Invisible string (Robin Le Normand)

Chapter 5

Jesús took Robin back to the kitchen, where Leire was still sitting and talking to her agent. Robin noticed again how close to each other they stood and it really bothered him.

"I could show you your room", he said to Leire, earning a funny look from Jesús who had just told him about how he showed Leire her room. But Robin just wanted Leire's attention to be on him...not on Gorka. Not on anyone else, really.

"Jesús already did", she said, looking back at Gorka. "But thanks".

"I can show you the rest of the house then".

"I don't need to see the rest of the house, Robin".

He had almost forgotten how stubborn she could be. "Do you plan on just staying in your room?"

"Well, you won't be there so the plan sounds pretty good".

It wasn't Leire's words that hurt him but Gorka's chuckle. "I don't want to live with someone who just stays on the opposite side of the house while I'm there. It's stupid".

"This whole plan is stupid. But someone needs to save your good boy image while you drink your date's drinks by mistake and mess up".

Robin tried not to smirk when he noticed the jealousy in Leire's tone. And seeing Gorka touching Leire, again, helped him go back to frowning.

"Don't worry. I won't drink yours by mistake because you'd actually need to get out of the house and live a little first".

"Oh good", she laughed. "You just called me boring. I thought you were going to go with something like I'm not pretty enough to get predators to spike my drinks".

"That's not fucking funny, Leire", said Robin, trying to control himself to not say something worse. Did she really hate him so much that she would say that? And in front of other people.

"Should I stay here tonight?", suggested Jesús. "This is way worse than what you two told us".

"It's fine", told him Leire. "I'll just go to my room and be boring there".

Leire got up and hugged Gorka before heading to the room. She walked past Robin without even acknowledging his presence but he acknowledged something. She smelled the same. He had always been obsessed with whatever perfume Leire wore. Robin's sister also loved the scent, though for very different reasons, and asked him to find out what perfume Leire wore so she could buy it. But the last thing Robin wanted was for his sister to smell like the woman he...like Leire. So he never asked.

"Should we leave or not?", asked Gorka and Robin glared at him.

"Yes. You can leave".

"Don't talk to her or to me like that or this deal will end very soon. And I don't think you want that to happen".

Robin stared at Gorka walking to the front door. He didn't even know why this guy pissed him off so much.

"That was really mature, Robin", said Jesús, shaking his head. "Really mature".

"He annoys me".

"Why?"

"He just does. Are you leaving too?"

Jesús tried to read Robin's expression but failed. "I can stay...".

"I don't want you here".

"Don't mess up".

Robin took a deep breath and went back to his room. He had been so nervous because of Leire being there that he forgot to bring his phone with him to the kitchen. When he walked past her room, the urge to knock and go inside to talk to her was strong. But Leire didn't want to see Robin, that much was clear.