Page 47 of Wait For It

I massaged the back of my neck with a tight smile. “I’m just ready to be back. Listen, has the team—I mean, have you heard anything—”

Proving it just wasn’t my year, the lights suddenly dimmed, and my train of thought zipped on out of the station, leaving me behind on the platform.

Staff members moved about the room, depositing electric candles in the center of the tables while the soft strains of a violin filtered through the speakers.

Bailey rubbed his hands together with another low chuckle, no doubt imagining all the ways the situation could be used against me in the near future. “You didn’t tell me about the romantic dinners, you bastard,” he beamed, lowering the chair legs back to the floor.

As for me—well, I’d suddenly remembered why I’d gotten into the habit of eating in my room on Friday nights.

“Welcome to Restaurant Night,” the director called from the front of the room. “You’ll find your menus in the center of the table. Take a minute to look them over, and someone will be by shortly to get your order.”

“See, it’s just Restaurant Nigh—”

He roughly smacked my shoulder with the back of his hand, eyes lighting up. I followed his stare and exhaled an agitated breath.

Christ.

Ari mirrored a newborn calf as she traipsed into the cafeteria, arms thrust out in front of her and clutching that damned notebook. She was wearing heels at least two sizes too big and seemed dangerously close to tipping over with every wobbled step. A scowling nurse followed closely behind, gripping the gait belt around Ari’s waist like a leash.

I slowly shook my head as I eyed her ensemble, unable to look away from the gravity-defying red hair piled on top of her head in a series of elaborate loops and twists.

It was like staring at a grotesque caricature of a 1950s housewife, complete with the harvest gold apron tied at the waist of her checkered house dress.

“What in the actual hell?” Bailey snorted, before slapping a hand over his mouth.

Ari lifted her chin to scan the room, her mouth curving into a wide smile when she spotted me. The expression dimmed slightly when she realized I wasn’t alone but, instead of turning around, she lifted her hand and began staggering in our direction.

Lips, now stained a garish shade of red that hadn’t entirely remained within the lines, pursed in concentration as she shuffled the last remaining feet to the table.

“Ari,” I asked gently, carefully keeping my face blank. “What are you doing?”

She parted her lips, but there was no sound, and her heavily rouged cheeks grew darker with a blush that would have been visible in any light.

I gave her an understanding nod and slowly slid my hand across the table like she was a wild animal in need of calming, not a woman who was clearly afraid.

Not that I knew the first thing about handling either.

She hugged the notebook to her chest like a shield, ruling out any possibility of a written explanation for the costume. I pressed my lips together and swallowed, trying to ease the sudden need to fix things.

C’mon, Reed. Help her.

“Did you—”

“Want to join us? I think that’s a great idea,” Bailey interjected as he jumped to his feet. “Here, allow me to get your chair for you.”

I’d been about to ask if she needed something—in no realm had I planned on subjecting the poor woman to a man who hadn’t matured past the age of twelve.

She cast him a veiled glance and mouthed,thank you.

He waited until she was seated before extending his hand. “Ari, is it? Since Reed here is an uncultured buffoon, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Conor Bailey, but if you’re more comfortable, you can refer to me as Barnum. Get it? Like the Ringling Brothers?”

“Sit down,” I growled irritably. A hot poker of rage tore through my flesh like butter, jabbing the area behind my eyes until all I saw was red. I should have known it was beyond Bailey to keep his mouth shut.

And, I suddenly wanted to put fist-sized holes in more than just the drywall…

However, as Ari was clearly out of sorts and prone to fainting, I avoided launching myself at my teammate and pulled back to take a deep breath.

Whoa there, Reed.No need to make things worse than they already were.

---