A Night of Desire

"I told you back then that I’d spray some perfume on you, but you absolutely refused. You said you thought this ointment smelled amazing and unique. I remember thinking the scent was way too sweet and cloying, and that guys wouldn’t like it. But then Miles Quinn couldn’t stop kissing you. I wonder if that scent had something to do with it?"

As Sarah Shelby spoke, she suddenly realized she had gone off on a tangent—a disastrous one at that. The smile on her face froze, and she lightly slapped her mouth with her other hand.

"Oh god, listen to me rambling. What am I doing, bringing up all that old stuff now that you’re his sister-in-law? Clara, don’t be mad. You know I have no filter."

Clara Grant continued to carefully apply the ointment for her, massaging it in gently. Without even looking up, she smiled and said, "It’s fine. I’m not hung up on it anymore. I’m actually a little glad I never got to confess back then. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be with Seth Quinn now."

Hearing that she had moved on, Sarah Shelby was naturally happy for her. She tilted her head, looked up at her, and joked, "Ooh, listen to you, showing off your love life in front of me again. Just rubbing it in that I’m single, aren’t you?"

With a wave of her hand, she said, "Alright, who cares about this stupid injury? Let’s go, hurry up and meet Rowan Linden."

Clara laughed and pushed the tube of ointment into her hand. "Not so fast. We have to wait for my mom."

As she spoke, she turned to call out toward Skylar Hayes’s room.

But Sarah Shelby grabbed her. "Whoa, hold on. I’m going to meet a potential boyfriend, and your mom’s coming too? That’s not a great idea, is it? With an elder around, I won’t be able to turn on the charm!"

Clara burst out laughing with a "Pfft." "Don’t worry, my mom won’t cramp your style. Seth Quinn is in the hospital, and she’s just coming with me to visit him. I only asked you to come along because I figured Rowan Linden would be there too, so you could finally meet him. He’s usually not free, you know."

"Seth Quinn is in the hospital? What happened?" Sarah Shelby asked, surprised.

"He was shot..." Clara Grant recounted the story of how Seth got injured, finishing with a sigh. "Thankfully, he managed to dodge a little when he jumped in front of me, so the bullet missed his vitals. If it weren’t for him, the bullet probably would have gone right through my chest. You wouldn’t be seeing me here right now."

Clara shrugged as she finished.

"...Holy crap!" Sarah Shelby was stunned for a long moment before she snapped out of it. "You were just filming a movie! How did you almost get yourself killed? That... that Yun-something actress, is she insane? It’s just a role. Was it worth trying to kill someone over?"

"Well, she’s been arrested by the police now. She’s reaping what she sowed."

"Still, your Seth was a real man when it counted." Sarah Shelby nodded emphatically, then pulled her to her feet. "So what are we waiting for? Let’s go, let’s go pay our respects to the hero."

...

The three of them arrived at the hospital and went to his room first.

Seth Quinn was sitting up in bed, holding his phone as if he was about to make a call. Hearing the door, he turned and saw Clara Grant. He was about to speak when he noticed the two people behind her.

He looked at Skylar Hayes and said, "Mom," then glanced at Sarah Shelby and nodded in greeting.

But as the three of them approached, Seth Quinn’s keen sense of smell caught a familiar scent.

He frowned and discreetly took another careful sniff. ’That’s it! It’s the same scent from a year ago! The scent I smelled on the woman I had an intimate encounter with in room 1808 of The Reyton Hotel!’

His gaze shifted between Clara Grant and Sarah Shelby. ’But which one of them is the woman with that unique scent?’