She just looks at me like I’m mad and tramps off.
Well, I guess we’re all spending the night in the train station. At this point, the hovel in Inverness with its flat beige pillows is starting to look appealing. My phone notifies me I’ve got an email from TikTok admin. Finally! It’s brief and to the point, saying they’re trying to contact the owner of the account. They can’t ban it in the meantime as, from the looks of the content, I was actively participating and knew what I was doing. However, if it has been posted without my consent, that is a different matter. So I have to wait for them to talk to Lewis.
Aargh.
I bury my face in my hands. Nothing’s going right! I breathe through my nose in shallow bursts, feeling a panic attack coming on. I’m stuck in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of disgruntled strangers, no food, and half a bottle of water. I’ve fucked up this trip. But I fucked up in the first place because I trusted Lewis. I thought he was interested in getting to know me as a person, but he just wanted to use me for entertainment. I let my guard down, and he threw me to the wolves.
I’m busy lamenting my fate when a pair of Nike runners and jean-clad legs appear in front of me. ‘I’m not interested,’ I mumble, thinking it’s some do-gooder who wants to chat.
The jeans legs and runners don’t move.
I glance up through splayed fingers and stare directly into the black beady eyes of a gingerbread man.
Chapter 6
‘Hi ... Holly, isn’t it? Well, this is weird.’
Oh crappity crap. ItwasBailey. He’s standing right in front of me with a quizzical look on his face. He’s wearing a red jumper with a waving gingerbread man, a black coat, and a red-and-white knitted scarf tied loosely around his neck. There’s a light dusting of snow on his golden-brown hair. I stare at him in shock, trying to form a sentence, but my brain is not prepared for this further horror.
‘I didn’t recognise you without the elf ears,’ I finally say sarcastically.
But he grins good-naturedly. ‘I only wear them for special occasions.’
Since I’ve been squeezing him in annoyance, Crumpet wriggles out of my coat and jumps onto the floor.
‘Oh wow. Who’s this?’ Bailey crouches down to pet him, and Crumpet disloyally licks his hand. I pull him back to me.
‘Crumpet.’
‘Hey, Crumpet. Hey, girl.’
‘It’s ahe,’ I correct smartly.
‘Oh, sorry.’ Bailey stands up and puts his hands in his coat pockets. ‘So where are you off to? Home for Christmas?’
I nod once. He peers at me inquisitively, hoping to get more information, and I sigh. He’s so annoying. OK, we’re doing this. Conversing.
‘Yes, Inverness. My, er ... grandmother’s.’ It’s kind of true. My biological grandmother is from Inverness. She may still be alive, but she’s more than likely dead. ‘Well, I was until the train came to an abrupt halt. What about you?’
‘Ballindalloch. Dad’s picking me up. I was waiting outside, but he just rang to say he had to stop and put on snow chains, so he’s going to be late. Isn’t it funny that we were on the same train?’
‘Hilarious,’ I say.
‘How come you didn’t get on the rail replacement bus?’ Bailey glances at the chair next to me like he wants to sit down, but I plonk my handbag on it so he doesn’t get any ideas.
‘It’s a long story. I don’t want to bore you.’
‘I’m not easily bored.’
Hmm, maybe I’ll tell him the shortened version. ‘I got home late from the party last night, and I fell asleep on the train. When I woke up, everyone had gone from my carriage, and the bus was full. So now I’m deciding what to do next.’
Bailey frowns. ‘Strange. I never saw you again after we first met, and I was at the party until at least eleven.’
I hesitate. He obviously hasn’t seen the TikTok, or he would’ve mentioned it. Bailey doesn’t seem like the type of guy to have a filter.
‘I was around,’ I say vaguely. Best to change the subject. ‘How do you know Lewis anyway?’
He shrugs. ‘I’m head chef at the hotel.’ Great. Looks like we’re both connected with Lewis professionally. I’ll need to tread carefully. If he’s friends with him, he’ll probably take Lewis’s side.
