Searching for Hailey Bradshaw

Chapter 6

Both Hailey and Daniel glanced over as a red-headed guy stumbled toward them. He was tall and lean with the brightest scruffy red hair and goatee Hailey had ever seen. If Shaggy off the Scooby-Doo show had come to life and was an incredibly cute college guy, Hailey decided he'd look exactly like this approaching male. She even expected him to say, "Like, Zoinks," as he weaved his way closer.

But then he smiled and something inside Hailey stirred. This Shaggy lookalike had a grin very similar to the naughty smirk Hailey had seen Daniel give her a few times. Hailey glanced up at Daniel and saw how he was frowning at the redhead.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded.

"I got an invitation," Shaggy told him.

But Daniel didn't seem to believe him. "You saw one the flyers," he guessed.

The redhead just grinned. "Hey, the invite said, 'Everyone welcome.'"

Daniel just groaned and ran a hand through his hair.

Shaggy spotted Hailey then and he did a shocked double-take, making her really want to laugh because it was totally something Shaggy would do.

But instead of zoinks, he said "Hey there!"

His grin was infectious enough that Hailey felt compelled to return the smile. "Hi," she answered.

He stumbled a little as he moved closer and held out a hand to her. Daniel's arm snaked out and caught him by the arm before he tumbled flush into her. But the redhead didn't even seem to notice. He continued to give Hailey a goofy grin.

"I'm Connell," he announced.

She was about to introduce herself as Hailey, without thinking, when Daniel, pulled him backward, away from her. "I don't think Heidi wants some stinking drunk slobbering all over her."

Connell frowned up at Daniel as if he were mildly offended. "I don't stink."

Then he glanced over at Hailey. "I don't slobber either," he confided. Then, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth to make certain he didn't, he whipped his attention from her to Daniel and then back again. "Hey," he said, looking confused. "What're you doing here with a loser like Daniel?"

Hailey laughed and Daniel frowned, grabbing handfuls of Connell shirt in an attempt to keep Connell from falling.

"Okay," Daniel groaned. "You're completely wasted."

Connell frowned at him and tried to pull away. "I'm fine, Bubba. I'm just having fun."

"Yeah, you'll be thinking fun that when you start puking your guts out."

Connell winced at those words and held his stomach. "Ooo. Why'd you have to go and mention that?"

"That's it," Daniel growled. "I'm taking you home."

"Will you really?" Connell said, smiling. He leaned against Daniel and patted his chest. "Man, you're the best, Daniel." But when he said Daniel, it sounded more like Dannel.

He glanced at Hailey and proclaimed, "My brother's the best," though the word brother slurred out as brudder. Then he looked up at Daniel and reported, "She's really pretty."

Daniel didn't crack a smile. "So I've already noticed," he said dryly before sending Hailey an apologetic wince. "I really need to get him back to campus."

Realizing she had no idea where Tony and Sasha were, Hailey glanced cautiously around. "I kind of lost my roommate."

Daniel detected her sudden anxiety and offered, "You can come with us." But when she physically recoiled at that idea, he quickly added. "Or, we'll help you find your friends."