“Surprise, surprise,” Cammie murmured.
There was something in her tone that made me follow her line of sight to the bar.
Where Forde was very clearly flirting with an attractive brunette.
Quinn put his finger and thumb in his mouth and let out an impressive, piercing whistle. Everyone including Forde looked our way. “Where’s my drink?”
“Keep yer knickers on!” Forde yelled back, making the pubgoers laugh.
“Insolent wee shite,” my ex murmured. “I sometimes worry he’d flirt with a fucking sheep if it batted its lashes at him.
I laughed, drawing Quinn’s attention. “Seriously?”
He grinned. “Nah, but he is a pain in the arse.”
“I heard that.” Forde slammed a pint down in front of Quinn. “Why are you salting my game?”
“I don’t think being known as the local bus equals game, Forde,” Cammie teased.
“Local bus? Harsh, Cameron, harsh.”
“I’m confused. What does that mean?” London’s head moved back and forth between them.
“It means Forde will give anyone a ride.”
London’s lips parted like she wasn’t quite sure how to react.
“Not anyone.” He shook his head pointedly at Cammie.
She stiffened. “Well, not everyone wants an STD, Forde.”
“All right, play nice, children,” Murray inserted, leaning forward, brow furrowed.
Forde crossed his arms over his chest. “Clearly you’re not talking about yourself since you dated a walking STD for a year.”
“I think you’re supposed to call them STIs now,” Tierney offered unhelpfully.
Ramsay flicked her a warm look of amusement.
“What did I miss?” Quinn leaned past me to look at his sister. “Why are you two at loggerheads?”
“Ask him!” Cammie flicked a wrist at Forde. “He’s the one who has been acting like an arsehole.”
“Oh? Getting you a deal on your repaint is me acting like an arsehole?”
“Doing a nice thing while acting like an arsehole doesn’t make you any less of an arse with a hole!”
I snorted back an inappropriate laugh.
“Okay, okay, people are starting to look.” London raised a hand between them. “Time out, you two.”
“How are you being an arsehole?” Quinn’s tone was dark with threat as he glared up at his best friend.
It was totally and utterly wrong that him being a protective big brother made me want to jump him.
Forde seemed shocked by Quinn’s sudden change in demeanor. His arms fell to his sides. “Fuck …” He looked from his friend to Cammie, his expression falling. “I didn’t think I was. I thought … I thought it was just our usual banter.”
“Being mercilessly mocked for sleeping with a younger man didn’t feel like banter, Forde.”
