Page 45 of Hot Mic

‘Okay,’ Robin said quietly, dropping the grin. ‘Then what is it? Because you’ve been glaring at me since we met outside.’

Sienna turned around, drying her hands on a paper towel. She parted her lips to say, ‘Don’t worry about it.’

But then her mouth seemed to divorce from her brain and make a different choice.

‘Are you and Valeska an item?’ Sienna heard come out of her rogue mouth.

Robin blinked, caught completely off guard. ‘What?’

Well, Sienna was in for a penny now. ‘Are you together?’ she repeated, her dark eyes locking onto Robin’s. ‘Did you go home with her after your date?’

Robin stared at her for a long time. ‘No,’ she said. ‘I told you. I walked her to her car.’

‘Yes, but then you said that thing about not kissing and telling.’

‘I was talking crap,’ Robin said, shaking her head. ‘We walked to her car. I said goodnight. I haven’t spoken to her since.’

Silence fell over the small, tiled room. Sienna looked away, her mind wildly recalibrating.

Robin took half a step forward. She cleared her throat, her voice dropping into an unusually serious tone. ‘What about you?’ Robin asked, looking right at her. ‘Are you and Claire getting together?’

Sienna looked down at her polished shoes.

‘No,’ Sienna admitted quietly. ‘I don’t think so.’

Robin tilted her head, watching Sienna closely. ‘Why not? You seem so well suited.’

Sienna bit the inside of her cheek so hard she tasted copper. The real answer—that she had spent a coffee date with Claire realising she was falling for Robin—was waiting to come out.

But how could it? Even if Robin wasn’t taken? How could it ever work?

‘I am not discussing this with you,’ Sienna said icily.

‘Sienna—’

‘We have a date to finish,’ Sienna cut in.

She brushed past Robin without looking at her, pushing the bathroom door open and stepping out into the hallway.

‘Sienna, wait,’ Robin said, following her out into the corridor. ‘You can’t just—’

Sienna stopped suddenly in the corridor. ‘Well,’ she muttered, seeing something surprising.

Behind her, Robin bumped into her shoulder, stopping short. ‘What?’

‘Look,’ Sienna instructed her.

Thirty-Six

Robin looked, as instructed. She saw their table. Valeska wasn’t there. Neither was Claire. Their mics were sitting on the table without them.

Robin searched the room. At the bar, she spotted Valeska and Claire. They were standing quite close together. Claire was smiling at something Valeska said, laughing and touching her shoulder. They were clearly flirting. Robin watched as Claire leaned right in and kissed Valeska on the lips. Brief, but clear. Valeska didn’t pull away. She leaned into it a bit, actually.

Robin stared. ‘Well, well,’ she said dryly.

Sienna looked at her sideways. ‘I’m sorry, Robin.’

‘It’s fine,’ Robin said honestly. ‘It’s really no big deal.’