.
outside, squinted in the sunlight and got out his cell phone, dialing Holly’s number. She picked up midway through the second ring.
“Hey there, this is Anderson,” he said.
“Hi,” she said softly.
“Saw you on the news this morning.”
“Did you?” She paused. “How did I do?”
“Need you ask?” he responded. “You were great.”
“So great that you thought I was on another station.”
Anderson chuckled. “And you won’t let me forget, will you?”
“Not a chance,” she said with a laugh.
“Maybe I can make it up to you,” he said. “What are you doing for lunch?”
“Hmm...actually, I already had other plans for lunch. Sorry.”
So was he. Might those plans include another man? Not that he would be scared off by a little competition, but if that were the case, he wanted to know up front.
“It’s cool,” he said.
“In case you’re wondering, I’m meeting with a female colleague to talk shop.”
Anderson grinned and felt foolish for being jealous without cause.
“Are you available for dinner?” he asked hopefully.
“Yes, I am,” she replied.
He preferred to pick her up, but suspected that might not be to her liking for a first date. “Do you know where the Rooster Place is?”
“Yes, I’ve been there before.”
“How about we meet there at seven?” he asked.
“Seven it is,” Holly told him.
“Great. See you then.”
After disconnecting, Anderson headed for his silver Mercedes in the parking lot. He was excited at the prospect of going out with Holly, and that was a feeling he hadn’t had for a woman in a long time. She had a lot of qualities he admired. He hoped to uncover the rest of her along the way.
* * *
Holly was glad to hear from Anderson. In fact, had he not called today, she would have taken the initiative and asked him out. Though she was used to being pursued, this was the twenty-first century and there was absolutely nothing wrong with a woman asking a man out—especially if that man was interesting and easy on the eyes.
Besides, it was nice to forget she was an anchorwoman and let her hair down. Anderson Gunn seemed like a man she could do that with. She looked forward to having dinner with him tonight and learning more about what made him tick, besides work and the sports section.
She drove to the Wine Factory, a trendy café on Uptown Park Boulevard, where she was meeting her friend and fellow anchor at a rival network, Blythe Cramer, for lunch.
They arrived at the same time and gave each other a hug.
“Great tan,” Holly said, knowing Blythe had just returned from Hawaii.
“Thanks.” She ran a hand through her short blond hair. “I probably spent way too much time in the sun and water in Maui, but what’s a girl to do while vacationing in paradise?”
“As long as you had a good time, what more could you ask for?”
“My sentiments exactly,” Blythe said. “Let’s go taste some wine.” A few minutes later they were sitting down, sipping chardonnay and listening to live music by a flamenco guitarist.
“This music is beautiful,” Holly said. She immediately found herself wondering what type of music Anderson enjoyed. She pictured him as a classic R&B or urban music lover.
“Yes, it is,” seconded Blythe. “But I still have Hawaiian music in my head. It will probably take a while to get past it.”
Holly had never been to Maui and was envious of anyone who had. But unlike Blythe, who was recently divorced and happy to venture there on her own, she preferred to take that type of romantic trip with a man. Maybe one day she would.
“I heard that Bill Togin is retiring when his contract runs out next month,” Blythe told her. “That means there will be an opening on the coveted evening news.”
“Are you going for it?” Holly asked.
“What do you think?”
“That would be a yes,” Holly said, smiling.
“You bet it is. I’ve waited long enough,” Blythe said.
“Good luck. I’m not against switching around if the opportunity presents itself, but for now I love working weekends and having the week to do other things I enjoy.”
“I’d love to do weekends only, if I could afford it,” Blythe said. “But with my mortgage and credit cards maxed, I need all the airtime I can muster.”
If Holly hadn’t known better, she would think that Blythe was holding it against her that she had been left a small inheritance by her grandparents a few years back, much of which she had invested. It allowed her the luxury of working part-time without falling into debt.
“Who is that hunk?” Blythe suddenly asked, getting Holly’s attention.
Holly turned and her eyes widened when she saw Anderson enter the room with a tall, gorgeous woman.
* * *
Anderson practically froze when he laid eyes on Holly. She was sitting with an attractive blonde and seemed less than pleased to see him there. Or was it more about who he was with? He looked at his client, Suzy Dillman, whom he had no romantic interest in whatsoever. He suspected Holly might have thought otherwise.
“Will you excuse me for a moment?” he asked Suzy.
“Sure,” she responded. “I’ll find a table.”
“Thanks.” Anderson made his way over to Holly, smiling as he walked toward her. “Hello.”
“Hey.” Holly tried to keep her voice even, though she was beginning to wonder if he was a player or what.
“Do you two know each other?” Blythe asked.
“Yes,” Holly said. “This is Anderson Gunn. We met on a plane the other day.”
Blythe grinned mischievously. “Well, hello. I’m Blythe Cramer.”
“Hi.” Anderson eyed Holly again. “Are we still on for dinner tonight?”
“You tell me.” She batted her lashes. “Who’s your friend?”
He glanced in Suzy’s direction and saw that she was waiting patiently. “She’s a client and senior partner at Dillman, Benson and Krieg,” he explained. “Nothing more.”
Holly took him at his word, not wanting to make a big deal out of the fact that his client was an attractive woman. He was entitled to have any clients he wanted without her getting jealous—especially since they hadn’t even had their first date yet.
Her lips curved into a smile. “I guess I’ll see you then at the Rooster Place.”
He smiled back. “I guess you will. Catch you later, and nice meeting you, Blythe.”
“You too,” she said. She waited till he walked away before turning toward Holly. “Are those sexual vibes I’m picking up between you and Mr. Good-Looking?”
Holly colored. “Right now it’s more like getting-to-know-you vibes.”
“So the interest is there?”
“Yes,” Holly admitted. “We’ll see where it goes.”
“I hope it goes all the way,” Blythe said.