Chapter 6 #3
I recovered, but the woman still wasn’t done. “Well, don’t be surprised if my Michael makes a bid; he’s been watching you most of the night, and I must say, I’m not surprised in that dress.” Again, that wasn’t a compliment. I just smiled and nodded as I lowered my glass to the table.
Michael Peters? I almost threw up in my mouth.
He was sitting at the next table, the kids' table. The boy couldn’t have been more than sixteen; he was tall, but his baby face gave him away.
He was a typical all-American boy, zits all over his chin, and one of those voices that was at that in-between stage.
The conversation then moved on to discussing the items up for auction. The F1 day out, the hot air balloon experience, several beauty treatments, the date with me, Reed’s football, and lastly, the lady to my left mentioned the bike I had taken a fancy to.
I so wanted to look over and see what Reed was doing, but it would have been too obvious to the man sitting beside me.
I zoned out, feeling numb, chewing my food, which was suddenly tasteless. Just like brunch had been at my father’s club. I wondered if Reed would take the blonde woman back to his hotel.
Fuck, why did the thought of that hurt so much?
Part of me wanted to open my purse and message Phoenix to ask if they had plans after the Ball.
Maybe they were going to a club or something.
Could I tell Jasper I was meeting my brother and crash their party?
That would be so much better than going home with him.
Stop it, stop dreaming of things that could never be! My subconscious cut in rudely.
I played my part during the rest of dinner.
Once the dessert course was taken away, the caterers brought coffee.
Guests then started to mingle, visiting the bar or restrooms, and I felt myself relax until Jasper said.
“I meant what I said. I’ll buy something for you. An early wedding present, maybe?”
I glanced at him, my expression impassive. “It's OK. I have my paddle. If I see something I want, I’ll go for it.”
“OK, sorry. Point taken. I’m being an ass.” You could have knocked me down with a feather. Jasper never called himself out for anything.
“Maybe we should bid on that Goram silverware set. That would be an excellent talking piece when we are entertaining.”
My future with Jasper flashed before my eyes. Dull as shit. I held my tongue.
And then Mr. Burn’s, a man on my father’s payroll, brought the gavel down to signal the start of the auction.
Everyone scurried to their seats like the post-holiday sales had just opened.
Burns was the one who interrupted brunch with Reed.
The guy had always creeped me out. Burns dealt with my father’s private business, stuff that none of the family was ever involved in.
I still wondered what had been so important for him to interrupt a family meal, as that rarely happened.
“OK, ladies and gentlemen. Please find your seats, grab your paddles, and get your checkbooks ready.”
The auction was a frantic affair, and I had some fun in the end.
Everyone was bursting with passion and excitement as they tried to outbid each other.
There were jeers and jokes between some of Newport’s finest, and I managed to relax enough to smile, something I rarely did those days.
I even allowed Jasper to put his arm around me at one point when the crowd cheered for Mrs. Smythe, who managed to secure herself the F1 racing car day.
The woman was in her eighties. How would that work?
A couple of glasses of champagne later, the Lot with the bike came up.
At first, I kept quiet as a couple of younger girls sitting with their parents started to bid.
It increased to three thousand dollars, and as Mr. Burn’s, my father’s associate, who was chairing the auction, asked for four thousand, I lifted my paddle.
“Four thousand, thank you, Miss. Summers. Do I hear five, anyone? Come on, ladies and gents, five thousand?”
I then went head-to-head with Millie Rae Smith, who was a sweet girl, but I didn’t let that stop me.
The gavel was just about to go on six thousand dollars when I lifted my paddle and went for it, shouting out, “Ten thousand dollars!”
This brought an uncomfortable cough from Jasper, a whoop from the crowd, a going-going-gone from Burns, and a stern look from my father. It was his money I was spending after all.
As I won the motorcycle, I felt a thrill fizzle through my body, something I hadn’t felt for years.
Yes!
After accepting congratulations gracefully from those at our table, I lifted my head, and my eyes connected with Reed's.
I couldn’t begin to guess what he was thinking, but his mouth held one of those dopey grins of his that I used to hate.
He looked as sexy as hell in that black tux.
It fit him so perfectly that it could have been sewn onto his skin.
