Page 10 of Secret Hudson

Even though she momentarily seems to hate my guts, her little speech actually makes me feel better.

“I know that. And I completely agree. Which is why I would have turned down the job if it wasn’t completely based on my skills as a photographer.” Fuck it. She already admitted she was overbearing and incapable of boundaries, why bother being any different. “Look, I like Royce. I realize I barely know him, but if there’s even a sliver of a chance of changing that, I’m not fucking it up. Not even for what would probably be the greatest job of my career. So, I needed you to clarify. I’m sorry if that offended you. I just wouldn’t want to walk into this second guessing my position or wondering if shit was about to blow up in my face.” I catch a glimpse of Royce standing on the other side of the room with Blaise, apparently in the middle of his own very heated conversation. “And more importantly, I wouldn’t want him to wonder whether my interest was genuine or not.” When I shift my focus back to her, she’s smiling.

“I knew I liked you, Kieran Hudson. I’ll make sure you have a contract in your hands by noon tomorrow.” She tugs me back toward the rest of the party. “Now let’s see about getting some food on that table. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”

CHAPTER FIVE

ROYCE

I’m starting to regret having left Hudson alone with Ava. Judging by her expression, she's having herself a good little rant and I'm not entirely convinced he deserves to be on the other end of one of those just yet.

“Never mind babysitting me, Blaise. I think you’d be better off going back and putting the reins on your girlfriend.”

He's just in the middle of taking a big swig from his water bottle and about chokes on it laughing. “Yeah, okay. Let me run right over there and do that.”

“What are we laughing about?” Angel. How the hell he keeps creeping up on me without my noticing, I don’t know, but I'm not digging it.

“Royce wants me to go and, how did you put it? Put the reins on Ava?” Blaise is still chuckling as he lifts the bottle back to his lips.

“Why? What’s she doing now?” Angel jerks his head back and forth trying to get a clear view of Ava and Hudson through the crowd.

“From the looks of it, she’s fucking yelling at him.” I take a dramatic drink of the coke I settled for in lieu of booze, and for the first time I truly regret having given up alcohol to support Blaise in his sobriety.

“Well, he must be into that sort of thing then, because he’s smiling. Oh, wait. I think they’re done talking. She’s bringing him over this way.” Angel quickly turns his back toward them. We're like fucking high school kids. Except, ironically, back in high school, none of us ever acted this ridiculous. We were way more mature back then.

“Where’s Derek? I have an announcement I want to make. It’s official business, so I want you all here.” Ava scans the room for him.

“He stepped outside. Sammy called.” Angel looks down at his feet as he says it. We all know why. Derek’s marriage hit a snag a few months back and this tour isn’t helping matters any. Lately it seems like she's calling every fifteen minutes just to start a fight with him.

“Alright. No big deal. I can wait. In the meantime, Angel, have you met Hudson? Between his talent behind the lens and his mad coffee making skills, he may be my new favorite person.” Most people would think she's joking, but they don’t know how strongly she feels about her coffee.

“Hey man, heard you saved these two this morning. Good lookin’ out.” Angel shakes Hudson’s hand appreciatively. Finally, a member of my fucked-up family I can count on. “Word to the wise though, Ava can’t get down with that much caffeine on an empty stomach.”

Hudson grins. “So I’ve heard. I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”

“Not like he’ll have to. The best barista in town is retiring and stepping up to the camera full time.” She gives him a celebratory pat on the back, and I wonder if anyone else caught the frown she was trying so hard to suppress. One look overat Blaise and I know I wasn’t the only one to notice. “Anyway, you boys get better acquainted and I’m going to see about getting the dinner portion of this dinner party started.” And away she goes, flitting off into the small crowd of people all hovering around the long table in hopes of eating soon.

The four of us stand in an uncomfortable silence for what seems like an eternity but is probably just the longest ten seconds of my life. Blaise is the first to make a breakaway. “You know, I was supposed to have a little meet and greet with that morning show DJ. What was his name? Donnie Magic? I better go do that before it’s too late.” And then there were three.

Angel’s eyes dart back and forth between me and Hudson for a second. “I think I’m going to go and track down Derek. Let him know it’s almost time to eat. I’m sure he could use a good excuse to get off the phone right about now.” Two.

Teetering back and forth on my feet, I give Hudson a sideways glance and even manage a half-smile. “You didn’t pick up on how totally obvious that was, did you?”

He laughs. “Not at all. They weren’t trying to get us alone together, were they?”

I grin sheepishly. “They mean well. They’re just...”

“No, they’re great, Royce.” And for some weird-ass reason, I think he really means it.

“Yeah. They are actually. So, got any loudmouthed, tactless and lacking in subtlety friends of your own we could invite to level the playing field a bit?”

He tips his head back and makes a face. Even when he's being a total goof, he's fucking gorgeous. “Uh, there’s my mother. But that wouldn’t exactly even things out. It would just catapult you straight into the lead.”

“I’d be good with that. Let’s call her.” God, this is awesome. Standing here. Talking. Laughing. It's suddenly so easy.

“Ha, yeah. Think I’ll save that for the next time.” He winks, and I am both disappointed and relieved that Ava wasn’t around to hear him imply that we’ll be seeing more of each other, and that I’ll be meeting his mother.

“Fair enough.” Behind him I can see Ava waving her arm back and forth trying to get everyone’s attention. Considering she's only five foot three in a room filled with mostly men who all tower over her by a minimum of six inches, it isn’t surprising that Blaise jumps in to back her up, letting out a whistle that cuts right through the murmur of conversations.

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