Chapter 26
Bailey's single life during Andrea's absence at college was one of great accomplishment and great heartache.
While working long and hard to become a Star News Anchor, she still had to master the art of being a Freelance Writer. She desperately searched for stories around town and interviewed almost everyone she came in contact with. While this caused her to become more popular it also caused her to lose contacts and even some friends in the process. Picking and choosing what news she was going to publish was sometimes very difficult. For the most part she wanted to be liked by everyone, but in this profession that is just not possible.
To protect herself from hurt or mentally deranged people affected by her stories, she saved quite a few simoleons and bought a cow plant.
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She developed quite the bond with the cow plant and loved it like she would any other pet.
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One of the many things Bailey did to relax and unwind from work on the weekends was to swim. She always thought a pool would be nice, but swimming in the ocean or the river was much more exhilarating! Twinbrook was a very beautiful town and had so much to offer scenery-wise. One day she finally decided to do something she always wanted to, swim out to the main bridge and hang out underneath it for a while. She decided to do it way before sunrise, so as not to be seen by anyone. It was quite the swim to get out there.
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Oh the scenery! This is why I can never leave this place.
After much effort, she made it to the bottom of the bridge just as the sun was rising. With it's rays beaming onto the water, causing it to sparkle, it made the experience all the more beautiful.
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After resting on her back in the water, hearing the soothing sounds of the riverbed and the cars passing by above her, quite a few minutes passed and she was losing strength. It was a good time to head for shore. The nearest one was by the Esplanade.
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Stepping slowly out of the water trying to catch her breath, Bailey stopped and smiled up at the sky. That was wonderful! I really needed that relaxation!
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Of course, life had to go on.
One day after having a nice lunch at the Boxcar Diner,
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she ran into an old friend from High School, Lawrence Lum.
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They had a very nice chat, reminiscing about the good old days and when Bailey asked if she could interview him for some interesting news, he declined. That bummed Bailey out, but it was still nice to get reacquainted with him. She also met another interesting, and good looking, fellow outside the diner named Marc Brandt.
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Instead of officially interviewing him, she asked a few probing questions about him and his life. He had a Science Degree but was currently working at the tattoo parlor. She even discovered he was single, which made him look all the more dreamy. They seemed to really enjoy one another's company, but Bailey got the vibe that he wasn't that into her. When he left to go wherever he needed to be, Bailey sighed and slowly walked over to the nearby swings. She sat on one and hung out there for a few minutes, all the while thinking, The only thing in my life that has gone right is my job and even then it's not what I expected. At this rate, it seems impossible that I will ever become a Star News Anchor. Maybe... I don't have what it takes.
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I meet people constantly. I've unfortunately given myself enemies, but mostly I have gained a few friendships. I'm still pretty close to my family and love it when we get together but even with all that...I feel so lonely. There's definitely something missing in my life. I wish I had a boyfriend, or better yet, a husband. After my relationship with Shark though...I have the hardest time trusting men anymore.
She decided to head back to the home she grew up in to have a deep conversation with her dad. Of course everyone was thrilled to see her and many hugs ensued, as well as pleasant conversations.
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"It's great to see you again Bailey!"
"Same to you! Good gosh how you've grown Molly!"
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"How's life going?"
"Oh...it's going."
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"How's my sweet nephew? I swear you've grown more since I last saw you, like what...a month ago! And you're already walking and talking! You're such a smart boy!"
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"And then, the most popular girl in school completely BIFFED it on the stage during the play! Oh my gosh Bailey it was hysterical!"
"Hee hee! I bet!"
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"Bailey, Bailey! I gotta tell you all about the awesome weekend dad and I had together fishing!"
Michael came home very late from work that night and Molly figured she better wait until tomorrow morning to talk with him. So she spent the night there. In the morning, she was shocked to find someone else sleeping in the room that wasn't Molly. She must have gotten home late last night too? Or maybe she went to bed before I arrived?
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"Andrea?? What are you doing here? I thought you were in school!"
"Oh I still am, I just came to visit for the weekend. I'll be leaving this morning."
"Aww, you should've told me you were here. How the heck is college life?"
It always felt good seeing and chatting with family. Bailey missed that SO much! Now, she needed to talk to Michael. She peeked into his bedroom and saw him relaxing on his bed. Jenni was already up and downstairs cooking breakfast. It smelled wonderful!
"Hey dad," she said while entering the room, "could I talk to you for a minute?"
