Chapter 8

 

 

 

The next day, Hudson stood in his living room, watching Gina and her photographer set up silver and black lighting umbrellas for the photo shoot. Off to the side, Callie sat at his dining table with her back facing him, getting her makeup done. One thing he liked about Callie was that she wasn’t all smoke and mirrors. She was naturally pretty, so he had no idea what the fuss was all about.

He cracked a grin when he thought back to the other night at her apartment, when she’d answered the door with green goop on her face. Never in his adult life had a woman he’d known let him see her in such a way. Her shamrock-color greeting was startling, to say the least, and the way she balanced on her heels, forcing her to use her chest as a ballast, would be something he wouldn’t forget.

Then how she discussed her grandmother with such endearment. If anything, Callie was the most down-to-earth person he’d ever met. No pretenses, no phoniness, just her. There had been no doubt in his head that everything had been a coincidence. That she hadn’t set out to purposely use his name. Still, that didn’t negate the fact that his life was a bit topsy-turvy. She reminded him of the way Izzy spoke of family. In fact, he could see the two of them being friends, another reason why she shouldn’t go to the party.

“Okay, how are we doing?” Gina asked, walking up to him. Her eyes narrowed. “Did you have your makeup done?”

“You’re kidding, right?”

She burst out laughing. “Yes, geez, lighten up.” Hudson brought his focus back to Callie, who stood and turned to face them. Stunning. That was the only word that came to his mind. Thankfully, the makeup artist hadn’t made her look like an Andy Warhol painting. Instead, muted colors merely accentuated her features.

“You’re beautiful,” he said without thinking.

Callie tipped her head to the side before her pearly whites appeared between soft, pink lips. “Thank you.”

“Sweetie,” Gina said, lifting Callie’s hands to the side. “You look gorgeous. I’m so happy you decided on those white jeans; seriously, your butt looks amazing.”

“It’s the heels,” Callie said, looking down at her feet. “Are you sure this navy top looks okay? Maybe I should put on the black one.”

“No, it goes with Hudson’s gray sport coat.” Gina gave him a once-over. “You wear jeans well too.”

“Gina, we’re ready,” the photographer said.

“Okay, lovebirds, it’s time.”

Hudson and Callie looked at one another. “This should be fun.”

Callie just laughed. “You’ll get used to her. And let me remind you that being a couple was your idea.”

“No reminding needed.”

Gina stood next to the photographer barking out directions. First she wanted Callie and Hudson in his kitchen. In one shot, he poured her a glass of wine; in the next they were raising their glasses for a toast, then, of course, taking a sip while staring lovingly into each other’s eyes. That last shot took longer than it should have, since Callie couldn’t stop snickering.

The camera’s shutter mimicked a machine gun, capturing each blink frame by frame as the photographer moved around them.

“Okay, set your wine down on the counter.” They followed Gina’s instructions. “You two need to kiss.”

Callie’s eyes widened before sending laser beams of misfortune in Gina’s direction. Granted, he had been taken a bit aback by her request, but it made sense if the pair were a couple. They needed to sell this, and Hudson needed her readers to stop sending him things. He admired their dedication, and if it hadn’t been so inconvenient for him, he’d think it was cool that Callie’s readers loved her words so much.

Without touching, they angled their bodies toward one another. Callie puckered her lips as though she were in a lipstick commercial.

“Sweetie, this isn’t spin the bottle in the second grade,” Gina said.

Hudson and Callie both snapped their heads toward her.

“Who plays spin the bottle in the second grade?” Callie asked.

Gina waved her hand back and forth. “Whatever. You two need to buck up and sell this.”

Callie grimaced. “Geez, you make it sound so tawdry.”

Hudson brought his attention back to Callie. “Can we just do this please?”

“Yes, Mr. Impatient.”

Taking a breath, her pale-green eyes searched his when she looked at him. He couldn’t tell if it was excitement, fear, or a combination of both. Doing his best to ignore the onslaught of shutter clicks, he cupped her cheeks and leaned down. Just as he was about to make contact, Callie burst into a fit of laughter.

Dropping his hands, he took a step back and shook his head. “Really?” During his adult life, and his teen one, for that matter, a woman laughing when he was about to kiss her had never been the reaction. Once again, Callie Richardson surprised him.

She dabbed the skin beneath her eyes to collect a bit of moisture that had escaped. He had a feeling that if she ruined her makeup, Gina wouldn’t be pleased. Then, like a prizefighter, Callie rolled her head from side to side as though she needed to crack her neck and bounced on the balls of her feet. He half expected a bell to go off. She shook out her hands at her sides. “Okay, sorry, I’m just nervous.”

“Fine,” he grumbled. “You good now?”

