“You owe me about forty at this point, Val.”

“It’s one client. One of the celebs has a stalker and their team is asking for security for her meet and greet line. You babysit someone while they smile for the camera. Make sure people don’t get too handsy. It’ll be over before you realize.”

“No way.”

“Time and a half, and I’ll add a week to your vacation time this year.”

Gus took a deep breath, willing himself to say no even though he knew he was going to say yes. He had a thing for helping people, and friends like Val didn’t come around every day.

Unfortunately, Val knew that.

“Gus, you’re a lifesaver.”

“I didn’t say yes.”

“Your silence says everything. The client needs a ride from the train to her hotel room. I’ll send you all the info.”

“Wait, you never said—”

Val hung up before Gus could get a word in edgewise, which was probably the smartest thing she could do.

Gus shook himself, realizing he still needed to find his keys and get the fuck out of there. But once again, the universe was against him as Robbie came slamming out of the bathroom. He was still in his boxers, his hair a mess in the way that Gus knew for a fact his online fans loved. He threw his signature grin at Gus.

“Hey, you’re up early. Is there breakfast?”

Annoyance flared as Robbie flopped himself onto the couch. Though Robbie was twenty-six, he perpetually acted like he was still in college. This didn’t usually bother Gus, but right now, when he was late and couldn’t find his keys, Gus was annoyed.

Not that Robbie noticed.

“Where did you leave my keys?” Robbie had borrowed Gus’s SUV last night for some late-night club party that gaming streamers were invited to. He had tried to convince Gus to come, but the club scene wasn’t for Gus, and the gaming streamers were never interested in talking with Gus. Robbie’s friends had dubbed him “the boring one” for the way he would cut them off from drinking more, would make sure they weren’t making asses out of themselves, and basically would smooth over whatever trouble they would get into. Gus knew he wasn’t the fun brother, that Robbie was universally liked, was charming, could talk his way into anything, but it bothered him how easily Robbie’s friends classified him as “boring.” So Gus had stayed home last night, read a book and watched the news in what he was surewas the most uninteresting Tuesday night a person had ever lived.

And he had liked it.

Robbie had his arm over his eyes, blocking the light.

“On the table.”

Gus glanced at the empty kitchen table. “Which table?”

“I don’t know, they’re there somewhere.”

“Robbie, please don’t tell me you lost my keys.”

“Of course I didn’t lose them. I’m here, right?”

“Then where are they?”

Annoyed, Robbie sat up and walked to the kitchen, scanning everywhere Gus had already looked.

“I don’t know, did you move them?”

“If I had moved them, they would be in their proper place.”

Robbie rolled his eyes at that. He had heard Gus’s lectures on putting things away for his whole life, and it had made zero impression on him. Bored with searching, Robbie climbed on to a stool at the kitchen counter.

“You should’ve come out with us last night. There were so many women at the club just hunting for a hookup.”

Gus opened drawers, opened the fridge, trying to think like Robbie.