39. Robbie
ROBBIE
I lean one elbow on the mahogany bar top and loosen my collar as I survey the room. Parties like this are always crowded. Early on in my career, I would have been the life of the party, slumped over a booth with teammates and fans hanging on my every word.
Now, I’m trying to see how small I can fold the little napkin the bartender gave me with my drink.
I scan the crowd for Cassie and spot her red curls bouncing through the crowd, tugging Pip behind her. I smirk to myself as I remember earlier when that green dress was hiked up around her hips, and I pulled her underwear down with my teeth
Luckily, I’m torn from my memories before my erection can make an appearance.
“King, right?” A man leans on the bar beside me. It’s not that I’m not in the mood for small talk, or a fan asking for an autograph, but there’s a time and a place. I take a sip of my whiskey, letting it sit in my mouth before swallowing.
“That’s right.”
The guy shoots me a blisteringly white smile, and thrusts his hand towards me.
“I’m Callum. Our women are friends.”
I blink at him. Our women? Did I accidentally attend a party in 1962?
I don’t take his hand, and he shrugs in his golf coat, shoving his hand through his blonde hair. “Have you seen them at all?”
I take another sip of my drink. I’ve never seen this man before in my life, and I don’t know who his ‘woman’ is, but I have no interest in helping him find her.
He doesn’t let my silence phase him. “What a party, huh? It’s such a Phillipa type of party. Frivolous, you know?”
My eyebrows raise. “I think it’s cool. She probably worked really hard on this.”
Callum waves his hand dismissively. “Well of course. Maybe she should try a hand at party planning when the modeling dries up.”
He says the words ‘party planning’ and ‘modeling’ with the same tone of dripping disdain, and I’m very much done with his man.
I don’t reply, instead unsubtly checking my watch.
He takes the hint. “Well, it was great to meet you bro. I’m sure we’ll see each other around soon.”
“Sure, bro.”
He leaves with a hard tap on my shoulder.
I turn back to the bar and gesture for the bartender to refill my drink.
A hand touches my elbow. “Robbie.”
Anya’s hair is pinned in a delicate twist at the back of her head and her red dress sits high on her neck. I’m expecting a friendly smile but instead I’m greeted by a worried frown that I haven’t seen on her before.
“Hey Anya,” I say. “Everything okay?”
“Robbie,” Anya repeats, her voice low and eyes wide. “Who were you just talking to?”
I grimace. “Guy called Callum. I think he’s Pip’s boyfriend?” Bit of a giant prick, too.
Her eyes widen, and her freckled cheeks turn pale. “Oh my god, I thought it was him.” She turns to scan the room, playing with a lock of her hair. “Where did he go? Have you seen Pip? Oh god, Danny’s talking to Jackson over there. If he sees him, it will not end well.”
Alarm bells started ringing as soon as Anya’s cheeks whitened, but her rambling has got all my senses on alert. “What’s going on?”
Anya glances around the room. “Callum is Pip’s ex-boyfriend. What the hell is he doing here? Last time any of us saw him he got into a huge fight with Danny, and he almost got fired.” She spins back to me. “I’m going to go find my husband before Callum does. Have you seen Pip?”
“I think she went out back with Cassie.” I leave my half-drunk whiskey on the bar top. “I’ll get them.”
Anya doesn’t wait to say goodbye, the top of her head barely visible as she weaves through the crowd.
I tug my phone out of my pocket and send Cassie a quick text.
No reply. I press through the people around the bar until I reach the door leading to the patio. The cool chill in the air has driven the partygoers inside, and the deck is empty.
I jog down the stairs onto the grass yard at the bottom, the setting sun making my eyes strain as I try to find Cassie.
It’s only a feminine yelp that has me jumping back up the stairs two at a time.
I turn the corner and find them. Cassie is in front of Pip, her arms wide like a mama bear protecting her cub. The fury on her face would be hot if it was directed at me, not at the broad back of the man who is quickly becoming my least favorite person in the world.
“Say that again, asshole,” Cassie snaps. “I dare you.”
She hasn’t spotted me, but I see Pip’s worried glance flick towards me.
“Phillipa, come on, don’t be ridiculous,” Callum says, placing his hands on his hips. His voice is forced casual, but I can see his shoulders tighten from here. He’s making himself bigger, flexing his strength in the face of two small women in a shadowy corner outside a nightclub.
I clench my fists at my side as I take a step forward. “What’s going on here?” I say, making my voice boom. Cassie jerks at the sound of my voice, and I spot the wave of relief in her shoulders. I wink at her before turning my attention to Callum.
He straightens his shirt, puffing out his chest as he greets me like we’re old friends. “Hey bro.” If this man calls me ‘bro’ one more time, I swear to God. “Just trying to talk to my girlfriend.”
“Not your girlfriend,” Pip says, her voice shaking but she stands up straighter. Cassie’s hand rubs along her shoulder.
“I think you should leave, bro.” I take another step forward until I’m between this asshole and Cassie.
“Look.” He turns to me, dropping his voice. “You know what these ladies are like. I just want to get my girl home and in an outfit that’s not showing the whole party my goods, y’know.”
“No, I don’t know.” I say, my voice icy. “Let me get this straight. You’ve gatecrashed a party that I’m sure you were not invited to, cornered your ex-girlfriend and mine, and then said that shite where we can all hear you?”
“Look bro—”
I cut him off with a sarcastic laugh, “You really need to stop calling me that, mate. It’s making me feel a bit punchy.”
His nostrils flare as he steps into my space. I keep my feet firmly planted. “You don’t want to go there.”
“Please, you’re not going to fight me,” I laugh. “You’re not the type.”
It’s probably the wrong thing to say as his face reddens, and his fist comes flying.
Iwan and I are close now, but I’ve never forgotten how to defend myself from my big brother.
I bring my arm up and take the weight of his punch in my forearm.
Hurts like a motherfucker, but at least it’s not my jaw.
By the time he’s recovered, I’ve got his arm pinned behind his back and his chest against the brick wall.
“Grow the fuck up,” I seethe into his ear. “And get out of here.”
The metal door screeches open, and a burly security guard clambers down the stairs.
“What’s going on out here?”
“This guy needs to leave,” I say, finally pulling away and shoving Callum towards the guard. Callum’s face is bright red, his chest rising and falling in anger as he seethes silently. Security glances at Pip, wrapped under Cassie’s arm, and she nods.
Callum is dragged off, but all my attention is back on Cassie. Her curls are in disarray, and I don’t want to think about why.
“You good?” I ask them both, but letting my eyes linger on Cassie.
She nods.
“I’m going to go find the others,” Pip mumbles.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah,” Pip says before pressing a kiss to my cheek. “Thanks, Robbie.”
“Nothing to thank me for. Just glad everyone’s okay.”
She squeezes my shoulder as she brushes past me, and I turn to Cassie. Her hands are resting on her hips as she takes a deep breath. “I fucking hate that man,” she mumbles in a low voice.
I snort. “But he’s such a stand-up guy.”
Cassie bites her lip to stop from smiling.
“Do you want to get out of here?”
Cassie nods. “Let’s check on Pip and then go.”
“You got it, trouble.” She winds her arm around my waist as we climb the stairs back to the party, and I press a kiss to her curls.