Lunch and boys

The three looked around the food court. “I think a burrito bowl sounds yummy! How about you Jeremy, you going to get a bowl like Bailey and I or..” Candi paused as if appraising the boy. “I bet you are the the type to get extra meat in a burrito.” The boy of course answered yes to just about anything the cute girl said to him, while Bailey rolled his eyes. He wanted to get a steak burrito, and while he never felt the need to get an extra helping of meat before he really did now. When they got to the front of the line the ever forward girl was of course the first to speak up. “Two veggie bowls and..” Bailey spoke over her supposed friend who was trying to starve him to ****. “A burrito, a big one with extra steak please!” Candi looked to Bailey and then at Jeremy. “Ordering for him on the first date?” She teased. “I ah, don’t mind.'' Jeremy spoke in just over a whisper. “Okay, we will have that for him and two veggie bowls for us please.”

“No, I want a burrito.” Bailey wanted to be firm with the girl, but he was tired, hungry and down right cranky so it came out in more of a whine. It wasn’t like he had any money to order food or even get an Uber home. The worker started to look irritated at the two girls. “What is your order?” When they got to the end of the line to pay for the veggie burrito, double steak burrito and veggie bowl it was Jeremy who stepped forward to pay. While the boy felt good about being able to afford to take two girls out to eat, Bailey felt upset that a boy was buying him lunch and one he didn’t want. He would of course eat it, but it wasn’t going to be even close to what he was desiring. When they sat down they found a large booth that had just been cleared. Bailey was the first to get in, wanting to be on the end. He got his way, but never the way he wanted it as he now had Jeremy sitting between him and Candi.

Bailey couldn’t help licking his lips as he watched the boy bite into what he was craving, his mouth watering at the smell as the soft shell was ripped open. “That looks like so good, thank you for lunch!'' Candi said leaning in to give the boy a sideways hug. “I bet you are popular with the girls with being able to get a discount at your store.'' Finishing his large bite of food he shook his head a little. “Umm, not really. This is the first time I have umm ever done something like this before.” Bailey was trying to ignore what was happening between the two as he picked up the much skinnier burrito in both hands and bit into it. Not trying to take tiny girly bites like Mommy was saying to take. Bailey opened his mouth wide fitting almost the entire tip of the wrapped food in his mouth and as his teeth sank in three things happened. The first was the mental correction of Mommy to Mandy, the second was juices squirting a little onto his face from the tightly bound food. The third was Bailey seeing Liam holding a food tray, his companions now gone or watching from someplace else as he walked across the room toward him.

“We don’t believe that for a second do we Bailey? You are just saying that to make us think we get to be the lucky ones to be your first date.” Bailey didn’t move a muscle, just looked ahead at the man he not so long ago went on and on about his sexual exploits walking right towards him. “Nooo.” The words were spoken as a plea to the universe, but Candi took it as her agreeing to what she wanted. It wasn’t until Liam was almost to the table that she noticed how Bailey was staring at him. “Mind if I join you?” Jeremy saw a boy that had collar length messy brown hair, pale blue eyes and wore a wrinkled button up shirt with its sleeves rolled up, some black jeans that looked like a chain going to his wallet. In one of his hands he held a tray with a burger and fries, in the other a twenty ounce bottle of coke. Jeremy didn’t want someone else ruining this perfect moment, but if he was a friend of theirs saying no would be rude. He could see this guy was looking at Bailey with a smile, but she hadn’t said a word and Candi was looking at Bailey. The moment was over in a few heartbeats, but Jeremy determined whoever he was, he had to have been a friend to just come up like that. “Sure, a friend of theirs is a friend of mine. I’m Jeremy by the way.”

Sitting down next to Bailey and putting his tray down, Liam glanced over at the boy between the two girls and gave a small smile and nodded his head up just a little before looking back to Bailey. “I’m Liam, but you all can call me Li, all my close friends do.” His eyes slid from the pretty blonde at his side to the other and gave her a little wink. “Oh my god, I’m like Bailey Ann and this my sister Candi, we have the same middle name.” Bailey ended the statement with a girlish giggle. The world for Bailey had been going in slow motion, the last time he had seen Liam was when he sold his bike and told the young man how it would allow for more road head. Many times playing this role Bailey felt like he was small or how he didn’t know if he would live this down if it came out. Here, right now though, if Liam figured out who Bailey was he would have ****, but to become a hermit or move. Him knowing the truth would mean Chuck knew the truth and then everyone where he liked to go and drink would find out. Mentally he kept drawing out more and more who would find out if this one person did and came to a single conclusion. He needed to play his part the best he could so he would never put two and two together.

