Libby was close enough that Jamie could smell her shampoo and see unshed tears swimming in her eyes. His chest felt tight and he had to clench his fists at his sides to stop himself from touching her. A loud clap in front of his face cut through his concentration. One of the white angels was glaring daggers at him.
‘Out!’ she shouted. ‘All of you. No men allowed in here.’
They were ushered out of the room by the bouncers, but before the double doors closed Jamie looked back once at Libby only to see her eyes downcast and a single tear tracking down her cheek.
*****
‘So, my judgemental friend,’ Pav said, slapping Jamie on the back as they walked down the road towards the others. ‘What exactly was that display of alpha male tomfoolery about?’
Not enough people use the word tomfoolery nowadays,Jamie thought vaguely as he tamped down his irritation, but that’s Pav– always pushing the boundaries of what a straight man can say and get away with in this century.
‘Leave me alone,’ he muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets and frowning down at the pavement. ‘You knew she was a stripper the first time you saw her, didn’t you? I’m not in the mood for you being a glib twat at the moment.’
‘At least I’m not being an arrogant cruel fucking bastard,mate,’ Pav said, his tone still light, which somehow made the insults more shocking.
‘I wasn’t – ’
‘What do you think would earn an unskilled worker the kind of money it takes to support them and a child whilst being a full-time medical student?’
‘Look, I don’t – ’
‘No.Youlook, arseface.’ Pav drew to a stop and put his arm out to halt Jamie mid-stride. ‘I can think of one other option open to her.Onething, other than what we saw tonight. Can you imagine what that might be?’
Jamie winced and looked away from Pav’s furious face.
‘All those disgusting blokes looking at her,’ Jamie mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck and staring down at his shoes.
‘Looking at her, Jamie.Looking. So what if a bunch of stupid horny idiots want to pay a fuckload of money just to look at this girl? Good for her. You experienced first hand what happens when one of the natives gets handsy. Those big bastards in there don’t let any of the punters get anywherenearthe women on stage.’
‘I don’t like it,’ Jamie muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets.
‘Well boo-fucking-hoo Mr Holier-Than-Thou. Remember,youwere one of the disgusting pricks tonight.’
Jamie gritted his teeth, clenching his jaw so tight he could feel the muscles ticking along his cheek.
‘What were you doing in there, you tit?’ Dan roared as he stormed down the pavement towards them. The groom-to-be was being held up between two of the other guys, his face looking a little green, but Dan’s was a mask of fury. ‘We didn’t even get to see the good stuff from that dirty bitch. And because of you we’ve all been thrown out.’ Jamie felt his fist bunch at his sides at the mention of Libby. Dan had always been a mean drunk. Jamie was normally able to overlook his brother’s behaviour under the influence, but this was pushing his control.
‘Ease up, mate,’ Pav said, stepping in between them and holding up his hands placatingly. ‘She’s practically his Mrs. Give him a break, okay?’
Dan frowned in confusion. ‘What are you on about? The chick with the dark hair? I mean, she’s the most fuckable thing I’ve seen for alongtime.Don’t get me wrong, but she’s a goddamn whore, bro.’
That was it. Jamie had officially reached breaking point.
She was Libby.
Not a dirty bitch.
Not a ‘fuckable chick with dark hair’.
Andnota goddamn whore.
He drew his fist back and let fly at Dan’s smug, incredulous, self-satisfied face, and his brother, the best man, organizer of the whole night and payer of all cover charges, fell to the ground in a heap.
Chapter 11
Xena, Warrior Princess
‘Ah,’ Kira sighed as she sank down into the seat next to Libby. ‘I never thought I’d say this but I’ve seen me enough dick for one day. I’m totally over it. It’s even leaked into my food choices.’ She waggled her eyebrows suggestively as she bit into the huge frankfurter hot dog she’d just bought at the hospital canteen. It was Kira’s second week of urology and her initial excitement was waning.
