377 Brianna's bodyguard 2

Brianna didn't come up to Mia's apartment. She called from downstairs and told Mia that she is waiting for her.

Mia made a face at the sight of the shiny Lincoln and a man in a sharp suit who opened the door for her. 

"Classy...", Mia mumbled to herself. 

"Sorry for the short notice.", Brianna told Mia when Mia got in the car with her.

"It's not a problem. I would be sitting at home otherwise.", Mia responded casually. "You got a driver?"

Brianna smiled. "Quentin arranged one for me and he got me this car, saying that it will give a stronger 'entrance-effect'."

"Well, he is right. I am definitely affected.", Mia said cheerfully. "Do I look bodyguard-ish enough? I thought it's fine, but seeing this fancy ride and a driver, I am not so sure."

Brianna nodded in approval. "The suit is yours to keep."

"Thanks. It will be good for cosplay. I can be a dangerous spy who is seducing unsuspecting Hunter…", Mia said mysteriously while squinting her eyes.

Brianna looked at Mia with disapproval obvious in her expression. "A dangerous spy like you should wear a seductive dress, and not this… Unless Hunter is into guys."

Mia narrowed her eyes at Brianna. "Hunter said that whatever I wear, I am cute."

Brianna stifled a laugh. "Sure, but cute never seduced anyone."

Mia was not happy, but she had to agree that Brianna won this verbal match.

"Since when you have a suit in my size handy?"

"Q and I finalized our plan over the weekend, and he pulled some strings to get a suit and alter it in a few hours."

Mia was impressed. What Andersons can do in the business world, Quentin can do in fashion.

Mia decided to ask for some details about the day ahead. It's not that she was not curious before, but Hunter was around and if Brianna gave a hint that anything is dangerous, Hunter would not let her go easily. And Hunter's definition of dangerous is quite different than Mia's.

"What are we up to?"

"I mentioned to you that Q's parents are causing him issues at work and privately.", Brianna said and waited for Mia to confirm.

"Vanessa."

Brianna nodded. "That woman is one of the issues. Today, I will help Q solidify his control over the company and hopefully, he will be able to kick his parents out. We don't expect any physical confrontation, but just in case anything happens, I am more confident with you by my side."

"I assume that the company's security will be there."

Brianna confirmed. "They will be there, however, until his parents are officially out, we don't know where their loyalty lies, so stay alert."

Mia heard enough to understand what is coming. 

They had about ten more minutes of drive and Mia started a casual chit-chat.

"We missed you on Saturday evening."

Brianna didn't want to talk about a missed evening with her friends, would she need to explain that she enjoyed her weekend with Quentin? Brianna does not want to make Mia less important than Quentin, but Brianna and Quentin barely see each other during weekdays, and a weekend is their relaxing time, even though this weekend they mostly spoke about the issue at the Reynolds Publishing, it was just the two of them. If they went out as a group, they would not be able to talk about their plan or to cuddle in bed so… Brianna's decision to stay home with her boyfriend is justified, in Brianna's opinion.

"Ashton's relatives are visiting, and we all went for a night out." Mia was not willing to drop the topic.

"Who is that 'all'?"

"It was me and Hunter, Liz, Max, Rina and Ashton, and his relatives: Adam, Cynthia, Angela. Andrea joined us halfway." Mia paused to make sure she has Brianna's attention, before continuing: "Angela is a party girl, and she is considering staying in Seattle to study. Adam and Cynthia are nice people I think you will like all three of them."

"Ashton's relatives…", Brianna said. "The ones who are here for fertility treatments?"

"Yeah, they are quite friendly." Mia saw that Brianna is not responding, so she continued: "Other than missing our spa day, you didn't accept the invitation for Saturday evening. We all met for dinner at the Anderson villa and then we hit the clubs. Are you really so busy, or are you avoiding us?"

Brianna looked at Mia and frowned. "I only missed Friday and Saturday. Why are you making it sound like I'm avoiding you for weeks? Didn't I call you to meet today? And I didn't ignore your invitation for Saturday, I told you that we will not be joining. You know that I was busy on Friday. And for Saturday… I have a lot going on and I was not in the mood to listen to other people's problems."

Mia was confused. She brought up Saturday evening, and not a therapy session.

"What problems?", Mia asked.

"Ashton's cousins are here for fertility treatments. That can't be good. It's a long and emotional journey. Don't tell me that they were happily dancing and cracking jokes? And when someone in the group is not in the mood, it kind of spoils it for the others."

Mia will not deny that the mood was not the most jovial. Adam and Cynthia heard from the specialist that their situation is not hopeless, but they still need to do more tests before they hear anything that resembles a treatment plan.

"You really ditched us because of that? How would you feel if people avoid you because you are going through something?"

Brianna shrugged. "If someone avoids me in my time of need, then that person is not my friend. And those people are not my friends. I don't even know them. Don't look at me like I am the villain, Mia. I am only being honest. If I showed up, my options would be to scale down the fun in order not to offend them or to sulk with them. In either case, it does not sound like a fun evening… for me. With my Cousin Thomas regaining my father's trust at Harper Investments, and with Quentin's family treating me like an unworthy clerk in the bank, on a Saturday evening, I want to forget everything and let loose, not to dwell on someone else's problems or to tiptoe because they might feel that I am ignoring their misery."

Mia gave a small nod and turned to look through the window. She didn't want to talk about this because everyone has their own challenges.

For Mia, thinking about others (good or bad) serves as a distraction from her own things, and as much as it gives her an emotional break, it also provides her an excuse not to deal with her own problems. In the end, Mia is procrastinating, and she knows that the talk with Hunter about what she wants to do is inevitable.

In a way, Mia admires Brianna who always focuses on herself and does not shy from confronting the issue in front of her. Sure, if Mia or Liz ask her for help, Brianna is there for them, but Bri is not the one to poke her nose in other people's business and to give unsolicited advice.

Brianna saw that Mia's mood dropped and she felt guilty. She wondered if her words were too harsh, but she didn't lie.

"Do you hate me?"

Brianna's question made Mia look at her.

"Why would I hate you?"

"You think that I am selfish.", Brianna said.

Mia smiled. "You were always selfish, that is what makes you Bri. But that can also be interpreted as taking care of yourself and that is not a bad thing, especially because you treat your friends well."

"This thing we will do today… It might sound that I am doing it for Quentin, but I am doing it because his parents pissed me off, and I want them to suffer. I am doing it for myself."

"Would you do it if it might harm Quentin?"

"I don't know.", Brianna admitted.

Mia held Brianna's hand in hers. "You are not a bad person, Bri. If you are, I would not think of you as my best friend."

Brianna smiled. "Thanks, Mia. Even when I'm a bitch you say the sweetest things."

"That is why I am your best friend.", Mia said cheekily.

"You and Liz.", Brianna corrected Mia. "The two of you can handle me in any mood and not take it against me."

"Because we appreciate your honesty, and we see a sweet person under all those layers of thorns."

Brianna narrowed her eyes at Mia. "OK. This is getting too sappy for my taste. I need you to stop with kindness."

Mia laughed and a second later, Brianna joined her.

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