Chương 71: [Nothing Gets Past Me]

The King Johns was quiet, a handful of people scattered across tables, a couple at the bar. Leo held the door and the group filed in, a few people near the entrance looking up and nodding as they passed. Ronan stopped just inside the door. He looked up first, at the stained glass panels set into the ceiling, colour bleeding down into the room from them. Then across the bar, the bottles behind it, the lights. His eyes moved from one curiosity to the next before landing on the carpet.

"I can't tell if the flooring is supposed to look off-putting or not."

"That's pretty standard in a lot of smaller pubs, no idea why. It's like they all got together and decided they were going to make the carpet hideous," Leo said, laughing. They continued on.

"Bit different to the Warden's Hearth," Parmo said.

"Yeah, you could say that," Ronan agreed, still looking around. The group moved toward the raised area near the door without discussing it, their usual spot. Tables got pushed together, chairs pulled out. Ronan pulled out a chair and sat down. A man at the bar caught his eye and nodded. Ronan nodded back.

"It's so different here. Someone stopped me on the way through town earlier," he said.

"Wanted to know about my tattoos. Showed me his own after. Picture of a wolf's head." He looked at his hands for a second.

"Just curious. No edge to it." Torren nodded.

"I still think about it. I passed a man yesterday, more ink than most orcs I know. He was covered. I asked if his tattoos had meaning to him." He paused.

"He said he just likes them. Doesn't really think about it." His shoulders shook once.

"I didn't know what to do with that at first. Now I find it fascinating."

"High praise from Torren," Phil said, grinning.

"It is what it is," Torren said warmly. The door opened and Diane came in, still in the same clothes she'd had on at the meeting, notebook tucked under her arm. She scanned the room once, saw the group on the raised area, and headed over without breaking stride. Sam looked up.

"Really? Here?"

"Where else am I going to go?" She pulled out the nearest empty chair and sat down.

"Besides, how am I going to get on your nerves if I'm sat over there?" Phil laughed. Parmo didn't bother hiding his grin. Sam opened his mouth, closed it, and shook his head. Diane noticed the new addition to the group. Ronan smiled.

"Oh, I recognise you. You were at the meeting with the elders right? Ronin?"

"Ronan," he said.

"Yeah I was. Heard about what happened yesterday, thought I'd come and see if I could help."

"That's great." She looked him over.

"I'm Diane, nice to meet you again."

"Likewise."

"Jesus, Diane, I can see you drooling," Sam muttered under his breath.

"Sorry, I didn't hear that. Did you say something loser?" The table laughed. Sam rolled his eyes. Ronan was still looking around the room.

"Oh, I can see Sara and Davan over there." He nodded toward the corner.

"Strange they aren't arguing. We'd have heard them before we came inside." Rika and Parmo looked at each other. Torren's mouth curved into a slow grin. Shai did the same and shook her head.

"You didn't know?" Rika said. Ronan looked at her.

"Know what?"

"Those two are trying very hard to keep the fact they're actually a couple quiet. They have most people fooled." She leaned forward slightly.

"But not me. Nothing gets past me." Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. The group looked at her.

"What?" Rika said.

"Yeah, okay Sherlock," Parmo said.

"You're a massive gossip, not a private eye." The lads grinned. Rika had no idea what he'd just said but she knew the tone well enough.

"You better not be mocking me, Brandon," she said, pointing at him.

"Or I'll make sure your hands and arms don't work when I'm done with you at training tomorrow." The lads snorted. Phil's grin spread slowly across his face.

"Bloody hell Parmo," Phil said.

"Didn't realise you and Rika had that sort of relationship."

"Oh fuck off, you know what she meant," Parmo said. Rika opened her mouth, closed it, and then her face went slowly, visibly red.

"Yeah, fuck off Phil. Don't be a dick." Ronan looked around the table. Then back at the corner where Sara and Davan were sitting, completely unaware. Then back at the group.

"Right," he said.

"I'm going to go and get them." He was up before anyone could say anything, hands in his coat pockets, crossing the room at an easy pace. From the raised area the group watched. Ronan reached the table and said something. Whatever it was made Sara sit up slightly and Davan put his drink down. Then Sara looked past Ronan toward the raised area. She found Rika's face first. She went pale. Davan followed her eyeline. Same result. He said something to Ronan that looked like a question.