Callie nodded, giving him the green light. Once again, he cupped her cheeks and leaned in. When he saw her lips turn up at the corners, and her nose crinkle, he should have stopped. Instead, he licked his lips and went in for the kill… so to speak. Despite it not being overly sensual, it didn’t prevent his body from coming to life. Suddenly, he became hyperaware of his surroundings, yet he didn’t care. Callie must have felt it, too, because her hands wrapped around his wrists, pushing the band of his watch into his left one, and tightening her grip with each second that passed.

Their lips began to move in sync, and he’d bet money that the photographer would assume they’ve been together for a long time rather than for a short-term fake relationship.

When they broke apart, Hudson and Callie locked eyes. No snickering. No banter. Not anything. Everything just stilled.

Gina cleared her throat, breaking through the silence. “Okay, well, wow.” The pair took a step back. “Why don’t you two take a break. I think we’re all set.”

Hudson glanced over to find the photographer closing one of his silver umbrellas and packing a few lenses away in a padded case. Thank God it was over. He steered Callie toward the back door, opened it to the sounds of birds and a few other creatures that replaced the clicking of the camera shutter he’d been listening to.

He stood on his stone patio and took a breath. Callie’s perfume mingled with the flowers arranged in the corner pots.

“Your home is beautiful. I figured you’d live closer to the city.”

“No, I like it out here. Horse farms and green space. It’s only thirty minutes from the office.” He paused, thinking about the dream house he would one day design and build. The one he currently lived in was a temporary place to hang his hat. “Depending on traffic, of course.”

Callie leaned up against the railing. “So you weren’t in the area when you brought me dinner.”

“Well, I was on my way home from work, so technically, after a few turns and a couple of miles, I was.”

She nodded with a smile. “Any more gifts today?”

“I don’t know. The mail room is instructed to send them back. If they don’t have a return address, they get donated to a women’s shelter.”

“You donated lacy thongs to a women’s shelter?”

“Don’t forget bras. They probably think I have a fetish.”

Her lips quirked up at the corners. Hudson shook his head. “Go ahead, get it out. I can tell you’re ready to explode.”

Callie covered her mouth for a minute before lifting her hand toward him. “I’m so… sorry… I know… it’s not funny.”

Hudson waited for her to get it all out of her system. After a few small hiccups, she straightened herself and let out a whoosh of air.

“Are you done?” he asked.

Callie nodded. “Yes.” She cleared her throat. “It just struck me funny.”

“Trust me, it isn’t funny.”

She shrugged. “Right. Well, I’m going to go and get my things. Hopefully Gina’s photographer captured enough to make us look believable.”

His mind wandered to the kiss and how her reaction appeared to be genuine. A notion he had to get right out of his head. Callie skirted by, leaving a trail of sweet perfume that reminded him of lavender.

“The photographer just left. Thank you for letting us use your home,” Gina said, joining him outside. “You and Callie look to be getting along rather well.”

“Yes.”

“I know you guys weren’t involved in a meet-cute and that it’s fake, but regardless of the circumstances, a word of warning?”

Hudson nodded.

“Callie is one of the sweetest people I know and one of the toughest. She’d kick my butt into next week if she knew I was saying any of this, but I’m going to anyway. Don’t hurt her. She’s doing this as a favor to you.” He opened his mouth, but Gina lifted her hand to halt him. “You and I both know you wouldn’t have a leg to stand on to force her to delist the book. She could have very easily called your bluff, but she didn’t. Callie may say I’m way off base, but that’s how I see it. So, again, don’t do anything that will make me come back here and smack your handsome mug. Got it?”

Hudson thought about what Gina had said. He wasn’t sure if she was right or not. Nor when he went to meet Callie did he go in with the ultimatum in mind. It had just fallen into place.

“First of all, I have no idea what a meet-cute is. Second, my intention isn’t to hurt anyone. Third, I appreciate the warning. Now, are we done here?”

Gina nodded. “Good luck tomorrow. Morgan has a way of getting people to talk.”

“Noted. I’m ready.”

Callie stepped out onto the patio. “Everything okay out here?”

“Yes, everything is fine. Just wanted to wrap a few things up,” Gina said before stepping inside the house.

When Callie looked at him, he smiled. “Like Gina said, everything is fine. Drive safely, and I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Okay, good luck,” Callie said with a quick wave.

He watched the ladies leave before grabbing a beer and plopping himself onto the couch. Needing a bit of normalcy, he clicked the television on to the baseball game. Tomorrow, he thought. After the interview everything would start to get back to the way it should be. At least, he hoped it would.

Hudson arrived at his office earlier than usual. He had told Keira he wasn’t to be disturbed because he was being interviewed. There were only a few people in his circle who knew the story: his assistant, who had the loyalty of a Labrador retriever, and Jack, whom he trusted with his life.

Gifts, photos, and invitations to various events still arrived at his office or in his email. It would be comical, flattering even, if it hadn’t been so intrusive.

His phone dinged, alerting him he had five minutes before Morgan would be calling him via video chat. He fired up his laptop, opened the webinar-style app, put his earbuds in, and waited. A man wearing a headset popped up in the center of the screen.

