Page 80 of Mr. Big Shot

“Let’s call him!” Jordy suggests.

“Let’ssss not.”

I think my Ss will be convincing enough, but not for Jordy. “Oh, we really have to. We have got to let this man know he gave you an orgasm to end all orgasms.”

I’m tipsy enough that I can’t immediately remember why that would be a bad idea. It seems like Hudson should know the truth, right? I’d want to know if I were him.

“Call him! Call him!”

The chant carries around the table until I feel like the entire restaurant is looking at us. I hate all the attention.

“Okay! Oh my god. Stop. I’ll do it if you all just stop.”

I reach into my purse and get my phone. My hand trembles as I try to come up with some excuse to get out of this now that I’ve already agreed to do it. I could say my phone’s dead, but Jordy’s sitting right next to me and she can clearly see it’s alive and kicking.

“You know what? I just realized maybe I don’t have his number.”

“Boo!”

“Don’t be a coward!”

“Call him!”

“You don’t have to,” Hannah tells me from across the table, trying to protect me from her friends. “But if you don’t, I will.”

Some sister-in-law she is!

It takes me longer than normal to figure out how to navigate to my phone’s contact list. The champagne has fully gone to my head, and I laugh as I run through a list of Hs that seems a mile long. “Oh my god, Ms. Higgins! She was my favorite AP art teacher—”

“Don’t get sidetracked!” Jordy snaps.

Finally, I reach Hudson’s name, and without a moment’s hesitation, I press call and hold the phone to my ear. Everyone’s grinning and whispering excitedly as the phone rings…and rings. Oh my god it’s going on forever. Slowly, my initial zing of adrenaline dwindles down to nothing.

I hang up just before it cuts to voicemail. A pang of sadness fills my chest and I try to shake it off, though I know it’s futile.

“There, I tried. He didn’t—”

My phone screen lights up with an incoming call.

Hudson.

I feel lighter than air. I might float away. His name alone sends a fissure of excitement down my spine.

“Oh shit! He’s calling back,” Jordy tells the table. “Shh! Shh!”

She quiets everyone just as I answer. I’m smiling like a girl absolutely smitten over a man who has confused and annoyed and intrigued her for the better part of four months.

“Hello?”

“Scarlett. Hey.” He sounds sort of in awe. “Did you just call me?”

I hadn’t realized how much I missed his voice. Not just a lot, but a lot a lot.

I look up at Hannah’s friends as they wave their hands encouragingly.

“I did…”

He waits for me to go on, and I register how noisy the restaurant is in the background just when he asks where I am.

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