Page 83 of Hate You Later
“Xander should be here any minute.” I check my watch. Cookie pokes her head over my shoulder and noses me, anxious to get out and look around.
“You okay to face him?” Kenna asks.
“It’s just business,” I say. Every time I chat with Hudson/Oliver, I think maybe there’s something there. But then I get scared again. Still, I did bring the dog today. If Cookie can face her fear of cats, perhaps it can inspire me to be brave as well.
“Come on, G, don’t pull that business bs.” Kenna comments, “You two have some wild chemistry. There are enough sparks there to torch a rainforest.”
I ignore her nudge and pretend to check my messages on the phone that he got for me. I’m hanging on to it for now, but I’m trying not to get too attached. As soon as I can afford a new phone, I’ll give it back.
“I get it. You don’t want to talk about it anymore with me, but have you talked about it with him?”
“Sort of,” I say. And then I see the van pulling into the lot. “Oh look, it’s Xander and Emily!”
Xander parks beside us and jumps out, knocking on the passenger window.
“Team huddle, everybody out!”
He’s wearing high-tops and a tie-dyed tee made by our mom that takes me back to his high school days. I clip Cookie’s leash to her collar. Once I’m sure there’s no broken glass in the lot, I let her jump out of the car. Was I crazy to bring her? Did Hudson really mean it when he invited me to bring the dog? Are we really going to introduce our pets to one another?
What was I thinking? There is a fairly good chance that their relationship would be even more volatile than ours.
“Hi, guys.” Emily smiles shyly. “Thanks again so much for including me. Jackson is on his way too.”
“You kidding?” Xander says. “Emily Romano, you are the bomb. We are lucky to have you!”
“Loved theLit Lovers’episode on tattoos, by the way,” I tell her. “Totally up my alley.”
“Georgia has a Shakespeare tattoo.” Kenna nods.
“Enough about that.” Xander holds out his arms, flapping and gesturing for us to gather round. And, of course, we comply. Resistance is futile.
“Why are we huddling, exactly?” I ask.
“I just want to make sure we are all on the same page. Let’s go over our assignments. Kenna, you’re checking out the kitchen. Emily is on decorations and PR. I’m working with Jackson to plan the livestream site. Georgia is planning the silent auction—”
“What about me?” says a deep voice from outside the huddle.
We break formation.
“You’re supplying the space,” I say. “That’s more than enough.”
He’s wearing jeans and a black tee. There’s that stubble again, delicious, scratchy-looking stubble that I long to feel against my skin. His eyes meet mine and connect. For a second, we’re the only ones in the parking lot.
“Hudson!” Xander grins and goes in for the fist-bump. “We need an MC. Interested in the job?”
“I’d love to MC if you’ll have me,” he tells the group, but he’s still making eye contact with me. His gaze flits to Cookie, and he leans over to pet her.
“I’m so glad you brought her,” he says. “After the meeting, you’ll have to come up to my loft and meet Oliver.”
“Do you really think that’s a good idea?” I ask. I’m also giving him the bullet eyes because I still haven’t told Xander that Hudson is the owner of Oliver.
Kenna has quickly surmised as much and looks amused. Xander is clearly searching his memory, trying to recall who Oliver is and why that should matter to him.
“Wait a second, you two.” Xander’s face explodes into a grin, and he busts out in a belly laugh like this is the funniest thing he’s ever heard.
“Oh, I see. You didn’t tell them?” Hudson looks hurt for a fraction of a second, but then it’s gone.
“Turns out we’re both enrolled in an online Petfluencer Challenge.” I cut Xander off and address Emily in particular.
