Page 83 of All the Ugly Things
“Hudson.” I spun to face him, and for the first time since I’d met him, caught a flicker of nerves before he swiped it away with one of his charming smiles.
“Again. Anyone who takes you out on a date should make the effort.”
Oh boy, had he. I practically drifted on air toward the table that was already set. Gold-colored chargers sat on a white tablecloth beneath white and gold-lined fine china plates. Pale peach rose petals graced the white linens with a large bouquet in the middle, surrounded with tapered and lit candles in holders that matched the fine china and charger plates.
“This was unnecessary.” My fingertip ran along the edge of his table. I glanced at him to see him at the kitchen counter, pulling a champagne bottle out of a bucket and ice.
“It’s non-alcoholic,” he said, as if he could sense my unease.
“Why?”
He unpeeled the gold paper around the neck of the bottle. “Because you said you can’t have alcohol.”
“No. I mean, why all this? For a dinner to celebrate a part-time job and a B on an accounting test?”
“Maybe because when I do something, I want to do everything to the best of my ability.” He popped the cork, making me jump at the unexpected sound and filled two champagne flutes.
As he carried them to me, I wobbled on my heels.
“But—”
His head fell forward so he looked at me through his thick lashes, a pale pink hue blooming on those perfectly carved and clean-shaven cheekbones. “I suspect you’re a person who doesn’t think you’re worthy of much, maybe you’ve never been shown you are, maybe the last six years twisted that, but I think you are. And I wanted to show that to you.”
Emotion threatened to overwhelm me. I was so shocked by all he’d done, I could have been knocked to the floor with a feather. How… how did this kind of guy waltz right into my life?
“If you know what I’ve done…”
“I know enough, Lilly. Which is why I’ve done this.”
He held out a glass and my hand shook as I reached for it. This was too much for someone like me.
My fingers grasped the thin, crystal flute and Hudson clinked them together. “To new beginnings,” he said.
“To new beginnings.” My tone was wistful, bubbling with the faux champagne and that hope rising inside of me, even as I tried to blink back tears.
If Hudson could look at me and see the girl I should have been and not the girl I was… was it truly possible others could as well?
21
Lilly
He’d ordered food from the local seafood restaurant,Splash!After we toasted, he guided me to my seat at the kitchen table which not only backed me up to the kitchen, but gave me a view of the city. His penthouse apartment was lavish and modernly decorated. The furniture wasn’t the inexpensive sets as in my apartment, probably purchased at low-end stores for temporary use, but was high quality. Dark woods and tan leather couches highlighted the brick walls. The navy blue accents gave everything a masculine vibe. While his apartment was sparsely decorated, the built-in bookshelves next to the gas fireplace holding no personal photographs, it was still warm and welcoming.
He plated our food, admitting, “I can do many things well, but cooking isn’t near the top of that list, so I ordered out.”
I clasped my hands together and silently encouraged myself not to screw this night up.
He’d called me beautiful.
He told me men should make effort when taking me on a date.
While he didn’t exactly act like thiswasa date, he gave me hints—perhaps to my own naivety—he considered this one.
I gasped as he slid my plate in front of me, taking the seat just around the corner from me as his.
“Please tell me you’re not allergic to shellfish.”
“No.” I grinned at him, eyes misty from all the emotions of the evening and his care and chivalry. “Lobster… it’s one of my favorites and it’s been so long.”
