Free Hudson by Shayne McClendon Page B

world called him vicious when in
reality he was an opportunist.  He treated people fairly, if not exactly
sociably. 
    The chances that the owner would take the deal at this stage
were high.  His other properties were substantially mortgaged and the millions
he’d clear from the sale would keep everything else in his life afloat. 
    It was a win-win. 
    The door to his office was open but there was no sound to
distract him.  The only employees on this floor were his assistant and the
analysts. 
    Lola was his first employee back in college.  As a
struggling single mother, she’d barely been surviving.  He met her at the
college bookstore trying to buy the books she needed to finish her last year of
classes. 
    A couple of years older than Hudson, Lola was broke,
exhausted, and losing hope. 
    He paid for her books and made her a job offer over coffee
an hour later.  He moved her into his building and set up a little office she
used to run his business remotely. 
    Camille fell in love with Lola and her little girl.  His
mother watched her during the day so the young mother could work and go to
school. 
    At first, they exchanged room and board for the duties she
completed with grateful professionalism from day one.  Nothing made him happier
than the day he was able to give her a steady salary.
    When she received her degree a year before Hudson graduated,
she chose to stay with him. 
    Indispensable, she made more than the ten department vice
presidents he employed.  Only Natalia knew him better.
    They’d never had a sexual relationship.  Lola’s daughter was
the result of trying to deny her sexuality.  The biological father disappeared
when she told him she was pregnant. 
    Hudson insisted on sending Donna to college and she was
almost finished with her finance degree from Michigan State.  She was another
child he often forgot was not his own.  When she returned to Manhattan, her offer
with his company was waiting.
    The analysts on this floor were quiet, studious types who
focused all their energy on research.  It was their job to find him new places
to invest his money and grow it.  If they came to him with an acquisition and
he ultimately purchased it, they received a substantial bonus. 
    It had been Lola’s idea to hire people for such positions. 
    “There are so many moving parts, Hudson.  Charities, struggling
businesses, new entrepreneurs, and you’ll never find all of them on your own. 
Give them parameters and you can pick and choose from what they find.”
    It was one of the smartest business decisions he’d ever made. 
    Inquiries for financial assistance were never answered. 
Instead, they went into a file and the validity of every claim was
investigated.  It weeded out the “get rich quick” types from those willing to work
their ass off to make their dream a reality. 
    The confidentiality agreements kept his name from being
mentioned.  If the world at large knew he jumpstarted artists, musicians, and
wholesale paid for college degrees all over the country, he’d be flooded with
far more requests than his staff could handle. 
    The floor below was filled with accountants and lawyers. 
The one below that was general administration.  His staff rarely saw him
personally. 
    Building security knew Natalia and company employees knew
better than to question her presence in his life.  She often stopped by to
visit or take him to lunch. 
    When she gave a low whistle, Hudson turned to see her
looking chic in a pale gray pantsuit as she leaned against his doorframe. 
    Her smile was gentle.  “You were deep in thought.  I didn’t
want to startle you.”  She set her purse on the chair across from his desk then
came around.  She moved smoothly, confidently in charcoal gray suede heels. 
    A small frown appeared between her eyes.  “What’s wrong?”
    “Nothing.”
    She laid her hand on his cheek.  “Not true.  You look
jumbled up.  Tell me.”
    His fingers reached up to