Chapter 6

Phil considered his mother’s words as he reversed course and headed for Hailey’s dorm. The only phone number he had for her was a blocked cell phone. He had no idea of what dorm room she was in – or even if the dorms on campus had telephones. He only knew what dorm she was in because he helped her with her suitcases after he’d driven her back.

He walked into the lobby and saw a young woman standing behind a desk talking to a member of the campus police force. Both looked amused when Phil made his presence known although he couldn’t hear what they’d been discussing.

The campus cop looked as though he might be a year or so out of college and the young woman was probably Phil’s age or a little older, he decided.

“Uh, excuse me,” Phil said politely. “I’m sorry to interrupt. I have to contact someone in the dorm but I don’t have their room or their phone number.”

“That’s no problem,” the young woman said in a rich Irish accent. The smile that came to Phil’s face was completely involuntary as he took in the smattering of freckles across her nose and her dark red hair and lively green eyes.

“See!” the young police officer said. “I’m not the only one you have that effect on. Look at the poor guy. He can’t even remember who he’s here to see.”

The young woman blushed deeper and Phil looked away. The cop wasn’t exactly wrong.

“I think it’s just the total package,” Phil admitted. “The voice and the accent; the eyes and the freckles and the hair; I really didn’t mean to stare at you, Miss. I apologize if I’ve made you uncomfortable.”

The young woman shook her head and smiled back.

“I’ve got two sisters at home,” she informed him. “I’m considered the plain one. It’s just a surprise to have so many admirers – although I can’t say that I’m unhappy about it.”

Phil exchanged glances with the police officer. Both men shook their heads.

“Well, if there are two at home prettier than you I think your family should invest in some shotguns,” Phil replied. “Thank you for not making me feel like a complete toad for staring at you. A lot of young women would.”

“It’s fine, really,” the woman told him. “Now, who are you here to see?”

Phil had to actually think about that for a moment.

“Oh, uh, Hailey Warren,” he stammered. “I’m sorry. Your friend is right. I completely forgot why I was here.”

The cop laughed and got up off the table he’d been sitting upon.

“I’m going on my way, Molly,” he told her. “I’ll tell your uncle I stopped to look in on you when Suzy chats with him tonight.”

The cop walked off as Molly looked up something on the computer.

“I’m terribly sorry,” she said. “I cannot release that number to you. The young woman has requested it not be given out.”

No surprise there, Phil thought, remembering that she wouldn’t give him her cell phone number even though she planned to ride home with him.

“Crap,” he muttered. “Uh, well, huh. I have some important news from home. Could I maybe leave her a message to ask her to contact me?”

“I can’t guarantee she’ll get it,” Molly said. “I don’t know the young woman or I’d make sure she got it if I saw her.”

“You don’t know Hailey Warren?” Phil asked incredulously. It was his impression that everyone on campus knew Hailey – or at least it was her goal to have everyone know her name.

“I’m sorry, I don’t,” Molly answered.

“Count yourself among the lucky ones,” Phil replied with a laugh. “That explains why you’re happy and smiling, at least. Well, I tried. That’s all I can do.”

The young woman behind the desk looked at the guy across from her.

“I could call up and tell her you’re down here,” she offered. “That’s allowable.”

“And you won’t get into trouble?” Phil asked. “If there is any chance that you might, the news will have to wait until I see her tomorrow.”

“No, it’s fine,” she assured him with another smile. “I can’t disseminate the information but I’m not banned from calling her.”

“Apparently the ban only applies to me,” Phil rejoined, smiling back at her.

A second later the woman was talking to someone on the phone.

“Yes, Miss Warren,” she said in her lilting voice. “This is Molly Kelly from the front desk. I have a gentleman caller who wishes to speak to you.”

Molly paused for a moment and her face blushed brighter. Phil decided if Hailey had spewed her venom at this girl he wasn’t going to tell her about the job his mother had offered her. She could wind up at a junior college for all he cared.

“He’s so handsome and polite I forgot to ask his name,” Molly said, glancing up at Phil and blushing deeper. “Oh, I’ll see if that’s it.”

“Are you Phil Warner?” Molly inquired.

“Uh, well, yeah,” Phil said, pulling out his ID card and handing it across. “That’s me. I apologize for not providing this earlier.”

Molly didn’t pick it up off the desk.

“That’s him,” she said into the phone. “Very well, I’ll let him know.”

She hung up and turned to Phil. He wondered if Hailey had passed along that Phil should get bent or something.

“She said she’d be right down,” Molly told him.

“I just wanted to talk to her on the phone,” Phil replied.

“She seemed pretty excited to learn you were visiting,” the woman said with a grin.

Phil again couldn’t help but grin back.

“How is it you don’t know Hailey?” he asked.

“It’s my first term here,” she answered. “My parents sent me over after Christmas and this is my first week at this job. Is she someone important?”

“In her own mind, absolutely,” Phil replied, laughing.

