crushed. But Julie hadn't thought of Todd in years. And now there he was, right in front of her, looking like the only thing that had changed over the years was the number of tattoos on his arms.
The man was a human canvas. He was wearing a tank top, and every inch of his chest and arms were covered in tats. It was amazing. Julie tried to keep from staring, but it was hard not to.
"Damn. Julie King. You haven't changed a bit," Todd said.
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Julie asked.
"Are you kidding? You're smoking hot. Always have been," Todd said.
"Well thanks. I see you've gotten a couple more tattoos since I last saw you," Julie replied.
"I've got forty-nine now," Todd revealed.
"Wow, that uh--really something," Julie said.
"I'm holding off on the fiftieth one though. I want it to be special," Todd admitted.
"Of course. What's more special than your fiftieth tattoo?" Julie joked.
"How about you?" Todd asked.
"What do you mean?" Julie replied.
"How many tattoos do you have?" Todd wondered.
Julie laughed. "None."
"Well, I can change that. I'll even get you a great deal," Todd said.
"Thanks, but that's ok," Julie replied.
"Are you sure? You never forget your first time. Besides, my staff will take care of you," Todd insisted.
"Staff?" Julie asked.
"Yeah. Don't you know? I own a tattoo parlor," Todd said.
Julie couldn't have been more surprised. "You own your own business?" Even if it was a tattoo parlor, the fact that Todd owned his own business was incredible.
"I know it's crazy, right?" Todd replied.
"I'll say. I can honestly say I never pictured you being someone's boss one day," Julie said.
"I'm actually seven people's boss," Todd admitted.
Julie was in complete disbelief.
"Wow, that's unbelievable. What are you going to tell me next, that you're married too?" Julie joked.
"Actually, yeah," Todd said.
"Are you serious?" Julie asked, completely reeling.
"Well, I'm engaged. But I'll be married in a month," Todd explained.
Julie shook her head. "Wow. That's amazing. Congratulations."
"Look, sometimes I can hardly believe it myself," Todd admitted. "I mean, aren't I the last person you ever pegged to get married?"
That was the height of irony considering how much Julie wanted to get married herself, and yet how far she actually was from walking down the aisle.
"But hey, if I can settle down, anyone can," Todd joked back.
Julie couldn't believe it. It just didn't seem fair. Even the most likely of men from Julie's past was settling down. Julie could feel the walls closing in on her. It was time for desperate measures.
Chapter Nine
Colin
After the wedding, Colin wasn't sure how to regroup. He knew that he needed a new plan of attack. He even considered going out to a bar to meet a woman. But in the end, he reconsidered. Colin didn't have the best history with bars. First off, he couldn't really indulge while training for a fight. But more importantly, it was the people in bars that caused trouble.
Colin didn't really consider himself to be a celebrity. He wasn't some big time actor or rock star. He was just a fighter. But because of his history in MMA, he was recognizable enough to a large enough segment of the population. The last time he went out to a bar, things didn't end well. All the women he met were gold diggers. They didn't care about him at all. They didn't want to get to know him for who he really was. And the men all had different things on their mind. Some were just fans. They'd want a simple autograph. Others were fans of another fighter and tried to heckle Colin from across the bar. But the so called tough guys were the worst. Those guys would try to show off in front of their girlfriends by picking a fight with Colin. Those were the kinds of assholes that ruined Colin's night. And he just
The man was a human canvas. He was wearing a tank top, and every inch of his chest and arms were covered in tats. It was amazing. Julie tried to keep from staring, but it was hard not to.
"Damn. Julie King. You haven't changed a bit," Todd said.
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Julie asked.
"Are you kidding? You're smoking hot. Always have been," Todd said.
"Well thanks. I see you've gotten a couple more tattoos since I last saw you," Julie replied.
"I've got forty-nine now," Todd revealed.
"Wow, that uh--really something," Julie said.
"I'm holding off on the fiftieth one though. I want it to be special," Todd admitted.
"Of course. What's more special than your fiftieth tattoo?" Julie joked.
"How about you?" Todd asked.
"What do you mean?" Julie replied.
"How many tattoos do you have?" Todd wondered.
Julie laughed. "None."
"Well, I can change that. I'll even get you a great deal," Todd said.
"Thanks, but that's ok," Julie replied.
"Are you sure? You never forget your first time. Besides, my staff will take care of you," Todd insisted.
"Staff?" Julie asked.
"Yeah. Don't you know? I own a tattoo parlor," Todd said.
Julie couldn't have been more surprised. "You own your own business?" Even if it was a tattoo parlor, the fact that Todd owned his own business was incredible.
"I know it's crazy, right?" Todd replied.
"I'll say. I can honestly say I never pictured you being someone's boss one day," Julie said.
"I'm actually seven people's boss," Todd admitted.
Julie was in complete disbelief.
"Wow, that's unbelievable. What are you going to tell me next, that you're married too?" Julie joked.
"Actually, yeah," Todd said.
"Are you serious?" Julie asked, completely reeling.
"Well, I'm engaged. But I'll be married in a month," Todd explained.
Julie shook her head. "Wow. That's amazing. Congratulations."
"Look, sometimes I can hardly believe it myself," Todd admitted. "I mean, aren't I the last person you ever pegged to get married?"
That was the height of irony considering how much Julie wanted to get married herself, and yet how far she actually was from walking down the aisle.
"But hey, if I can settle down, anyone can," Todd joked back.
Julie couldn't believe it. It just didn't seem fair. Even the most likely of men from Julie's past was settling down. Julie could feel the walls closing in on her. It was time for desperate measures.
Chapter Nine
Colin
After the wedding, Colin wasn't sure how to regroup. He knew that he needed a new plan of attack. He even considered going out to a bar to meet a woman. But in the end, he reconsidered. Colin didn't have the best history with bars. First off, he couldn't really indulge while training for a fight. But more importantly, it was the people in bars that caused trouble.
Colin didn't really consider himself to be a celebrity. He wasn't some big time actor or rock star. He was just a fighter. But because of his history in MMA, he was recognizable enough to a large enough segment of the population. The last time he went out to a bar, things didn't end well. All the women he met were gold diggers. They didn't care about him at all. They didn't want to get to know him for who he really was. And the men all had different things on their mind. Some were just fans. They'd want a simple autograph. Others were fans of another fighter and tried to heckle Colin from across the bar. But the so called tough guys were the worst. Those guys would try to show off in front of their girlfriends by picking a fight with Colin. Those were the kinds of assholes that ruined Colin's night. And he just
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