Chapter 2
Jeremiah walked home that night from the library as he did every evening. He owned a car, but he seldom drove it. It was good exercise, and he liked getting the fresh air after being cooped up in the library all day. He stopped at a grocery store on the way home to buy food for his dinner, carrying the bags over his arms.
His mind was still taken up with the man who'd come into the library this afternoon. Bailey Sheffield...who'd looked at him and had unerringly pegged him as a homosexual. And who might now spread that information to everyone in town...The very thought of that happening made him go cold inside. He did not want his sexual orientation being known by everyone in Downsville. He was an extremely private person, and always had been. Having people gossiping about him behind his back would be a very distasteful situation for him.
It wasn't so much that he hated being gay, as the fact that he despised many of the excesses of the gay lifestyle that he'd seen when he was going to college. He'd only experienced gay nightlife a few times, but every time he'd been appalled and disgusted. From being groped by a complete stranger in a restroom at a bar, to coming across various people having sex practically in public, the whole thing had left a terrible taste in his mouth. He'd been happy to graduate with his degree in library sciences and take the job offered to him in Downsville, a medium-sized town nowhere near the big city where he'd gotten his education. In this town, people still believed in family values and morals and doing what was right.
The only drawback, of course, was that Downsville was not a magnet for gay people. Jeremiah suspected that except for perhaps a few kids at the high school, he was the only gay male in town between the ages of nineteen and seventy. This fact hadn't really bothered him as much as perhaps it should have, since that meant that he was all alone. But he was used to being alone - he had been an only child growing up, and had had few friends in high school or college. As for his personal life - it had always been a dismal failure anyway. Most gay men were not interested in an uptight, boring, cerebral academic who never worked out and wouldn't know fashion if it bit him on the keister. And he'd never been interested in them in return, because shallow obsession with looks and muscles did not a fascinating person make.
The lack of sex could sometimes be aggravating, but the truth was that he'd learned to live a very monkish lifestyle and he was used to it by now. And sex - could be so complicated and dirty and awkward. The pleasure to be had very often wasn't worth all that you had to do to get sex in the first place. Either that, or the only people who wanted to have sex with you were men who you wouldn't touch with a hundred-foot-pole. Either way, it just seemed easier not to bother. And so he hadn't, not for over six years now.
But now...there was Bailey Sheffield. Jeremiah had an image of those brown eyes laughing at him, and felt a stirring deep within himself that he hadn't felt for a very long time. If ever. He frowned at himself forbiddingly at his reaction to the lawyer. Just because there was another gay man in town didn't mean that he had to lose his mind over that fact. He doubted that he and Bailey Sheffield were compatible in any way. Or even if they were, that the lawyer would be interested in a stuffy, uptight person like him anyway. So he was going to put Bailey Sheffield out of his mind, and learn to ignore him.
Easier said than done. The next day, as Jeremiah was stocking the shelves with returned books and his assistant Cheryl was in the computer room making sure that nobody went over their half-an-hour time limit, Jeremiah stiffened when a laughing voice remarked from behind him. "Hey, Mr. Librarian. How's it going?"
He turned stiffly, his mouth set in a grim line, to face Bailey Sheffield. The lawyer was standing there with one hand in the pocket of his trousers, grinning like an idiot. His brown eyes were sparkling as he looked Jeremiah over. "May I help you?" he asked forbiddingly, his brows lowering over his eyes.
"Not really. I was just passing by, and thought I'd come in to get the Children's Corner ready for Reading Hour today. Also, I wanted to see you," he added, grinning wickedly.
"Why?" Jeremiah asked sharply, his hands tightening on the book he still held in them.
"Are you kidding me? You're the only other gay guy that I've met so far in this town," Bailey remarked dryly. "Why wouldn't I want to hang out with another of my kind?"
Jeremiah sighed. "Mr. Sheffield, I am not of 'your kind'."
The lawyer snorted. "Surrree you're not! Come on, man, admit it. You're as queer as a three-dollar bill. I can tell."
His nostrils were quivering in outrage. "Mr. Sheffield, I would prefer if you did not use that kind of language in my library," he said coldly.
Bailey looked confused. "Language? Oh, you mean...queer?" he lowered his voice to a near whisper as he spoke. "Does that word bother you?"
"Yes," he replied succinctly.
"I'm sorry, then," the lawyer said contritely. "I didn't mean to offend you, honestly. If you'll just admit that you're gay, then I promise I won't poke at you anymore about it. Deal?"
