Sam returned and sat down with Quinn at a chair she had procured just for him. He sat there quietly for the last 15 or so minutes of the signing, watching Quinn interact with her fans/readers, himself beaming. At the end, after she had signed the last book, he hugged her.

"I am so proud of you," he whispered.

She squealed a little...he was all hers now.

"Quinn, are you going to introduce us?" Cutter asked from behind Sam. She tried to subtly roll her eyes.

"Jensen Cutter, Sam Evans...Chet Vickers, Sam Evans..." she said curtly, taking Sam's hand to lead him away from the others. Sam nodded at the men and followed Quinn. She sought out a quiet corner for them to reacquaint themselves.

"You...you are just insanely gorgeous tonight, Quinn," he said huskily, looking her up and down. "Just perfect."

"This is perfect," she countered, pulling at his cardigan. "Let me guess..."

He said my mom and she said your mom at the same time, then laughed.

"How did you..." she started, staring at him. "How did you get to me?"

"I emailed Marcy...she gave me the deets...here I am...I missed you so freakin' much...and, I'll be honest with you, my hand just wasn't cutting it anymore."

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and arched her back, letting out some little happy sound.

"I just can't believe you're here...and in my arms!" she said, her voice full of happiness. "But, ugh, we have dinner...how can I keep my hands...my mouth...off you during dinner? Wait...where are you staying?"

With the mention of her mouth on him, he stood there, mouth agape, unable to form a coherent thought.

"Sam?"

He snapped out of it. "Where you're staying...Marcy okayed it. And, yes, dinner...I'm sure you're hungry."

She chuckled and winked at him.

xxxxx

"You two look like you're off to a sock hop," Chet said when they returned to the group.

"A sock hop?" Sam asked. Quinn hooked her arm through his.

"Maybe later, Chet," she said. She introduced Sam to the other agents and Marcy who eyed him closely, then smiled at Quinn.

"Dinner awaits!" she said exuberantly and led the group downstairs to the carriages. Sam and Quinn fell in behind the others.

"Where's your bag?" she asked him quietly.

"I dropped it off at the house...that place is really nice. Mrs. Bucktrout was pretty awesome," he said, smiling. "Then, a carriage brought me here."

She squeezed his arm. "I'm just so happy to see you, in person!"

"Me too...I'm glad I decided to do this...I just told my mom, bought the ticket, and..."

"Wait...bought the ticket?"

"I flew here...it was kind of a mess at the airport...I should've been here sooner. I wanted to surprise you," he said.

"Is that why you didn't contact me all day? I kept waiting on a text or a call...anything...I was kinda freaking out," she admitted to him.

He helped her into the waiting carriage, then sat down next to her, pulling her close beneath the crook of his arm.

"I'm sorry...I just wanted it to be a surprise," he whispered to her, leaning in to kiss her cheek. She turned into his kiss, letting him kiss her fully on the mouth. His lips were supple against hers and as the kissing proceeded they became a bit swollen. Just touching her tongue to his set off shivers straight to her lady parts, and she squirmed a bit next to him. She gripped his thigh, wanting badly to feel his erection, but knowing she had to wait. His arm tightened around her shoulders, pulling her back for another kiss. That time, she let her hand slip up farther and felt him say yes on her lips. She let her hand move up his thigh until she felt the crotch of his pants...and the heat radiating from him. He pulled his cardigan down in front of himself, and her hand was hidden.

He was rigid against his thigh beneath the fabric. He adjusted his hips, and she pushed at his cock and it sprung upward. She slowly palmed the bulge in his pants, feeling the throb of his pulse. The carriage bumped along, and she gripped him suddenly. She kissed at his earlobe, sucking him.

"I want it, Sam..." she whispered. He groaned quietly, gripping the side of the carriage.

The light from the Inn was close.

"I want you to have it..." he whispered back to her. "Right now, though, I need some cool air."

He hopped from the carriage as it slowed, waiting in the shadows to help Quinn from her seat. She turned on the seat, her knees at eye level with Sam. Surreptitiously, he ran his hands up her bare calves to her hands and helped her down.

He fell in behind her as they followed the others inside. "How long will we be at supper?" he asked quietly.

"Too long, I'm sure..."

"I want to eat you right now..."

He slid his arm around her waist, walking alongside her, glancing at her blush. He slipped his hand into his pocket and readjusted himself before entering the Inn for what might possibly be the longest dinner of his young life.