The Thrill of the Chase

thirty

"When did Robert say he would be meeting us?" Logan asked Colin. They were seated at an outdoor table in Luza Square in Dubrovnik. Croatia was one of their last stops for the summer, and Robert had agreed to join them for a few days. He had vetoed their initial plan of joining him and Rory in Greece, saying that they wanted that trip as just the two of them, after some minor squabbles they had finally agreed and settled upon meeting up in Croatia.

"They were flying out from Greece around lunch I think he said, but he didn't say anything else. I'm not even sure where they are staying. I think he wanted a different hotel than us on purpose." Colin answered, taking a drink of his cold beer, they tended to drink more beer in summer instead of scotch, it was more refreshing especially when they were somewhere hot.

"It's like he is ashamed of us, not wanting to associate with us," Finn said with a pout.

"I think I see him," Logan said, looking across the square.

"Where? Hang on, is that him?" Colin said pointing.

"Holy shit, Reporter girl looks hot, if thats them," Finn exclaimed, as all three took in the couple walking hand in hand towards them. Robert was in a short sleeve white button up with khaki shorts, but Rory, Rory was in a white floaty sundress, that ended mid thigh, it had tiny straps showing off her sunkissed glow, the guys could see what looked like a tattoo around her ankle, just before the straps of her heeled sandals started.

"Is that a tattoo?" Colin asked, looking at Logan.

"If it is, it's new." Logan replied, taking a drink to try to ease his suddenly dry mouth.

"Hey guys," Robert greeted them as they approached the table. The three men stood to greet the couple, they all embraced Robert in the typical half man hug, before giving Rory a proper hug and kiss on the cheek in greeting.

"Reporter girl, when did you get the ink? It's hot." Finn said, waggling his eyebrows exaggeratedly at her.

"This?" Rory asked, pointing at her ankle. "It's just henna, I got it done yesterday."

"Finn's right it's hot," Logan agreed, gesturing at it with his bottle of beer, while also trying to get a server's attention so Robert and Rory could order some drinks.

"So enough about how hot my girlfriend's tattoo is, what have you three been up to this summer?" Robert asked, as he sat down between Logan and Rory.

"We started off in England, we went to this cheese rolling competition-" Colin started.

"Cheese rolling?" Rory queried.

"It's where they get a big roll of cheese and let it go down a hill and everyone races to try and catch it. It was chaos," Logan said. "After that we went to the Netherlands, and somehow Colin here managed to pick up a milkmaid, who doesn't speak English and has been following us since."

"Following you?" Robert asked.

"Yep, Mate it's weird. She followed us to France, then to Switzerland and Italy." Finn added.

"Have you lost her?" Rory asked, taking in the fact that only the guys were at the table.

"No, she is back at our hotel," Colin replied without any enthusiasm.

"Seriously?" Robert asked, at Colin's affirmative nod he continued. "Have you tried telling her to go home? Or do you just keep having sex with her?"

Colin had the decency to look ashamed. "So sex then. Do you want her to follow you back home?" Rory asked, looking at him seriously.

"What?! No! Of course not." Colin replied, "She just doesn't seem to understand me when I tell her to go home, and then she's hot and well."

"You just can't help yourself?" Robert finished for him.