Chapter 2 #3
He nodded, looking up as one of the waitresses slid his food in front of him. “Why void of people though?”
“Because people have the tendency to let you down.” My words were heavy and dark, but I meant them. “But enough about me and reading into my life. What about you? What brought you to Millers Pointe this holiday season, Hudson?”
For the first time since he sat down, he seemed a bit stumped.
“To keep it a buck with you, I don’t know.
Well, I do, but then again…” He paused and looked around before those intense eyes were on me again.
It was like he was questioning himself or choosing his words wisely.
Then something clicked and he was speaking again.
“You ever just felt like something in your life was missing? Like you set out to do everything you had in your dreams, but something just wasn’t there? ”
I just looked at him, trying to gauge his question while he looked at me to understand his vagueness.
“You’re looking for fulfillment, but don’t know where to start?” I finally replied and the recognition in his eyes couldn’t be missed.
“Exactly.”
“Then do some soul searching. Find out who you are and what drives you, then you’ll find your fulfillment.” I said that like it was easy, when I knew firsthand it was nowhere near. If it was, then I wouldn’t be sitting here wondering if I’d ever find fulfillment.
He nodded. “Easier said than done, huh?”
“Much, but I guess we tell ourselves at some point we’ll encounter that thing that sets our souls on fire. So, you came to Millers Pointe looking for something?”
“That and to spend the holidays with my family. It’s been a while since I’ve been back here. Kinda missed it.”
I nodded. “There’s nothing like a Millers Pointe Christmas, is there?”
“Nah it’s not, I remember them from when I was a kid. The festivities here are unmatched by anywhere else in the world.”
“So, you travel a lot? Something about the energy around here is unattainable anywhere else in the world.”
He threw his head forward, eating his food. “For work, yeah. Even though I’d much rather be in one place for a while.”
I was curious what he did for work, but I didn’t ask. I instead glanced around the restaurant, realizing my sister had not returned.
“You beautiful, Doc, got that energy tha—”
“What’s up, Doc, you good?” Duhani’s voice announced his presence in front of us.
“Can’t call it. I already talked to Versai. I’ll be at the ranch Monday.”
He nodded in my direction. “Good look. Lydia is gonna run me ragged.” He then focused his attention on his cousin. “Hud, I gotta head out. Sai will have my ass if I stay out here any longer.”
“Aight. Gon’ head, Greene with an e will drop me off.” Hudson’s eyes went from his cousin to me as a smirk covered his face. The same one covered Duhani’s face as well and suddenly I felt like I had missed the joke. It was then I realized this nigga had volunteered me to drop him off tonight.
“You got me, right?” Hudson asked.
“How do you know I drove?” I questioned with a raised brow.
“I don’t, but I also watched your sister slide you a key fob before she disappeared with Don,” he responded, letting me know he had been paying attention way before he addressed me. “So, you got me, Greene with an e?”
“Uh yeah. I guess. But I assure you that isn’t the way you ask for a ride.”
He and Duhani laughed before Duhani went about his way, leaving me and Hudson at the bar.
I didn’t know how long Hudson and I sat there and talked, but we talked long enough for Jonas to come out and announce Guuds was closing to us and a couple others.
While we stood to leave, I pulled my card out to pay my tab, only for him to slide my card back and tell me he had it.
Once the bill was closed out, he spoke with Jonas for a while as I sent my sister the most terse text I could muster in the allotted amount of time before Hudson was walking toward me.
I looked up just in time to see his slightly bow-legged, six foot three-inch ass walking toward me.
He was built beautifully athletic and fucking bold.
The man was perfect, and even after talking to him for most of the night, for some reason I didn’t mind dropping him off at Guuds Ranch.
I led the way to my sister’s car, knowing he was looking at my ass. He was too quiet back there.
We reached the car less than a minute later. He opened the driver side for me, then went around and got into the passenger side. When he was in, I gave him a quick glance before turning the car on and preparing to pull out of the lot.
“Before I trust my life in your hands, you can drive, right?” he asked, breaking the silence in the car.
