Читать книгу The Dare Collection: March 2018 - Nicola Marsh - Страница 34

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

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‘YOU’RE IN A foul mood.’ Hudson strolled into my office and perched on the edge of my desk. ‘Woman troubles?’

‘Fuck off,’ I snarled, not wanting to talk about Abby. Now or ever.

‘Nice.’ Hudson tapped at the screen of his cell and turned it towards me. ‘What do you think of this?’

Work I could do. Work would keep me focussed and driven. Work I could understand. Unlike the tumultuous feelings eating at me from the inside out, tainting every waking moment and most sleeping ones too.

It had been three days since I’d walked out of Le Miel. Seventy-two long hours where I’d fought every instinct to contact Abby. To explain. To apologise. To do something to ease the pain she must be feeling.

Because if she felt half of what I was feeling, she’d be in frigging agony.

I squinted at the screen. ‘A live show?’

Hudson nodded. ‘Lots of the Vegas clubs are doing them these days. Hosting special live events to draw in the crowds.’

‘We’re not known for being a live venue.’

‘Which is why this is so innovative.’ He brandished the cell at me again and I swatted it away. ‘What’s happened to the guy always ready to take a risk?’

I’d taken a risk with letting Abby into my life and look how that had turned out. Risks were for suckers.

‘Do a proposal. Set out figures for me. Then email me and I’ll take a look.’

‘That’s the spirit.’ Hudson gave me a thumbs up. ‘Now how about we hit the town tonight? Boys’ night out. Involving copious amounts of alcohol and luscious babes. What do you say?’

The thought of being near another woman right now set my teeth on edge. Crazy, because Abby and I were over. I owed her nothing. But it was too soon.

‘Thanks for the offer, but I’ll be working late tonight.’

Hudson stood and huffed out a breath. ‘Look, at the risk of getting my teeth punched out, you’ve been locked away in here for three days straight. You snap at anyone who ventures close. The staff are afraid of you. And I’m sick of you treating me like an enemy rather than a friend.’

He jabbed a finger at me. ‘So do whatever it takes to lighten the fuck up, okay? Confront what’s got you so riled. Get it out of your system. Deal with it.’

The only thing that would lighten my mood was to see Abby again and that wasn’t going to happen. Not in this lifetime.

‘Thanks for the pep talk, mate,’ I drawled, and pointed at the door. ‘Now get the hell out and leave me alone.’

‘Dickhead,’ he muttered, shaking his head as he strode towards the door, where he paused. ‘For what it’s worth, I liked you better when you were dating that Abby chick. She made you happy.’

I made a growling noise and stood, my fingers clenching into fists.

Hudson held up his hands in surrender. ‘Just saying,’ before he closed the door on his way out.

Abby had made me happy but that was over.

The faster I got my head around it, the better.