Giggling, I slap a hand over my face. “I thought for sure you’d wake up.”
He bumps me with his arm and when I look up at him, he has a big smile on his face. “I’m impressed. You sure you won’t be embarrassed to be seen with me?”
I shake my head. “Nope. You’re the one everyone will be laughing at.”
We take the elevator to our floor and he walks me to my door. Crossing his arms over his chest, he leans against the wall. “We still need to finish our conversation. We only got through two truths.”
“I’m sure we can continue it tomorrow,” I reply.
He smiles once more and backs up down the hall toward his room. “Goodnight, Allie. I had a good time tonight.”
So did I, but I keep the thought to myself. I didn’t want to have a good time with him, but it was hard not to. In a way, I look forward to more time with him, but Erin’s comment is in the back of my mind. What did she mean by switching things up? She’s giving me a chance for an out, but it’s up to Hudson to take it.
As I watch him walk away, I don’t know if I want him to.
7
Hudson
There is nothing like waking up with a smile on your face and knowing you’re about to spend the day with one of the most beautiful women in the world. I showered and dressed quickly, well as fast as I could after I spent a considerable amount of time admiring the handy artwork on my back courtesy of Allie. If it wasn’t such a stupid word, I’d think about getting her handwriting tattooed somewhere on my body. Maybe an outline of Aruba and her name. Sounds like a bad idea after a night of drinking but I’m clear headed. I want to remember this trip for the rest of my life. Sure, my future wife may not appreciate another woman’s name on my body unless that woman is Allie . . . whoa! Did I really just think Allie could be my wife?
Yeah, I really did.
As I walk toward her room, I look down at my left hand and imagine a ring there. Being a firefighter, I never really thought about wearing one. The hazards they pose while at work are great but when I’m at home or off duty, I’d want everyone to know I’m married.
Wait, what?
My thoughts are foggy, muddled with the romantic vibe of the island and the show. I’ve never thought about marriage before and after one full day with Allie, despite her being my high school crush, there is no way I’m at the level of commitment needed.
Thank God the camera can’t hear my thoughts.
I’m poised and ready to knock on Allie’s door when another cast member tells me she saw Allie head for the elevator. I thank her and hope the look on my face doesn’t show disappointment. I wanted to walk with her to breakfast and should’ve mentioned it last night, but I sort of figured she would wait for me. Although, I’m not sure why she would. We never discussed it and yesterday we met downstairs.
With my head held high, I go to the elevator and wait for the car to arrive. Jean, my camera guy doesn’t say much, which is fine. Or it’s not. I feel awkward standing here by myself even though Jean is behind me. Every so often, he moves from my right to my left, backs up and comes forward, and even drops the camera low. I’m sure he knows what he’s doing, probably trained by the best to know which angles to shoot every scene with. I’m tempted to stick my tongue out at him, but that’s childish and expected of me. I’m trying to turn over a new leaf or page, whatever the hell it is.
After the short ride down to the main floor, I retrace my path from yesterday and past the pool. From where I am, I can see Allie. She’s sitting at our table, with one leg crossed over the other and her hands are clasped in her lap. She’s wearing a yellow sundress which looks amazing against her tanned skin, and a big straw hat. I stand there for a second and watch her as the waiter approaches. She says something to him and shakes her head. When he leaves, she looks down at her watch. Is she waiting for me?
Allie looks up and scans the area. When her eyes land on mine, I swear she smiles but can’t be sure. I finally move toward her, walking briskly. When I reach her, my hand finds the back of her chair and I lean down to kiss her on the cheek, only once I’m this close to her, I inhale deeply and take in the sweet aroma of her suntan lotion. For whatever reason, the scent of coconut turns me the hell. I have stay bent over a bit longer than is deemed socially acceptable.