The Girl in the Boys' Dorms

Chapter Eighteen: Somewhere underneath all the arrogance, is a heart.

The Girl in the Boys’ Dorms - Chapter Eighteen: Somewhere underneath all the arrogance and cockiness, buried deep below the layers of confidence and self-righteousness, in a place where no one but the most privileged can find it, is a heart… And I think I caught a glimpse of it.

I tapped my foot impatiently on the pavement as I waited for Chase outside the posh jewelry shop. I had protested, of course, from coming here, but he hadn’t taken no for an answer, insisting that there was someone who was in dire need of something he had to get for them… from the store. Defeated, and because if he wasn’t with me to be a guide I’d probably end up lost, I had started to follow him in, but Chase had kept me from doing that, too. Instead, he instructed me to stay out on the street and enjoy the sights.

Apparently, Swarovski Crystal Boutique had a very strict no food or drink policy - and it didn’t seem like the best idea to just stroll in with the jumbo-sized cup full of peppermint milkshake Chase had bought me.

But it was extremely boring to have to just stand around with no sense of direction. I mean, yeah, I was in the busiest, most exciting city in the world… but because I depended on Chase to show me around - and to remember the way back to North Shore - it was like I was on a leash. And it wasn’t like I could just sneak off on my own. With my luck, I’d end up mugged and beaten somewhere in an alley.

Sipping at the straw, I occupied myself with my milkshake. It was delicious, as expected, since Chase had bragged about the restaurant we’d gotten it from as being the most amazing in the entire country. But even that lost its appeal once I drained the cup, leaving me with just the ice shavings and sticky peppermint shards at the bottom.

Looking left and right, I tried to find a trash can, but there appeared to be a spectacular lack of them in this area. Granted, the crowds of harried locals and awestruck tourists were just chucking their garbage on the road, but I didn’t want to be a part of the bandwagon that loved to pollute the earth. So, taking a step forward, I scanned the sidewalk for any sign of a bin, but there was only one, and it was across the street.

In front of a small, remote café that had a huge sign emblazoned with a single word written in bold, curly black letters; Bailey’s.

Suddenly filled with curiosity, I checked over my shoulder for Chase. Through the glass exterior of the boutique, I spotted him inspecting a rack of diamond necklaces, being closely monitored by a fairly pretty blonde employee. And when the charming, arrogant smile on Chase’s face widened as he spoke to the attractive woman, a drop of freezing cold water seemed to trickle down my spine. For some bizarre reason unbeknownst to me, I wanted to march into the fancy store, seize the lady by her bleached hair, and swing her to the ground.

Cool it, Bailey.

I took a shuddering breath as Chase glanced up from the row of necklaces, and forced a weak grin onto my lips when he made eye contact with me. The image of the café popping back into my head, I pointed at the building across the street, silently asking permission to go there. Chase peered at the coffee shop for a second, then nodded in agreement.

Confident enough to make it to Bailey’s without having a major disaster, I joined the mob of smartly dressed men and women rushing over the crosswalk. I had to bite back a victorious shriek when I stepped up onto the other side of the road, successfully having done something on my own in New York for the first time. Rather than whooping for joy, though, I satisfied myself with an internal high-five, and just reached over to toss my cup.

Squaring my shoulders, I stalked to the little shop. Pushing open the door, I beamed when I caught sight of the interior. It was a romantic kind of café, with walls painted a rich crimson and banquets the color of smooth dark chocolate. The lights hanging from the ceiling were dimmed to provide a sultry atmosphere, and there were beautiful black and white paintings of famous landmarks - the Eiffel Tower of Paris, the Golden Gate Bridge of San Francisco - mounted on the walls. It was relatively empty, though, save for a young couple tucked away in the far corner.