Bailey pushed his way through the doors, conscious of the lightness in his chest. He shouldn’t be this excited for a simple pub lunch but the prospect of spending the afternoon with Tom had his pulse racing. A quick glance around the crowded room showed he was the first to arrive. He headed to the bar and bought a beer, taking a gulp to help calm his nerves. When he spied a table opening up, he crossed the room quickly and grabbed it, sinking onto the seat that gave him a view of the front door with relief.
A look at his phone showed he was a few minutes early. It also showed the blue Facebook icon, which called to him like a beacon. Bailey wasn’t much of a social media user but he had Instagram and Facebook, mainly so he could keep in touch with his mum, or more realistically, let his mum keep an eye on him. Social media was also useful for sharing where he’d be with the books on the nights he hit the streets. He warmed at the fond memory of Sarah joking that he was an old man for using Facebook, letting him know in no uncertain terms that Snapchat was where it was at these days.You’re so not cool, Bailey.Her words echoed in his head. But today he was definitely glad he had Facebook. He tuned out the buzz of conversation, the clatter of cutlery, and the sound of the footy match that was showing on the big screen, took a deep breath, and opened the app.
Let the stalker activities commence.
A couple of clicks and Bailey was engrossed. He couldn’t help but smile at some of the photos on Tom’s profile. Selfies in the coffee shop, relaxed and casual. Multiple photos of Tom with the same bunch of guys who all looked about his age, so Bailey assumed they were his closest friends. Photos at sporting events, parties, and the beach. A bunch of photos at family gatherings. Bailey stopped at one particular photo where Tom was smiling over a birthday cake, obviously about to blow the candles out, eyes crinkled in happiness, surrounded by a beaming group of people. Bailey smiled ruefully. In all the photos Tom looked so… spontaneous, enjoying the moment, surrounded by family and friends. Bailey scrolled further, pushing aside the thought that his own profile didn’t have as many photos as Tom’s.
Bailey stopped at one particular photo—Tom dressed in full black tie, looking so goddamn mouth-watering in his dinner suit. Tom held out a flute of champagne and clutched a plaque of some kind—an award maybe? He looked directly at the camera, as if toasting the photographer with the champagne, but what caught Bailey’s eye, after that perfect smile, was the cut of Tom’s jaw and the hint of five o’clock shadow. In fact, in most of Tom’s earlier photos he’d been clean shaven. Bailey wasn’t sure what he preferred—the strong jawline or the more rugged sexiness of the beard. Bailey touched the screen and enlarged the image, deciding he quite liked the look of both.
“Whatcha looking at?”
Bailey nearly jumped out of his skin, turning in shock to see the smiling face of the man he’d just been salivating over. “Nothing.” His fingers tingled with adrenaline as he tossed the phone, screen down, onto the table. “It’s good to see you,” he managed to mumble as he fought to get his heart rate back under control. He’d been so lost in the photos of Tom, he hadn’t even seen him approach.
“You too.” Tom briefly touched Bailey’s hand in greeting before sliding into the chair opposite, snatching up Bailey’s phone on the way.
Bailey was half out of his seat and trying to grab the phone in an instant. “Wait—”
“Well, what do we have here? Something was sure keeping you engrossed.” Tom chuckled, swiping at the screen. He looked up, eyes wide. “Oh.”
“Oh God. I know what it looks like. Sorry, I—”
“Don’t be silly.” Tom’s voice was calm, held no animosity, but Bailey still felt like he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t have.
“You’re probably regretting sending me that Facebook request. I’m sorry.”
“Honestly, it’s okay. I don’t care who sees what’s on my profile. If it’s posted, it’s fair game.” Tom looked back to the phone, his face so serious that despite his words, Bailey still got the sense he’d done something to upset Tom. He wasn’t sure what to say so brought the beer to his mouth instead.
Tom studied the screen for a moment and when he started talking his voice had a melancholy feel. “This photo was taken at an office function. The annual awards. I won— Well, it doesn’t matter what I won. That was my past life, not the life I have now.”
Bailey’s brow crinkled.What does that mean?
Tom looked up, his smile returning. “So, what do you think?”
“Think?”
“Yeah, the beard. Do you like the me in the before photos or the Grizzly Adams look?”
Bailey laughed as Tom ran a hand over his perfectly groomed beard while waggling his eyebrows. There was nothing wild or untamed about him, his beard short and following the line of his jaw. “Well, let’s just say if Grizzly Adams turned up he wouldn’t give you much run for your money.”
“Aww, you say the sweetest things.” Tom’s words were accompanied by a wink, and just like that, his mood appeared to lift.
Bailey felt on a much more even keel and relaxed into the afternoon. Beers, burgers, and a game of pool.
“So tell me more about your friends?” Bailey asked when they finally returned to the table.
“What do you want to know?”
“I saw the photos when I was snooping, so I... um….” He took a deep breath. “You seem close to your family and friends.”
“I guess. I’ve told you a bit about my family. There’s only Mum and Dad around at the moment with the others being OS. My mates are the guys from high school so we’ve been friends forever. They’re more like brothers really—John, Elliot, and Phil. I think you’d like them.”
Bailey warmed inside at the idea of meeting Tom’s friends. It sounded official, like they were moving forward with something, as if they had a future.
“It must be nice to have such close friends. Most of my school mates are in still in Brisbane. Most of the people I know here in Sydney are more like acquaintances. Except Ryan.”
Tom took a sip of beer. “Tell me more about him. He works with you, right?”
“Technically he’s my boss, but now we’re more friends than workmates. We met through a friend of a friend and he’s the one who got me the job at the call centre. He’s the sort of guy who has my best interests at heart and he’s heaps of fun to be around. Always encouraging me to get out more and try new things.”
