Page 8 of Secret Hudson

“At the coffee shop.” I shoot Ava a dirty look and then add, “The one we had to hide out in when the paparazzi nearly attacked us.”

“What?!” Blaise’s dopey grin is gone in an instant and Ava is busy blasting daggers at me through her eyeballs. I don’t care. She had it coming.

“It was no big deal.” She waves her hand dismissively and tries to make a casual exit, but Blaise is hot on her heels.

“Sounds like a pretty big fucking deal to me, Avalon! This is exactly the reason I don’t like you taking off on your own.”

Ava’s no idiot. She’s strategically leading him straight to their bedroom. “I wasn’t alone. I was with Royce.”

Blaise’s response is a noise I can’t not take offense to, but there’s no point in jumping in on the argument. Ava’s already closing the door behind them. Next time we see them, Blaise’s dopey ass grin will be back, and she’ll likely have one to match.Sometimes all their lovey-dovey shit is gag worthy, but then maybe I just feel that way because no one’s putting dopey ass grins on my face.

“So, you met a boy.” While I’ve been busy watching the Ava and Blaise show, Angel apparently remained fixated on my morning news.

“Yeah, can we call him a man? Because he was definitely a man.” My eyes do a dramatic flutter and next thing I know, there is a distinct dopiness about my smile. Holy shit.

“Um, yeah. Or, you could tell me his name. You did get his name, right?”

I nod like it’s obvious, but if Ava hadn’t been there, I’d probably still be calling him Cute Coffee Guy. “Hudson. Well, it’s Kieran, but he goes by his last name, Hudson.”

Angel bobs his head up and down. “Cool, cool. So, Hudson. What’s he do other than drink coffee?”

“He wasn’t drinking it; he was making it. But that’s just his day job. He’s actually this incredible photographer. Ava’s gonna see about setting up a shoot for us.” I have to consciously force my mouth to stay within its proper perimeters because it’s threatening to stretch out beyond my ears, and my face is already hurting as it is. I don’t know how Blaise and Ava do it.

“Nice. Ava, the matchmaker. Ever think it’s weird how she manages more than just the professional aspect of our lives?”

There’s a knock on the door and I start toward it. “All the fucking time, dude. All the fucking time.”

After I open the door, it takes three servers and five food carts to deliver breakfast. Pretty sure it’s the scent of waffles that finally manages to drag Derek out of bed, however, Blaise andAva don’t make a re-appearance until the three of us are well into our second helpings.

After eating, fun Ava is gone and Ava, the raging workaholic, has her crazy meter running on high, rattling off the day’s schedule and scolding us all for being late before we’ve even had a chance to leave the suite yet. Blaise tries to detour her to the bedroom in hopes of mellowing out the nutsoness, but he isn’t nearly as subtle or smooth about it and Ava calls him out on his attempt halfway through the living room.

Twenty minutes later and we’re all in the back of our limo, headed for our first appointment of the day. From here, things don’t slow down until dinner, for which Ava made reservations at a pretty swanky place downtown. It isn’t unusual for her to invite a handful of people she feels are handy to schmooze. Mostly music reviewers, local DJ’s, etc., and depending on which city we’re in at the time, the list grows or shrinks accordingly.

Tonight’s turnout is pretty much down the middle. Plus, one. Kieran Hudson.

Considering I was turned on by the sight of him in his khakis, t-shirt, and coffee shop apron, seeing him standing here in those well-worn jeans, plain white-t and black blazer, has me about to swallow my own tongue.

“What’s wrong? You have to pee or something?” Angel comes up beside me. Isn’t until he says something that I notice my physical reactions have been far more extensive than I realized, including a ridiculous shuffle I’m doing in place, much like a four-year-old doing the pee-pee dance.

I force my feet to remain still and wind up bobbing my hips to and fro instead. I’ve never been so anxious over a guy in my entire life. I feel like a fucking chick.

“No, I don’t have to fucking pee. I’m just ready to get this show on the road. How many people does Ava have to make small talk with before we can all sit down and eat?” Since we all filled up on leftover waffles right before leaving the hotel, my hunger-based argument falls pretty fucking flat.

“Oh, I see. I was starting to think maybe your little dance routine had something to do with that guy who hasn’t stopped staring at you since he walked in. Thought maybe he was that Hudson dude you’ve got a thing for.” Angel looks like he’s trying hard not to laugh at me and failing epically.

“I’m going to remember this, you know? There will come a day when some girl will have you falling over your own feet and making you forget your own fucking name, and I will be there to point out how much you look like an ass. You know it’ll happen. Happened to Blaise, and nobody thought that was possible.” In hindsight it was blatantly obvious, but at the time, no one would have guessed Blaise, the manwhore, would ever have given up his womanizing ways for the love of one Ava Jennison.

Meanwhile, Angel, manwhore number two, is hardly taking me seriously. “Yeah, okay. But until then, would you like me to carry you over there and re-introduce you since it looks like you may be experiencing some of those symptoms yourself right now?”

I shake my head. “No, thank you.” Then I start marching straight for Hudson. Not because I’ve suddenly found my nerve. It’s all out of spite. Spite is fueling the whole damn thing.But I don’t care. I’m willing to use whatever I can to get me there.

“Hudson. You made it.” Anticipating an awkward handshake/hug confusion, I stick both hands in my pockets and go with a friendly nod instead. Possibly the smartest move I’ve made thus far.

“Definitely. Wouldn’t have missed it. I mean, come on. How often does a guy get to mingle with his favorite band and then get to go see them in concert?” His smile reaches all the way up to his brown eyes, and they crinkle at the ends. It’s the sexiest damn thing ever and I sense my feet attempt to do the shuffle again.

“You don’t have to say that, you know? The bit about us being your favorite band. I’m sure Ava will still hire you.” I keep glancing back and forth between my feet and his face, like I’m afraid if I maintain eye contact with him for too long, he’ll see all there is to see of me and run screaming from the building.

Hudson laughs. “I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it. I really have been listening to you guys since the very beginning. The last two albums have been your best so far though. I can’t put my finger on it, but there was something new about the sound. Totally incredible.”

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