Chapter Eight #2
She sighed. “That’s what you said last night.”
About sixteen men in the room started laughing. She pinked. “Ah. Ears.”
Sern laughed. “Ears.”
“I am going to have to moderate my witty commentary.”
“Don’t you dare.” He grinned and lifted the hand with the paddle to kiss it.
She smiled, a chime rang, and the great and good of the city found their seats.
A bright, smiling woman stepped up and introduced herself as Polly, the sponsor of today's events. Given that she had multiple children of the same age, kids were very much on her mind lately.
She picked up a gavel and presented the first piece of artwork, donated by a local artist, and as the auction kicked off, the bidding started for the unique and interesting items that were classified as art.
There was even a three-tiered cake on display as indicative of the skills of the hotel’s pastry chef.
The bid was not just for the current cake but also for one to be created in the future.
Eudora loved cake. She glanced at Sern, and he nodded, so she started bidding. One thousand five hundred dollars later, and the bid was hers. His. Theirs. Whatever, she was going to eat it.
There was one that wasn’t artsy; it was a room at the hotel, and Sern smiled and bid on it. She shrugged. He must be bidding on a work thing or something.
Finally, the item she wanted was up. She bid with enthusiasm, and her friends laughed at her. Kern was bidding casually until Rhymbia caught a look at Eudora’s expression, and he glanced back at her glare. He blinked and stopped his bidding.
She smiled, inclined her head, and continued bidding on the king-sized quilt in soft colours that she just wanted to curl up with. It would look nice in her sitting room and better over Sern.
She won the bid and sighed happily, leaning her head against Sern. She slumped. That was the one she wanted. Despite her strict upbringing, quilts had always been there. They were a sign she was home. She wanted one at Sern’s place.
Eudora watched the next two items, and then Polly smiled.
“And now, we have an artistry that is invisible but appreciated. If we can dim the lights, this is a sample of the editing skills that the Meksoren Media has up for auction. Any video with provided materials less than five minutes long can be edited by their most skilled editor. This is that sample, a preview for the Women’s Day promotion. ”
The lights dimmed, a screen descended from the ceiling, and the familiar music began as the video of a day in the life of three different women went from one connection motion to the next.
Eudora had to admit it was pretty seamless.
Even the dancing. That was spectacular. Etienne, Dex, and Tosh were sitting to the side, and Dex turned, smiled, and waved.
The song concluded, the lights came on, and the screen retracted. “Now, for the editing skills, we are opening the bid at two thousand dollars.”
Ford’s paddle shot into the air. Other businesses did the same. Etienne was bidding, and Eudora remembered that the ballet commissioned commercials.
Astonishingly, Kern’s paddle went up; there was someone on a phone who was bidding, and Ruby, Marshall, and Rayden were bidding.
She stared and looked at Sern. He was grinning.
When a five-minute video edit went for thirty-five thousand dollars to Ford, she stared at the blue videographer. He pointed to her with his brows up. She nodded. He grinned.
Sern went, “Aw, you are making a friend.”
She elbowed him, and he laughed. She couldn’t be too mad. She was going home with cake.
The moment the auction was over, she made a beeline for the buffet. She was hungry. Ford was at her elbow. “So, I want to do a video for the big cat rescue that tells the story.”
She laughed. “Wait until after I eat, or you are going to regret everything.”
Ford laughed. “Fair enough.”
She got a plate for herself, one for Sern, and another just in case. She met him at one of the tables on the far end of the room, and Ford and one of his alphas followed and joined them.
Ford smiled. “Eudora, this is Argus. He founded the rescue.”
“What story do you want to tell?” She started eating, and the food was amazing. She knew good food of whatever source, and this person knew the ingredients like no one else.
“The story of some of the big cats from acquisition for us and a healthy animal in the rescue after rehabilitation.”
She was getting an idea. “Ford, you are up to shoot footage?”
“Of course. It’s in my back yard.”
She grinned. “Okay.”
Argus nodded. “And don’t worry about the cats. We keep an eye on them at all times. That is, if you want to meet them.”
“Sure. It would be helpful. I know people behaviours, but animal behaviours are a little different.” She smiled. “I am not worried about an injury.”
Sern chuckled. “She really isn’t.”
Ford paused. “Are you an altered beta?”
“Oh. No. Just one of the new things. Focused mage. Just like Emhara is the art mage, I have a focus as well.”
“What is that?”
Sern went to his phone, opened a video, and paused it, focusing on the weight measurement. He turned his phone to Ford. “She’s strength.”
