Tonight is different though and Hudson isn’t Erik. He’s nothing like him. I’m determined to let this night be a good one, pushing aside all the negativity to enjoy it. Then I would lock the memory of it away and relive on a rainy day. I took Missy’s words to heart and I promised myself to put them to work.
The doorbell sounds, causing my heart rate to spike and my knees wobble.
“Alice, he’s here,” Missy’s calls, her voice carrying up the stairs. I swallow hard, giving myself a final once-over before leaving the safety of the guest bedroom. I descend the stairs slowly. I’m afraid my weakened legs might not hold me. I can feel his eyes on me when I reach the bottom step. I subconsciously tuck my short locks behind my ears and peek up at him, biting my lip.
My breath catches in my chest. Damn, he is gorgeous. His tousled hair, still wet from the shower went well with his scruffy face. I’m not a fan of the clean cut look on a man anyways. I don’t know what it is about the scruff but it makes me want to run my fingers across it. The subtle smell his cologne hit my nose as he steps closer, causing me to shiver from the memory of the first time he held me in his arms. He’s wearing a pair of dark denim jeans and a black long-sleeve button up, untucked for a more casual look. His black boots complete the outfit perfectly.
“You look beautiful,” he whispers hoarsely and his voice pulls me out of my thoughts, back into the present moment. His eyes sweep the length of my body stopping on my face. He swallows hard and for a moment I’m not sure what he’s thinking. But then he winks at me.
“She looks hot,” Missy declares with a huge smile plastered to her face. She’s been saying that very thing since I put my dress on fifteen minutes ago. Strike that, she said it when I tried it on this afternoon at the store.
She was right about buying it the moment I stepped out of the dressing room. The look on her face and reaction to it sold me almost instantly. It showed more skin than I was used to but Hudson’s reaction makes it well worth it.
My hair closer to my natural chestnut brown, is styled perfectly, its new length tickling my jawbone. It made me feel prettier than I’ve ever felt and the upkeep is going to be a breeze. Missy insisted on a natural palette for my makeup, which I agreed to. I never wore a lot of makeup to begin with, even as a teenager. I didn’t like how it felt on my skin.
I found a comfortable pair of flats to go with my new dress, although Missy fought hard for the matching four inch stilettos I knew I’d never be able to walk in. The flats were more me and I needed something to remind me of who I was underneath the glamour.
“Yes, she looks hot,” Hudson agrees, a devastatingly handsome smile sets onto his face. My heart skips a beat. “Are you ready to go?”
I nod and take a step toward the door. Missy hands me my shawl, which at this point is more for props than warmth. My skin is too warm and flush for it right now. I feel on top of the world as Hudson’s eyes watch my every movement. Yes, this was going to be a good night. He offers me his arm and I take it, giving him a shy smile.
“There it is, the perfect accessory to that dress,” he whispers. His words are only meant for me to hear. “Precious, I’ve been dying all day to see your gorgeous smile.”
I can’t help the burn in my cheeks or the flutter in my belly from his compliment. I forget to remind myself what tonight is really about as we walk out the door. I’m too entranced by the magic swirling around me.
*****
Hudson
I chose to take her to one of my favorite spots. It is a bit on the fancy side but a nice change from the usual dives I haunt. During the day it had a fantastic view of the bay but at night the flicker of lights against the water is magical. I think mostly I chose this place because I knew Missy would make sure Alice got a killer dress for it and I really wanted to see Alice in a dress.
We were seated fairly quickly when we arrived, which is a bit of a relief. The awkwardness was beginning to settle in, neither of us spoke a word the entire ride here. We need to talk but I don’t want to chance ruining the night early on, so I settle into the silence and the awkwardness. I need to find the words to make this right but my brain seems to have forgotten my tongue tonight.
Fuck, I should’ve thought this through a little better.
I sit across from her in strained silence, sipping ice tea. Her eyes are staring off into the dark water beside us. At least the sound of the waves crashing against the surf keeps it from being too silent.
I really didn’t think this through.
She reaches from her purse and I tense, ready for her to flee from the night. I wouldn’t blame her. She opens it and withdraws a small pad of paper and a pen. Holy shit, she is writing. She doesn’t write anything though, just flips the pad open and hands it to me. I prepare for the ass chewing I rightly deserve.