He was trying to concentrate on going over the final invitation list for the opening on Thursday, but if he were being honest with himself, his heart just wasn’t in it tonight.
Priest was seated on the couch opposite him, also doing his best to distract himself, but with the way he kept looking at the front door every time there was some sort of noise other than the two of them, Julien knew Priest was finding the wait for Robbie’s return just as difficult as he was.
It had just turned eleven thirty—pretty early for a Friday night in the scheme of things, but it felt like a whole week had passed them by since they’d seen or heard from their guy.
Julien had known Robbie had needed a timeout, but he had to admit that this was harder than he imagined. With every hour that passed, it became increasingly obvious to both him and Priest just how vital, how important, Robbie had become in their lives, and when he finally returned home, they were going to make damn sure he knew that.
Just as that thought entered Julien’s mind, there was a loud thump at the front door that had Priest’s head snapping up. Priest was the first to get to his feet, putting his laptop on the couch beside him, and as the sound of someone jostling the door handle reached them, Julien watched him go, wondering why Robbie wouldn’t just let himself in with his key.
When Priest reached the door, he looked through the peephole first, and then glanced back at Julien and indicated that he come over. Julien closed his computer as Priest undid the locks, and when he got to his feet, Priest pulled open the door, revealing Robbie with…a dark-haired man and a very cute young lady.
Priest held the door open wide, and when Robbie raised his face and spotted him, excitement lit his eyes.
“Priest,” Robbie said, as he threw his arms out and wrapped them around Priest’s neck. “You’re here!”
Julien smirked as Priest barely caught Robbie with his free arm to hold him steady—and upright. “So it would seem.”
“Yes. It. Would,” Robbie said, as he tapped a finger on Priest’s chest in time to his words. Then he turned his head, and his glassy eyes locked on to Julien. “And Jules! You’re here too…”
Julien nodded and said, “I am,” before he looked at the two strangers watching the exchange.
The young lady, whose eyes were shifting between Priest, Robbie, and Julien, was several inches shorter than Robbie, but the high cheekbones and dainty features gave her away as one of Robbie’s sisters. That meant the man with the coal-colored hair, cut into a high-end style with bangs sweeping across his forehead, had to be Elliot, the best friend. Which made both of these people very important.
“Bonsoir,” Julien said, smiling. “I’m Julien—
“Thornton,” Elliot said, and held his hand out as a knowing grin tipped the corners of his lips.
“Oui, that’s right. And this here is Priest, as you just heard,” Julien said, as he shook Elliot’s hand before he turned to face the young lady gaping at him. Julien took her fingers in his, brought them up to his lips, and kissed just above her knuckles. “And you, chérie? You must be one of Robbie’s sisters.”
“Oh, isn’t he just dreamy?” Robbie sighed. “I told you he would melt your panties off the second he spoke, Felicity. Didn’t I tell her, El?”
Julien’s lips quirked at their loose-lipped princesse, as the woman tried to find her tongue.
“Uh, yes, sorry. That’s right. I’m Felicity. His favorite sister. That’s an important distinction to make when there’s three of us.”
Robbie giggled and held on to Priest’s neck with one hand, as he leaned over to wave one, then two, and finally three fingers in Julien’s face. “Un. Deux. Trois. That’s our favorite number. But there’s no favorites here,” he singsonged, and Julien looked to Priest, who was frowning. “We aaall love each other the same. All happy. All the same. Isn’t that right?”
“Ookay,” Felicity said. “As you can see, he’s had about four too many Jägerbombs.”
“Did not,” Robbie said, and then started to laugh. “I had about two less than I wanted, because you…both cut me off.”
“Excuse me,” Elliot said, that smile of his still in place. But Julien didn’t miss the way he was sizing up Priest. “I didn’t want to have to ask someone to carry you out to the Uber, Bianchi.”
“Which we thank you for,” Priest said, and Elliot inclined his head ever so slightly. It was clear he was wary, and slightly protective, of the friend currently hanging off Priest’s neck.
“Aww. Priest hates thinking about others touching me. I mean, except Jules. It’s so sweet how he gets jealous. Isn’t it sweet?” Robbie patted Priest on the chest and went right on talking about him as though he wasn’t there. “First with Logan, then Nathan, and— Oh! Even Ace Locke. I mean, come on, we all get a movie-star freebie, right?”