“Probably should have been asking me that before you volunteered me to take you home tonight.”
He laughed. “Yeah, you’re probably right. That’s fucked up on my part. You gonna chill with me when we get to the ranch, though?”
“For what?” I cut my eyes between him and the road.
“Shit, to be honest. I could use the company. I ain’t in no rush to go sit in the crib by myself,” he said, then repeated, “I could use the company” a second time.
I cut my eyes between him and the road again. My usual answers were no and hell no but something about him had me considering it.
“I promise you I ain’t on no funny shit, Greene.”
I nodded; my eyes locked on the road. “Maybe for a couple hours, but I really have to ge—”
“Home to a human-less evening. I hear you, shorty.”
The drive to Guuds was quiet for the most part, both of us finding our way into our own thoughts. For that I was grateful, even though I was lowkey overthinking my decision to come in and keep him company. Keeping a nigga company could land a bitch on her back in seconds. That I knew for a fact.
When I pulled up, he got out before I could, coming around to open my door. Even though his energy was giving fuckboy, he was still a gentleman.
I was so used to going to the barn that I had to catch myself, instead following him to the second house on the end of the compound. When we entered, he immediately removed his jacket, then his hoodie.
“How long do you intend to be here?” I asked, my eyes following him through the room as he got comfortable.
He shrugged. “Shit, I don’t know. I’m just here.”
I nodded.
“Why you ain’t got no nigga at home waiting on you, Doc?”
I shrugged. “How do you know I don’t?”
“Because if you did, you wouldn’t be here.” He licked those dark tinted lips, sending straight heat across my flesh. Shit, I should have taken my ass home.
I shrugged in recovery. “And how do you know that?”
“Because if you were mine, your ass wouldn’t be out at this time of night keeping no nigga company. I run a strict program, Greene with an e.”
The last part of his statement earned a smirk from me. “Well good thing I know nothing about your program, huh?”
“Yeah, sure, good thing.”
I rolled my eyes at the way he responded. “What about you though? Why are you traveling, looking for fulfillment alone during the holidays?”
“Simple. Everybody isn’t as genuine as they come off when they want something from you. Here, I don’t feel like that. Here feels like home.”
I nodded like I knew what he meant. Before anything else could be said between us, a silent but powerful vibration had me reaching into my pocket.
When I pulled my phone out, I realized it was a FaceTime request from my son’s iPad.
That alone had me eyeing the time. Because why in the hell was he even up?
I clicked the green circle on the screen, waiting for his face to come into view. “Ethan Osef Harris, why are you still up?”
“Because Mommy, you didn’t call me. You always call.” His little voice was so worried that I smiled. My baby thought he ran me.
“I’m grown, Ethan, but I’m sorry, baby. I ended up having dinner with your auntie. Now, you need to be asleep and off this tablet.” I hated that my sister had bought him an iPad for his birthday, because I swear he called me every time I wasn’t in his sight.
“I know, Mommy. I love you.”
“I love you too, baby boy.” We hung up about a second later and I could feel Hudson’s eyes before I even looked up at him. When I looked up, I couldn’t read his expression.
“My son, Ethan. The only program I’m part of that’s strict.” I laughed at my own joke and he joined in.
“How old is he?”
“Six.” I shook my head, thinking about how much older Ethan acted. He spent so much time with his grandfather I was convinced that’s where it came from.
“Damn. I didn’t see that on you.”
I shrugged. “Kinda my surprise attribute.”
“Hell yeah it is. You thirsty?” He turned his back on me and opened the fridge.
“Yeah, what do you have?” I moved toward the island to see.
“Versai stocked the shit out of this refrigerator. So, some of everything. Water, juice, Coke, Sprite, Pepsi.”
“I’ll take cold water.”
He turned around and slid the cold bottle across the counter. “So, your kid’s father, is he local?”
“No. I met him when I was off at school.”
“Where did you go to school?”
“Arizona State, you?”
“Georgia State for most of it. I went to the league after,” he responded, throwing me for a whole loop because what league?
“The league? What do you mean?” My confusion had to be plastered across my face because now he was smiling.