A laugh escaped her. “Your words are so compassionate, agent.”
He scowled. “Don’t refer to me as anything other than my name. That’s for both our safety. And I’m sorry if my manners need polishing. I’m hungry.”
“More like hangry.”
“Excuse me?”
“Hungry, angry, mix in tired, and you get hangry.”
His scowl deepened but then miraculously morphed into a grin. “Heck, I’ve been called worse, I suppose.”
“Hi, ya’ll. What’ll you have?” Angelina, a woman Bella had gone to school with, stood at their table.
“Hey, Angelina.” She gave the waitress her order. “Are you still in law school?”
Angelina grinned. “I am. Getting ready to graduate and take the bar. I’m working here at night to help out my parents.” Angelina’s family owned the successful and cherished local.
“That’s wonderful! Congrats.”
“I’m Holden. I’m a friend of Bella’s.” He was polite and Angelina evidently thought he was hot, too, from the way she arched her brow and shot Bella a grin. “I’ll have your biggest hangry burger and fries, with a strawberry milkshake on the side.” Holden flashed a wide smile at Angelina. “I’ve been told I’m hangry.”
Angelina snorted. “I’m hangry all the time.” She winked at Bella. “Hank and I just found out we’re going to be having twins.”
“Oh my goodness, I had no idea you were pregnant! Congratulations.”
“Thanks. We’re pretty excited. I hope I can pass the bar before the baby comes.” She smiled at Holden. “And I’m hangry by the end of each shift. I’ll ask the cook to give you an extra helping of fries.”
“Thanks.”
Holden conversed with Angelina as if he’d known her as long as Bella had instead of for the last three minutes. As she checked him out, Bella’s first impressions of Holden stood; he was strong, poised and exuded confidence that could be intimidating if the one facing him didn’t have a spine. But he was kind and didn’t seem to think being an FBI agent made him better than anyone else. The opposite, in fact. Holden had a healthy humility she found very attractive.
She sat straighter on the red-leather-padded bench. One thing Bella prided herself on was her strength of character, no matter who she was sitting across from. As he asked for mayonnaise instead of ketchup for his fries, he smiled at Angelina again and the flash of white stirred something Bella had kept quiet for a while, since she’d helped Gio through her sickness and those last awful weeks. Bella’s last boyfriend hadn’t been able to handle her needing a break to care for her best friend and she’d flat out dumped him.
“I’ll be right back with your drinks. Nice to see you, Bella.”
“You too, Angelina.” She smiled at the expectant mother. It must be baby season for MVHS alumnae. Angelina was the third in two weeks she’d heard was having a child. It stirred something in Bella that she knew to be her biological clock ticking. She wouldn’t mind kids someday, but only after she found the right man, and was certain she was up to the task. Being orphaned and left with Aunt Amelia so young had left a stamp of reality on any urge for family, save for her brothers.
“You know the waitress, I take it? Is this the kind of town where everyone knows one another?”
“She and I are high school classmates. We haven’t kept in close touch, but yeah, it’s a fairly tight-knit community. To a point. It’s not like I’d be able to tell you how her marriage really is, whether or not she’s living her dream.”
“Meaning?” Holden’s expression was back to badass FBI agent. She felt as though she was being inspected, and realized she was.
“Let’s get something straight, Holden. I’m willing to work with you, even help your investigation if I can, but I’m not beholden to you because you work for some big government LEA.”
“Fair enough.”
“And it’s pretty clear you have some issues with me, though you’re not saying what.”
His brows rose and she knew she’d surprised him.
“I don’t care for reporters. I find your profession revolting.” His words didn’t surprise her. What stunned her was that he flat out admitted it.
“Then why the heck are you looking to work together? I’m in the pageant solely for my story. I haven’t misled you about that.” She’d taken a risk by telling him anything to begin with. It was too late for self-recrimination, though.
“To keep this aboveboard, between us, you need to understand that the pageant may be shut down at any point.”
“I’m kind of surprised that you haven’t done that already.” She smiled at Angelina when she slid a large diet soda in front of her.