“I don’t think anyone has to be funny. Jasper told me this is going to be a no-mistakes, judgment-free kind of thing,” Hollyn said, looking for the man in question. “I’m sure it will be fun, you know, for people like you.”
Andi scrunched her nose like she’d smelled something bad and turned her attention back to Hollyn. “People like me? Clarify.”
Hollyn looked down, doodling googly eyes on her notebook page, and shrugged. “You know, outgoing, confident, unafraid.”
“Ha.” Andi sniffed derisively. “Unafraid? Girl, we need to get to know each other better. You know what running a true-crime podcast and writing horror stories does to a person?”
Hollyn looked over.
“It shows you how freaking terrifying the world can be and turns you into a huge chicken,” she said. “I’m surprised I haven’t sprouted feathers yet.”
Hollyn frowned. “I guess I hadn’t thought of that.”
“The stories I come across…” Andi shook her head ruefully. “Well, it’d be ludicrous to be unafraid, especially as a woman.” She reached in her purse, which was by her feet, and pulled out a pack of gum. “But outgoing, yeah, I’ll give you that one. Gum?”
Hollyn took the offered stick, feeling a new camaraderie with Andi. Maybe her new friend wasn’t as fearless as she appeared to be. Maybe everyone was carrying something heavy in their personal-life backpack. “I’ll make you a deal,” she told Andi. “I’ll keep an eye out for murderers for you. You watch out for strangers wanting to have small talk with me.”
Andi grinned and popped the stick of Big Red in her mouth. “Deal.”
Movement near the door caught Hollyn’s eye, and she spun that way, catching sight of Jasper just as he walked in with a pretty African American woman with short curly hair and the brightest red lipstick Hollyn had ever seen. They were chatting quietly, serious expressions on both their faces. Jasper had changed out of his apron and button-up shirt into a T-shirt that said Maybe Tomorrow, Satan. His hair was a little mussed like he’d been running his fingers through it, and he just looked slightly undone in the best way possible. Something deep inside Hollyn gave a kick of appreciation.
He had a stack of papers in his hand and a backpack over his shoulder, and was chattering away. But when he turned his head and saw Hollyn and Andi, he gave a little wave with his paper-filled hand and a pleased smile. Jasper’s companion followed his line of sight and gave the two of them a quick once-over.
Hollyn waved back, trying to suppress her tics.
“Your boyfriend’s here,” Andi whispered as she raised her hand in greeting and beamed a smile their way.
Hollyn could feel her tics fighting to the surface. She turned back to Andi and poked her playfully. “Hush. We’re just friends. Not even. Acquaintances.”
Andi chewed her gum, still smiling, looking zero percent remorseful. “Uh-huh. You literally perked up like a puppy seeing a treat when he walked in.”
Hollyn groaned and shoved her own stick of gum in her mouth, the hot cinnamon flavor matching the heat in her face. “We are not in eighth grade. No whispering about crushes in the back of the classroom.”
Not that Hollyn had ever had the opportunity to do that, but she’d seen it in movies.
“Can we pass notes instead?” Andi asked, elbowing Hollyn gently in the side and then stealing her pen and writing Jasper + Hollyn = ¤ in big looping letters on Hollyn’s notebook page.
Hollyn laughed, almost choking on the gum, and snatched her pen back. “You’re going to get me in trouble with the teacher.”
Her face lit. “Ooh, that could be fun.”
“Don’t even,” Hollyn warned as she scratched out the doodle, though she couldn’t stop her smile. “You get in trouble with an improv teacher, they make you perform.”
Andi sobered, looking a little worried again. “Good point. I’ll behave.”
Jasper set his stuff down at the front of the room, said something to his companion, and then headed up the center aisle of chairs to where Hollyn and Andi were sitting.
“Uh-oh, maybe we’re already in trouble,” Andi whispered. “Act innocent.”
Hollyn’s hand gripped the bottom of her chair, trying to will her fingers not to count.
“Hey,” Jasper said, stopping next to their row and greeting them both.
“Hey, Teach,” Andi said.
“Ugh. That sounds weird.” He leaned a little closer, bringing the smell of his laundry detergent and a whiff of dark roast coffee into Hollyn’s orbit. “Don’t tell anyone, but I’ve never taught before. Everyone in here is a guinea pig tonight.”
“Except me,” Hollyn said firmly.
His lips quirked. “Of course. I wouldn’t break my promise. There is an invisible force field around you,” he said, drawing a square in the air in front of Hollyn. He looked to Andi. “What about you? You game, Podcaster?”
Andi blew a bubble with her gum and tipped her head to the side. “How painful is this going to be? Like on a scale of brain freeze to getting a tooth pulled with no anesthesia?”
“Nowhere on that scale I hope,” he said with a laugh. “This is supposed to be fun.”
“Uh-huh,” Andi said, unconvinced. “I’ll play along. Just don’t pick me first.”
“Got it,” he said and then reached out and put his hand on Hollyn’s shoulder, catching her gaze. “We still on after the class is done?”
Acute awareness rushed through Hollyn—not just at the thought of what was to come but at his nearness, his warm hand on her. Her body almost didn’t know how to react to the friendly intimacy. An ache went through her chest, but she swallowed past the bubble of emotion and forced a smile. “That’s the plan.”
“Great.” He gave her shoulder a squeeze. “I’ll see you after class then. Wish me luck.”
“Break a leg,” she said, her throat dry and voice cracking a little.
Jasper checked the clock on the wall and then headed back to the front of the room. Hollyn sagged back in her chair, her bones like water.
Andi leaned in. “You didn’t tell me you guys were going out after. Good for you, girl.”
“Not going out,” she said, trying to get her heartbeat and her tics in check. “He’s giving me a few private lessons to help me with a new video project I need to do for work. He knows I’m too anxious to participate in a group setting.”
“Private lessons, huh? That’s cool of him,” Andi said, looking back toward the front and then frowning. “Maybe I should run that background check on him. If you’re going to be alone with him, better to know he’s got a clear record.”