Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 91058 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91058 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
“Jansen, have you had the chance to meet my sister? She’s a first-year in your department.”
Jansen—the guy I saw in Hudson’s office a few weeks ago, the one who had to hurry home to help his wife put his children to sleep—turns in my direction with a nod. “Scarlett, yes. We’ve seen each other around but I haven’t been formally introduced. You’re on Hudson’s team, right?”
We shake hands as I nod and smile. “I work primarily with Sophie, but yes, technically, I’m under Hudson’s umbrella.”
It’s like every time we say his name, we’re casting a spell. I check to see if he’s aware we’re talking about him, but he’s still caught up in conversation with the man on his right.
“Whoa!” someone shouts from behind me. “How’d you do that?! Babe, he took my watch right off my wrist!”
The commotion draws Hudson’s gaze. He looks up, only instead of finding the person who shouted, that piercing brown gaze lands on me. I go rigid as my stomach squeezes tight. There are a dozen people separating us, and yet the heated friction feels like it’s eating away at me. He doesn’t look away. He should…and he doesn’t.
“Excuse me,” I say to the men around me. “I’m going to use the restroom. I’ll be right back.”
I turn and run like I’m actually running from something when really what I’m fleeing from at top speed is that feeling in the pit of my stomach, that curling need I’ve never felt before, not from my current boyfriend, not from any ex-boyfriend. I feel shamed by it and yet I can’t make it stop. Every day, it grows worse.
I misjudge my route and end up curving near the group of other first-years by mistake. Ugh. A few of them catch sight of me and laugh. I feel their judgment like a bad sunburn, but honestly, what’s funny, Danny? I’m in costume and you’re wearing a wrinkled button-down with jeans you bought in high school, so who’s really winning?
“Dorothy?” One of them barks out a loud laugh.
But Kendra, noticeably, stays quiet for once. She’s in costume too—barely. The cat ears and whiskers are a total copout. She watches me pass the group, and I duck my head and keep it moving.
When I leave the bathroom—after I’ve touched up my makeup and stalled (literally in the stall) as long as possible—I know I can’t go back to Nyles and Barrett if they’re still in that group with Hudson, which leaves me to wander aimlessly in search of my parents. I should have known they’d be the center of attention. A magician is performing a trick for my dad while everyone huddles close.
“A cocktail?” a passing waiter asks me, but I smile and shake my head. If I have another, I’ll be teetering haphazardly on these heels, making a fool of myself. As it is, I’m just slightly buzzed, tingly, happy.
I walk around the edge of the party, behind one of the big top circus tents so I’m mostly shielded from the other partygoers. I don’t want my coworkers to see me standing over here by myself.
I reach for my phone and check to see if Jasper has called or texted. The last we talked about it—two days ago—he begrudgingly said he’d try to be here, but now that it’s past 10:00 p.m., I highly doubt he’s going to show. He went to dinner with his parents at 6:00; there’s no way they’re still at the restaurant. He’s had plenty of time to change into his costume and head over, if he even has a costume. I called the shop yesterday to ask if the lion costume had been picked up.
“It’s still here, and unfortunately, your hold expires after lunch. Sorry, store policy around Halloween.”
I couldn’t argue with the clerk, and I wasn’t about to pay the outrageous rental fee for a costume Jasper probably wasn’t even going to wear anyway. I thanked them for putting it on hold in the first place and hung up.
Now, I call Jasper, holding the phone up to my ear as I look out over the railing. This rooftop has one of the best views of anywhere in the city, almost better than our office, especially with how close we are to the harbor and riverwalk. People are boozin’ and cruisin’ out on the blue water. All the big yachts are out along the river.
Jasper’s phone rings and rings, and I feel silly hanging on to hope until the last moment, when it cuts to voicemail.
“You’ve reached Jasper Beringer. Leave a message.”
I don’t. I hang up and slip my phone back into my Toto purse just as someone comes to join me at the balcony railing. I want it to be Hudson so bad that when I look and find it really is him, I almost don’t believe it at first.