Page 3 of Adoring Ink

With Arianna, there always seemed to be a work issue. But her friend was a wedding planner and constantly working. At least Holly sometimes had weekends off, unlike Arianna.

“It’s okay. I know you’re busy. I’m just glad you could meet for lunch.”

Arianna looked up and smiled before setting her phone down on the table. “Me, too. Though I might have to look at my phone a hundred times before we’re done.”

Holly snorted and glanced over the menu. She’d been there at least a hundred times but still liked to look it over. “And that would be different from any other day, how?”

The other woman rolled her eyes. “Shut it. Anyway, you have a little bounce in your step. Anything interesting happen? Find a sexy guy to sweep you off your feet?”

“If only.”

“What do you mean ‘if only?’” Hailey said as she walked toward them. She set down a peach iced tea in front of Holly and a glass of strawberry-infused water in front of Arianna. The other woman always knew their drink orders before they did. It was kind of creepy in an endearing way.

Holly smiled. “You scare me sometimes. It’s like you’re psychic. And the ‘if only’ was because I don’t have a guy right now. But that’s okay, you know.”

Hailey smiled softly. “I know. But we all just want to see you happy.”

All.

Meaning the Montgomerys and everyone that had been taken into their web of friends. She loved the Montgomerys and their inner circle, but sometimes they were a bit much for her. The well-meaning looks a tad overwhelming.

Holly bit her lip and tried to keep her eyes on her menu, but it didn’t work. Arianna put her hand over Holly’s and squeezed.

“You’re not going to turn into your parents, you know,” Arianna whispered. “You don’t have to let them define you.”

Holly looked up and narrowed her eyes. “I can say the same for you.”

Arianna pulled away with a nod. “So why the new pep, then?” she asked, not backing down.

“Fine. So this morning, I realized I needed a little more…yeah, pep is a good word, in my life. I want to be a little more adventurous but not crazy. I like who I am, don’t get me wrong, and I don’t want to change that. I don’t want to change how I dress or act, but it might be nice to add some crazy into my life, a bit more adventure. I don’t need to become a daredevil or anything, but it would be nice to see if I can do something.” She paused as the other two women stared at her, small smiles on their faces. “And on my way here, I was singing loudly and off-key, and hadn’t realized my sunroof was open. A hot guy on his bike next to me noticed and laughed. But it wasn’t a mean laugh, more like one that encouraged me to continue.” A pause. “So I did.”

“You weren’t that off-key, just saying.”

Holly whirled around, nearly knocking over her tea in the process. The guy from the bike reached around her quickly to keep the glass upright. The movement put the heat of him dangerously close to her skin.

“Wha… How did you know I was going to be here?” She swallowed hard. She hated coincidences, and this one felt a little too weird.

“It was you?” Hailey asked with a smile. “I should have known the guy on the bike telling people to sing and be amazing was you. Holly, this is Brody. Brody, this is Holly. He’s a regular over at the shop and a friend of the Montgomerys. I’m surprised you two haven’t met before.”

“I’m surprised, too,” he murmured.

Holly just sat there, confused.

“Anyway, I liked that you sang as if no one was watching,” Brody drawled. Damn it. The man drawled. Not only did he have a very nice face with perfect lips and a perfect jaw but he also had that hair that was longer on top than it was in the back or on the sides. So when he moved his arm up to push his hair from his eyes, it made his biceps bulge in just the right way.

This man was dangerous.

And, yes…Holly had just said she wanted a little danger.

“Thanks. I think?”

He studied her face for a moment before sticking his hands in his pockets. “I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. Sorry if I did.”

Holly was aware that Hailey and Arianna were watching with rapt attention, but she ignored the other two women.

“You didn’t make me feel bad. Just the opposite, in fact.”

Brody smiled then, and her heart did that little fast beat thing she thought was just in movies. While Brody was handsome in general, the smile just pushed it to the next level.