Page 72 of All the Ugly Things
Shaking off the thoughts of Josh and trauma and drunken accidents, I grinned at Hudson when I got back to the counter.
“Want to hear something good?”
“I’m all ears.” He curled his hand toward him in a welcoming gesture. “Hit me with it.”
“I got a B on an accounting test. Ihateaccounting.” A B wasn’t great, but it’d made me happy and besides Angie, it’d been a long time since I had anyone to share good news with.
“Sweet. Let me take you to dinner to celebrate.”
“What?” I expected a congratulations. Not a dinner. Unless… “Like a date? I mean… friends. Like friends. Having dinner together.”
And holy shit. Someone. Please kill me now.
18
Hudson
Truthfully, I was up for it to be a date, but as Lilly choked on her words and flailed her hands in the air, correcting herself, it was more enjoyable to watch it happen than step in and save her.
She looked flustered, splotchy red started growing on her chest, up her throat. And the more she attempted to correct herself, fumble over her words with nervous gestures, that pink slid to her cheeks and the tips of her ears.
For the first time since I’d met her in person, I suspected I was seeing exactly the girl she used to be… before her life and freedom was ripped away… and she was beautiful.
Grinning at her, silently encouraging her to continue to babble, I lifted up on the rungs of the stool I was sitting on and reached across the counter for the pitcher of ice water she kept nearby. After filling a glass, I slid it toward her, stilling the hand she flapped in the air as she kept rambling. “I mean, obviously. Not adatedate likethat.”
I wantedthat.Based on this sudden burst of insecurity, I wasn’t going to push for it.
“Lilly.” I wrapped her hand around the glass of water. “Drink.”
“Right. Water. Hydration. That’s probably good. Right?”
I nodded, still grinning. Her cheeks were now as dark as her chest, and I pressed my lips together as she fanned herself.
After downing the water in two large gulps, she sucked in a deep breath. “So. Dinner?”
“Dinner.” I choked down my laughter. If I laughed at her, regardless of the fact I was enjoying this and she looked so damn pretty while doing it, I had a feeling she would have no problems punching me in the face.
“Friends?” she said the word again, slowly, her recent attitude rearing its head.
“I think we could be friends. Don’t you?”
I wanted more.Morewould take time. Some finesse. The latter of which I was well aware I hadn’t handled correctly.
She refilled her water glass. After another large drink, she fiddled with her ponytail. “I think I’d like to be friends.”
“I’m a pretty good one to have.”
“Are you?” she asked, sassy look on her face.
“Yeah. I’m loyal. I’m friendly. I can keep secrets and I’ve been told I’m good to cuddle up with and watch a movie.”
She laughed this low, throaty chuckle. I almost had to lean in to hear it. “You just described a puppy.”
“I’m okay if you think of me as a puppy.”
She shook her head like I was being ridiculous, because Iwas, and went to go clear up a couple of tables. I was thinking I’d have to ask again about dinner when she returned. She flicked the dish towel into a bin of soapy water and came to me, wiping her hands on the white apron of her uniform.
“I think what I want is to talk to David tomorrow and then do dinner after?”