“You must be someone important, too, then,” she rejoined, “at least in her mind.”

“Our families do business together,” Phil told her. “Or at least they did. That’s why I’m visiting this evening. The fact I don’t have a number for her should tell you how important I am.”

“Good point,” Molly joked. “I’m not usually this forward but maybe you’d like to go out sometime.”

“Uh, I would,” Phil said in a halting voice. “But I think a certain police officer might take umbrage at that.”

“Oh, that’s my cousin’s husband,” Molly said. “The fact he didn’t jump over the counter at you when you stared at me means you’re OK in his book. He’s a mite bit protective of me – mostly because my cousin Suzy would castrate him if anything happened to me.”

“Well, I’ll have to chalk up the lack of a beating to positive fortune then,” Phil said. “Let me give you my phone number and you can call me when you’re free. My schedule is pretty open outside of classes.”

Molly Kelly beamed up from the desk. Her first work study job had been mopping up the cafeteria after it closed at 8 p.m. The only person she’d interacted with was the matronly woman who ran the place at night. She had been nervous during her first six weeks on campus and kept her head down most of the time so she really had few friends at all. This guy seemed polite and there was something about him that she found trustworthy.

“I know what you mean,” Molly replied with a laugh. “My schedule isn’t exactly overflowing either. I certainly haven’t met many gentlemen with your sort of manners.”

“Uh, I’m just a freshman,” Phil said. “Is that OK?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Molly wondered. “I’m in my first year, too.”

The pair exchanged numbers as the elevator dinged its arrival. Hailey exited wearing what Phil had seen her in earlier – and a wide smile at seeing him at the desk.

“Ah, Miss Warren has arrived,” Phil said.

“Hi, Phil,” Hailey said brightly. “This is a surprise.”

“I’m sorry to disturb your evening, Hailey,” Phil answered. “I have learned some things that I need to share with you. Is there somewhere we can talk that’s relatively private?”

“You can come upstairs with me,” Hailey said. “We can talk in my room. Why didn’t you just call my cell?”

“You blocked your number when you called me,” Phil pointed out. Hailey’s face reddened in embarrassment.

“Oh, God,” she said. “I am so sorry. Here, let me give it to you.”

“I’m not sure I feel special anymore,” Molly chimed in from the desk.

Hailey heard the voice and looked over. She rarely noticed the people behind the desk but she blinked when she saw Molly.

“I don’t think we’ve met,” Hailey said. “I wondered who was calling from down here.”

“I’m Molly Kelly,” the redhead stated as she extended a hand across the desk. “Phil there seems to be collecting phone numbers tonight. He just managed to talk me out of mine.”

Molly might have only been at the college a short time but she recognized the proprietary look that had crossed the blonde’s face. It was obvious to her – even if it wasn’t to Phil – that Hailey had some sort of design on him.

“Oh, did he now?” Hailey asked, putting aside the same twinge of jealousy she’d felt at the company gathering. “I can tell you that Phil is a gentleman in the truest sense of the word. I’m Hailey Warren, by the way. It’s nice to meet you.”

Molly had expected an attitude from Hailey. It was evident from her demeanor that Hailey got whatever Hailey wanted. Instead the pair shook hands as Phil looked on with amusement.

“Well, now there is no one on campus who doesn’t know you,” Phil joked. Hailey elbowed him in the ribs as she’d done earlier in the day. “I’ll see you in a little while, Molly.”

“I’m off shift at eight o’clock,” she said. “I’ll give you a call later this week once I make sure that Sean and Suzy don’t have plans for me to babysit this weekend.”

“Sounds great!” Phil said. “I’ll look forward to it. I hope you continue to have a wonderful night.”

Hailey pushed the number to her floor with a frown. Her back was to Phil so he couldn’t see her expression and the look on her face changed by the time she turned back around.

“So did you ask your Mom about the job?” she wondered. “Is that why you came over?”

“Partly,” Phil said. There was another girl on the elevator with them so he didn’t continue.

“Oh, is there another reason you came to visit?” Hailey asked, looking over at him coyly. “Other than to pick up the front desk worker?”

“It’s something we should discuss privately,” Phil said in a whisper. “It’s a rather serious matter and I’m not sure you want it overheard.”

Hailey had been flirting with Phil – not that he’d noticed – but she stopped when she heard the seriousness in his voice. The elevator stopped at the fifth floor and Hailey directed him to her room. It was evident that she had no roommate and the area was clean and tidy.

“Wow!” Phil said. “This is nice. I’ve never been in a dorm before. Are they all like this?”

“I don’t know,” Hailey answered. “The only male dorm rooms I’ve seen are in the athletic wing. They’re even nicer than this, of course.”

She hated to admit that she’d been in the athletic dorms but it wasn’t a secret. She’d dated a football player during his season and a basketball player during his. It was now the start of spring sports and she thankfully hadn’t picked out a baseball player before Phil had entered her orbit.