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"Oh hey Bailey," Michael said, "come on over." He sat up, putting his feet down on the floor as Bailey sat down next to him. She couldn't help but notice how aged her father was looking these days.
"You okay?" Bailey asked him.
"Oh yeah," Michael quickly responded, "I was just lying there thinking about a situation with a patient."
She knew her father couldn't talk about that any further so she said, "I came here to chat with you for a little bit." Then she lowered her head, picking at her nails, "although I'm not sure exactly how to begin."
Michael placed his arm around her and said, "that's alright, it makes me feel good when you want to talk to me." He smiled. "Is everything okay? How's your job?"
Refraining from picking at her nails, Bailey answered, "It's going good. I feel like I have made a few mistakes with my writing, but I am trying to do better."
Michael nodded.
"I guess it's not as easy to become a News Anchor like I thought it would be."
Chuckling Michael said, "Nothing in life happens the way you expect it to."
For sure. "I just," she paused, "I just thought that by this time in my life I would be married and have a least one kid."
The two of them sat in silence for a moment. "It's okay that you don't," Michael said sensing her concern, "those things happen when the time is right."
"Yeah well the TIME could have been right years ago if it wasn't for Shark!"
Michael pursed his lips and lowered his head, thinking about that day.
"Everything in my life changed after what he did to me! I could no longer look at boys the same or trust them anymore, besides you. All my dreams for the future were shattered, like getting married and raising a family, so I figured that wasn't going to happen so I better pursue a career and now that I am pretty set in it...I find myself feeling lonely. I thought I would be just fine without a companion, but the truth is...I need one. I feel like something is missing in my life and that's gotta be it."
"BREAKFAST IS READY!" They heard Jenni call from downstairs.
The two looked at each other for a moment and both stood up. "Bailey," Michael said, "If that's what you've been feeling then take some time to get out and meet some guys and try dating again. What happened with Shark is years in the past and not ALL men are like him."
"I don't know if I can," Bailey said, holding back her tears.
Enveloping her in his arms Michael said, "Pray for strength. I have no doubt there is a man out there waiting for you. You'll get the prince you always wanted, just trust in God's timing."
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Holding her dad tightly Bailey knew he was right but she also knew it was easier said than done. "I will try," she said. "Thank you daddy."
**************
A few weeks later, Bailey's boss asked her to interview a couple of guys who were witnesses to a crazy fight that happened at the movie theater a couple of days ago. "Bring me back a darn good story," he said to her, "then maybe you will get a small raise."
A promotion would be better, she thought. Still, she determined to get one heck of a story for that raise, no matter how small it was!
As she rang the doorbell to the witnesses home, a man with blonde hair who apparently hadn't gotten dressed yet answered the door.
"Hello," Bailey greeted, "I'm here to interview Goodwin Goode and Sinbad Rotter, about the incident at the theater the other day?"
"I'm Goodwin," the man said, "but Sinbad is at work right now."
"That's alright. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"
"Are you with the police? I am an officer and I don't believe I've ever seen you around."
"No sir, I am a Journalist."
Goodwin nodded and opened the door wider, inviting her in. She expected he would ask if he could get dressed first, but surprisingly he didn't.
Standing in their dining area, Bailey got out her notepad and began writing while asking, "You are Goodwin Goode correct?"
"Yes."
Goodwin Goode...why does that name ring a bell? Oh well, I gotta focus on getting my story!
"So Mister Goode I understand that you were a witness to the fight that broke out at the movie theater. Would you please elaborate on how it happened?"
"Sure." And boy, DID he elaborate.
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Heck yeah! Bailey thought. So many details! This is going to make one awesome article!
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"Wow," Bailey said, as he concluded and she finished writing. "That is crazy! I'm almost envious of you that I wasn't there to see it myself." She smiled and put away her notebook. "Thank you for taking the time to tell me about it."
"Sure thing," Goodwin said, then he studied her for a moment. "You're...Bailey Holland right?"
Taken aback, Bailey hesitated to answer but, "Yes...I am."
"Interesting," Goodwin said, still looking her over. Then he said something Bailey didn't expect at all!
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Bailey's jaw dropped. Not just because of the sheer audacity of that random comment, but because it made her wonder and worry. "What do you mean by what 'anyone else thinks?'" she asked him questionably, "what have people been saying about me?"
