“And do you?”
“Sometimes. It’s hard, you know. Between shift work and taking the books around and not having a lot of money to spare.”
“I get it.” Tom nodded. “But I have a few ideas if you’re up for it.”
“Sure. Sounds like fun.”
They tapped glasses in a toast to new adventures. Bailey couldn’t help the flush inside. New adventures meant more time together. More exploring this new direction his life was taking. More believing his own happiness was possible. More Tom.
* * *
Tom glanced over at Bailey as he tamped the grounds, then inserted the coffee handle into the machine. He should have been focused on the task at hand and being pleasant to his customers, but instinctively he knew something was wrong and he couldn’t tear his thoughts from Bailey. Bailey sat cradling the mug of coffee and staring blankly at the nonworking fireplace. He was ordinarily so upbeat but today he looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.
“Cappuccino and a chai latte.” Tom passed the two takeaway cups across the counter. “Do you need a tray?”
The young girl shook her head, dark bob swaying as she reached for the cups. “No. I can take them like this.”
“Great. See you next time.” He moved on to the next customer, sending out cup after cup of coffee to the late afternoon crowd. Lauren had left after the lunchtime rush but now he wished she’d been able to work longer.Jesus, I wish they’d hurry up and get out.He snorted at his own thoughts. He was supposed to wantmorecustomers, not wish they’d stop the continuous stream from front door to the counter.
Tom sighed with relief as the last customer in the line was served, leaving only a few customers seated at the tables scattered around the room. Bailey had the lounge area in front of the fireplace to himself. He didn’t look like he’d moved a muscle, the mug still gripped tightly between his hands, eyes staring sightlessly in front of him. Tom slid onto the couch next to him and took the mug, placing it on the coffee table. Bailey’s gaze didn’t leave the fireplace. Tom wasn’t even sure he was focused on the grouping of unlit candles that were arranged in the grate, he appeared so lost in his thoughts.
“Bailey? Is everything okay?’
Bailey turned to face him. “What?”
“You don’t seem your usual self.”
“I’m okay.” Bailey’s voice was flat, confirming Tom’s suspicions that something was off.
“Don’t give me that. Something’s obviously upset you, or are you sick?”
Bailey’s lips tilted in a small smile but it didn’t reach his eyes. “You don’t have to worry about me.”
“I’m going to worry, especially if you don’t tell me what’s going on. If you’re not feeling well, maybe you should go to the medical centre. It’s nearly closing time so I can take you.”
“It’s not that.” Bailey sighed, then removed a scrunched-up piece of paper from his jacket pocket. He smoothed it out, pushing the paper against his jeans-clad thigh until it lay somewhat flat. “I got a parking ticket last night.”
“Damn. That sucks.”
Bailey looked from the parking ticket to Tom. “Yeah, it sucks all right.”
“You can’t afford it?”
Bailey scoffed. “No I can’t afford it, not really. I’ll be able to scrape together the money but… but it’s happening more often now. I’ve had a few. The others were a hit to the back pocket but I could cope. Now not so much. I just can’t take the risk of getting any more tickets and I don’t know what to do.”
“You were parked in the city?”
“Yeah.” Bailey nodded. “One of my usual haunts. Changes have meant tighter parking restrictions and they seem to patrol the area so much more lately. I’m not sure if the patrols are a more permanent thing or if it’s just temporary, but they’ve been there three times this week already. The cops have shooed me on too, but at least they haven’t given me a ticket.”
Tom sat back against cushions. “I saw a segment on the news last week. They were discussing street violence.”
Bailey shrugged. “They’ve been targeting that for ages. The introduction of lockout laws and that sort of thing.”
“Yeah, but apparently there’s been an increase in police incidents lately. It got me thinking about you being out there.” Bailey raised a brow, leading Tom to wonder whether he shouldn’t say anything about his fears. “It can be dangerous.”
“I know.” Bailey’s tone was curt. “I don’t need everyone to keep reminding me of that. You think I don’t already know what it’s like on the streets? I take precautions—”
“Sorry. I know you do. I just can’t help worrying.” Tom wished there was an easy solution. Something, anything he could do to help. The last think he wanted was for Bailey to think he was overbearing and trying to tell him what to do. Then inspiration hit.Why didn’t I think of it before?“How about the driveway?”