He considered this, then inclined his head slightly. "I am a homosexual," he said austerely.
Bailey closed his lips on a bright giggle, his eyes dancing. "Sorry," he quavered. "It's just the way you said that...so serious, so uptight. I am...a...HOMOSEXUAL. Try saying 'I'm gay', instead. It won't kill you, I swear."
Jeremiah breathed slowly through his nose, trying to contain his temper. "Why is this so important to you, Mr. Sheffield?" he asked tightly.
The lawyer folded his arms on the desk and smiled at Jeremiah. "I guess I like seeing how far I can push you," he explained impishly. "You really do seem awfully uptight. If you were wound any tighter, you'd snap like a twig."
Jeremiah looked down his nose at the impudent lawyer. This was an expression that intimidated everyone else, but of course Bailey Sheffield wasn't intimidated in the least. His grin widened. "Anyway, I'm going to go get the Children's Corner ready now. I'll see you in a bit, sexy librarian," he winked outrageously and strolled away, leaving Jeremiah staring after his retreating back in frustration and annoyance.
Jeremiah tried to go back to his work, but he got distracted by the sound of happy young voices coming from the direction of the Children's Corner. The morning kindergarten class at the local elementary school had let out, and clearly the kids had come to the library to hear Bailey Sheffield read them a story. He stalked down the aisle between the bookshelves, intent on making sure that the kids and that wretched lawyer didn't make too much noise. He'd be happy to boot Bailey Sheffield out of the library if he couldn't follow the rules.
Arriving at the Children's Crooner, he stopped in his tracks. Bailey Sheffield was sitting cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by a semi-circle of eager kids. He had a book open in his lap, and was reading to the children in a surprisingly quiet voice. "And then..." he said softly, "The princess was taken prisoner by the wicked dragon, and kept in his lair. All she wanted was for a hero to come and save her from the evil, fire-breathing beast."
The brown eyes suddenly rose to meet his, and Bailey's lips lifted in a slight smile. "And then one day, to her joy, a handsome hero rode in to save her. He was an upright, noble knight from a nearby kingdom, and his sword made short work of the dragon in the terrible battle that they fought outside the dragon's lair. Then the hero untied the princess and gave her a kiss," he pursed his lips and blew the librarian an air kiss. "Afterward, they were married and lived happily ever after. Isn't that a great story, kids?" he never looked away from Jeremiah as he said this.
The kids all clamored to agree. Bailey chuckled and set the big book aside. "I'll read another one," he remarked.
A cheer went up, but while he would normally have squashed such boisterous behavior, Jeremiah merely folded his lips together tightly and remained where he was. Bailey reached for the stack of books next to him. "Let's see what we have here," he said cheerfully. "But just remember, guys, we have to be quiet. If we don't, the big bad librarian will kick us out of here," he added with a grin. "So you'll all be quiet, right? Shh..." he put a finger to his lips in an exaggerated gesture.
There was semi-quiet agreement from the circle of children. Bailey glanced up from under his lids at Jeremiah, and he smiled deliberately. Jeremiah's mouth thinned even more, and he left without saying a word. He was NOT going to yell at a bunch of kindergartners just because the man reading stories to them was annoying him so badly. He stalked back to the front desk, seating himself in front of his computer. He wasn't going to think about this anymore. He had work to do.
He managed to take his mind off of the irritating Bailey Sheffield for all of half-an-hour. Then he heard a familiar voice speaking above his head, causing him to look up. The lawyer was standing there, smiling widely, his eyes sparkling. "Hey, guy. I'm finished with Story Hour," he said cheerfully.
"How nice for you. I trust you put the books back where they belong when you were done with them," Jeremiah said icily.
Bailey nodded. "I sure did. I wouldn't want to make you mad, because if I do that you'll ban me from the library. Won't you?" he remarked shrewdly.
Jeremiah said nothing, although what he said was true. He'd love an excuse to ban the lawyer from his library.
Bailey chuckled at his expression. "Thought so," he said gleefully. "Anyhoo, I came up here to ask you something."
"And what would that be?" Jeremiah asked, folding his hands together in front of him on the desk.
"I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me on a date," Bailey said blithely.
His mouth fell open in complete shock. "I beg your pardon?" he spluttered in disbelief.
Bailey's lips twitched. "I said...would you like to go out on a date with me?" he repeated patiently.