Ford stared. “How much can you lift?”
“I don’t know. I will let you know when I tap out. Usually, I run out of space on the bar.”
Argus looked at her and blinked. “So, the large cats won’t be an issue.”
“Thick skin and lots of lift capability. I try to be careful, but they will give out before I do.”
Ford cocked his head. “What is your last name?”
“Calloway.”
Sern cleared his throat. “It’s Copperwell. It was in that packet that Judge Hall officiated.”
She looked at him with a slow turn of her head. “That was sneaky.”
He smiled and kissed her temple. “It was, wasn’t it? I just wanted everything in place when I propose.”
Ford grinned, and Argus was smiling slightly.
“Propose? Propose what? You have been quietly propositioning me for a week.”
“Marriage. My family does it one-to-one. That is why my mother didn’t stay in the palace. She wasn’t going to be one of many.”
“She knew her worth.”
“She still does.” He smiled.
He leaned in and kissed her.
Ford gasped, and she looked at him. “What did you see, djinn born?”
He looked at Sern. “He’s a djinn. You are red energy.”
She smiled. “It looks like contact with Vaayu is having an effect on you.”
“You mean the emperor.”
“I was born here, and my energy comes from the ground under my feet. There is nothing of the stars inside me. Well, not yet.”
Sern barked a short laugh and then kissed her again.
Ford grinned. “Ah. So. Right.”
Eudora smiled. “He’s remarkably sturdy and likes wrestling. So, ‘nuff said.”
Ford looked at her, thought, and then he got the giggles. That was the point she remembered he was an omega.
They chatted with Argus about some of the animals and agreed that she would need to read the stories of some of the rescues. He sent the dossiers to her.
She looked at him squarely. “I need an active animal for good edits. It’s easier to match motion to motion, and people like to watch motion. Do you have music in mind?”
Ford nodded. “Who did you use for the video here?”
“Uh. Me. A friend writes songs and sends me lyrics. Sometimes it requires a certain voice. This one didn’t. I was enough for it.”
She grinned as one of the volunteers brought over the cake in a huge box and the quilt in a sleek black bag.
She looked at the quilt and smiled.
Ford’s phone chirped, and he looked down and stared. “Do you remember meeting a woman named Olivia?”
“Sure. I stopped at a bed and breakfast in the country when I first left home, and I met her there. She was sweet. Good cook. I gave her what I could. I didn’t have much yet.”
Ford smiled. “She remembers you. She really wants to hug you. She is saying that some folks give and others take, and you gave all the way.” He looked down. “She’s now insisting that you come over for a visit. Beware. We have two toddlers, and she has another on the way.”
“When we set a timeline for this, I can come by.”
Argus looked to Sern and back to her. “Do you need your alpha?”
“Uh, no. I am fine. I can throw a punch through most human bodies, so... I am fine. He’s a bit big to be a teddy bear. If I need accompanying for your dignity and honour, I can haul his brother along. He’s pretty handy with a camera.”
Sern laughed. “He did the dance videography.”
Ford smiled. “He has skills.”
Sern nodded. “He does. His specialty is IT.”
Eudora was pulling out the quilt and rubbing her face against it. It smelled of sunlight and lemon detergent. It was perfect and neutral. It was in the perfect shape to go to a new home.
Sern asked, “Why was that so important?”
“I grew up with quilts on the bed, quilts in the closet, and quilts on the back of the couch. A home has quilts. They make the home, and I suck at sewing, which is one of my family’s failings as a woman. But I can lift a car, so it evens out.”
He looked at the quilt and wrapped it around her. “And now it’s a home.”
She nodded. “And we have cake!”
He laughed. “And a ballroom on any available night for any purpose you wish.”
She stared at him. “You sneaky little bugger.”
He kissed her. “You are the one who bought the cake.”
“That is true, but I just really like cake.” She wrinkled her nose.
He laughed, and then they said their goodbyes while she exchanged numbers with Ford and Argus. They began to talk about the progression, and she told Ford, “One power song, one goofy song. I am assuming that there are cubs around?”
Ford paused, and his brain started shifting gears. “Yes. There are cubs.”
“Nice. I will be in touch this week to get an idea of what you want for the project. Bring the songs.”
Ford nodded. “Got it. You have an idea.”
“I need to see what kind of footage you can get me. That will help tremendously.” She looked at Kern. “Now, I get to tell him that he is losing me for the duration of this project. It was his idea, so he gets to deal with my boss.”
Ford smiled. “Isn’t he your boss?”