Crazy For You by Jennifer Crusie Page B

thirty-five. If I don’t go after what I want now, I never will.”‘ Like Nick. She hadn’t realized it until he’d looked at her like that, but she wanted him. He was excitement personified, the absolute worst person in the world for her. Perfect.
    Of course, considering the way he’d left the house at a flat run, he was going to take some convincing. Maybe she should go after something easier first and work up to Nick.
    “Life doesn’t end at thirty-five,” Meggy said. “I’m fifty-eight and I’m still doing fine. You just stop taking chances before you lose everything.”
    Quinn wondered if her mother had ever wanted anything much, ever felt the zing and the pull she’d just felt with Nick. Stop taking chances? It was the advice Meggy had given her all her life and suddenly Quinn was annoyed about that. “I don’t want to be you,” she told her mother. “You’re doing exactly what you’ve always done. You get up, you go answer phones for Bucky at the real estate office, you go to a garage sale with Edie after school, you come home and fix dinner for Dad, and then you watch him watch TV.” Quinn slowed a little as Meggy’s face grew grim. “Look, if that’s what makes you happy, fine, but it’s not enough for me. If I stay with Bill, I’ll end up the same way you have, no passion, no excitement, and no real reason to get up in the morning. I’m not going to live like that.”
    Meggy’s words came out stiffly. “And this dog is going to give you that.”
    “No, this dog is just the beginning.” Quinn put Katie down so she could re-explore the kitchen. “Katie is the canary in the mineshaft. I didn’t know how stifling my life was until Bill wouldn’t let me keep her.” Quinn took a deep breath. “I’m not adapting anymore, Mama. From now on, people are going to have to adapt to me. I’m going after what I want.” It was such a lovely selfish thing to say, Quinn felt lightheaded for a minute. There should be background music. Trumpets. Nick.
    “Need a beer here,” Joe called from the living room, and Meggy automatically went to the refrigerator and got it, frowning as she went. When she came back from the living room, she folded her arms, evidently still unconvinced and showing amazing staying power considering that her usual response to anything that upset her was, Well, all right. “Is this about Nick?”
    Quinn felt herself flush. “No. This is about me.”
    “Because you and Nick would be terrible,” Meggy said. “Bill—” The phone rang and Meggy turned her back to pick it up. “Hello? Just a minute.” She held the phone out to Quinn. “It’s Bill.” Her tone added, Be careful, dear.
    “Oh, hell.” Quinn felt the pit of her stomach drop to her knees as she took the phone. “Hi, Bill.”
    “What’s going on?” he asked. “Your clothes are gone.”
    “I know. I moved out. I left you a note.” Quinn closed her eyes and leaned against the cabinets. “I’ll come get my books later, but you can have the rest of the stuff.”
    “Your note makes no sense,” Bill said. “And the silverware is missing.”
    “I know.” Quinn tried again. “I took it. I moved out. You’ll have to buy some more.”
    “But then we’ll have two sets,” Bill said, and Quinn stopped feeling guilty.
    “Bill, I moved out. There isn’t any ‘we’ anymore. I’m gone. It’s over.”
    “Don’t be ridiculous.” The calm certainty in his voice kicked up Quinn’s anger again.
    “I’m not ridiculous. I’m gone.” I’m necking with other men. Sort of. “It wasn’t working for me, Bill.”
    “Of course it was. I’ll come get you, and you’ll come home, and we’ll talk this out tomorrow after school.”
    “No.”
    Meggy turned around startled, and Quinn shook her head at her. “No, you will not come get me,” she said to Bill with brutal firmness. “I’ve left you. It’s over.”
    “I’ll be there in five minutes,” Bill said and hung up.
    “I don’t believe