"Whatever makes you think that I would do something like that?!" Jeremiah demanded.
"Oh, nothing. I'm just hopeful," Bailey said.
Jeremiah sighed. "I am aware that I am the only other homosexual in this town, or at least the only one who is of age," he began austerely. "But that does NOT mean that I will agree to go out with you, just because of that fact..."
Bailey shook his head impatiently. "This isn't about you being the only other gay guy around," he replied crisply. "If I want to pick up just any gay guy, I could drive to the nearest big town with a gay bar - which happens to be only about thirty miles away - and do it. I'm asking YOU to go out with me because I like you."
Jeremiah's brows drew down. "You like me?" he repeated incredulously. "I find that hard to believe."
Bailey cocked his head a bit. "Why? I think you're pretty sexy."
Baffled and confused, he shook his head slowly. "You must be delusional," he said sharply.
Bailey grinned. "No, I'm not. I just know a sexy thing when I see it. Sexy AND smart, a wonderful combination. Can you blame me for wanting to get to know you better?"
Jeremiah frowned awfully. "Is this some kind of joke?" he asked warily.
The lawyer pursed his lips a little. "Why would it be? You seem to have a really low opinion of yourself. Why do you think that I wouldn't want to go out with you, or that I couldn't like you?"
His shoulders lifted in the smallest of shrugs. "In college, I wasn't exactly the belle of the ball," he said dryly. "In fact, I might as well have had a deadly disease for all of the attention I garnered. I even went out on the town to gay bars and clubs a few times, which was a mistake and a total waste of my time."
Bailey gave him a sympathetic look. "I understand," he said, making Jeremiah give him another baffled stare. "The gay scene can be brutal. So many guys only care about getting laid, and hooking up with the hottest guys they can get with. They don't care in the least about what's under the surface, or what kind of person the guy they're sleeping with might be. I did it for a little bit in law school, but I got tired of it pretty quickly. I've always wanted something more. Don't you? Don't you ever want a real boyfriend, or to be a part of a couple? It can't be any fun being alone all of the time."
Jeremiah swallowed a little, thickly, looking away from that too-knowing brown gaze. "Perhaps," he conceded tightly. "But I have no problem being alone. I've been alone a long time. Better that than to trust someone who will only hurt you."
"You can't just assume that everyone will hurt you," Bailey protested.
"Come on; why not give me a try? If it doesn't work out, what will you have lost? But if it does...it might be something really amazing. Pretty please?" he outrageously batted his eyelashes at Jeremiah, who frowned awfully.
"If I say no, you won't leave me alone, will you?" he asked suspiciously.
Bailey chuckled. "You get me already! That's exactly right. You can either agree to go out with me, or I'll come here every day and bother you until you finally agree to go out with me. Just say yes, and save yourself the hassle."
Jeremiah felt badgered and horribly annoyed. He drummed his fingertips on the desktop, then finally said grumpily: "Very well. I will agree to go out with you...once. And only once. You, in turn, will leave me alone after that. Is it a deal?"
"Yep! If you go out with me, and you don't ever want to again, then I promise to leave you alone after that," Bailey said gleefully.
Jeremiah stared at him. Something about the wording of what the lawyer had just said bothered him, but...what choice did he have, exactly? "All right," he said between his clenched teeth.
Bailey beamed at him. "How about tomorrow night? We could go to dinner."
He shook his head. "I don't want to go to dinner with you in this town," he said flatly.
"I get you. We could drive a town over and go to dinner there. Anonymously. It's big enough nobody will remark on a pair of gay guys on a date."
Reluctantly he agreed. Bailey grinned triumphantly. "Cool. I'll come and pick you up when you get off of work tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to it."
When he threw the lawyer another baffled look at the genuine enthusiasm in his voice, Bailey's grin widened. He winked and strolled out of the library, whistling with his hands in his pockets. Jeremiah let out a long breath, shaking his head. What had that been all about? And why had he agreed to go out on a date with Bailey Sheffield, annoying lawyer?
Actually, he knew why. He had the sneaking suspicion that if he'd declined, Bailey Sheffield would have pestered him about it until he gave in or went insane. All he had to do was go out on one date with the lawyer, then he could tell Bailey that he wasn't interested in a second and that he just wanted to be left alone. And that WAS all he wanted. He liked his ordered, structured, seldom-changing life. He was not going to let a person like Bailey Sheffield disrupt it.
