”Yeah!” Quin agreed with Maurice. The elephant guy had gotten up though, and Quin decided that he was going to get hurt if he went up against Ashton. In spite of everything else. He knew what he was doing in tense situations.

”But…I’ve decided that I’ve had enough. Already had anyway.”

Quin Archer’s negotiation skills were second to none. Hell yes.

”You can take me home.”

>>”Yeah!”

Archer agreed. She'd had enough. But, wait.

>>”But…I’ve decided that I’ve had enough. Already had anyway.”

The followup comment made that 'yeah' a bit confusing. What with starting with a 'but...' and all. Like 'yeah, i agree, i've had enough' wasn't quite what she'd meant by that excited-sounding (to him) yeah.

So, what had the yeah been about, huh?

Huh...

She sure was weird.

Ashton opened his wallet and pressed some bills into the counter as he rose from his seat. He paid for Archer's tab, too. Because she probably would have forgot. To Mike, he said. "For me and her."

Stuffing his wallet back away, he glanced up at Archer. "Need an address..."

Quin was getting her wallet out to pay for her drinks when Ashton announced that he was covering the tab for both of them. He hadn’t had to do that…

”Fine. I’ll cover you next time.” she said, as Ashton commented that he needed her address. She’d get to that in a second.

First…

”Thanks…” she said to Maurice.

“No. Thank you” Maurice said, waving his elephant hand and giving her a sad, but cheerful farewell and a small but genuine little smile. His fangs showed when he did that, so it wasn’t that often.

“I’ll be seeing you again soon.” He added to the redhead, then cast a sneer in the male cop’s direction.

Quin didn’t hear the last part though, she was too busy trying to follow Ashton to his car. Maybe she’d had a little more than she thought. It had done wonders for her mood though.

”Thanks for the ride.”

Ashton gave a slight nod and a grunt.

"So. Address?" He shifted his eyes towards her, hands still locked on the steering wheel. Facing straight ahead.

Yup. Definitely drunk. Having conversations with herself and forgetting to answer key questions. She'd have a hell of hangover tomorrow... he'd make sure to hound her for it, too.

”Now you’re mad at me.” Quin said as they drove. He was doing the same thing she’d done. Looking straight ahead, giving short answers.

Yeah. Quin felt bad.

”Look…I’m sorry Ashton…” she said, her voice sounding perfectly coherent to her own ears.

”It’s just been a long time since I’ve been on a date.” She explained, voice almost pleading with him to understand why she’d been so mad.

”But, I’m sorry.”

>>”Now you’re mad at me.”

Ashton did not roll his eyes.

He wasn't mad at her. Right now, he just wanted to get her home and into bed.

Maybe next time, she wouldn't get drunk off her ass before duty. It could be a life lesson.

... Unless she tried to apologize to him for reasons unknown. ... which suddenly became known...and made the awkwardness levels in the car drastically rise.

"It's fine." He said tersely, the knuckles on his hands white as he gripped the steering wheel. "I wasn't mad at you." So, you really didn't need to give any revealing confessions. TMI, he thought the kids called it? Whatever.

He snapped his head her way. "Look. Are you going to give the address, or do I have to drag you back to my place?" The words left his mouth like a bullet.

Quin gave her address.

Her cheeks felt hot. Ashton said he wasn’t mad at her, but he sure seemed like he was. From the way the last bit of conversation had gone, though, she felt like talking would be a bad idea.

Now she was embarrassed. Why had she thought that her partner would want to know any of the stuff she’d just told him about dating? Ashton was a serious business kind of guy.

So. She sat. Quiet, and a little wobbly in her seat.

Why had she drank so much?

Ashton drove.

Was he mad?

No. He wasn't mad.

Mad about what? Certainly, not mad about Archer having a date.

Archer had almost had a date. Who with? Was he a good guy? Ashton wanted to know. Who was his partner dating? Was he the kind of guy he would be okay with her dating?

He was just looking out for his partner. That's all the curiosity was.

"So." Ashton broke the ice conversationally. "Who's the lucky fella?"

Well. Maybe he did care.

Suddenly, Quin felt a little shy about sharing. Did she want Ashton’s approval? Did that make any sense whatsoever? At any rate, he was waiting for an answer.

”His name is Nate…we met in the park. Jogging.” she said. Wondering how much information would be considered gushing. Quin didn’t want to gush.

”He’s an artist.”

"An artist, huh?"

Whether that was a negative or positive comment would be hard to tell.

So, it was obvious it was probably a negative. At least to him.

But then, who could tell with artists these days? If people had known, would they have shunned Van Gogh? No, they'd have been buying him drinks and buying his paintings from the get-go. Which only proved one should not judge a book by its cover, and that people are idiots.

"What kind?"

Case in point. He was an idiot. He was just asking more and more questions, instead of instantly hating the guy.

”Well…I’m not entirely sure. We only met this morning.” Quin admitted. Why was she embarrassed again? A girl didn’t need to know everything about a man to go out to dinner with him.

”I know he has clients though…that’s how we ran into each other…he was on the phone.”

Quin shrugged, all the alcohol was digesting now, and she was really starting to feel it.

”He had a southern accent.”

Damn gushing.

"Southern Accents are something." Ashton agreed.

Damn, he hated this guy. What was his name? Nate?

Nate the not-so-great.

He rounded another corner.

”Mmhm.” Quin agreed appreciatively. They really were something.

Now that she was seated, and they were done being mad at each other, the long day was starting to catch up with Quin and she yawned, leaning her head back against the headrest. This car was quite comfortable. Something that she’d never really noticed before.

They went around another corner. They had to be getting at least sort of close to her place.

”I think I drank too much.” she admitted.

”And you’re going to give me hell tomorrow, aren’t you?”

>>"Mhm."

Mhm...

Mhm!?!

Well, damn. She'd agreed.

He'd been asking for it, he supposed.

Ashton spared a glance Archer's way.

... Why did he even care what she thought was 'something'?

He didn't. That's why.

"Mhm," He replied to her. After a second, he added. "Unless your body gives you enough hell for me." Which it would, if he knew hangovers. "Make sure to drink some water."

The car slowed. Turned. Drove around for a bit, then parked.

"Your stop, Archer." He said. He glanced her way, with a tiny smirk. "Want me to walk you to your door?"

Yeah. He was going to give her hell. Quin knew she’d try not to act hung over the next day, and that she’d probably fail miserably at trying. It was better just to nod her head. ”That’s what I thought.”

They pulled into a spot and parked, and Ashton offered to walk her to the door. The redhead didn’t like the way he was smirking at her, so she shook her head.

”No. I can do it myself. Thanks for the ride again…and the drinks, I’ll get you next time.” she said with a smile, already getting out of the door.

There was a shaky moment when she shut her jacket in the door and nearly fell over, but once she’d gotten the door back open and her jacket free she made her way to the outer door and inside the apartment with as much dignity as possible.

Now. She thought as she locked the door of her apartment. Where was that giant water glass she used for occasions just like these?