Ronan's response involved a small shrug and a gesture back toward the table. They came over and pulled up chairs, neither of them making eye contact with Rika, who was already leaning forward with her elbows on the table, grinning.

"So," Rika said.

"Don't start. I don't know what you think you've figured out but you're wrong," Sara said.

"There's nothing going on."

"I wasn't going to say anything."

"So why do you look like you just found something to gossip about? I know that look Rika. I'm telling you, there's nothing going on."

"Yeah, when we walked in there was no room so we were forced to sit together. I would have sat somewhere else if I could." The group looked around the room, at all of the empty tables.

"Yeah, okay..."

"So, are you two dating or something?" Diane asked, cutting right to it.

"No."

"Absolutely not."

"Yeah, why don't I believe you?" she asked.

"Just give it up. It's pretty obvious," Shai said.

"I think you're all making a big deal out of nothing. I can't stand this guy," Sara said.

"Yeah, why would anyone find her attractive? She never stops shouting," Davan said.

"Speak for yourself. You are way worse. I'm sure everyone here will agree." She looked away from Davan and noticed the grins were still there. Her ears drooped.

"I don't know why you're hiding it. Is there a reason people would think it's weird?" Luka asked.

"The reason, my dear Luka, is because they are too prideful to admit it. They know everyone knows they argue over everything, and people would make jokes if they found out," Rika said.

"Oh shut up Rika. Why would you have any idea anyway? I don't see you with a man."

"So you admit he's your man?"

"I didn't say that."

"I kind of get it though. Those ears and tail look fun to play with," Diane said. The table went quiet for a second.

"Seriously," Sam said.

"Do you have like, no filter at all?"

"Don't tell me you don't agree. I bet you have a massive hentai collection on your pc back home. Don't deny it, I know your type."

"Don't project onto me, you fucking idiot," Sam said. Ronan watched as the back and forth continued. He was going to enjoy living here. Lauren appeared from behind the bar, order pad in hand. She looked at the table, at the size of it, at Sara and Davan both staring at their drinks.

"Lively over here today," she said, smiling. She ran through the menu and the table placed their orders, the conversation around it overlapping and good natured, people talking across each other. When the last order was in Lauren snapped the pad shut.

"Lauren," Sam said, before she could turn away.

"The DnD night, how's that going?" Her face changed immediately.

"Really well actually. Had our first proper group last night. They loved it." She glanced toward the bar.

"Victoria's been a big help in here, she's been helping me get it all set up as well, couldn't manage without her at this point." She nodded toward the bar. Short, black hair, dark eyes, somewhere around twenty five, and very busty. Wiping down the bar wasn't helping. Leo, Parmo, Davan, Phil, Luka and Sam looked. They looked a beat too long. Shai's tail went still.

"Find something interesting, Leo?" Rika tilted her head at Parmo.

"Anything you want to share with the group, Brandon?" Sara looked directly at Davan.

"Hmm?" Diane had also been looking. She turned back and looked at Sam.

"You might want to pick your jaw up at some point today."

"You were staring as well," Sam said.

"And?" Diane said.

"I'm allowed, I can appreciate the struggle that girl must go through on a daily basis. You're just a perve." Ronan was looking at the wall outside. Torren had his hand over his mouth. Lauren looked at the table. The corner of her mouth moved.

"Food won't be long," she said, and left.

"I used to work in a bar," Phil said.

"I was critiquing her cleaning technique."

"Yeah, what he said," Parmo said.

"I was thinking about what drink I want," Leo said. Luka said nothing. He just grinned.

"I can look if I want," Davan said.

"She's a pretty girl. It's not like I have any reason not to." The table went quiet. The lads looked at him like he'd just stepped on a landmine.

"Any reason not to," Sara said. Her voice had gone cold.

"Yeah," Davan said. Then he looked at her face.

"I mean."

"No please, go on."

"I wasn't."

"You weren't what?" Davan said nothing.

"Davan," Rika said softly, sitting up very straight.

"Making eyes at a pretty girl while your woman is sitting right there. How brave." Sara closed her eyes.

"Rika."

"Don't even try and deny it. That was confirmation enough. Right?" She looked at the others. Sara was greeted with nods all round the table.

"Rika. I swear if this gets around, you are dead."

"Don't worry." Rika looked Sara in the eyes.

"It's much more fun watching you two try and lie about it when it's so obvious. I wonder how long you can keep it up." Davan sat quietly, trying not to draw any more attention to himself.