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Jeremiah walked home that night from the library as he did every evening. He owned a car, but he seldom drove it. It was good exercise, and he liked getting the fresh air after being cooped up in the library all day. He stopped at a grocery store on the way home to buy food for his dinner, carrying the bags over his arms.
His mind was still taken up with the man who'd come into the library this afternoon. Bailey Sheffield...who'd looked at him and had unerringly pegged him as a homosexual. And who might now spread that information to everyone in town...The very thought of that happening made him go cold inside. He did not want his sexual orientation being known by everyone in Downsville. He was an extremely private person, and always had been. Having people gossiping about him behind his back would be a very distasteful situation for him.
It wasn't so much that he hated being gay, as the fact that he despised many of the excesses of the gay lifestyle that he'd seen when he was going to college. He'd only experienced gay nightlife a few times, but every time he'd been appalled and disgusted. From being groped by a complete stranger in a restroom at a bar, to coming across various people having sex practically in public, the whole thing had left a terrible taste in his mouth. He'd been happy to graduate with his degree in library sciences and take the job offered to him in Downsville, a medium-sized town nowhere near the big city where he'd gotten his education. In this town, people still believed in family values and morals and doing what was right.
The only drawback, of course, was that Downsville was not a magnet for gay people. Jeremiah suspected that except for perhaps a few kids at the high school, he was the only gay male in town between the ages of nineteen and seventy. This fact hadn't really bothered him as much as perhaps it should have, since that meant that he was all alone. But he was used to being alone - he had been an only child growing up, and had had few friends in high school or college. As for his personal life - it had always been a dismal failure anyway. Most gay men were not interested in an uptight, boring, cerebral academic who never worked out and wouldn't know fashion if it bit him on the keister. And he'd never been interested in them in return, because shallow obsession with looks and muscles did not a fascinating person make.
The lack of sex could sometimes be aggravating, but the truth was that he'd learned to live a very monkish lifestyle and he was used to it by now. And sex - could be so complicated and dirty and awkward. The pleasure to be had very often wasn't worth all that you had to do to get sex in the first place. Either that, or the only people who wanted to have sex with you were men who you wouldn't touch with a hundred-foot-pole. Either way, it just seemed easier not to bother. And so he hadn't, not for over six years now.
But now...there was Bailey Sheffield. Jeremiah had an image of those brown eyes laughing at him, and felt a stirring deep within himself that he hadn't felt for a very long time. If ever. He frowned at himself forbiddingly at his reaction to the lawyer. Just because there was another gay man in town didn't mean that he had to lose his mind over that fact. He doubted that he and Bailey Sheffield were compatible in any way. Or even if they were, that the lawyer would be interested in a stuffy, uptight person like him anyway. So he was going to put Bailey Sheffield out of his mind, and learn to ignore him.
Easier said than done. The next day, as Jeremiah was stocking the shelves with returned books and his assistant Cheryl was in the computer room making sure that nobody went over their half-an-hour time limit, Jeremiah stiffened when a laughing voice remarked from behind him. "Hey, Mr. Librarian. How's it going?"
He turned stiffly, his mouth set in a grim line, to face Bailey Sheffield. The lawyer was standing there with one hand in the pocket of his trousers, grinning like an idiot. His brown eyes were sparkling as he looked Jeremiah over. "May I help you?" he asked forbiddingly, his brows lowering over his eyes.
"Not really. I was just passing by, and thought I'd come in to get the Children's Corner ready for Reading Hour today. Also, I wanted to see you," he added, grinning wickedly.
"Why?" Jeremiah asked sharply, his hands tightening on the book he still held in them.
"Are you kidding me? You're the only other gay guy that I've met so far in this town," Bailey remarked dryly. "Why wouldn't I want to hang out with another of my kind?"
Jeremiah sighed. "Mr. Sheffield, I am not of 'your kind'."
The lawyer snorted. "Surrree you're not! Come on, man, admit it. You're as queer as a three-dollar bill. I can tell."
His nostrils were quivering in outrage. "Mr. Sheffield, I would prefer if you did not use that kind of language in my library," he said coldly.
Bailey looked confused. "Language? Oh, you mean...queer?" he lowered his voice to a near whisper as he spoke. "Does that word bother you?"
"Yes," he replied succinctly.
"I'm sorry, then," the lawyer said contritely. "I didn't mean to offend you, honestly. If you'll just admit that you're gay, then I promise I won't poke at you anymore about it. Deal?"
