LOVE ME A LITTLE MORE (M×M)

~3~

Some nights are better than days. And some nights change your life forever. Who knew one trip to supermarket would change my life forever. That a certain somebody, I had been trying to ignore past fifteen days would bump into me suddenly. Or deliberately, I didn't knew. But it would be an understatement to say that I was stunned. Very stunned.

I was buying the groceries my mother had messaged me when my cart hit someone's feet, making me curse under my breath. I was about to apologise, I almost did, but that's when my eyes met the man in front of me. The man I had found charming in my first meet. I man, I was trying to not meet ever again.

Mr. Alderic Hudson.

Dressed in his grey pants and white button up shirt along with his grey coat. I didn't knew people dressed up this nice to shop their groceries. I mean, I had come from my office and even I didn't had a suit on. My peach shirt was crumbled and half tucked in. My dark locks were far more disheveled than his combed hair.

There was something in his brown eyes that made my voice to get stuck in my throat. And he was doing nothing. And yet, I could barely speak or breathe in his presence.

"Mr. Roosevelt. It's a pleasant surprise to see you here." His soft, confident voice made me increase my grip on my shopping cart. And a very small, almost enigmatic smile formed on his face.

"Likewise, Mr. Hudson." I managed to choke out, trying my hard to not look constipated. His eyes flashed in amusement as he slowly nodded his head, smiling to himself. Like he had found something of me that really amused him.

"You missed your appointment which was scheduled for yesterday, Mr. Roosevelt. Are you okay?" He asked me. I didn't knew if it was concern that made his voice even more softer but it was making my heart to beat loudly inside my chest.

What do I tell him? That I am too much of a coward to not meet him again? That I possibly have grown some sort of crush on him? Or that his presence is enough to make me feel lightheaded. So I shook my head, instead. I couldn't tell him all of that. My emotions were my baggage and I felt guilty for making someone share it with me.

"Of course, Mr. Hudson. I am perfectly fine. Just office work. You know how bosses are." I said, faking a chuckle and his eyebrows only moved up half a millimeter at my miserable attempt on covering up my shits.

"You know what is the first sign of a not okay person, Mr. Roosevelt?" He asked me quietly, holding the carton of milk in his own hand and I gulped instead of answering and his eyes only turned more and more intense. I could practically feel his gaze on my skin. And it was searing hot.

"They laugh a lot. Trying to cover their pain or anxiety. Remember, I am a therapist, Mr. Roosevelt. I have been in this profession for quite some good years. I can distinguish between an okay person and a not okay person. Your attempts to hide your anxiety would always be transparent to me."

He said with a soft smile. It was comforting. Very comforting. But his words were far more dangerous and scary. It was bad enough that he was my therapist. And to make it even more worse, he could read me like an open book. And I didn't like any of these.

"I didn't knew you take your therapy session in grocery stores too." I mumbled, taking the pack of bitter chocolates in my hands, inspecting them. Man, I really wanted one pack of these chocolates. I always wanted to try them but I was too anxious to spend my hard earned money on something that may turn out too bad at the end.

His eyes followed my movements as he let out a soft laughter, shaking his head as he kept the carton of milk in his shopping cart before tossing some cheese and frozen yogurt too.

"A therapist will be a therapist wherever his patients will require him to be, Mr. Roosevelt. Please forgive me if I made you uncomfortable. And these chocolates are really good if you want to try your hands on them." He said, motioning towards the chocolate box in my hand and I chuckled, shaking my head as I placed it back on the isle.

"Nah. I was just checking. And no, you didn't..... you didn't make me uncomfortable. I was just being..... rude. I'm sorry." I said, offering him a small smile as placed the very last thing of my list before I pushed my cart ahead and he followed my lead.

"You were not. Don't worry. So, when shall I reschedule your appointment then?" He asked me and I bit my lips, emptying my cart on the check-in counter, shrugging my shoulders.

"Don't stress over it, Mr. Hudson. I'll.... I'll get back to you as soon as I work on my emoti.... projects. Yes, projects. I have some very important projects to complete before the end of this month. It will be a busy month." I wasn't really lying. There were deadlines, I had to meet.

But that wasn't the only reason, I didn't want to meet him again. Me growing feelings for him was the major one. He was just being polite. His behaviour was an outcome of his profession. But it would make me fall faster for him than anyone could blink. And I know, I won't be able to tolerate heartbreak in my any circumstances.

"Of course, Mr. Roosevelt. I understand." He said and I flinched when the clouds roared outside. Looked like a massive storm was on its way. My eyes were gazing outside worriedly and I could also feel Mr. Hudson's gaze on me. Like he was observing me. Trying to know me more.

"It is raining very heavily today." He noticed and I nodded my head with a sigh. I didn't want another powercut this month. And fallen trees and towers on the road.

