Chapter 27 Off to the Group Dinner
Now, Lauren took pride in her resilience; while she had enjoyed a drink or two before,Lauren was now proud of her own thick skin; it wasn't like she didn't drink before, but after becoming pregnant she had become particularly cautious.
Linda observed Lauren's puzzled expression and said, "I wonder if Quentin will show up. If he does, folks from the department will be thrilled. Haha."
Upon hearing Quentin's name, Lauren stiffened. "...Why… would Quentin gogo? Are we inviting the big boss to our Sales Department's group dinner?" Lauren asked tentatively.
Being new to the company, Lauren naturally didn't know the ins and outs of the place. Linda patiently explained, "It's not that, but you might not know that Quentin and Mr. Martin are really close, almost inseparable. With Mr. Martin attending this time, I just thought he might bring Quentin along."
"Oh," Lauren responded faintly, her mind churning with turmoil. Would she have to see that man again? It seemed their encounters had been rather frequent lately.
"Also, the main purpose of today's gathering is to welcome you from our partner company. It would make sense for Quentin, as the host, to attend. But hey, Amelia, Quentin's usually so busy, if he doesn't show up, don't take it personally. People like him probably don't enjoy these kinds of events," Linda continued.
Lauren shook her head, "Of course not, work is obviously the priority."
Upon hearing that Quentin might not make an appearance, Lauren felt a sense of loss. She berated herself internally. What was wrong with her? Saying one thing but feeling another?
No, no, no, this won't do! She needed to be decisive, to keep her distance from Quentin. He was too smart; if he discovered her pregnancy, wouldn't that be terrible?
Lauren was torn, both looking forward to and dreading the prospect of seeing Quentin.
Noah gathered all the documents he dealt with and headed straight for Quentin's office.
Quentin was in the middle of a video conference when Noah arrived. He, waited patiently on the sofa until he Quentin was done, and then casually strolled over.
"Here, the latest sales monthly report. Just got done with it and couldn't wait to show you," Noah said, handing the papers to Quentin.
Quentin took the report without a word and began to review it carefully.
After a while, Quentin finished reading and closed the folder without any expression. Noah, noticing Quentin's lack of reaction, felt a tinge of disappointment.
"Man, our sales were through the roof last month, can't you give me a little praise?" Noah said, awaiting his due accolades with a self-important yet adorable pout.
Quentin, however, found it childish for a grown man to fish for compliments. "You're just doing your job. What do you need praise for?" Quentin arched an eyebrow in response.
Noah, unbothered and unfazed, simply shrugged it off.
Plopping down into a chair, Noah announced, "I'm planning to get everyone together for a group dinner tonight, to welcome the new girl, Amelia. And you're coming."
Quentin's fingers, which had been typing away at the keyboard, paused briefly before resuming their rhythm. "I'm not going."
"Come on. The deal with Thomson Henry was your call, and you approved Amelia's internship. It’s only right to be there for her welcome. Do you really want to make the poor girl feel awkward on her first day?" Noah argued. He was always considerate of others' feelings, which was part of his charm with the ladies.
"I'm swamped," Quentin deflected, using work as his excuse. Truth was, he just didn't want to go because he wasn't ready to face Lauren.
He didn't consider it running away, but it sure seemed like he was making excuses.
"Hey, Quentin, what are you so afraid of? Since when does the fearless Quentin hide like a turtle? Don't use work as an excuse; since when has it ever held you back?" Noah teased, eyeing Quentin with a mischievous grin.
Annoyed by Noah's words and feeling exposed, Quentin grabbed a lighter from the desk and tossed it at his annoying friend.
Catching the incoming projectile with ease, Noah quipped, "That little thing couldn't hurt me. Come on, Quentin, let's hit the town tonight. The babes at the club haven't seen you in ages, and we haven't partied in a long while. After dinner, let's go out and have some fun, huh?"
"Just go by yourself," Quentin retorted, not in the mood to argue.
"Man, when did you become such a buzzkill? Fine, have it your way. Let Amelia think she's unwelcome here, and maybe she'll leave sooner rather than later."
With that, Noah turned and walked away, knowing full well that Quentin's mind was made up and there was no changing it.
After clocking out in the afternoonevening, the excited staff of Sales Department Four hurriedly packed up their belongings and rushed to the parking garage to drive to the Group Dinner location.
Lauren was cornered by Linda, and she accompanied Linda into another colleague's car.
Meanwhile, Noah had just walked over to the office when he was blocked at the door by Quentin.
"Well, if it isn't the elusive guest. What brings Quentin to my humble abode at this hour? I'm terribly sorry, but I'm in a rush to get to the Group Dinner and I don't have time to entertain you," Noah said in his usual cheeky manner. Seeing Quentin's face turn green with irritation at his words gave Noah no small amount of pleasure.
"You talk too much. Let's go, I'll join you for the Group Dinner, and that's all," Quentin stated.
"Alright, alright, Group Dinner it is," Noah relented. Taking the lead to his car, he quickly headed off to the hotel with Quentin in tow.
Sitting in the backseat of her colleague's car, Lauren wore a serious expression. Would everything go smoothly tonight? Would that person show up?
At that moment, Linda sighed, prompting Lauren to ask, "What's wrong, Linda? Why the sigh?"
Linda's brows were furrowed with worry. "I was really hoping Quentin would join us, but when I visited Mr. Martin's office this afternoon, he told me Quentin had declined his invitation."
"Oh, is that all? No worries. It's better this way; we can enjoy ourselves without the boss around. Otherwise, we'd have to be on our best behavior," Lauren reassured Linda, as much as she was reassuring herself.
Linda nodded, feeling slightly disappointed, although she hadn't held out much hope to begin with.
Lauren, on the other hand, let out a quiet sigh of relief. If Quentin were actually present, she feared she wouldn't be able to swallow a single bite.
Upon arriving at the hotel entrance, Lauren and Linda got out of the car while their colleague went to park. The two then made their way to the venue Noah had reserved in advance. Most of the Sales Department Four staff were already there, chatting and laughing in high spirits.
Lauren was in a good mood as well. Truth be told, working at Robinson Conglomerate's Sales Department was far more relaxing than at Patrick'sHenry's. Noah was easy to get along with, and the Sales Department colleagues didn't mistreat her for being new, which made for a very pleasant working environment.
