When I walk past the pool, I can see our table, all decorated with pretty flowers underneath a white canopy. A waiter is already standing there to the side along with the other camera guy, Jean, and unfortunately, Hudson is there, looking at the menu, dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and a light blue, short-sleeved button-down shirt. I wonder what he’s going to say when I tell him who I am.
“Here we go,” I whisper under my breath.
Hudson notices me approaching and quickly gets up to pull out my chair. It takes all I have not to roll my eyes. There’s no way he’s the gentleman he appears to be. That’s not the Hudson I knew in high school. The table is small so there’s no choice but to be close to him.
“You look beautiful this morning,” he tells me, his voice low.
The way he says it sounds sincere, and I can even see it in those steel gray eyes of his. It catches me off guard. “Thanks,” I say as I sit down.
The waiter smiles at us both and takes our order. It feels awkward sitting there with two cameramen around us, but I try my best to ignore them. The itinerary says to act as if they aren’t there. Kind of hard to do. If only I could ignore Hudson. Instead of looking at him, I focus on the crystal blue ocean.
“I know why you were so angry with me last night,” Hudson confides.
My eyes instantly go to his. “I highly doubt that, but you’re more than welcome to enlighten me,” I quip back with a laugh. “This should be good.”
His expression grows serious, but his attention never wavers from me. “I’m sorry, Allie.”
Hearing him call me Allie freezes me in place. Nobody calls me that except my close friends, but I don’t correct him. Instead, I shrug. “For what?”
“For how I acted last night.” Reaching for my glass of water, I take a sip and look away. “And,” he continues, “I’m sorry for everything that happened when we were in high school.” Stan and Jean glance at each other in shock and my water goes down the wrong way. I choke, coughing until I can catch my breath. Hudson grabs my hand. “Are you okay?”
I pull my hand away. “You’re trying to tell me that last night you didn’t know who I was?”
He nods. “Trust me, I feel stupid about that. I haven’t seen you since we graduated. You look different. I figured you’d be married by now. This show is the last place I thought I’d see you.”
I scoff. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
The waiter comes over with our food and sets our plates in front of us. The tension between me and Hudson is so thick you could cut it with a knife. He blows out a sigh and looks away. “I’m just saying that the good ones are always taken. You were one of them.”
He’s really playing it up for the show. It makes me livid. “Like you ever gave me another thought after high school. You made my life a living hell. After you broke my nose, I walked around looking hideous for weeks. You and your friends loved calling me ugly face and wildabeast. After the swelling went down, I was called badonkasnonk. Do you remember that?” It was the name that he and his friends called me until we graduated. During our freshman year, I was busy minding my own business when out of nowhere, he bumps into me and I fall right on my face. Then, right as he tries to help me up, someone pushes him, and I ram my head into the lockers as blood gushes out of my nose. Needless to say, it wasn’t the way I wanted to start out at a new school.
Hudson tries his best not to smile and fails. “Yeah, laugh it up,” I say, glaring at him. “You were the golden boy in high school. No one ever made fun of you.”
He laughs and has the gall to reach for my hand, but I move it away. “I told you I was sorry. I really am. It was a long time ago. I tried getting you to speak to me after that, but you didn’t want anything to do with me. If you only knew how much I really liked you.”
“You’re so full of shit.” I look over at Stan and Jean who seem to be enjoying the conversation by the smiles on their faces. “I’m sure you all can edit that out?” I say to them. Stan gives me the thumbs up.
I can only imagine what parts of this conversation are going to air on the show tonight. Hudson rubs a hand over his face and is about to speak but is cut off when Ryan appears by our table with an envelope in his hand.
“You two enjoying breakfast?” he asks.
Hudson doesn’t speak, but I plaster on a smile. “Of course.”
Ryan hands me the envelope. “Great. In the envelope you’ll find today’s adventure. And then once you’re back, you’ll have dinner and then meet up with me for your interview.”
Holding the envelope, I look at him and smile. “We can’t wait.”
As soon as he’s gone, I tear open the envelope and read what’s inside.
Hudson and Allison,
Today you’re going to take it easy in your own private pool by the ocean with endless drinks and whatever your heart desires. Make sure you have your sunscreen and have fun!
Your host,
Ryan
“What does it say?” Hudson asks.
Handing him the letter, I stand and grab a strawberry off my plate. “Looks like we’re going to have fun in the sun.”
Hudson stands, his eyes on mine. “One way or another, Allie, I’m going to make you see I’m not the same guy you knew before.”
I bring the strawberry to my lips and take
