Page 19 of Off the Record

I send him my address and jump in the shower.

“Why are you in such a hurry?” Carrie asks when I make it downstairs to find breakfast.

“Heading out with my boss to research a piece.”

Her eyebrows lift. She’s good at the protective older sister thing. “Hudson Owens. The same guy who’s been texting you all week? What are your office rules on dating the boss, anyway?”

“We aren’t dating, so it doesn’t matter.” I grab a banana off the counter and a yogurt from the fridge. “This is research for a new column I’m trying out.”

She doesn’t look convinced, her freckles moving as her nose wrinkles. “Where are you going?”

“I…don’t…actually know.”

“Paisley,” she says, eyes widening. She pushes her long brown hair over her shoulder.

“Okay, hold on. You know Mom’s thing about how everyone has a story? That’s what my column is about. I’m finding regular local people and sharing their stories.”

Carrie nods slowly like she’s on board with it. “That’s actually a great concept.”

“Thanks. It’s what we’re doing today. Hudson has an idea for someone I can interview.”

“As long as this person doesn’t live down some back road and have a dungeon in their basement.”

I ignore that last bit. “We’re hopeful it’ll boost interest in the paper, so I’m trying to make sure the first few editions are solid.”

“I just don’t want this guy taking advantage of you.”

I try not to laugh, but the sound comes out anyway. “He can’t. I’m not blind to his reputation or his charm.” I might enjoy being around him, but I’m not naïve.

Again, Carrie looks like she could use some convincing, but I don’t bother trying. I eat breakfast, finish getting my hair tamed, and am ready to go as soon as Hudson pulls up in a grossly expensive midsize SUV. We’re edging into fall but it’s still on the warm end, so I have on jeans and a long-sleeved tee, with a backup sweater just in case. He’s wearing sunglasses that hide his eyes and a wide smile when he walks to the door. He sports a Henley with the sleeves pushed up and the top button flopping open. It hugs his chest and drapes down his waist, accentuating the time he spends in that gold-plated gym in his penthouse.

Okay, so the man looks just as good in regular, non-work clothes as he does in a custom suit. Noted. I’m beginning to think he’d look great in a pickle costume or smeared in mud. The man wears things well.

I slip out, trying to close the door behind me, but Carrie pushes it open. She leans against the door jamb, crossing her arms over her chest and perusing Hudson frankly. “Hi, Hudson Owens. I’m Carrie.”

He takes off his glasses and gives her a grin, reaching past me to shake her hand. “I’ve heard so much about you,” he says.

Her eyebrows tick up. “Oh?”

Great. I knew I’d shared too much about my siblings at dinner last night.

I start walking toward the car, hoping he’ll follow. “Better go now!”

Hudson remains on the low cement steps. “I hear you had a thing for playing the victim. Made your mom stock up on discounted Halloween blood and guts and everything.”

She looks confused for half a second before her expression clears. “Paisley told you about our homemade newsreels? I was so good at being half-dead.”

Hudson’s smile grows, hitting me in the gut. It doesn’t lookspecialor anything, but let’s just say it takes a second for me to stop staring at his mouth. He’s not even looking directly at me. “I wouldn’t mind seeing them sometime,” he says, oblivious to my ogling.

Carrie isn’t, though. She catches my expression and turns a smug smile on Hudson. “You’d have to come home with us for that,” she says. “My parents have them all in the attic. Although, I’m not sure they have a VCR player anymore, so it might be moot.”

We need to leave before she invites him to Thanksgiving dinner. “Time to go!” I call from the walkway, sounding extra frazzled. I pat the back of my head. Is my hair poofing now? It seems to react to my levels of stress.

“Consider it added to my bucket list,” he says. “I can probably get my hands on a VCR player if you can find the tapes.”

“Okay. I’ll keep you posted.”

Hudson gives her a wave and turns to meet me at the car.

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