holding back her surprise. “You’re going on assignment?”
“Don’t sound so shocked.” Tabitha narrowed her eyes and gave her curly hair a fluff. “While you’ve been busy rubbing asses with Network, I’ve been working some hardcore stories.”
“That’s right.” Eden nodded. “I saw your piece on the teachers union. You did a great job.”
“I...thank you.” Tabitha blinked several times, as if confused or shocked by Eden’s compliment, then lifted a vibrating cell phone from her suit coat pocket. “I have to answer this. David, I’ll wait for you in the van.”
Hudson noticed David staring at her ass as she walked away. When she was no longer in sight, the cowboy cameraman released a deep sigh. “I think I’m in love,” he drawled and held his hat over his chest.
“Just be careful about mixing business with pleasure.”
Wondering if Eden was sending him the warning, Hudson shifted his gaze to her. She had her eyes on David.
“Okay, traitor,” she began. “Go chase after your latest conquest. I’ll see if Rusty’s around to help me.”
“He is and he will. Check for him in Production Room C.”
Two hours later, Hudson turned off the TV Rusty Jones had supplied. While Eden and Rusty had worked on her report, he’d sat in a small conference room and watched Eden’s series “Beauty Pageant Queen Bees.”
Although Eden’s reporting and interviewing were excellent, and David had captured the essence of the child beauty pageants with his camera skills, the series left him with more questions. Like how did the crazy ass doctor make the leap from beauty pageant kids and their moms, to society being poisoned by perception, to mutilating a man in order to send a message? And where exactly did Eden fit with the doctor’s plans? He had to know she wouldn’t be able to air the gruesome DVD, which made Hudson wonder why the doctor had bothered involving her at all.
As it had for the past few hours, his stomach protested lack of sustenance and he regretted not taking Rusty up on his offer of Slim Jims and Funyuns. Deciding to hit the vending machine he’d passed earlier, Hudson left the conference room and ran into Eden and Rusty in the hallway.
“I was just coming to get you,” she said. “I’m finished for the day, unless you’re still watching the shows.”
“No, I’m good.”
“I’m not,” Rusty griped and held his stomach. “I’m grabbing some lunch.”
Eden winced. “Sorry, Russ, I’ll make it up to you. How about I bring donuts with me tomorrow?”
“Make ‘em apple fritters and you’ll be back on my good side.”
After Rusty rounded the corner, Hudson turned to her. “Rusty’s got the right idea. Let’s go grab a bite.”
“I’m not hungry,” she said as she led him through the halls and toward the exit. “I’d rather go home.”
When he held the glass door open for her, the cold November wind swept passed them. “Okay, that’ll work. But let’s at least stop at the grocery store on our way. I think a mouse could starve at your place.”
“I have plenty of things to eat at my house.”
“Let me rephrase, you don’t have anything good to eat.” He flipped his coat collar up to combat the wind and followed her brisk pace to the parking lot. Once in the Trans Am, he pulled off his gloves and started the ignition. “If you don’t want to stop at the store, then I’m at least going to grab some take-out.”
She rubbed her gloved hands together, then held them in front of the heat vents. “Do it on your way home.”
“Isn’t that what I just said?”
“No. I meant after you drop me off at my place and you go home to yours .”
“Subtle.”
She shrugged. “One of my strong points.” Looking out the window, she shook her head. “Anyway, what did you think of the series?”
“Fishing for compliments?”
She whipped her head toward him and narrowed her eyes. “You know damn well I’m not
Janice Kay Johnson - His Best Friend's Baby