Page 14 of We're At It Again

He seemed pleased at his sordid attempt at humor, but I remained unimpressed. I folded my arms across my chest and raised my brow like a mother about to scold her child.

“Hudson, can you be serious for once?”

He glanced up, a playful smile on his lips.

“What’s the rush, Snow?” He asked. “We have all night.”

My frustration grew by the minute.

“This is important, Hudson,” I said. “Please help me or I’m leaving.”

His grin widened at my plea. He studied me for a moment before leaning forward.

“I’ll help. Only because you said please,” he said. “But first, answer a question.”

I raised an eyebrow, unsure of what to expect.

“What question?”

He grinned, almost leaning over the table.

“Do you think your boyfriend is jealous?”

“Jealous of what?”

“Us.”

I blinked in surprise, taken aback by his statement.

“Why would he be?”

He chuckled, shaking his head, not answering. He leaned back in his seat, his expression turned serious. And, to my amazement, he recited a line from Hamlet.

“I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers could not, with all their quantity of love, make up my sum.”

My jaw dropped in shock as I listened to Hudson recite the famous soliloquy. His eloquence surprised me. Hudson smirked at my reaction, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. He grinned and leaned back in his seat with a sense of satisfaction.

“I’m more than just a pretty face.”

Hope rose within me as we set to work on the project. We were making progress until Hudson’s demeanor shifted. His eyes widened in alarm as he caught sight of someone entering the diner. Without a word, he ducked under the table. I watched in confusion.

“Hudson, what are you doing?”

He glanced at me from under the table, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. Without explanation, he emerged from his hiding spot and hurried to the window beside us. He threw it open, letting a cold gust of air through. I stared at him, baffled by his behavior. His eyes danced with amusement as he turned to me.

“Stacy has been looking for me.” He said. “Sorry, Snow, but it seems we’ll have to finish this another time.”

Before I could respond, he slipped out the window with surprising agility, disappearing into the night with a wicked grin.

?

8

HUDSON

IN THE DRIVEWAY OF MY HOME, I was hard at work on my beloved motorcycle. The magnificent colors of fall painted the neighborhood with shades of gold, crimson, and amber. I sighed in relief as the crisp air cooled me down. The bracing snow had melted, giving us respite from the chill.

With my sleeves rolled up and a wrench in my hand, I leaned over the sleek machine, my brow furrowed in concentration. The sunlight filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows across the pavement as I worked.

---