“Good morning, Mr. Newman. I’m JJ, one of the associate producers. Before we go live, I’d like to test the microphone and camera. Can you see and hear me?”

“Hello, JJ. Yes, I hear and see you.”

He felt his Adam’s apple bob and his nerves kick up. Why this needed to be a live segment baffled him. Hudson had participated in his share of interviews and meetings, and he had been on television once for a charity event, but this was different. This was about him and his relationship, something, if real, he’d never discuss in such a forum.

“Fantastic.” JJ put the small mic to his mouth. “All set on three.” He looked at Hudson. “Just relax, everything will be fine.”

Hudson nodded, and JJ’s face was replaced with the show’s logo. “Ten seconds,” echoed in his ears, right before he heard, “and three, two, one…”

The morning show was set with a small navy couch, a side table, and a flatscreen television next to Morgan. If it weren’t for the DC skyline providing a backdrop, it would look like an ordinary living room. Morgan sat on the right side of the sofa, and when she made eye contact with the camera, her red-tinted lips spread into a wide smile.

“When this story came across my desk, I couldn’t wait to talk to our next guest. A few weeks ago, romance author Lily May released her debut novel, Ready to Fall. A friend of mine who happens to be Lily’s agent sent me a copy. Well, let me tell you…” She stopped to lift the book from the table in front of her, then proceeded to fan her face with her free hand. “I couldn’t stop reading.” She set the book back down. “And as wonderful as the story is, that isn’t what this segment is about. Well, not really. What it is about is the hero in the book, or to be more specific, the hero’s name, Hudson Newman.”

She pivoted on the sofa and angled herself to a different camera. “It seems that although the name is fictitious, it also happens to be the name of a prominent businessman in our community. Who, I’m happy to say, is joining us.”

Just then, Hudson saw his face on the screen next to Morgan’s. He prayed his heartbeat wouldn’t be picked up by the mic on his headphones. “Good morning, Mr. Newman. Thank you for joining me.”

“It’s my pleasure. Thank you for having me, and please call me Hudson.”

“Hudson,” she said with a slight lilt in her voice. “So, I’m going to get right down to it. I understand you’ve been receiving gifts and even a few marriage proposals.”

“That’s right. Apparently having the same name as a book hero will do that.” He nervously chuckled. “But I can assure you, Lily May’s character was not based on me. The only common denominator is our name, which is coincidental.”

“Have you read Ready to Fall?”

“Yes,” he laughed. “I have. Lily May sure knows how to write a love story.” As annoying as everything had been, he knew that Callie had worked hard on the novel. Throwing her under the bus suddenly didn’t feel right. Then he added, “My girlfriend is familiar with it as well.”

Morgan brought her hand to her chest, almost thumping the small mic clipped to the collar of her dress. “Yes, that’s right, ladies. This Hudson Newman has already fallen.”

A picture popped up of him and Callie on his back patio. They were both laughing. After all their posed shots, the one Gina decided to send to the news station had been candid, and one he hadn’t even known about. He was sure Callie didn’t know about it either. Then it flipped to an image of their staged kiss.

When he realized he was blankly staring, he smiled.

“She’s a very lucky lady. What does she think of all the attention you’ve received?”

“Thank you, Morgan. Callie was a bit surprised by all of it but found it to be very sweet. She is a very kind person, and I wouldn’t want anything negative to be directed toward her. I’m not implying that would happen—after all, these are fans of romance. Also, I’d like to suggest something, if I may.”

“Of course, go ahead.”

“Rather than spend the money and send gifts to me, I’d encourage everyone to send the gifts to people who need them.” He paused, thinking about the gifts that would be appropriate only for brothels and amended his statement. “I’m not encouraging them to send just lingerie to women’s shelters or charities, but rather purchase something they can use or donate the money. I’m quite certain they can use it more than I could.” Hudson winked.

“That’s a wonderful idea. We will post a list of women’s shelters on our website.” Morgan once again pivoted toward the other camera. “Thank you for taking the time out of your day, Hudson. Although I’m sure you’ve broken a few hearts this morning, I wish you and Callie all the best.”

“Thank you, Morgan. I appreciate that.”

“And now, let’s see what’s happening on the roads. Ted, how’s it looking this morning?”

The screen flashed and JJ appeared. “Thank you, Mr. Newman.”

“My pleasure.” He pulled his earbuds out of his ears and tossed them onto his desk. His phone dinged with an incoming message from Gina.

Great job.

Thank you. Nice pictures.

I thought so. I’ll send them to you. Gotta run. Have a good day and thanks again.

Another message came through with the two images he saw just a few moments ago. He studied them, and even he was fooled by how much they looked like a couple. Now all he hoped for was that everyone else would buy it as well so his life would regain some resemblance of how it was before Hudson Newman became a hashtag.