I take in a sudden breath. “I- I don’t know,” I stammer. “I do, but not if I have to pretend the whole time,” I confess.
“Pretend?” Jayden questions, her face twisting in confusion.
“It’s something that—”
The phone rings, catching our attention. I sigh and lean over Jayden to answer it.
“Yeah?” I answer.
“It’s ‘yes’, not ‘yeah’,” Landon scorns.
I roll my eyes and huff into the line. “Did you need something?”
“Your client is here. Send Jayden down,” Landon demands before hanging up. I growl and slam the phone down.
“That him?” Jayden asks, jutting her chin toward the phone.
“Yeah, it was. He wants you downstairs. My client is here,” I inform, fidgeting with my fingers.
Jayden nods and stands. She walks to the door and stops, looking over her shoulder at me.
“Charlie, you’re a good person. You may not come from a lot, but that doesn’t make you any less special. But this?” She point to the walls, ceiling, everything that makes up the Blackwell Estate. “These people are not good people. Don’t let them ruin you.” She turns the doorknob and exits, leaving me in an emotional state. I know her heart is in a good place, but I don’t care. My heart won’t listen. It wants what it wants, and it wants Landon. My heart aches as soon as his name drifts through my mind.
I care about Landon, but I’m not so sure he cares about me. Jayden, she cares about me. I need to keep focused on my client tonight and think about how to get out of here. Away from Landon, and back to Jayden.
I throw the white dress Landon ordered me to wear to the side and look for something else. Defying Landon feels great. I grab a sequined dress with silver jewels around the bust which slowly fades into blue. It’s strapless and will reveal a lot of my back, but it’s beautiful and will show Landon I couldn’t care less about pleasing him. It’s a step into the right direction of being done with him.
I put it on and grab some silver heels from a shoe box. Tilting my head upside-down, I ruffle my hair, giving it some volume before running to the bathroom and applying some bluish eye shadow and red lipstick.
I head toward the stairs, the noise of the crowd below informing me everyone is here. My heart picks up its beat, and my palms begin to sweat. I’m not sure how well I’ll do around a big crowd.
Rounding the banister, I find the floor littered with people dressed from tuxes to the most colorful of dresses. I swallow hard and look down at my dress, suddenly insecure.
“This is Charlie, your escort for the evening,” Landon introduces. I force my legs to move, taking me down the steps. I look up from watching my feet, making sure I don’t trip over my dress, and find Landon. He’s standing beside a gorgeous man with dirty-blond hair, buzzed on the sides, longer on top, and swept to the side. He has high cheekbones, thin lips, and cheeks full of blond stubble. He’s tall, built, and looks hot in his black tux and blue tie.
“I’m Hudson. Hudson Mathew. And my, my, am I lucky tonight or what?” he compliments, his voice scratchy but so sexy.
I blush and shift on my feet nervously. When someone compliments me, I don’t know how to react or what to say.
“Thank you,” I respond, tucking a loose hair behind my ear. Landon sighs loudly, catching my attention. Squinting, his hands in his pockets, he looks displeased. I look down at myself, curious if I have done something wrong, when I realize I didn’t wear the dress he wanted. I look back up and smirk at him, a blaze of excitement at my rogue behavior coursing through me.
“Shall we, Hudson?” I ask, still staring at Landon with a look of satisfaction.
“Yes, of course,” Hudson responds, hooking his arm into the crook of my own.
Walking into the ballroom, I can’t help but gasp. There are a bunch of little tables with the most gorgeous décor setting on them. Some kind of white candle holders contain three candlesticks with white and light orange-colored roses wrapped around it. Looking up, there are a paper flowers matching the color of the roses on the table; there must be hundreds of them. Not to mention the millions of twinkle lights surrounding the tables, dance floor, and doors leading to an outside patio I hadn’t noticed before.
How was all this put together in a matter of hours?
“Are you hungry?” Hudson asks, gesturing toward a table.
“Yes, thank you.” We head over to a table, and Hudson pulls a chair out for me to sit before sitting himself. I can’t help but smile at his manners.
“Landon said you were breathtaking.” Hudson grins and runs his hand through his hair, shaking his head.
“Landon said that?” My mouth forms into a big smile thinking about Landon calling me ‘breathtaking’.
Hudson smirks and gives a small nod. “He did.” He chuckles.
I wince at my thoughts. No Landon. Who cares what he thinks? He isn’t thinking of you.
I place my hand on Hudson’s arm, trying to get him to loosen up. I look around the room, curious if Landon is watching. Just as I turn my head back toward Hudson, my eyes find Landon. He’s looking right at me, his brows pinched together like he’s angry. His black hair, which was swept back, is now disheveled, like he’s been running his hands through it countless times. He looks over his shoulder suddenly and I frown in confusion at first, but then I see Tabatha wrap herself around his side.
I take a deep breath, trying to control my jealousy, and look back at Hudson. He takes a sip of his water and looks at me.
“You have this raw beauty about you that you just don’t see in girls anymore,” Hudson compliments, his words making me swoon. Not enough, though, because I find myself looking back over at Landon and Tabatha. Her hands are on his chest and down around his backside. With that, I grab Hudson by the lapels of his jacket and smash my red lips to his. It’s not intimate, and there’s no spark, but it’s needed to taunt Landon. With the way he’s been playing with me, it’s only fair that I get to mess with his head right back.
Hudson’s eyes widen, and he resists briefly before giving in and returning the kiss. I open my eyes, looking over at where Landon was standing, finding it empty. I pull away from Hudson and look around, but I don’t see Landon anywhere. I sigh and run my hands through my hair in irritation.
After eating salmon and drinking wine, the DJ puts on Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros singing “Mondo Bongo.” My lips part and my fingers grip the tablecloth with unease. The song Landon and I danced to. Images of my lustful state and his heavy stare flash behind my eyes.
“Do you want to dance?” Hudson asks, pulling me from my thoughts. My stomach falls, and my eyes widen. Landon showed me how to dance, but I’m not sure if I can pull it off. Especially if my mind keeps taking me back to the way Landon’s skilled fingers explored me while this song played.
“Sure,” I respond weakly. Hudson grabs my hand, his palm not near as big as Landon’s, and pulls me to the dance floor. I exhale a shaky breath and straighten my back, perfecting my frame. I raise my arms to place on Hudson’s shoulder and arm, getting into stance. Hudson cups my hand, his palm warm and slightly larger than mine, and his other hand tucks underneath my other arm and around my back. He smiles at me and takes the lead, my feet following on instinct. I keep my chin held high, my frame locked as Hudson whisks us across the dance floor. His body isn’t as toned or muscled as Landon. In fact, Hudson’s sloppy compared to him.
Hudson dips his head toward me, the smell of soap strong. “You’re really good at this,” he whispers. I turn my head and give a tight-lipped smile.
“Who taught you to dance like this, baby?” Hudson continues. I have to bite my cheek at his term of endearment, as it sounds ridiculous coming from his mouth.
“Umm,” I mutter.
“I’ll take it from here, Hudson.” Landon thrusts his arm between us, causing us to separate.
“What are you doing?” I ask, irritated, yet my body melts.