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“As long as I get to spend time alone with you, I’ve got no objections.”
“Aw, I know you can’t get enough of me. You don’t have to make it even more obvious.” I teased, winking and playing with her cheeks.
“Or maybe I’m just after meeting someone much more suitable at the dinner,” she said, taking her eyes away from me and pretending to suddenly focus on her phone.
“You wouldn’t dare,” I threatened playfully.
She still wouldn’t say a word. She kept an indifferent face and hummed a song quietly, a coy smile spreading across her face.
I grabbed her by the waist and flipped her so she was now lying with her back on the sofa. She had begun to laugh hysterically.
“You’re mine and mine alone,” I said, laughing too. Then I kissed her and placed my head on her bosom. She rubbed my head gently like a mother trying to get her baby to sleep. I closed my eyes and just lay there.
Chapter 12
Madison
We got to the party at exactly 7:00 p.m., my hand locked in Hudson’s as we walked through the doors.
“Mr. Powell!” a middle-aged man called out from across the room.
Hudson beamed a smile and whispered to me, “That’s Dean. He runs a chain of businesses across the Pacific.”
We exchanged pleasantries with Dean and a couple of other businessmen and -women. Hudson seemed to be quite the figure. I wondered if all these people had reached out to him all the while he was drowning in isolation.
A waiter walked past with a tray filled with drinks. Hudson grabbed two glasses of wine and handed one to me.
“For your thirst,” he said.
I laughed and accepted the glass from him. “Thank you. When do you get to give your speech?”
“Any moment from now. Are you tired already?”
“Oh no, I’m just excited to watch you address the crowd from up there. I’ll strongly resist the urge to scream into everyone’s ears, 'That’s my man!’” I watched him laugh heartily, then held him still to adjust his tie.
“That would be so cute,” he commented, caressing my arm and smoothening my hair right after. “You look so beautiful in this dress. I feel so bad for the organizers. You stole the event right off their hands.”
“You’ve been saying the same thing since the boutique and throughout the drive here. I could drown in these compliments.”
Hudson smiled and blew me a kiss.
Dean was the first speaker at the event. He gave a long speech on business models and dynamics before stepping down from the podium. Hudson was introduced next. He was heralded by a round of applause as he walked up the podium. I clapped the loudest.
He smiled as broadly as he could muster and greeted everyone. My concentration was fixed on him. I gave room to nothing else. Before beginning his talk, he expressed gratitude to the organizers for the privilege to give a talk, as well as to a couple of his friends and partners.
“So, girlfriend, huh? Good thing he hasn’t put a ring on it yet,” a voice suddenly spoke up right beside me. The figure had leaned toward me and had spoken in a hushed tone like he didn’t want anyone else to hear what he had to say.
I was moved by irritation toward his words to take a peek at him. The statement was yet to make any sense to me. It did, however, as soon as I caught sight of the figure.
“Dylan, hey! Wh-what are you doing here?” I tried not to stutter visibly. He was the last person I had expected to see here tonight.
“Why? You didn’t think I would have any smart business insights to share as well?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to. Your question sounded like you were questioning my right to be here.”
“I’m sorry if it seemed that way. I just didn’t expect to see you here in Oklahoma.”
