Bailey Malone

"Oh, uh, no, sorry. Just muttering to myself," he replied, his tone a mix of self-deprecation and a smidge of amusement. Taking a sip of his coffee, his eyes lingering on Bailey for a moment longer before he looked back at his plate, suddenly aware of the half-eaten eggs and toast in front of him. "Communal housing woes," he added with a wry chuckle, as if sharing a private joke.

''Sorry for disturbing you,'' He said after a moment, awkwardness sliding in without being invited.

"No worries, I do that all the time." She said with a chuckle. Following his gaze, Bailey took in the man's features, familiarizing herself so that she would remember in the event they met again. Her eyes followed his to the plate, though she made no comment. "Oh, gosh, I can imagine. I shared an apartment with two other people during college. It was...The worst. And, that's coming from someone who grew up with three older brothers." Shaking her head, Bailey raised her hand to draw the attention of the waitress and asked to add a cup of coffee to her bill.

Furrowing her brow, Bailey cocked her head a bit as she took in the shift in affect. "No need to apologize, really. To be fair, I'm technically the one who disturbed you. You were minding your own business. I butted in." That soft smile made a return, and she raised a hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "So tell me, do you often find yourself at mostly-deserted diners at this time of the night? Or, is this a special occasion?"

WHEN: 16th of August, 2023.

WHERE: Diner.

Baris sat alone at a corner booth of the diner, the familiar scent of sizzling bacon and brewing coffee enveloping him in a comforting embrace. It was night time, and quiet. The perfect time because the nightmares were keeping him awake more than usual. The vinyl seat creaked slightly as he shifted, his focus alternating between the menu and the sand streaked window. A plate of eggs and toast lay half-eaten before him, the remnants of a hearty late-hour breakfast that had momentarily distracted him from his thoughts.

He wondered how many men and women from his unit went through this exact same thing. Did it happen to them every night or just momentarily. Just as he was about to take another sip of his coffee, his cell phone buzzed against the tabletop. Startled, Baris reached for the device and glanced at the screen. An unknown number texting, accompanied by the alluring promise of intrigue. Hesitating for a moment, opened it only to groan loudly.

"My house mates and squaddies are a bunch of dicks,'' He grumbled loudly, the text which had been sent was just a single photo of every item in his room turned upside down. ''Why did I ever think communal housing was a good plan,'' He whispered to himself.

It wasn't as though she'd intentionally set the diner as her destination, but when she stumbled upon it she just didn't seem to be able to stop herself from entering, her eyes falling immediately to the gorgeous looking apple pie placed front and center in the dessert case. At first glance, the diner appeared fairly empty- not surprising considering the time. Still, she immediately spotted the figure seated nearby, and chose to seat herself only a couple of stools over from him.

After placing her order Bailey pulled her phone from her pocket, mindlessly scrolling through her social media until her attention was drawn by the muttering figure next to her. "I'm...Sorry?" She asked, turning to face the speaker. "Did you say something?"

location: downtown

The summer night’s cool breeze was welcome against her skin as Jordan meandered through downtown. She was settling in well, finding her place in Tonopah fairly easily, but one thing she had not been prepared for was the sweltering desert heat. She was fortunate that her work kept her inside most of the day, never being more thankful for AC in her life. But as the sun set behind the foothills and the city cooled, Tonopah really was beautiful. Kind of.

She had gotten in the habit of going for a walk after work, taking the time to wind down while learning more about her new home. Jordan’s favorite part of moving was the opportunity to explore somewhere new. Ann Arbor was nice and all, and she would always consider Michigan to be home, but it had grown far too familiar. The two weeks leading up to her move, it all just felt so constricting — suffocating, even.

But perhaps that was because… never mind. She gave her head a small shake as if to force the thought away, her grown-out bangs falling over her eyes. She wouldn’t go there. Couldn’t.

The woman had almost been too wrapped up in her thoughts to see it. The leather wallet fell from the stranger’s pocket in front of her. While she had noticed it, it appeared the wallet’s owner had not.

Jordan sped up as she called out to them. “Hey!” She exclaimed, reaching down to retrieve it from the sidewalk. Her movements appeared to disturb a small lizard that had been basking itself on the warm cement but was now frantically scurrying away. “Excuse me!” She called again, hoping they would stop. “You dropped your wallet!”

When she'd moved into town eight years prior, she had felt an amalgamation of emotion, leaving her feeling vulnerable, scared, and questioning for what felt like the billionth time whether she had made the right decision. Back then, everything had felt so foreign to her, and rightfully so. At 23-years-old she hadn't ever been anywhere alone, and certainly wasn't used to living in a town in which not everyone knew her on-sight. At home, in Charleston, South Carolina, she had spent years dreaming of privacy, of anonymity, of the chance to be nothing more than another face in the crowd. Once she'd arrived, however...The independence had been nearly suffocating.

Now, at the age of 31, Bailey no longer felt those feelings of displacement. In fact, despite her continued notoriety in her hometown and the fact that, even eight years later, she continued to be a hot topic of discussion in any halfway-decent church circle and at most of the annual bake sales, she had come to view Tonopah Valley as the home she had always dreamed of.

Losing herself in thought, Bailey hadn't realized that her small square wallet had managed to fall from the pocket of the light jacket she wore. Once her attention was drawn by the calls of an unfamiliar voice, she instinctively patted her pocket, shaking her head she turned on her heel and muttered to herself. "Shit." Smiling, she took a step towards the other who was rushing to catch up with her. "Oh my gosh, thank you! I would have definitely been pretty unhappy if I'd gotten all the way home and realized. Thank you..." Her voice trailed as she realized she didn't actually recognize the person standing before her. "I'm sorry, I don't believe I've caught your name."