"And looks like a massive storm is also rolling. I swear, the weather is getting unpredictable every single day. I won't be shocked if it would get sunny all of a sudden." I said, rolling my eyes as I paid for my groceries and took the bag of my food items from the cashier. And Mr. Hudson laughed, nodding his head. And I swear, his smile was even more beautiful.

"Do you have any source of transportation with you?" He asked me and I was quick to nod my head. I knew how these types of conversation often ended up. With me either inside his car or on his bike or bicycle. And I couldn't afford that. A ride with Mr. Hudson? Fat chance.

"I have brought my car." I said with a small smile and he too smiled back, almost as if he was the mouse who had won the cheese in the competition. And it wasn't even until a minute later, I already regretted my decision of letting him know I had brought my car with me.

"But I didn't. I thought of taking a stroll till the supermarket. But I'm regretting it now. I would have to walk in such a weather now." He said, almost sounding sad. And for effect, he also looked outside the door, looking at the heavy rain, making my heart to clench painfully. I wanted to help.

"You decided to take a stroll in your three piece suit?" I couldn't help but ask. Sarcasm dripping from my voice and he chuckled. Like I was being very funny. With the only difference, I wasn't.

"I am not judging you for coming from your office in a crumbled shirt, that too half tucked in and for your messy hair. Now am I, Mr. Roosevelt?" He asked, raising his brows as he crossed his arms against his chest making my eyes to widen and his mocking expression melted as he cracked a smile at me.

"Calm down, Mr. Roosevelt. I was just kidding. Breathe. Hm?" He asked me softly and I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm my anxious self. This man has too scary impacts on my body. He elicits such reactions out of me, I didn't knew I was capable of showing.

"I am sure you can call a cab instead of walking in such a bad weather. Though car or bike are no safe options either but you can reach your home fast if you take some sort of transport. The storm hasn't arrived yet. I am sure we can reach there before the storm swallows us." I joked, though I was being half serious and he sighed, shaking his head as he payed for his own groceries too.

"I'm not very sure if I could get cabs at this hour. It's raining so badly. And storm is also on its way." He said, trying to argue and I let out a sigh.

"I'm sure some cab drivers do drive people at such hours of time. You should check their apps. And exactly, storm in on its way. We can outrun it." I said, giving him a reassuring smile and his eyes pinned on me intently, making me swallow nervously.

"Or maybe you can just drop me home." He suggested me seriously making me choke on my own saliva. My eyes widened as I looked at the therapist in front of me with horror. He wanted me to drop him home. Me! Theodore Roosevelt!

"Me!?"

"Yes, Mr. Roosevelt, you. I am sure you can do a bit of charity and drop me home. You even said you have brought your own car. I would be really grateful of you if you could just drop me home." His tone and the hope in his eyes made my heart to curl in pain when I shook my head.

"But how can I......"

"Yeah, right, Mr. Roosevelt. I'm sorry. I'll just walk home." He said, taking a few steps towards the exit of the supermarket and my eyes widened in alarm. He didn't even had any umbrella or raincoat with him.

I was quick to rush to his side as I held his wrist in my hold to stop him from getting outside in the sickening rain.

His skin felt warm against mine. I didn't feel any sparks, nor did I feel any kind of electricity jolting inside me. But when my skin touched his something fluttered inside my stomach. Almost like I had some stomach bug. My heart was hammering inside my chest and I could barely think when our skins were touching for the very first time and both of our gazes were on my fingers holding his wrist.

I quickly retracted my hands back, scratching my neck as I took his bag of groceries in my hold too and pushed my umbrella into his hold.

"You'll catch a cold and probably something even more worse if you walk all your way back to your house. If you don't want a cab, I can drop you home. Where do you live?" I asked and I saw him biting his lips as he was tried to contain his smile but he was failing miserably.

"It's okay, Mr. Roosevelt. I will walk back home. It's no big deal."

"Where do you live, Mr. Hudson?" I pressed on my words and he smiled, making me narrow my eyes at him.

"Block nine, house number 204, to the south of the city." He said, making me blink twice.

"That's opposite to where I live." I mumbled and he shrugged his shoulders guiltily.

"I told you it's fine, I can just wa—"

"I never said I have a problem dropping you home. Come. And please open the umbrella." I said walking towards the exit.

"You carry umbrella every day?" He asked me curiously and my cheeks reddened as I nodded my head.

"My Mom is always paranoid. Now, come on. Get in the car."

We quickly sat in my car before I rushed to his address. And when I drove back home, I noticed there was something in my shopping bag that I hadn't purchased. The bitter chocolates, I was looking at, in that shop. There was even a note attached on it with an elegant straight handwriting. It must be his.

'We may have different tastes, Mr. Roosevelt, after all, we all are humans. But how will you know what your taste is unless and until we don't try different things out. Never fear trying something new. Enjoy the chocolates, Mr. Roosevelt.'

— Alderic Hudson.