He considered this, then inclined his head slightly. "I am a homosexual," he said austerely.
Bailey closed his lips on a bright giggle, his eyes dancing. "Sorry," he quavered. "It's just the way you said that...so serious, so uptight. I am...a...HOMOSEXUAL. Try saying 'I'm gay', instead. It won't kill you, I swear."
Jeremiah breathed slowly through his nose, trying to contain his temper. "Why is this so important to you, Mr. Sheffield?" he asked tightly.
The lawyer folded his arms on the desk and smiled at Jeremiah. "I guess I like seeing how far I can push you," he explained impishly. "You really do seem awfully uptight. If you were wound any tighter, you'd snap like a twig."
Jeremiah looked down his nose at the impudent lawyer. This was an expression that intimidated everyone else, but of course Bailey Sheffield wasn't intimidated in the least. His grin widened. "Anyway, I'm going to go get the Children's Corner ready now. I'll see you in a bit, sexy librarian," he winked outrageously and strolled away, leaving Jeremiah staring after his retreating back in frustration and annoyance.
Jeremiah tried to go back to his work, but he got distracted by the sound of happy young voices coming from the direction of the Children's Corner. The morning kindergarten class at the local elementary school had let out, and clearly the kids had come to the library to hear Bailey Sheffield read them a story. He stalked down the aisle between the bookshelves, intent on making sure that the kids and that wretched lawyer didn't make too much noise. He'd be happy to boot Bailey Sheffield out of the library if he couldn't follow the rules.
Arriving at the Children's Crooner, he stopped in his tracks. Bailey Sheffield was sitting cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by a semi-circle of eager kids. He had a book open in his lap, and was reading to the children in a surprisingly quiet voice. "And then..." he said softly, "The princess was taken prisoner by the wicked dragon, and kept in his lair. All she wanted was for a hero to come and save her from the evil, fire-breathing beast."
The brown eyes suddenly rose to meet his, and Bailey's lips lifted in a slight smile. "And then one day, to her joy, a handsome hero rode in to save her. He was an upright, noble knight from a nearby kingdom, and his sword made short work of the dragon in the terrible battle that they fought outside the dragon's lair. Then the hero untied the princess and gave her a kiss," he pursed his lips and blew the librarian an air kiss. "Afterward, they were married and lived happily ever after. Isn't that a great story, kids?" he never looked away from Jeremiah as he said this.
The kids all clamored to agree. Bailey chuckled and set the big book aside. "I'll read another one," he remarked.
A cheer went up, but while he would normally have squashed such boisterous behavior, Jeremiah merely folded his lips together tightly and remained where he was. Bailey reached for the stack of books next to him. "Let's see what we have here," he said cheerfully. "But just remember, guys, we have to be quiet. If we don't, the big bad librarian will kick us out of here," he added with a grin. "So you'll all be quiet, right? Shh..." he put a finger to his lips in an exaggerated gesture.
There was semi-quiet agreement from the circle of children. Bailey glanced up from under his lids at Jeremiah, and he smiled deliberately. Jeremiah's mouth thinned even more, and he left without saying a word. He was NOT going to yell at a bunch of kindergartners just because the man reading stories to them was annoying him so badly. He stalked back to the front desk, seating himself in front of his computer. He wasn't going to think about this anymore. He had work to do.
He managed to take his mind off of the irritating Bailey Sheffield for all of half-an-hour. Then he heard a familiar voice speaking above his head, causing him to look up. The lawyer was standing there, smiling widely, his eyes sparkling. "Hey, guy. I'm finished with Story Hour," he said cheerfully.
"How nice for you. I trust you put the books back where they belong when you were done with them," Jeremiah said icily.
Bailey nodded. "I sure did. I wouldn't want to make you mad, because if I do that you'll ban me from the library. Won't you?" he remarked shrewdly.
Jeremiah said nothing, although what he said was true. He'd love an excuse to ban the lawyer from his library.
Bailey chuckled at his expression. "Thought so," he said gleefully. "Anyhoo, I came up here to ask you something."
"And what would that be?" Jeremiah asked, folding his hands together in front of him on the desk.
"I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me on a date," Bailey said blithely.
His mouth fell open in complete shock. "I beg your pardon?" he spluttered in disbelief.
Bailey's lips twitched. "I said...would you like to go out on a date with me?" he repeated patiently.
