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“No, it isn’t. But yes. There’s a problem with what you sent me last night.” Rain sauntered over to the desk and dropped into a chair, kicking the edge of his Converse up on the wood.
“Get your fucking shoes off my…”
Rain dropped his foot before Hudson could finish his sentence. “You sent a blank document instead of product notes.”
Hudson blinked, then swore quietly under his breath as he flipped his laptop open and pulled up the document. There it was—filled out but unsaved, so the file that had sent out was still blank. He rectified the situation with a couple of keystrokes, then sent it off to Rain’s inbox.
“Sorry. Long night.”
The look Rain gave him was pure pity which made Hudson want to put his fist through a concrete wall. Rain had obviously overheard Eli talking about his damn mother and her antics, so not only was he forced to put up with her narcissistic bullshit, but also people feeling sorry for him because of it.
“Please don’t,” Hudson said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “It’s not a big deal.”
“I just know you—”
“I’m being serious,” Hudson said, trying not to snap. He was attempting the whole “being nice” thing that Eli was always bitching at him about. Which…was fair. He wasn’t the kindest boss, and it was only the fact that his employees didn’t mind being bossed around and bitched at that they didn’t slap him with a two week notice and leave him hanging.
But he knew damn well Rain and Aspen didn’t deserve his bad attitude.
Checking his phone, Rain looked up with a grin after he finished reading. “New product is that good, huh?” His sarcastic tone could almost be described as adorable.
Hudson shrugged, feeling oddly defensive and vulnerable after Rain could see his genuine reaction to using sex toys. It was the one part of the job he truly hated. “I’ve had better. I’ve created better.” It wasn’t a lie—the new toy was good. There was just more truth involved, and part of that was the reason he’d been looking at Peyton’s Instagram.
He wasn’t looking just because Peyton was hot—which he was. Hudson was a recluse, but he wasn’t dead. But it was the fact that he understood Peyton’s frustrations better than anyone could—and the lack of resources to fix them.
And granted, Hudson had no experience with what Peyton was going through in regards to his body, but he knew what it felt like to lose control with no idea how to regain it. After his own surgery, he was given all of the medical literature regarding his recovery, his paralysis, and the complications that would cause in his sex life which had terrified him.
And he imagined that when Peyton’s doctors went over the changes to his body, and what it would mean for him, he went through the same.
Hudson recognized the notes of resentment and frustration and anger in Peyton’s voice when he talked about it. And that had been on his mind when he’d been writing up his notes for the new toy. Would this work for someone in Peyton’s position? Would anything on their line offer him the ability to reclaim pleasure in his body, and the control he’d lost?
The conclusion he’d come to that night was a definitive ‘no’. Or well, a definitive ‘he didn’t think so’.
“What are you thinking?” Rain asked, leaning forward.
Hudson let out a soft breath. “Do we have uh…anything on the line for someone with…” He trailed off and for the first time that morning, flushed a bit. He’d been researching Peyton’s condition and apparently the common term for it actually was Barbie Butt. Hudson wasn’t quite sure he could actually say those words.
“Someone with what?” Rain pressed.
Hudson ran a hand down his face. “Don’t fuckin’ laugh because it’s not funny, okay?” He sat back and tapped his fingers on his knee, feeling the dull pressure over his jeans. “You ever heard of Crohn’s?”
“Yes. I don’t live under a bridge,” Rain said with an eye roll. “And why the hell would I laugh at Crohn’s?”
Hudson stared at him with a flat expression. “Excuse me for not assuming. I didn’t know this was a thing until last night, okay?”
Rain held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, fair. I mean, a lot of peopledokind of make fun of it since you know, it’s like…the whole shitting thing.”
Hudson let out a frustrated sigh and wished he could be a little less awkward when it came to conversations like that. “Just…I mean.” He cleared his throat. “Say a person who has a penis doesn’t ah…can’t. Say that their asshole got sewn up.”
Rain stared at him with a vague look of horror. “What?”
“It’s a thing that happens,” Hudson quickly defended. “Crohn’s complications.”
Rain, to his credit, quickly collected himself. “Is it you? Is that something you have going on?”
Hudson shook his head. “No. I met someone last night…”
“Oh fuck. Oh shit. Your neighbor,” Rain said, his eyes lighting up. “Eli was saying the dude has a stoma. The hottie baker.”
