Hudson met my gaze from across the room and gave me a slight nod. Hopefully, that was his way of saying he was on my side. I just didn't want to be alone.
"You said you'd consider our opinions about new businesses. No one wants a lingerie shop on our street. Christmas Town is supposed to be family friendly?—"
Before I could process his response, Eve said, "Yet you don't have an issue with Belle's Bookshop."
"Belle sells books." Bill waved wildly at me. "Angela sells—sexy stuff.”
Clara scoffed.
Belle stood. "Mr. Paxton, are you aware that I've been selling Angela's “sexy stuff” in my bookshop for the last few weeks, and it's been continually selling out?"
He sputtered. "Why was that allowed? Why was I not notified?"
"It doesn't seem like anyone has a problem with purchasing lingerie. We've been pairing panties with blind books. The customers love it." Belle's voice rang clear through the room, and several shop owners nodded.
Bill growled. "I didn't want to bring this up, but I have no choice?—"
What could he be talking about? He'd accused me of selling sex toys, but Hudson had told him that wasn't true.
"It's come to my attention that she hosted a sexy photo shoot in her shop and posted her pictures online." Bill moved toward the projector that was always present in the hall for meetings. Someone dimmed the lights, and he turned it on. A picture of me in that red teddy posed on the chaise lounge showed brightly on the wall in the front of the room.
I felt sick. It wasn't the picture that I'd posted online; it looked more like the one I shot with Hudson. My cleavage was on display, and my legs were spread lewdly. It looked dirty and not special like I'd remembered it.
How had he gotten a picture that Hudson had taken with my camera? Then I remembered that he'd taken a few with his phone. He'd even asked permission, promising not to share them with anyone else, and I'd trusted him.
I gripped the chair in front of me so hard that my knuckles were white. I wanted to flee, but at the same time, I needed to stay and fight for my business. Was there anything worth fighting for anymore?
My relationship with Hudson was in full color on the wall in front of me.
Cooper who'd been standing off to the side, moved toward the projector and turned it off.
I was grateful he’d stepped in, but the damage was done. My reputation was in tatters. There was no way Eve would ever support my lease renewal.
The room erupted into talking and arguing. My head ached, and I couldn't see straight. I might have been crying. I wasn't sure.
I swayed, then moved toward the aisle, needing to get out of the room. Surely, I could draw in a deep breath if I was outside. All I could think about was getting to Ayla and taking her home.
I shouldn't have trusted Hudson with something as intimate as those pictures. Now everyone had seen them and drawn their own conclusions. No one would want my business to reopen now. Everything was ruined. And what if Ayla found out, or kids started talking about her mother in school?
We'd have to move. This was worse than I imagined. I never in a million years thought that those pictures would fall into the hands of someone who wanted to ruin me.
I felt like I was in a trance as I moved.
Clara reached for me. "Angela, wait?—"
"I've got her," Cooper said, grabbing my elbow.
"I just need to get Ayla."
"I've got you." He guided me outside and into the cool night air.
They were comforting words but not coming from the man I needed to hear them from. He walked me to the bookstore in silence. When we reached the door, he paused. "Are you going to be okay?"
"I always am."
He ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know what happened in there, or why Bill posted that picture?—"
"The question is, how did he get it? Hudson was the only one who had those pictures. He promised me he would never share them."