Candi didn’t mind a boy being forward, but with how awkward he was making Bailey she was ready to tell him to take a hike. Her actions shifted gears when Bailey spoke and she wanted to slap herself for missing the obvious. Her friend had acted super shy around August at first too, and Bailey did point the guy out before, after she had her accident. “The three of you looked to be having fun, I like fun.” Liam paused looking Bailey in the eye and smiling before tapping his chin and holding up a napkin for Bailey to take. “And you look like you would be fun.” Jeremy got real quite and wished he hadn’t accepted this intruder, he made a judgement call and it was wrong. The guy just showed up and one of the girls was already gaga over him and he knew how the wind blew and soon he would be on the way back to the store and this guy would be the victor, girls always liked people like him. While the seventeen year old’s mind spiraled to a darker self defeating place, Candi saw a chance to help Bailey a little. She thought August would be a good fit for her, but she had to admit Li had boyish good looks and some swagger. “Oops.” Bailey said, taking the napkin and wiping his chin before giggling like some nervous school girl. The nerves were true at least. “We are so fun! Right Jeremy?” Candi said grabbing the boys arms and holding his biceps to her chest. Her actions seemed to break the curse Jeremy was busy putting on himself as he turned his head to look at her in the eye. Seeing her smile and green eyes he dazed himself trying to memorize the visage and feeling. “Uh huh.. Ah Yeah, they are lots of fun.”

“I don’t know about you bud, but seeing these two smile might be the best thing I have seen all day.” Liam said, placing his right arm on the booth seat behind Bailey. “Only today?” Bailey said, pouting a little as if he was some girl starving for his attention and wishing he could just shove him out of the seat and yell or scream. “Did I say today? No, beautiful, I meant in any of my days. You and your sister’s smile are the best thing I have seen on any days so far. But who knows what the future holds for me, or us.” He tilted his head back and laughed a little. “I know it sounds like a line, but I only speak the truth. You agree with me don’t you buddy?” Liam nodded to Jeremy who only nodded a little, quick to jump on the life line the smooth talking boy throwing to him. “Well I do love being complimented, but I also love fries.” Bailey said reaching over and grabbing a few deep fried pieces of potato and munching on them and ignored the sorry excuse for a burrito in favor of the much tastier food. If he had to endure Liam, the least he was going to do was eat his French fries. “Would you like me to get you some?” Liam offered to Bailey, but motioned with his free hand to Candi so she knew she was included in the offer. “Thanks Li, but we are watching our figure.” Candi offered knowing how many calories the golden delicious pieces of food had. “Yeah and like I’m not that hungry.” Bailey added as she ate more of the fries, thinking how many girls had stolen from his plate saying something similar. He would be all over him buying some good food, but that would extend the visit. His burger still wrapped up, Liam slid his tray closer to Bailey and scooted closer. The arm on the seat drifting to her shoulder and his other moved from the tray to Bailey’s closest knee.

His skin crawled at the touch, it felt like his little brother was trying to not only hit on him, but feel him up. Stuffing some more fries in his mouth Bailey pulled out his phone and looked at a random screen before turning it off again quickly. “Oh, look how time flies, sis we need to get to our hair appointment.” She looked over to Liam and mouthed the words “Sorry” Butting the phone back into the little purse. “We both had like so much fun. Thank you Jeremy, Liam.. er Li but we had to run or they could give the appointment away to someone else. You two umm sit and talk, preferably about us.” Bailey was talking rapidly, very much in a rush to get away from the situation that could only get worse if they stayed. Liam got out of the way as Bailey scooted out as quickly as she could and started to head away from the table before Candi could get out. “Hey, can I get your number?!” Liam called back to Bailey and then looked to the other blonde who hadn’t escaped nearly as quickly. Candi looked to Bailey and then back at the boys. “Jeremy has our numbers, gotta go, sorry.” She apologized as she hurried after her friend who she caught up to as she ran into a bathroom and then a stall.

The stress of the situation and the intake of greasy food into his stomach wasn’t playing well and Bailey emptied the contents of his stomach into the toilet. Candi helped hold her friend's hair back and get her cleaned up and felt bad for Bailey. The poor girl had been trying to hard to lose weight and gave into temptation, she wasn’t sure if they were in front of her if she wouldn’t have grabbed some too. Standing in front of the bathroom mirror Bailey gazed into it at himself and Candi who had just wiped a wet paper towel over his chin. He had eaten so little and it was now gone, but the intake of the greasy food combined with being touched liked that he couldn’t help, but remember what happened in the theater and if that could happen with Liam. It was all just to much. “You okay?” Closing his eyes for just a few seconds Bailey nodded. “Sorry.” The apology earned a hug from Candi. “Honestly girl, I’m totally impressed. You felt like you were going to throw up and still got an excuse out.” With a deep breath Bailey looked into his own green makeup enhancing eyes. “That is what happens when you are friends with a Best.”