the door to my office and Rollie’s phone camera was pointing in my direction. He was about to burst into laughter and Hawk was trying to shush him.
“What are you doing?” I asked, my eyes narrowing.
Hawk sniggered, “I haven’t seen you even hum since basic training.”
By the end of the sentence, he was full on laughing and Rollie had joined him. Both of them were in danger of folding in half from the force of their humour.
I pulled at my jacket and cleared my throat. “Guy’s not allowed to sing now?” I muttered grumpily.
Hawk shook his head. “No. By all means.”
“Camera’s rolling,” Rollie added eagerly.
I frowned as I stepped towards them and grabbed Rollie’s phone. “Fuck off, the both of you.”
Hawk smacked my arse. “And what’s put you in this good mood?” he sang.
I shoved him away. “Nothing. I’m fine.”
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he got laid last night,” Rollie chuckled as he helped himself to my chair.
I scoffed, feeling my mask fall into place. “I wish. I was too busy playing nursemaid.”
Hawk nodded. “Ah. Bert put in some time worshipping the porcelain goddess, did she?”
I smirked. “No. She twisted her ankle on the way back to the Mayhew.”
Hawk lost a little humour. “She okay?”
She was okay enough for me to give her what she’d been lacking all these years. I cleared my throat again. “Yeah. Seemed fine. Little tender, but nothing broken.”
Hawk nodded. “Good. Right. Well, unless you’ve got some more performing to do, what are the plans for the day?”
I shook my head at him and the three of us went over the day’s agenda together until Tank rolled in around eleven looking a little worse for wear. Which was an interesting look on a guy his size.
“Bagel, mate?” Rollie asked and Tank visible gagged.
He shook his head. “Nope.”
I smirked. “Get the man a bucket, would you, Rollie?”
Tank glared at me. He disapproved of a lot really, but this disapproval took the cake for disapproving glares.
“Oi,” Rollie said to him. “Don’t blame us for being a lightweight.”
Tank turned his glare on him and I knew it was mainly because he knew Rollie was right. Tank was the cheapest date among us. Unsurprisingly, Rollie was the most expensive – and that wasn’t even taking into account his taste for the finest liquor.
I missed Tank’s rumbled reply as Nico wandering out of the lift had caught my eye. He was wearing his tracksuit pants, his oldest Chucks, and his baggiest hoody. He still wore his sunglasses and his beanie was skewed to say the least.
“S’all right!” Hawk laughed. “Someone’s pulled up worse than you.”
Nico spared everyone the finger and disappeared into his office. He closed the door and kept the lights off.
“Next Champers Day. Less champagne…” Tank muttered, hauling himself off my couch and plodding to his own office.
“Has he got any classes today?” Rollie asked, spritely as ever as he bounced around despite having drunk Tank under about six tables.
I pulled up the calendar and sighed. “Yeah. Flo’s coming in for one-on-one at two, then he’s got a new client at four.” I frowned as I went into the four o’clock one.
“What?” Rollie asked.
I shook my head. “VIP.”
“Oh.” That definitely had his attention. “I just so happen to be free at four o’clock. What a happy coincidence.”
I looked at him to find him grinning winningly. If there was something Rollie did well, it was looking defiantly innocent and utterly cheeky at the same time.
“Don’t get your panties in a knot, she’s not like super VIP, she just has money to burn for discretion.”
Rollie shrugged. “VIP is VIP. Can I? Can I, please!” He clasped his hands under his chin and batted his eyes.
I fought a smirk. “Fine. Yes. Last thing we need is Tank spewing all over her.”
“I can do two,” Hawk said, barely lifting his eyes from his phone.
I shook my head. “Mrs Fortescue.”
“Oh, fuck,” Hawk muttered, dropping his phone into his lap, as Rollie barked a laugh. “What does she want now?”
“Escort to a lunch. Nothing big. Mr Fortescue apparently has other plans.”
“What’s he doing? I’ll go keep an eye on him.”
“Being married to her, probably shit he doesn’t want a witness for, mate,” Rollie laughed.
“Why me?” Hawk whined.
“She requested you,” I said simply.
“Wait. What?”
I nodded. “She requested the presence of one Mr Patrick Grace for his – and I quote – ‘cheeky elegance’.”
Rollie snorted so hard he fell backwards, taking my chair with him. That should teach him to lean back on it