"Whatever makes you think that I would do something like that?!" Jeremiah demanded.
"Oh, nothing. I'm just hopeful," Bailey said.
Jeremiah sighed. "I am aware that I am the only other homosexual in this town, or at least the only one who is of age," he began austerely. "But that does NOT mean that I will agree to go out with you, just because of that fact..."
Bailey shook his head impatiently. "This isn't about you being the only other gay guy around," he replied crisply. "If I want to pick up just any gay guy, I could drive to the nearest big town with a gay bar - which happens to be only about thirty miles away - and do it. I'm asking YOU to go out with me because I like you."
Jeremiah's brows drew down. "You like me?" he repeated incredulously. "I find that hard to believe."
Bailey cocked his head a bit. "Why? I think you're pretty sexy."
Baffled and confused, he shook his head slowly. "You must be delusional," he said sharply.
Bailey grinned. "No, I'm not. I just know a sexy thing when I see it. Sexy AND smart, a wonderful combination. Can you blame me for wanting to get to know you better?"
Jeremiah frowned awfully. "Is this some kind of joke?" he asked warily.
The lawyer pursed his lips a little. "Why would it be? You seem to have a really low opinion of yourself. Why do you think that I wouldn't want to go out with you, or that I couldn't like you?"
His shoulders lifted in the smallest of shrugs. "In college, I wasn't exactly the belle of the ball," he said dryly. "In fact, I might as well have had a deadly disease for all of the attention I garnered. I even went out on the town to gay bars and clubs a few times, which was a mistake and a total waste of my time."
Bailey gave him a sympathetic look. "I understand," he said, making Jeremiah give him another baffled stare. "The gay scene can be brutal. So many guys only care about getting laid, and hooking up with the hottest guys they can get with. They don't care in the least about what's under the surface, or what kind of person the guy they're sleeping with might be. I did it for a little bit in law school, but I got tired of it pretty quickly. I've always wanted something more. Don't you? Don't you ever want a real boyfriend, or to be a part of a couple? It can't be any fun being alone all of the time."
Jeremiah swallowed a little, thickly, looking away from that too-knowing brown gaze. "Perhaps," he conceded tightly. "But I have no problem being alone. I've been alone a long time. Better that than to trust someone who will only hurt you."
"You can't just assume that everyone will hurt you," Bailey protested.
"Come on; why not give me a try? If it doesn't work out, what will you have lost? But if it does...it might be something really amazing. Pretty please?" he outrageously batted his eyelashes at Jeremiah, who frowned awfully.
"If I say no, you won't leave me alone, will you?" he asked suspiciously.
Bailey chuckled. "You get me already! That's exactly right. You can either agree to go out with me, or I'll come here every day and bother you until you finally agree to go out with me. Just say yes, and save yourself the hassle."
Jeremiah felt badgered and horribly annoyed. He drummed his fingertips on the desktop, then finally said grumpily: "Very well. I will agree to go out with you...once. And only once. You, in turn, will leave me alone after that. Is it a deal?"
"Yep! If you go out with me, and you don't ever want to again, then I promise to leave you alone after that," Bailey said gleefully.
Jeremiah stared at him. Something about the wording of what the lawyer had just said bothered him, but...what choice did he have, exactly? "All right," he said between his clenched teeth.
Bailey beamed at him. "How about tomorrow night? We could go to dinner."
He shook his head. "I don't want to go to dinner with you in this town," he said flatly.
"I get you. We could drive a town over and go to dinner there. Anonymously. It's big enough nobody will remark on a pair of gay guys on a date."
Reluctantly he agreed. Bailey grinned triumphantly. "Cool. I'll come and pick you up when you get off of work tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to it."
When he threw the lawyer another baffled look at the genuine enthusiasm in his voice, Bailey's grin widened. He winked and strolled out of the library, whistling with his hands in his pockets. Jeremiah let out a long breath, shaking his head. What had that been all about? And why had he agreed to go out on a date with Bailey Sheffield, annoying lawyer?
Actually, he knew why. He had the sneaking suspicion that if he'd declined, Bailey Sheffield would have pestered him about it until he gave in or went insane. All he had to do was go out on one date with the lawyer, then he could tell Bailey that he wasn't interested in a second and that he just wanted to be left alone. And that WAS all he wanted. He liked his ordered, structured, seldom-changing life. He was not going to let a person like Bailey Sheffield disrupt it.
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