Page 47 of Home Coming

“Groan-worthy, I agree. What’s he want now?”

She tapped the screen to open the text and see. “He wants to know if we’re still in the city.”

Quinn drew in a deep breath. “I have a feeling we’re not getting home tonight.”

“Whatever it is, we don’t have to—”

“Bailey, whatever it is, if you want to do it, we’ll stay and do it.”

“But all the stuff in the car.”

“Both of the overnight bags we brought with us from upstate are accessible. The rest of the stuff can stay right where it is. That said, if you don’t want to do whatever Xander has planned for you, we tell him we’re already upstate and can’t get back because of the snow.”

“Is there snow?” she asked, eyes wide. Had there been a storm? Did he hear about it from Josie?

He shrugged. “Don’t know and neither does Xander. I’ve found that people who aren’t from upstate New York believe whatever you tell them about our weather. We can tell Xander three feet of snow fell on the highway and I bet he’d believe it.”

Her lips twitched. “Okay. Guess I should find out what he wants then.”

“I can’t wait to hear,” Quinn said, voice dripping in sarcasm as the juicy, fat, medium-rare hamburger he’d just picked up dripped its savory juices onto his plate.

Mouth watering, she reached for the cell still on the table next to her plate. The piece of broiled chicken breast on her arugula salad dressed with lemon and olive oil caught her eye.

She should have ordered the burger.

Picking up the cell she glanced around them, not wanting to disturb anyone nearby by making a phone call.

She and Quinn were the only patrons in the back of the restaurant so she tapped the screen to place the call and pressed the phone against her ear.

“Good Morning, America,” Xander said in lieu of hello.

“Good Morning, America?” Bailey repeated.

Quinn’s eyes widened as he watched the half of the conversation he was privy to.

“Good Morning, America.” Xander laughed. “Tomorrow. Three minute segment in the eight o’clock hour. They want you in the makeup chair by seven.”

“Why?” she asked.

“What do you mean why? The way your song is going. Not to mention the Axel thing.”

The Axel thing. He made it sound so nominal. Just a small thing. But it was all the radio station had wanted to talk about. It had been horrible. She was tired of being the sideshow in everyone else’s carnival.

Not anymore.

“No,” she said.

“Excuse me?” Xander asked.

“I don’t want to do it.”

“Why not?”

“I just don’t feel comfortable.”

She heard Xander take in an audible breath. “Is Quinn there?”

This was serious. Xander hadn’t called him Captain Sweatpants.

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