At Your Most Beautiful by Harper Bliss (best free ereader .TXT) 📗

Quinn put her camera to the side. “Would you mind if I took a quick pic with my phone to send to Mom? Maybe a selfie of the two of us?”

“Sure.” All those years later, Maya could no longer see the harm in that.

Quinn grabbed her phone and walked over to Maya. When she held the phone up to take the snap, Maya could make out the word on her right wrist. Acceptance it said.

“Smile,” Quinn said, drawing Maya’s attention away from her tattoo.

Maya looked into the lens and put on her smile.

“Would you like me to send that to you as well?” Quinn was looking at her phone screen.

“You would need my number for that.”

“I was going to ask for that either way so I can send you my work before I submit the final version to Indira. I like the people in my pictures to be fully happy with what I’ve done.”

Maya gave her number, and Quinn sent her the picture. “Now you have my number as well.”

“It was… lovely to see you again.” Maya took a few deep breaths. “I can’t wait to see what you come up with. I really love what you’ve done with the ones in the corridors. You’re obviously very talented and good at what you do.” Not that Maya was comparing Quinn to Tommy, but sometimes she wished her son had more of her artistic, frivolous qualities. Just like his father, Tommy had become an accountant—although, when in the mood, he could bust a mean move on the dance floor. At least, between her ex-husband and her son, Maya never had to worry about her money being mismanaged.

“Thank you.” Quinn shot her another smile. “I meant what I said earlier. I don’t have anywhere to be right now. Do you want to go for a coffee?”

“It would be nice to catch up.” Maya was curious to know what Quinn had been up to. “There’s a place I like to go just around the corner.”

Chapter 12

Quinn caught Maya’s gaze sliding down to her wrists. She held them up, even though, when sat opposite from her, Maya could only see the words in the wrong order. She crossed her wrists so Maya could properly read what her tattoo said.

“Radical Acceptance,” Maya said, then looked up into Quinn’s eyes again.

“It’s not the only one I got since…” Quinn couldn’t help but smile.

“So, you’re a photographer now.” Maya stared into her cup of coffee and expertly ignored Quinn’s allusion to that night.

“And retouch artist,” Quinn added.

“Wow.” Maya looked suitably impressed.

“And you moved to New York City.”

“I did,” Maya said.

“How long have you lived here now?”

“About seven months.” Maya half-smiled. “Your mom did give me your number. She told me to get in touch with you if I needed anything.”

“I take it you didn’t need anything then.”

“I’ve been too busy settling in to need anything from you, Quinn.” Maya painted on a full smile again. “Being a granny has really taken it out of me.”

“How old is your grandchild?”

Maya pulled her phone from her purse and started scrolling. “Ethan’s four and a half months now. And Tommy’s an accountant, like his dad.” She showed Quinn a picture of Tommy who looked much older than Quinn remembered him, an absolutely stunning black woman by his side, and a tiny baby in her arms.

“That’s Tommy’s wife?”

“Beth,” Maya said. “You might have seen her on CNN.”

“No way.” Quinn remembered now, not that she watched CNN that often. “Tommy’s married to Beth Robbins?”

“He sure is.” Maya sat there beaming as if she were responsible for their match-made-in-heaven.

“What’s the secret appeal of accountants that they get the hottest women?”

Maya burst into a chuckle. “I don’t know.”

“What a lovely family.”

“Beth’s really going for it in the career department and Tommy’s quite busy as well.”

“So you’re the nanny?”

Maya shook her head. “I fill in when the nanny’s not there or when one of them is alone and it’s all a bit too much. I do still have a job.” The grin on Maya’s lips said that she didn’t mind spending time with her grandson at all.

“What happened to your dance school in Milbury?”

“I sold it. The house too. I used the money to buy a condo in Manhattan, if you can believe it. Up until quite recently, the thought had never occurred to me. I always believed I’d grow old in Milbury. But when Beth got pregnant, something in me shifted and I knew I wouldn’t be happy as a suburban granny who only sees her grandchild when his parents can find the time. Both Tommy and Beth are so driven and obsessed with work. I figured that if I didn’t come to them, I’d hardly get to see little Ethan.”

“It’s a big move.”

“It’s not the only reason I wanted to move to the city.” Maya sipped from her coffee. “It all just came together and so far, it’s been really good. I get to see Ethan and Tommy as much as I like, which is almost every day. The city’s been a thrill after all those years in quiet old Milbury.”

“I’m glad you like it here.” Quinn raked her gaze over Maya. She stood out in the coffee shop with her red dress and matching lipstick. “It’s such a treat to see you.”

“Tell me about you. Where do you live?”

“Greenpoint. Quite a trek from here.”

“Brooklyn?”

Quinn nodded. “Still in the same place I moved to that summer, actually, but with a different roommate.”

“Really?”

“You don’t easily give up a rent-stabilized apartment in New York.” At least Quinn could always make her share of the rent these days and no longer needed to rely on monthly checks from her parents.

“And your roommate is a friend or…?” Maya’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“Griff’s a friend.”

“Griff?”

Quinn understood the possible confusion. “Her name’s Rose Griffin. She’s a great roommate and friend.” Quinn could sense what Maya really wanted to ask. She figured she might as well get it out of the way. “I’m currently single, in case you