390 Weekend in Sin City 6

The nightclub is dimly lit and full of patrons that are here to enjoy their night. 

There is a bar along one wall, a dance area in the middle, and the booths are arranged in one area of the club where people are leaning close to each other so that they can converse over the loud music while sipping their beverages.

In one of the booths are Mia, Liz, and Brianna, each with a glass of wine.

Brianna looked at her phone with a complex expression on her face. It was vibrating and the ID 'Quentin' was displayed for the umpteenth time.

"Don't you dare answer that.", Mia warned Brianna.

Brianna frowned. "What if he is worried?"

"Worried about what?", Liz asked. "Max and Hunter know where we are, and they should be with him by now. If he says he is sorry, what will your response be? And if he is not sorry, are you willing to continue like this?"

Brianna took her phone and shoved it in her purse. It is easier to ignore it when it's out of the visual range.

"Why are we doing this?", Brianna asked Mia and Liz even though she knew the answer.

Brianna was not willing to head to a nightclub without the guys. It is full of partiers. Some of them are drunk, and some of the guys at the bar are definitely single (for the night, at least) and looking for their prey. Brianna is too familiar with this setting. 

Sure, she wanted a break from Quentin, but this is a bit exaggerated. They came to Las Vegas to enjoy the weekend WITH their partners, not to be separated.

Brianna remembered how Quentin was excited as the weekend approached, and now she feels guilty for leaving him behind and being here with Mia and Liz.

"We think that you need an intervention before it's too late.". Liz said.

Brianna was surprised by Liz's choice of words. "Intervention? For what?"

"You are too deep in your relationship with Quentin to notice that something is off.", Mia responded. "How can you be fine with your boyfriend having a female personal assistant you are not familiar with? She called him on a Friday evening, he took the call so that we can't hear what they are talking, and you are fine with that?"

"What do you want me to do, Mia? Ask him to put her on speaker in front of everyone?"

Well, that is what Mia would do, maybe not in front of others, but she would definitely ask Hunter for an explanation.

Stopping their date in order to take another woman's call in private, is not OK. The fact that he did it in front of others is making the whole thing worse. Quentin looked like a macho-stud who can do whatever he wants while trampling on Brianna's image, and Liz and Mia could not bear to see their usually proud friend be humiliated. The only good thing was that it was only a few of them, and none mean harm to Brianna. If it was someone else, vicious gossips would start spreading.

Now that Brianna is dating, and in a serious relationship, Quentin is supposed to make her life easier and not to be one of the problems. If this was any of the guys from Brianna's past, she would not tolerate such behavior, and even though Quentin should get better treatment from Brianna, he should not get a free pass either.

"Did you ever ask him to talk to women in front of you? Did you check with whom he is talking? Did you check what he is doing with women who dare to call him outside work hours on his private number?", Mia demanded answers from Brianna.

"No. That is his life. Why are you making it sound like I'm doing something wrong? Should I go and snoop around? I don't want to live with doubt."

"Sweetie…", Mia said softly while patting Brianna's hand. "You changed everything for him. You gave up on seeing other guys, moved to a different city and into his apartment, changed your job, you have business deals with him, and you even helped him sort out his company and family. He is in every part of your life. It is not unreasonable to ask the same from him in return. And if he is not willing to share, then maybe you should take a step back as well."

Brianna frowned at Mia. "Why are you talking to me like you didn't do the same thing? Didn't you leave New York and moved in with Hunter? And Liz… you are living with Max."

"Yes, but we do everything together, equally.", Mia responded for both herself and Liz.

Brianna didn't see the difference. "I decided to give it my all. I don't think that what I am doing is wrong."

"You are not.", Liz said. "Only by giving it your all you will have no regrets no matter how it turns out. But it should be balanced. Quentin is part of your professional and private life. You should be part of his as well. Not knowing someone who is his personal assistant is a big flag."

"I know who Kendra is. But I don't want to be friends with her.", Brianna admitted.

"Why?", Mia and Liz asked in unison, both wearing shocked expressions.

Since Brianna moved to Seattle, the three of them see each other often, and Brianna never mentioned Quentin's assistant Kendra, so Mia and Liz assumed that Brianna does not know the woman.

"She is too… I don't know. I'm not comfortable with her around and I try to pretend that she does not exist."

"Does Quentin know that you don't approve of her?", Liz asked.

Brianna was ashamed to say that she didn't say this to Quentin, so she asked her besties: "Would you tell Max or Hunter if you don't approve of their coworkers?"

"Yes!", Mia and Liz exclaimed in unison.

"Did you forget that I'm dealing with Irene?", Liz asked in self-mockery.

"She is Max's ex.", Brianna stated a fact. "It is normal that you are concerned about her."

Liz was unsure how to respond, and she was grateful that Mia took over: "With Max's and Quentin's history, every girl is a potential ex. However, ex or not, that does not matter when you look at all the women who are trying to snatch your boyfriend. If Kendra appears to be not interested in Quentin, she is either blind or good at faking it."

Liz nodded in agreement with Mia and spoke to Bri: "Our men are handsome, rich, and powerful. There will always be women who are trying to get their hands on them. It is up to you how to deal with the potential threats, but don't try to pretend that it's not bothering you. Your lack of action is opening a way for Kendra and many others like her to get close to Quentin."

"I know that Quentin is not cheating on me."

Mia was not so sure about it, especially when she saw Quentin's reaction in the restaurant. That didn't look like a man with a clean conscience. But Mia didn't want to talk about it without solid proof. "Maybe not now. But there will be a late business meeting when he drinks one too many and needs someone to drop him off home or he stays overnight. Will you be fine knowing that Kendra is by his side while his judgment is impaired?"

"You are making me depressed. Let's dance.", Brianna said while gesturing toward the packed dancefloor.

Liz and Mia exchanged concerned glances.

"Ignoring it will not make it go away.", Mia told Brianna.

"And neither will me talking to you about it.", Brianna responded.

Mia and Liz had to agree with this point. They hoped that Brianna got the message and that she will reevaluate her relationship with Quentin.

Sure, Brianna and Quentin are doing great, but Mia and Liz noticed that Brianna is at risk of crashing because of the imbalance in Brianna's relationship.

Brianna is a strong woman, and unless there is a balance between Brianna and her partner, it will not work out because Brianna does not need a man who will be unable to match her strength, and at the same time, being the submissive one is not something that Brianna can do.

The three of them downed their drinks and went to the dancefloor.

Brianna decided to dance her worries away.

She knows that Mia and Liz are right. They spoke about the things that were on Brianna's mind more than once, but Brianna told herself that is how relationships work and that she needs to adjust or risk losing Quentin. After all, no matter how experienced Brianna is with men, this is her first real relationship, and she is not sure what to do.

The one thing Brianna got out of this little intervention was that it is fine to speak out and that if Quentin is not willing to consider her point of view, then she will have a reason to worry. But if he cares about her, then he will be willing to compromise, right?

Brianna will think about that later.

The hard sound of the bass went through her, reminding her to move and Brianna lifted her arms in the air and swayed her hips while letting herself go in the dance-time with her besties.

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