Now, Goodwin was speechless. "Uhh," he nearly stuttered, "nothing. Really. It was just a cheesy way of me trying to tell you that I think you're cute."
Bailey didn't buy it. "Nice try," she said, picking up her purse from off the floor. Then she headed for the door.
"Wait!" Goodwin cried, "I promise! Sure I've heard you angered a few folks with your articles, but mostly people think you are a good person and...pretty."
Bailey still didn't believe him. As she opened the door she said, "I'll be back later to interview your roommate." Then she shut the door with a little bit of force behind her.
**************
As the evening wore on, Bailey knew she had to head back to Goodwin's house soon if she was going to get the other view of the incident. Ugh, must I go back there? she thought in the car on the way over. Come on Bailey, forget about what Goodwin said! You've got a story to write! You need that other witnesses account! As she hesitantly approached the front door, she was greeted by a man who certainly wasn't Goodwin so he obviously had to be Sinbad. Bailey let out a breath of relief that he was there. "I've been expecting you, Miss Holland," Sinbad said, "please come in."
As she stepped inside she noticed that Goodwin rose from his chair to greet her too, who still hadn't gotten dressed. She gave him a light sneer and turned to Sinbad, with her notepad in hand. "Sinbad Rotter correct?" she asked him.
"Yes, ma'am."
When Bailey looked up from her writing she found her eyes had met with Sinbad's. He was standing awfully close to her too. For a few seconds she gazed at him and thought, Oh wow...he is...good looking. Then again so is Goodwin. But wait! SNAP OUT OF IT!
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"Please tell me your eyewitness account of the fight at the theater."
Sinbad gave her a lot of details too, in a more comic way than Goodwin did.
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When she was finished with the interview and about to head out the door, Goodwin stopped her again.
"I apologize about what happened earlier," he said sincerely to her, "if I could take it back I would. It was a poor choice of words."
Bailey appreciated his apology and let him continue.
"You see," Goodwin said, looking away from her for a moment, "I used to use that line all the time to pick up girls and...I'm working on not being that guy anymore. In fact, I haven't used that line in months it's just that for some reason I blurted it out after having such a nice conversation with a pretty woman like you."
Bailey couldn't deny she felt flattered.
"I'm a much better person now than I was," Goodwin continued, "I have a great job in the police force and have turned over a new leaf in my life. Please forgive my boldness."
Bailey couldn't figure out why he was telling her all this, it seemed so unnecessary, but it did make her feel a little better about him.
"Okay," she said.
Goodwin smiled. "Thank you," he said. "Do you think we could just start over and forget that ever happened?"
Hmm...Bailey thought. I'm sure it took a lot of guts for him to apologize like that and...he really seems sweet and is quite handsome, but can I really trust him? She tried to fight her emotions, but finally pushed them away deciding that maybe now it was time to trust men again.
"Sure," she answered Goodwin.
With an even bigger smile Goodwin said, "Great! I look forward to seeing you again. Maybe we could hang out sometime?"
Returning the smile Bailey said, "Yeah...maybe." Their eyes met for a few moments and suddenly Bailey had this feeling that she wanted to stay a little while longer.
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But I can't, she thought. I should really get to know both of them better first. She held out her hand to Goodwin and said, "Well, it was nice to meet you Mister Goode." Then she turned and shook Sinbad's hand. "You as well Mister Rotter."
"Please, call me Sinbad," Sinbad said, "I don't care for the whole mister thing."
"And call me Goodwin," Goodwin added.
"Okay," Bailey said with a chuckle. "Thank you both for your stories."
The two guys nodded and Goodwin proceeded to open the door for Bailey as she left. Wow, I can't remember any guy doing that for me besides my father! Maybe there really was something good about this Goodwin. The name still bothered her though. She was familiar with it but couldn't remember why.
As she got into her car and sat down, she rubbed her forehead and said Goodwin's name over and over again hoping to remember. Then a scene where she was chatting with her dad and Jenni years ago popped back into her head.
She gasped.
Goodwin Goode was Jenni's boyfriend as a teen! Sue's biological father!
She couldn't pull her jaw back up while staring off in the distance. She tried to convince herself that maybe he wasn't the same guy or she got the name mixed up, but unfortunately there was no doubt. It was the same guy. Oh why oh why! she moaned. Just when I meet a couple of nice, good-looking guys for a change! Ugh, my life s-u-c-k-s! She hunched over the steering wheel and tried to decide what she was going to do.
:)
Stay tuned!!
