Found in You(111)

I’d composed a hundred different things to say to him on the way to his office, but now that I was in front of him, my anger had me tongue-tied.

But Hudson was as calm and cool as ever. “He wasn’t supposed to tell you until we got back from Japan.”

He. Hudson wouldn’t even say David’s name. At least he wasn’t pretending he didn’t know what I was pissed about.

It didn’t make me any calmer. “Lucky for me, he’s a good friend. Also, I never agreed to go to Japan.”

“Touché.”

“What the f*ck, Hudson?” My emotions were boiling inside of me, threatening to explode.

He crossed one leg over the other, resting his ankle on his knee. “I offered David an opportunity, and he took it.”

“You agreed we could discuss it further.”

“I agreed we could discuss the future management of The Sky Launch further, and we certainly will.”

He was so even, so in control—it only fueled my rage. “This was part of that!”

“You should have been more specific.” He didn’t even blink.

God, I wanted to throw something—anything. Instead I threw my words at him. “You knew what I meant. You knew how I felt and you went ahead and ignored everything I said. I thought you cared about me, but you obviously don’t, because that’s not how you treat someone that you’re in a relationship with.”

He put his leg on the floor and leaned forward, finally animated. “Yes, I did know how you felt. And you knew how I felt. You wanted me not to fire him, I wanted him gone. Offering him a job elsewhere—a promotion, mind you at my biggest club in the country—was, I thought, a pretty damn good compromise.”

There was logic to his words, and his offer had certainly made David happy. But that didn’t change that Hudson had made the offer without my knowledge, behind my back. “Compromises are supposed to involve both parties. You alone can’t arbitrarily decide what the compromise is.”

“I didn’t, really.” He leaned back again, resuming his composed exterior. “David did when he accepted the job. I had no idea that he’d agree when I asked him, and if he hadn’t, then I would have come back to you to find a suitable solution to our problem.”

“You should have talked to me before you even offered the job to him!”

“I took the opportunity when I saw it. You weren’t around to confer with.”

“Don’t even pretend you didn’t go to David today with every intention of making him that offer.” Hudson’s giddy mood that morning, his need to understand my change of heart the night before—he was feeling out the situation. I could see it clearly now. “I can’t believe you don’t see why this isn’t okay!”

I was yelling. I wished I wasn’t, wished I could be as controlled as he was. It definitely had a chilling effect. But that wasn’t me, I was emotional and riled up and all the turmoil I had inside was spewing all over the loft.

Hudson stood and stepped toward me, one brow raised. “Are you upset because you assume I want you to take David’s place?”

It was part of it, yes, but so much more than that. I turned my back to him, not knowing how to answer.

“I do want you to, of course, and I have full confidence that you would do an excellent job. But if you are unwilling, then I hope you will be instrumental in deciding who will take his place instead.” His hand settled on the nape of my neck.

I spun toward him, hitting his hand away. “Dammit, Hudson. I don’t want anyone to take his place. I want to work with David. David Lindt, that’s all.”