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Robert is already having a bad day when it happens. The client he had met for lunch had been extremely difficult, he’d been stuck in traffic for two hours on the way home, and Aaron had just text to say that he was going to be late back too. So all he wants to do is sit in the pub, and have a quiet pint.
It’s a plan that goes all wrong when Liv comes dashing into the pub, breathing heavily as though she’s been running, her eyes wildly scanning the room.
“Is Aaron here?” She asks frantically when she spots him by the bar.
“No, why? What’s wrong?” Robert replies.
Before Liv can respond, a familiar booming voice shouts.
“Don’t think you’re getting away from me young lady, get back here!” Lawrence is red-faced and fuming when he lumbers into the pub.
“Oh I should have known you’d be the one who put her up to it”” the older man says when he spots Liv standing next to Robert, his voice dripping with venom.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about….” Robert says, but Lawrence is in full-blown ranting mode now.
“Oh don’t give me that rubbish. This pathetic little scheme has your fingerprints all over it. What, you couldn’t get to me, so you send this little delinquent to wreck my car instead.”
“Your car?...”
“Someone’s keyed his car, and he’s blaming me. I didn’t do anything, I was just walking past and he started shouting at me!” Liv answers, equally indignant.
Robert can see she’s more scared and upset than she’s letting on. Like her brother, her emotions shine in her eyes.
“Oh, so it was just coincidence that you happened to be there…”
“Enough!” Robert shouts, his bad mood snapping into anger now. “If she said she didn’t do it, then she didn’t do it.”
Liv’s head swivels into his direction, and he can see the gratitude in her face.
“So unless you have any kind of proof…” Robert adds, taunting slightly now, confident that if Lawrence had any evidence then he would have said already. “…then I suggest you find another kid to bully.”
Lawrence turns to order a drink, but Robert can still hear him muttering bitterly about “feral” children, being raised by “criminals”, and Robert’s had enough.
“Really? You want to talk about delinquent kids? Liv might have had a rough start, but she’s a good person. How the hell do you have the balls to talk crap about her when your sex-offender grandson is still roaming around the village?” Robert demands, making sure to say it loud enough that the whole pub can hear what he’s saying.
“You can throw your weight around all you want, but everyone round here knows exactly what your family’s like. I don’t know who’s damaged your car, but when you find out, let me know. I’d like to send them a fruit-basket to say well done.”
“You’re disgus-“
“You know Lawrence, one day you’re going to have to get over the fact that I didn’t want to sleep with your crusty old arse, and stop blaming me for every shitty thing that your family does.” Robert shouts over him, smirking now, and enjoying the fact that most of the pub’s patrons are listening and whispering.
“Your family are all the same you know, all so pathetically obsessed with me. I mean… you claim you despise me, but you all still spend your evenings in the pub where I live because your lives are so dull without me. Well maybe you should stop shouting at me, and start looking at your own psycho family.”
Lawrence gives one last scathing look at Robert, before storming out. The whole of the pub is still looking at Robert, but he pretends to be oblivious to that, simply swanning over to the bar, and downing the glass of whiskey that Lawrence had abandoned. It’s the expensive stuff, and Robert can’t deny that it tastes better knowing that Lawrence’s money paid for it.
“Nicely done.” Charity tells him, passing him a second drink across the bar as he perches himself on a stool, begrudgingly impressed.
“Thanks.” Liv says quietly when Charity disappears out the back, obviously bored now that the show is over.
“Did you do it?” Robert can’t resist asking her as she slides onto the seat next to him.
“What? No! I was telling the truth.” Liv insists, and he believes her. “Wait, you defended me like that when you didn’t even know if I was innocent?” Liv asks, surprised.
“Of course. He had no right talking about you like that. Plus, he’s just generally a prat anyway, so even if you had done it I wouldn’t be too upset about it… just don’t tell Aaron I said that.” He says with a wink.
Liv just mimes pulling a zip across her mouth, her lips sealed.