Where the Stars Fall

8 | Beyond repair

"...IN THAT CASE, call us when you're back in London, will you, darling?" Kate tells Olivia as they leave the ladies' room.

They're so wrapped up in their conversation they don't even notice I'm already close by, leaning against one of the marble pillars, waiting for Olivia.

Tucking her clutch under her arm, Olivia responds with a smile and a quick nod.

A final goodbye hug.

"Let me just give you one bit of unsolicited advice," Kate says with a stern look when they pull away. "Steer away from trouble."

Olivia's smile fades into a frown. "What does that mean?"

"Brian," she says in a hushed voice, glancing around in a failed attempt to make sure no one is listening. "You know, lately he disappears every other long weekend. He thinks no one knows where he's hiding, but Jimmy kind of let it slip to Ethan the other day. The Cayman Islands, The Bahamas. What could he possibly be doing over there?"

As soon as Kate's words hit me, a violent shiver moves through my body.

Olivia shrugs, seeming lost.

"Little romantic getaways, surely. Charming his way into bed with every piece of tail seems to be his latest hobby – what else could it be? At least he's not a cheapskate; what woman wouldn't appreciate the little treat?" Kate's lips twist into a cynical smirk.

What the hell is she talking about?

"Heck," Kate continues. "I'm pretty certain he's an amazing flirt – damn, the man is not just good-looking, he's hot as sin – but since Mary left him for the old guy, he's turned into a hopeless case of messed-up-beyond-repair. Unattainable, no one can reach him. And, darling, what do you do with guys like those? You drop them before they drop you."

Boiling inside, I move fast to cut off the insane conversation and rest a hand on the small of Olivia's back. "Here you are. Can we go now?"

I shoot a hard glance Kate's way.

With a shadow of apprehension clouding her face, Olivia looks up and nods.

"Good." Without taking my hand from her back, I guide her to the front door.

*

With Kate's words still pounding in my head, I beckon Olivia to the seat by the window. Smiling, she glances around as if taking it all in, the pub's dark, cosy atmosphere and the soulful music playing in the background. We're at my favourite pub in the Soho quarter.

"Tell me, what have you been up to, Dr Burke?"

"Why don't we start with you, Brian Anderson? How's life these days?"

"Working a lot, for the most part. Also going to everyone else's weddings and enjoying the free champagne."

"May I tell you a secret?"

"What? You had a little too much of it today?"

She nods, a guilty-as-charged smile peeking through.

"I know. Holding your liquor was never your forte." I give her a sly wink. "Or could it be your secret is you hate weddings as much as I do? A bunch of folks getting all tearful because the lovely bride is being taken away? For Christ's sake, this is no longer a business transaction between two men, is it? Why don't you walk up by yourselves?"

She chuckles. "That's just one of the many weird things about it. You know why they say it's bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other before the ceremony?"

Why in the hell didn't I just kiss her? The question has been consuming me since we left the wedding.

No idea whatsoever. Hard to explain, really. Probably because male dumbassery has no limits.