Soulmates are Overrated

Chapter Four

"What do you mean there's been a change?" I question a little louder than I should.

I am sitting at attention in Mr. Bucher's office. Hudson is irritatingly relaxed in the seat next to me. It wouldn't surprise me if this was his idea.

Mr. Bucher addresses me with an exhausted tone, "Look, I know it's not your ideal situation, but we have a new client possibly coming on board, and we need him to sign on with us."

Finally, Hudson sits up with a newfound energy. "Who's the client?"

Mr. Bucher bobs his head as he scans the room for anyone or anything that could hear what he's about to say. "We will be advertising for Fletcher Cunnings, the inventor of Soulmate Scanner."

I cough, choking on thin air. I cover my mouth with my elbow and try to swallow the itchiness in my throat. Mr. Bucher and Hudson stare at me curiously. When Hudson's lip curls into the hint of a smirk, a small part of me wonders if he knows what I found out last night, but I quickly shove that thought away. There's no way he knows.

Is there any part of my life this stupid app won't take over? Am I being punished for something? With the long list of girls I offended and guys I kicked in the crotch, there's no easy way to pinpoint the incident I would need to rectify. My head can't possibly pound any louder than it already is.

When I regain my composure, my face hot from the coughing, Mr. Bucher resumes. "As I was saying, Mr. Cunnings has not confirmed anything yet. He is deciding between us and the scammers at PerfectPic Advertising. Look, I need the two of you to work together and come up with the perfect pitch for Soulmate Scanner. We are going to have a meeting in a couple of weeks to present our idea. I need the two of you to have a rough draft for me by September twentieth." Mr. Bucher glances between Hudson and I with his hands clasped on the desk. "Look, I know it's not your ideal situation to be working together, but the two of you are the best people we have for this job."

If we are the best, why are we being put on a chopping block?

"If I- we are successful, does that mean we get to keep our jobs?" I inquire, sitting on the edge of my seat. Please say yes, I repeat over and over in my head.

After a moment of hesitation, "If we can get Mr. Cunnings on board, there might be enough revenue for those lazy guys in accounting to keep their jobs."

Mr. Bucher ushers us out of his office so we can get a head start on the project. I walk with a newfound energy in my step. I have the opportunity to fight for my job a little more. The downfall is I have to work with Hudson to do it. I have to collaborate with the same guy I am competing with for a job in general; the same guy I would much rather avoid in all aspects of my life.

I only made it through two reports last night. Pile that on top of the new project I have to work on with Hudson and you have the perfect sloppy joe.

"So, how does it feel to be working with the best on the team?" Hudson addresses me as he leans against the frame of Mr. Bucher's closed door.

"Is Tim back?" I ask as I poke my head around, aimlessly looking for the guy with the highest record that, fortunately for me, retired last year. If it wasn't for his retirement, I might already be unemployed, broke, and stuck in a house in need of improvement.

Hudson's confident smirk twitches a little. "Funny." He walks beside me as we move away from Mr. Bucher's office. "How do you want to do this?"

The answer I want to give is "alone," but that is one request that can't be fulfilled. "I don't know," I unintentionally admit, my voice accidentally portraying the level of exhaustion I feel. I stop walking and place a hand over my closed eyes, racking my brain for any ideas. "We obviously need to do our research and find the ins and outs of this app. I don't know about you, but I am not super familiar with this cliche-filled scam. And the few things I do know, I would rather not." Shit. I open my eyes, realizing the admission I just made. A sinister grin forms on his lips. All of my muscles freeze.

Does he know we matched? I am a married woman; I can't think of the possibility of someone other than my husband. Besides, even if I wasn't married to Julian, Hudson is the last person on Earth I would even consider being with in a romantic sense.

His eyes bore into me with an intense stare I can't escape. He has me locked into his gaze like a prisoner shackled with the secret between us.

"Is it really that big of a deal?" Hudson asks.

Is it a big deal that I matched with this insufferable man instead of my husband? He's right, there's nothing wrong with that in any sense.

I clear my throat and stand straighter, crossing my arms. If he's going to just brush it off like a piece of lint littering his coat, then I will too. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He opens his mouth to say something, but before he has the chance, someone bumps into my back. Hudson holds his arms out and catches my falling form, placing his hands on my elbows to keep me sturdy. Hudson ensures to meet my gaze with my arm still in his tight grasp.

The blue pools of his eyes are swimming with an emotion I can't recognize. It's not his usual teasing glare or humorous gleam. It's more intense than I have seen before. With his face only a few inches from mine, I notice the pale freckles darted across his thin nose. When I notice his gaze studying the features of my face, I quickly yank myself out of his grasp.

He takes a moment before readjusting himself back into his previously casual position. Like flipping a switch, his smug portrait is back in control. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." If I'm being honest, I say it as more of a reminder to myself than to answer his question. I shove past him, careful to not bump into him as I do.