“Because this is more fun.” He transfers the cell to his opposite hand, holding it toward the glass window, entirely out of reach. “She would die if she knew Sidney Higgins was attacking me in an attempt to get her photo.”
“I’m hardly attacking you.” I make another lunge for the cell. “Just give it to me. Now.”
“You know we could use that in our song—Just give it to me now. Give it to me, good girl. Give it to me now.”
I bark a laugh, the sound loud enough to shock me back to reality.
This must look bad. Really bad.
A collective hush takes over the bar, the radiating silence filling my ears.
“Shit.” Shit. “Sorry.” I scamper off him, my head spinning from the liquor. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”
I was just messing around. Having fun for once. Letting my hair down as the itinerary demanded… But someone like me—with my reputation—shouldn’t be doing something like this, even if it is entirely playful and one hundred percent innocent.
Linden continues to chuckle, unfazed as I slink back into my side of the booth. “Don’t apologize. It’s platonic fun. Here… Look…I’ll show her to you.” He flicks his finger across the screen a few more times.
I chance a glance over my shoulder while I wait, the silence of the bar changing into a mass of rampant whispers.
Nobody is moving. Every customer, every member of staff—they’re all still.
But they’re not looking at me.
The focus of the entire room rests on the five men striding through the front doors—Blake in the lead, then Ryan, Mitch, Sean, and finally my fiancé, who eagle-eyes me with an emotion I can’t decipher.
CHAPTER 6
Mason
I slide into the booth seat across the opposite side of the room to Sid. Sean is next to me. Blake, Mitch, and Ryan are crammed over the other side of the table, all of them on edge because every set of eyes in this place is on us.
“I’m gonna need a stiff drink.” Ryan waves down the bartender with a lazy finger.
The middle-aged man walks toward us, nervous. He’s clearly a fan. “What can I get you?”
The guys order alcohol. I stick to soda.
Liquor is the last thing I want right now. I need all organs functioning at full capacity to weave my way through the minefield I’ve created.
“Not a problem.” The bartender’s curious gaze lingers on me longer than necessary as he backs away. “I’ll return with the drinks in a minute.”
He turns and strides for the bar as the chatter amongst the clientele grows.
“Okay, I guess I’m the only one willing to address the fucking elephant in the room.” Blake scowls at me. “I was under the impression we came here to hang out. Just the five of us.”
“We did.” I chance another glance at Sidney as she leans across her table, speaking closely to the man who is quickly becoming my nemesis.
“Then why the fuck is your girl here with the lead singer of Badass Bitch?” Ryan mutters.
“What?” Sean leans forward to peer around me, not discreet in the slightest.
“Bish,” I correct, shoving Sean back into the booth. “The band is Basic Bish.”
“Who cares?” Blake growls. “Why are we here and Sid’s over there?”
Because the mirror-loving asshole doesn’t know how to look after my girl. He brought her to a public fucking bar, for Christ’s sake. “I’m just keeping an eye on her. That’s all.”
Mitch’s jaw drops. “Tell me we’re not spying on her. Because that shit will get us fucking shanked by our women.”
Ryan sighs. “I did not sign up for this.”
Sean jabs his elbow into my ribs. “Me either, Lynch. There better be a good explanation.”
I shrug. “You know there always is.”
They all groan in unison.
“Oh, come on.” I scoff. “This isn’t a big deal.”
Blake leans across the table toward me, enunciating succinctly, “Gabi is going to fucking kill me.”
“Not if Leah does it first,” Ryan mutters. “Choirboy has literally led us to the slaughter.”
“Calm down.” I glare. “There’s nothing wrong with checking on my girl, especially when she rarely leaves my side.”
“I’ll calm down if you can tell me she invited us,” Mitch states flatly. “Did she know we were coming?”
I cut him a sideways glance. It’s not a good time to say no and tell him I used the security app on my phone to locate her cell.
“See? That’s why I’m not calming down,” he adds. “Unlike you, I prefer my junk to be fully functioning, and that shit won’t continue once the women find out we were stalker Joe’s wingman.”
“Then blame me. Tell them it’s my fault.”
“Are you fucking with me?” Blake cocks a derisive brow. “You don’t think we’ve used that line within an inch of its life already? That shit doesn’t sail anymore.”
“Last time you pulled a stunt, Red told me I should’ve known better,” Sean adds. “And I have to agree.”
The bartender comes back with our tray of drinks. We fall quiet as he hands them over, Ryan downing his scotch on the rocks before I receive my Coke.
“Can I get another?” he asks. “And keep ’em comin’. I have a feeling we’re going to need it.”
The guy smirks. Nods. Then strolls away.
“You’re all being dramatic.” I take a mouthful of soda. “Sid’s not going to care.”
“Liar.” Blake tilts his glass in my direction. “You, my friend, are full of shit.”
Maybe…but that doesn’t negate my need for being here. “Look, I’m genuinely worried about her safety with this chump… But we’re also going through a rough patch.” I lower my voice, not wanting my private life to become tabloid fodder. “I want to ensure she’s not going to make a mistake while things aren’t running smoothly between us.”
“In other words,” Mitch drawls, “you want to make sure she’s not upgrading to a better model.”
“A better model?” I grind my teeth. “Give me a fucking break. That guy ain’t got shit on me.”
“He does have an enviable jawline,” Sean muses.
“And those lips…” Ryan’s voice gains a theatrical feminine tone.
Blake nods. “I bet Sid would happily let him turn her mouth into an overcrowded daycare.”
“Go fuck yourself.” I slap my palm on the table, my pulse pounding as the room falls deathly silent.
He grins. All teeth. One hundred percent taunt. “Orgasms are one of the best forms of stress relief, buddy, so when you say that, I know it means you care.”
“Okay, enough with the jokes.” Ryan grabs his vodka soda. “What kind of rough patch is this? Are we talking about a typical Lynch over-exaggeration or is this a potential breakup?”
“We’re not breaking up.” At least, I don’t think we are. “We’re out of sync lately, that’s all. We’ll figure it out.”