Hey. Sorry to bother you while you’re with your friends, but I’m sort of having an emergency with my appointment right now. The client wants to see the Royal Gardens mock-ups today instead of next week. I didn’t bring that portfolio. Are you near the office by any chance? If not,that’s fine. I just wondered if you would mind grabbing it and swinging by the appointment to drop it off.
“Shit,” I muttered. “Hudson has a client emergency.”
Anica grinned. “Go handle it. We’ll meet for brunch tomorrow before our flight.”
I thanked them both, hugged them, and hopped in my car. I wasn’t close to the office, but I didn’t mind swinging by. I don’t know why I didn’t mind. I don’t know why I was helping my so-called rival. I don’t know why my tummy did a pathetic little flip at the thought of seeing him again.
Thanks to evening traffic, it took me longer to get to the office and then to the address he had texted me. But I finally got there and found Hudson sitting with a middle-aged woman and who I assumed was her daughter.
“Here’s your portfolio,” I said in a bright tone, handing it to Hudson. “Sorry it took me so long. Traffic was a bitch.”
“Perfect timing,” he said, coughing at the same time I swore. Hudson clearly knew me too well. “Mrs. Voto, Camille, this is my… colleague, Mari Landry.”
Mrs. Voto’s expression shifted from polite interest to cold recognition. “Landry? The one from that dreadful expo incident?”
My smile froze. Of course she’d seen the viral video of Hudson and me wrestling amid fire extinguisher foam, glitter, and ash. Just my luck.
“That was an unfortunate misunderstanding,” I began, but Mrs. Voto was already turning to her daughter.
“Camille, perhaps we should reconsider our options. If Mr. Gable associates with... unprofessional elements...” Her tone was a waffle cone dripping with melting disdain-flavored ice cream.
Okay, maybe that was a bit dramatic. But clearly she didn’t like me, judging by the way she wrinkled her nose at me. And I’d even showered that morning.
I braced myself for Hudson to throw me under the bus. It would be the smart move business-wise. Instead, he straightened.
“Mrs. Voto, I understand your concern, but I should clarify something. The incident you’re referring to was equally my fault, despitewhat my mother may have told people in her social circle. In fact, Ms. Landry and I are now partners on the Kussikov-Martin wedding. Our complementary skills have made us quite an effective team.”
I stared at him, stunned. He was defending me?
“The Kussikov-Martin wedding? As in Lia Martin, the director?” Camille perked up, her interest clearly piqued.
“The very same,” Hudson confirmed. “Now, shall we look at these concepts? Ms. Landry actually had some brilliant input.”
Just like that, the moment passed, though Mrs. Voto’s icy demeanor didn’t thaw in the slightest. Hudson stood, pulling out a chair for me to join them. He pulled me into a discussion about starlight effects and constellation projections. Thirty minutes later, Camille Voto enthusiastically signed a contract with Hudson, while her mother glared at me across the table. I had half a mind to stick my tongue out at her, but I refrained for Hudson’s sake.
Outside, I waited until the Votos’ car door closed before turning to Hudson.
“You didn’t have to do that. Defend me, I mean. You could have just agreed with her.”
He looked genuinely confused. “Why would I do that? She was wrong.”
“It would have been the easy way out. Secured the client without complications.”
“It would have been dishonest,” he said simply. “And you’re my partner. On the Kussikov-Martin wedding, I mean,” he added quickly.
Tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, I gave him a small smile. “Well, thank you. I appreciate it.”
“You’re the one who saved the appointment. The least I could do was give you the credit you deserved.” A frown darkened his face, but only for a moment.
We stood there in awkward silence for a few seconds. The smart move would be to say goodbye, get in my car, and go. That’s what rational Mari would do.
Instead, my mouth decided to go rogue.
“I actually have something I want to show you. Back at the office. If you have time.” The words tumbled out before my brain could catch up and shove them back in.
Hudson looked surprised. “Now?”
“I mean, if you have other plans, that’s fine. It can wait. It’s not urgent. Just something I’ve been working on that I thought you might...” I was rambling. Why was I rambling?
