TMI (2014 Collector's Dream Winner)

TMI - Chapter 32

Bailey was a bundle of raw nerves. She’d promised Meg she would not go anywhere alone with Ryder. They would meet in a public place, arrive separately and leave separately. She promised Meg she’d insist on it and set it up for later that evening.

But that’s not what Bailey did.

Bailey texted Ryder and arranged to meet him at the food court at the mall right after school, when Meg would be happily working the counter at the Gallagher’s bakery.

When she finally met Ryder West, it would be only the two of them, looking into each other’s eyes.

It had taken her almost all of the next period to text Ryder without getting caught by her teacher and convince him that it was time to meet. It was now exactly three-thirty. Bailey stood in the food court at the mall.

Alone, though she was surrounded by a few hundred strangers. She may be going behind Meg’s back, but she wasn’t dumb enough to totally ignore her warnings. And now, she’d been here for fifteen minutes already with no sign of him.

It didn't mean anything, she tried to assure herself. She wasn't worried — not one bit. He was probably just running late or got into another fight with his aunt or something. And the place was totally jammed. He could be here and how would she even know? He never did send her a picture – or post one on Facebook. His profile shots were all video game avatars.

She checked her reflection in a store window. She'd rushed home after school and changed into her cutest outfit. Jeans with black boots, a skimpy sweater that showed off her belly. She paced in front of the food stands, but nobody approached her. Nobody even checked her out. She finally snagged an empty table, took out her cell and texted Ryder.

You here yet? I'm sitting in front of Hot Wok.

 A few minutes went by before the phone buzzed.

 No. I'm so sorry, still at work.

Bailey tossed her phone to the table and fumed. Meg's smart-ass voice played in her head. She tried not to listen. She told the Meg-voice that Ryder couldn't be a psycho serial killer or a sixty-year-old pervert or he'd definitely be there, chasing her through The Gap with a bloody ax or something. So there. Meg was wrong! That was something at least.

Still… he wasn't here. He wasn't coming. He'd blown her off again and Gran wasn't coming back for her for at least an hour or so. She stared at her phone, willing it to buzz.

"Hey."

Bailey jolted back to reality, found a pair of gorgeous blue eyes looking down at her. He was here! Oh, God, he was here and he was everything – more – than she'd imagined. She'd worried, obsessed really, about letting him down easy if he wasn't cute, which was going to be so hard since she liked him so much. But that didn't matter now. His face, oh, it was a face she'd have dreams about. Those pouty lips and sculpted jaw line. And his body! He was tall and built and he was here.

"You came," she managed to squeak out.

The god standing in front of her looked at her like she had spinach caught in her teeth and Bailey's little bubble of hope burst. "You're not Ryder?"

"No, I, uh, just want your table. You done or what?"

Bailey forced a smile. "Yeah. No problem." She stood up, turned away, and collided right into Simon.

“What are you doing here?” She snarled.

“Uh, walking,” he snapped back. He was wearing regular clothes instead of all his usual fancy designer stuff, blond hair perfect, as always. Bailey moved around him but he blocked her way.