Total pages in book: 31
Estimated words: 29346 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 147(@200wpm)___ 117(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29346 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 147(@200wpm)___ 117(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
When another girl shouts out twenty thousand, I almost fall out of my chair. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to wrap my mind around the kind of money these people have.
“You make more than that in interest in a year.” I jerk my eyes away from Fréres to look back at my grandma. “Bid!” she shouts. I raise my paddle in a knee-jerk reaction.
“Thirty!” Was that my voice? Did those words actually fall from my lips? Holy crap. My mouth instantly goes dry knowing everyone is looking at me now.
“There you go. Show these rich bitches who’s going to win,” my grandma says with the biggest smile on her lips and a look of pure determination.
“Aren't we rich bitches too?” I whisper under my breath. Before she can answer me, I have to bid again. The exotic-looking beauty at the next table glares at me. I mouth I’m sorry to her. Again a knee-jerk reaction. It felt right to apologize. She looks away from me confused but undeterred as she raises her paddle to bid again.
“Forty-two,” she says. Fréres is staring right at me. My heart gives a weird flutter that his eyes have remained on me this entire time and not the other beautiful women that have bid on him. I give him a look, silently asking if I should keep going. He gives a small nod, making my heart flutter again.
“Forty-five!” I shout.
“What the fuck? You just said sorry!” The woman from the other table looks as though she’s going to explode.
“Sorry?” I say again, and my grandma shakes with silent laughter. The woman slams the paddle down on the table.
“He’s not that good in bed,” she says loudly for everyone to hear. Oh, they must have been teasing about the virgin comment they said earlier about him. I guess the joke is because he gets around? Silly of me to think that a man that looks like him could be a virgin. The joke is actually on me for believing it.
“Forty grand says otherwise,” Grandma tosses back at the woman, making the people around us snicker.
“Grandma!” I shouldn't be shocked. Grandma can land some killer one-liners that tend to be on the dirty side. They shouldn't catch me off guard anymore, but they still do. She looks so prim and proper until you mess with her or me.
“Forty-five. Going once. Going twice.” I listen to the announcer, praying that I don’t have to lift my paddle to bid anymore. I close my eyes. “Sold to the pretty young lady. Congratulations. You can head over to the table at the back to pay for your man.” When I open my eyes and look around, everyone is staring at me with curiosity. Great, now I’ve drawn attention to myself.
When I look up toward the stage, I see Fréres has a huge smile on his face. I’m all yours, he mouths to me with a teasing smile. For one second, I find myself wishing that were true.
Thankfully, the next man’s bidding starts, and the attention pulls from me. I make my way over to the table. I don’t miss the handful of glares that I get from the women as I walk. I open my small purse, pulling out his card and mine too. I hand over mine. I’m not sure if it’s the right thing to do, but I actually think it will make my grandma happy.
“You’re the lucky lady who got Fréres. We’ve been trying to get him on this stage for years.” She slides my card.
“I guess I am.” She hands me the card back.
“Here are the dates he has available.” The woman turns a tablet my way, showing a calendar.
“Oh no, that’s okay.” I put my card back in my purse.
“You have to pick a date.”
“No, it’s fine, really. Thank you.” I give her a smile before turning to slip away back into the crowd to make my escape.
Chapter Seven
Gant
“You look happy.” Petersburg stops me when I exit the stage.
“Got bid on by the right person. You should be happy, too. Why the long face?” He had his sister bidding by proxy.
“My sister conveniently forgot that the friend she got to help us out hates my guts.” He chews on the corner of his mouth in worry. “Hopefully she doesn’t intend to follow through with her win. If I actually have to spend a date with her, one of us may not come out alive.”
A clasp his shoulder. “Let’s go see what they have to say at the auction table. I want to get the contact details for my date.”
Petersburg grumbles under his breath and follows willingly. As we round the corner of the backstage and head down the hall toward the payment site, Sean Campbell peels away from the wall like a leech detaching himself from a drained host to find a new victim.