We’ve all collectively agreed to not explain The Judge Judy’s origin. It’s more fun to let people guess, but the real answer is, when Robbie was in the hospital after his accident, all he watched for weeks wasJudge Judy.
Now, when he’s hungover, he lies on the couch in the living room and watches his favorite show. Nobody is allowed to talk during it, and nobody is ever allowed to disagree with her decision.
Henry didn’t realize what was happening when he first moved in with us, and I’m not sure he does now, but he knows to stay quiet like the rest of us.
“We look hot,” JJ praises, looking at each of us in our tuxedos. The guys are due back right before the party starts, so they will have time for a shower and to change into their tuxes. We all wanted to be ready to give the full Vegas effect when Robbie gets back.
“Do you think Sabrina and Anastasia will come?” Henry asks, fiddling with his bow tie.
“I hope so, buddy. Robbie wants Sabrina here and I don’t wanna let him down on his birthday.”
“Nothing to do with you wanting to kiss and make up with Stas, then?” Bobby laughs.
My eyebrow raises. “Since when was she Stas?”
“We’re friends now. Icebreaker shit worked; I like her.”
Oh great.
Luckily, the guys get back, and shortly after, the party is in full swing, which doesn’t give me time to dwell on my friends being so-calledfriendswith Anastasia.
Making this party invite only was one of my smarter ideas. To start with, you would never mutter the wordsfree baron this campus unless you wanted to be bankrupted.
Second, it meant I could stick Tim, one of the rookies, on the door with a guest list. Now I don’t need to worry about troublemakers getting in and ruining things.
Tim’s success as gatekeeper is heavily reliant on him being next to the front door, so the fact I can see him striding across the den with his clipboard doesn’t give me much hope about security. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong, Cap. Sorta. Those girls you told me to watch out for arrived. Sabrina Allali and Anastasia Allen.”
Thank God. “Right, what’s the problem?”
“Well, I told them to come find you, like you told me to, an—”
“Spit it out, Tim.”
“Sabrina, well, she told me to tell you if you want to give her orders, you should put her on the goddamn team.”
Oh man.I love that Robbie has found himself a girl who is going to absolutely wrap him around her finger.
“Message received. Where are they now?”
“The bar, Cap.”
Sending Tim back off to his post, I keep an eye on the doors to the backyard while I carry on with my game of poker.
The house is full of people crowding around various game tables, drinking, laughing. I tried hard to make sure nothing looked tacky, even when JJ tried to convince me to hire an Elvis impersonator who can do weddings. Me accidentally ending up married to JJ felt like too much of a risk, so I put my foot down and said no.
I haven’t seen them come back inside and it’s been over an hour. When I finally make my way to the bar, Henry, Robbie, and Jaiden have already beaten me to finding the girls.
“You look very nice today. Not at all like a baby giraffe,” I hear Henry saying to Stassie as I approach the five of them. JJ begins to choke on his drink, but she doesn’t seem to mind being compared to a giant, wobbly animal.
“Do you feel better now you can’t spoil the surprise?” she asks, eyes flicking over to me as I stop beside him, then back to Henry. I feel like everyone, except Robbie, knows how worried Henry has been and has been rooting for him.
“I feel much better, thank you.”
Now I’m up close I can see how fucking breathtaking she looks. Hair in perfect curls down her back, silk navy-blue dress cut low at the front and back, with a split all the way up to the top of her thigh. But above all else, she’s grinning ear to ear. Happiness is practically radiating off her as she chats away with my friends.
I can’t help but watch her with a goofy smile on my face, and I know she must notice it because every now and again her eyes float over to me, but I’m too scared to say anything and ruin this moment.