Reed’s face was slightly stubbled and had a rough and smooth look: unlike that day at the club when he’d been clean-shaven.
One eyebrow was arched, something I’d always found sexy.
It was the way he’d look at me when I had disappointed him.
And believe me, that happened a lot when we were together.
While Jasper was speaking with Mr. Peters about the dangers of motorcycles, I raised my glass toward Reed in salute. He responded by mirroring the action. I didn’t miss the way Phoenix looked back and forth between us, wearing his signature smirk.
Sipping my drink, I turned away as Reed placed his hand around his date. Bastard.
I managed to feign disinterest.
The other items flew by. Someone secured Reed’s football, and even the Gorman silverware set ended up going for four hundred bucks: an elderly man with gray hair and a huge forehead was the lucky winner of that.
I shot Jasper a look that said it all, and he shook his head, stating that at least cutlery wouldn’t result in me ending up in the hospital.
Like he gave a shit, it was all about appearances with him.
And then everything went hushed in the room as Mr. Burns read out my name and asked me to come to the stage.
Lot Ten.
Jasper stood smiling at our audience. I was surprised all the women over sixty didn’t burst into flames as he pulled my chair back and helped me to my feet. They all started doing that clucky, ‘aren’t they a lovely couple’ thing I hated.
I didn’t dare glance towards Reed’s table, but I knew he was looking at me; I could feel his eyes drilling into my cheekbone. Would he bid on me? Surely not? He already said at the club that he wasn’t allowed to draw unnecessary press, something a date with me would surely do.
As graciously as I could, I accepted the kiss Jasper dropped onto my cheek before making my way towards the stage. I played the part, just like I always fucking did. The rock on my finger suddenly felt like it was cutting off my circulation.
Mr. Burns held out his hand to assist me with the steps, my heels wobbling slightly as I got to the top.
I smiled at Daddy, and he beamed back, looking his usual proud self.
My mom sat next to him, putting on a brave act.
I was surprised she wasn’t half-cooked already.
Things hadn’t been the same between them since my father told her about the affair.
“So, ladies and gentlemen. Again, this year, we have the lovely Miss Summers, who is always a good sport at these events. For Lot Ten, you are bidding on a date with our ex-mayor’s lovely daughter.
This will, of course, be a planned event and will draw the interest of our local news.
So, if you’re camera-shy, maybe sit this one out.
I am going to start the bids at three thousand dollars. ”
As I stood there under the lights, the center of attention, I felt empowered.
I had never shied away from people looking at me.
In school, I used to love it. In college, not so much, but I was changing as a person, peddling my brains instead of my looks for once.
Something that had lifted me out of the peer group that was the popular clique, but hadn’t quite placed me in with the nerds.
I’d been in limbo, not knowing where I slotted, and then when Reed left, it got even harder. I’d still graduated with flying colors.
Reed.
I could only see his table in the background. The lights on the stage were so bright that they cut off anyone apart from the first few rows.
After Mr. Burns’ request, I turned on the stage, allowing everyone to see what it was they were bidding on. It wasn’t serious, it was fun, and I wiggled my butt slightly, and the crowd went wild.
And then the bidding war kicked off!
I caught sight of Jasper at one point, and he wasn’t even looking. He was on his cell, messaging someone. That pissed me off even more.
“Do I hear four thousand dollars?”
Things started to escalate, with several older members of society making a bid. If I ended up with another Cumberworth type, that would probably be my last year of sacrificing myself for the cause.
Eventually, my worth went up to sixteen thousand dollars. Mr. Worthington was in the lead. He was a widower and owned real estate in Newport. He was old, but at least he was usually minty fresh.
The entire room was alive, and the adrenaline was pumping through my veins. I had helped to raise sixteen thousand dollars!
Just as the gavel was about to drop, another husky voice echoed from the back of the hall. I shielded my eyes from the lights and attempted to see.
“Excuse me?” Mr. Burns said, shock dripping from his voice.
There was a strange ringing in my head.
“You heard me. Fifty thousand dollars.”
You could hear a pin drop. Everyone was quiet and turned towards the sound of the man who had just bid almost three times the previous offer.
That man was Reed Prescott.