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Oh my God, was every sentence a dead-end with this guy?
Jen breathed an audible sigh of relief and Holly was pleased to see Annie and Isaac round the corner to the car park.
‘Sorry, guys!’ Annie chimed, her usual cheery self. ‘Wee bit delayed at the last date. We’ll know to allow more time in the future. You good to go?’
Holly and Jen chorused their approval, maybe a little too enthusiastically.
‘Right, if you guys want to wheel the bikes into the park, we can get some shots.’ Isaac suggested.
‘Sure, just tell us where you want us,’ Jen said, pushing off.
They weren’t far into the park when Isaac declared it safe to stop. ‘We’ll go for some shots of you standing here with the gate in the background, then I’ll take an action shot of you riding off. That good?’
‘Sure, no problem.’ Holly didn’t quite know where to stand, though. And by the look of it, Jen didn’t either.
‘Bit closer together, ladies,’ Isaac said, gesturing with the hand not holding his camera. He squinted through the viewfinder. ‘Yep, right, now turn your bikes to me.’
With their bikes on the outside, nothing but dead space separated Jen and Holly. Where was she meant to put her hands? Holly awkwardly stepped closer to Jen as all memory of how to stand like a normal human left her head. Jen brought a hand up and let it hover, locking eyes as if asking for permission. Holly gave what she hoped was a subtle nod and Jen placed it on her hip. Even through her zippy top, she could feel how rigid Jen’s muscles were. At least Holly wasn’t the only one having a temporary malfunction.
In a bid to make it look like they hadn’t met two seconds ago, Holly weaved an arm behind Jen and attempted to casually lean on the bike’s seat. It was further than she thought, though, and she staggered a little. Jen pulled Holly closer to steady her. At least it got rid of the gap.
‘Much better,’ Isaac cheered, starting to snap photos.
Jen gave Holly a reassuring squeeze.
‘Okay, and one looking at each other,’ Isaac called.
As Holly’s eyes snagged Jen’s she couldn’t help but feel like a bungling idiot. It was painfully obvious how fake this set-up was. Her nerves about today were justified – they should have rehearsed something beforehand.
Jen’s eyes narrowed, another wry smile pulling at her lips. She clearly felt as much of a wally as Holly; her cheeks wobbled with the threat of giggles. Holly couldn’t help but return the look and before she knew it Jen had barked with laughter.
‘Sorry, sorry,’ Jen said, trying to compose herself. She put her hand back on Holly’s waist, the other still gripping the bike.
‘No, no, that was good,’ Isaac reassured. ‘Natural.’
They hadn’t been this close since Bar Orama. Holly couldn’t help but notice how Jen’s eyes darted to her lips before fixing back on her own stare. She was just nervous, though. They both were; cameras weren’t their thing.
‘You finding my face funny?’ Holly joked, attempting to keep the smile on her face so Isaac could continue clicking away.
‘That and other things.’
Isaac went for another angle as Annie watched on. This was taking an eternity.
‘Come here often?’ Holly asked.
Jen was off again. Which set Holly off. Before long their laughter was uncontrollable. Isaac seemed happy with the development. He was running about like an excited spaniel, grabbing photos from all angles.
‘We’re good,’ he shouted.
Jen wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. ‘Thank God.’
Holly creased up in another bout of hilarity.
* * *
Finally,they were alone and allowed to cycle. Jen was a little wobbly at first, but she soon settled into it, keeping pace with Holly no bother.
It was easy at first. This part of the park was almost flat, with the only changes being downhill.
