Page 106 of All the Ugly Things
“Good morning,” Samaya said. “You look lovely.”
“Thank you. Good morning to you too, and you too, Amala and Yasmine.”
Amala grinned up at me. She was the hell-raiser Samaya referred to in front of Hudson. “Morning!”
Yasmine was always quieter. Not shy. I figured her for a thinker and people-watcher.
I grinned down at them, their book bags draped over their shoulders and their knit caps pulled tight over their ears.
I’d forgotten gloves, and it was getting cold. My hands would be ice cubes by the time I got to work and need a half hour of thawing before I could do anything.
Shoot.
“Headed to school and work?”
“Yes.” Samaya fixed Yasmine’s coat. “This new place is wonderful, but it’s farther to get to their school. I think, technically, we’re now supposed to go to a new one, but I haven’t let them know yet. And since it’s temporary, I don’t want to let the school know in case.”
I mimed locking my lips with a key. “Your secret is safe with me.”
“And you don’t usually dress this nice for classes.”
“I start a new job today.” My grin wobbled.
Samaya’s didn’t. Hers was large and genuine, showing off bright white teeth behind her brown lips. “Congratulations! That’s wonderful news. Better than that late shift at the diner, isn’t it?”
“Let’s hope.” I crossed my fingers and she laughed, shaking her head. “Although really, you don’t have to reach far to get better than that.”
The doors opened and I waited until she shuffled the kids toward the corner so I could head out on the main floor. “Well, have a good day. Have fun at school you two.”
“School is boring,” Yasmine grumbled.
“No, it’s not! It’s awesome!” Amala shouted.
“I agree. School is the best.” I high-fived her.
“Good luck!” Samaya sang as the doors started closing. Her kids shouting the same were cut in half by the doors closing, and I turned to head toward the front door and walked right into a wall.
“Oomph.”
“In a hurry?”
My wall was dressed in a dark gray suit with a white shirt and a deep, blood-red tie. It also hung on the frame of Hudson’s body who was looking down at me, grinning while he gripped my arms and placed me one step away from him.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Sure. Fine. You’re also lucky you didn’t end up wearing my drink.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time it happened in my life.” He smirked. “So, you’re not nervous at all about today?”
Terrified.Just him asking about it made my pulse skitter out of control. “Psssh. No. Why would I be?”
He looked delicious and all the parts of me that really liked our kiss the other night wanted another go-around. You know. Research. It couldn’t have been quite as good as I remembered it.
More testing was necessary.
Except… this was the first I’d seen or heard from him.
“No reason at all.”
