Page 50 of An Overdue Match
Besides them, Carla is here. She’s in her scrubs, which means she just got off a shift at the hospital in the next town over. She’s sitting by herself, as always, a thatch of dark hair falling out of the bun at the nape of her neck and tickling her cheek as she looks down at the open book on her lap. She doesn’t usually get to finish reading the books before club discussions since she works such long hours, but she’s never missed a meeting.
Tai takes up residence along the opposite wall. His feet are braced shoulder-width apart, and he has his hands shoved into the front pockets of his faded jeans, his head turned to the side, giving me a perfect view of the rose on his neck.
Trouble with a capitalTall right.
I tear my gaze away and swallow the thickness that has suddenly lodged in my throat.
Number one on my matchmaking checklist for Tai: Find a girl who is mesmerized by tattoos. Shouldn’t be too hard, as his body art has a hypnotic quality to it.
“Sorry I’m late!” A woman in her late twenties with long brown hair breezes past me, leaving a trail of caramelized apple scent in her wake.
I remember Bella Johnson for two main reasons. One, her personality is as effervescent as an Alka-Seltzer tablet. It just bubbles and bubbles. Two, the cascade of thick waves that fall to the small of her back make my insides twist with unchristian-like envy.
She’s the epitome of a classic fictional heroine, the well in which romance authors plunge for inspiration. She has the bright smile that lights up a room and hair the hero can’t wait to run his fingers through.
I glance between her and Tai. The bad boy and the good girl. A pairing romance readers go gaga over.
Bella dumps an oversized purse on the floor by one of the chairs, then shrugs out of her jacket. It’s as if a spotlight is bathing her in an aura of light. She’s the star; we, her spectators.
“Did I miss anything?”
“No, we haven’t started yet,” I assure her.
She gives me a bright smile. “Perfect. Do you mind waiting a couple more minutes? My brother is on his way.”
“No problem. Help yourself to some tea or coffee.”
She spins back around and glances toward the trio loitering near the hot beverage supplies. Her quick look is like a defibrillator on their conversation, starting it back up. Instead of getting herself a cup of tea, she leans over and riffles through her large purse, straightening with a copy ofThe Fellowship of the Ringin her hand. She places it on her seat, looks up, and seems to notice Tai for the first time. She’s in profile, but that doesn’t eclipse the brilliance of the smile that just lit up her face.
With the confidence of a leading lady, she struts over to Tai and offers him her hand. “Hi, I’m Bella. I don’t think we’ve met before.”
It’s like the cells in my body collectively shush one another. My whole body strains to hear the exchange about to happen. It’s one of those defining moments. Whatever happens in the next few minutes between Tai and Bella is going to affect more than just a simple conversation.
“Tai.” He shakes her hand but doesn’t linger.
Why doesn’t he linger? All the men in books linger more than propriety dictates when offered an opportunity to touch the heroine. Helping her alight from a carriage, assisting her off a horse, steering her in the right direction. Instead, Tai drops her fingers as soon as possible and shoves his hand back inside his pocket.
Bella pulls her thick, luscious hair over one shoulder. “Wait,are you the guy who owns the tattoo shop on the other side of town?”
“Guilty.”
“I’ve been meaning to stop by. I’ve always wanted to get a tattoo right here on my shoulder.” She turns slightly to present him the slope of her shoulder, then tugs on the sleeve of her shirt, exposing a column of creamy skin. She looks at him through her eyelashes in a way that has bewitched men since the beginning of time.
Tai might as well be made of stone. He doesn’t so much as twitch a muscle. “Call the shop to set up an appointment and we’ll see what we can work out.”
What in the world is going on right now? Bella looks as confused as I feel as she lets the collar of her shirt slip back over her clavicle.
Tai isn’t being rude, but he’s also not being ... well, Tai. Where are the weighty, suggestive looks? The flirty turn of phrases? The rogue-like behavior? Bella isn’t exactly being subtle in showing her interest, but instead of lapping up her feminine wiles, he looks ... bored.
He glances over her shoulder as if searching for something. When our gazes collide, the intensity in his grips me like it has fingers to hold me in place. It wasn’t awhatbut awhohe was looking for. He has the personification of femininity and every man’s dreams standing in front of him, and he looked around her to find...
Me?
22
“All I’m saying is, Tolkien could’ve written a few more lead female characters instead of restricting the women in the book to the margins. A female dwarf or elf as a member of the fellowship would have been nice. Or think about how the quest would’ve been different if either Frodo or Samwise were women.” Bella waved her graceful fingers as if casting a spell on the group.
Murmurs rippled around the room.
