Chapter 14 #2
Someone was willing to make that kind of donation for my time? Did they know that they couldn’t lock me up and have me treat them 24/7 for ten years?
There was a flaw in what they were selling.
It was false advertising.
If I had to offer ten years of service, it would be a few sessions each year. Did they know what they were bidding on?
I tried to find the person who bid next, but the spotlight had made it impossible to see more than 5 feet away from where I was standing.
“Wow, that was a very generous bid.” Amelia’s sweet tone suggested that she was more than thrilled about the amount, but then she should be. A mere ten treatments from me could add up to that amount, especially the IVF treatments. “But sir, are you bidding on behalf of your wife or loved one?”
I took a small step forward, trying to see the audience clearly.
“We aren’t sure that Dr. Bennet could take care of your womanly needs.” The crowd laughed at Amelia’s comment. “Two hundred and fifty thousand going once.”
I could tell that Amelia was eager to close the deal. First, people were probably as confused as I was and had no idea what they were bidding on. And secondly, 250,000, was as good as it got, for something as vague as ten years of consultation with me.
It better not be Lincoln behind this bid.
I hated it when he thought he could help me by just throwing money my way.
The audience’s increasing chatter was proof that they had started to lose interest in this auction. Who could blame them?
“I’ll double it if she would swap that for ten dates instead,” someone in the crowd shouted.
I recognized the voice.
It can’t be.
Kai didn’t have an invitation to this event.
“Have we got a secret admirer for Dr. Bennet here?” Amelia chuckled and the crowd laughed with her.
“And sir, I’m not sure you understand how an auction works.
You just placed a bid against yourself. But I have to say, if you’re doing this on purpose, it has to be the most romantic way on earth to ask a girl out. ”
Blank. That was the only way to describe my mind right now. The spotlight had somehow managed to pierce through my eyes, straight into my brain, and had erased everything.
Amelia turned around and whispered to me. “Dr. Bennet, ten dates in exchange for 500,000 dollars. What do you say?”
I stood there for a good minute without saying anything. Was that really Kai? Or someone who sounded oddly like him? Ten dates weren’t much, but a lot could happen in ten dates. Hell, even three. Or one.
A man in a tux approached the stage area and our eyes locked.
“Just say yes.” He mouthed the words at me.
“Yes, definitely.” I answered. Loud and clear. And I was amazed at how confidently the word came out of my mouth.
Had I just sold myself for half a million dollars?
The whole thing felt like a dream. I headed off the stage and left as the audience whispered among themselves.
The girls were as shocked as me. Chloe had her concerns about Kai and his games, but she knew that I’ve had a crush on him forever.
Wendy couldn’t stop talking about how romantic the whole thing was, and what I should do for Kai in return, in bed.
Wendy had a way dirtier mind than the innocent, oh so serious look that she projected to the world.
Chloe had never really said anything dirty to me, even though she was a stripper at one point of her life.
Did I fail to mention that she was also part owner of a sex club?
A prestigious and secretive one that only the elite knew about.
I was sure Kai and my brothers were members.
Kai came through the back and the ladies made some strange teasing noise – oohing and aahing – at us.
“I think he’s come to claim his prize.” Wendy couldn’t stop herself from saying.
I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, and prepared for battle. In the dress that he bought me. I smoothed my hands down my sides and waited.
“How did you manage to get a ticket?” I asked as we sat down at my table. My jaw felt tight, and I wasn’t sure if I was angry or pleased, but I hid it. For now.
“I made your assistant an offer she couldn’t refuse.
I offered her $100,000 for her ticket, but she refused it.
When I saw a giant vagina costume being taken into the back, I offered to donate the same amount if she stood outside taking pictures with your guest.” Kai opened the button on his tuxedo jacket as he settled back in his chair, looking rather pleased with himself. “She accepted the second offer.”
I was surprised that she rejected the money and chose to have the money given to charity instead. But then, she does support our charity work and is good at her job.
“I can see why she doesn’t like you.” I said nonchalantly.
“Ouch, I thought we were best buds.” He teased me. “She was just jealous that I’ve got you.”
Picking up my hand, he pressed it to his lips.
I frowned at his remark. “What are you saying?”
“That girl is in love with you.” He said it as if it wasn’t an earth-shattering idea.
“What?” I gasped, pulling back.
Really? Siti was in love with me? I had no clue.
I had a peculiar curiosity about hot female celebrities – Angelina Jolie and Scarlett Johanssen were among my favorites, but I had never explored the other side of my sexuality.
If there was a scale for my sexual preference, I would still prefer men, ninety-nine percent of the time.
So, yes. There was one percent chance that I could be gay. It had to be someone as hot as Angelina or Scarlett though. Unfortunately for Siti, I didn’t feel the same way about her.
Kai stayed with me for the rest of the evening while I handled the mundane tasks, greeting and chatting to my guests. He waited patiently while I encouraged them to donate. He started to look a little bored when I thanked those that already had for their generosity.
Lincoln and Chloe headed back to Myrtle Beach right away on their helicopter.
My brother was very serious when it came to parenting.
He’d promised my niece a story before bed and that was the reason he was determined to be there.
It was amusing to see him getting annoyed with Chloe and I – as we took our time to hug it out and say our goodbye.
I snickered as I remembered the way he glared at me.
The big brother glare. But I couldn’t say I got the message he was trying to deliver.
Was it a warning? Concern? Good luck? Or I know what you did last summer?
I’d shrugged at him, hoping that he could get my simple message – your message is as clear as mud.
If I had to guess, Lincoln was trying to say something about the auction. I had kind of announced to the world that I would be going on ten dates with his best friend. His best friend, a bigger man slut than he ever really was.
I knew one thing though. I couldn’t handle him doing his big brother thing right now. His stern gaze would have no effect on me. Not today. I had wanted Kai for all this time. And now that he had made his move so clear and obvious, I had no other excuses to walk away from it.
Even if it was for ten fun dates.
I wasn’t the naive girl who dreamed of marrying Kai anymore. Ten fun dates could be the way to go. To fuck him out of my system. Forever.
By the time I was ready to leave, it was past midnight. I went back to our table and sat next to Kai – who was busy doing something on his phone.
“I am hoping that I can claim the first date with you tonight.”
I wanted to believe that what happened tonight was all real. With the kisses that we shared in the past, there shouldn’t be any doubts that there was chemistry between us. However, part of me still couldn’t believe it. “You can’t be serious right?”
“Why not?” He brushed a misbehaving strand of hair off my face. “I’ve wanted to ask you out since you turned 18.”
“Wait… Do you mean thirteen years ago when you came to my birthday party? When my eyes were swollen from months and months of grieving and my face was covered in snot?”
“Precisely.” His glance was soft. Perhaps the champagne had gone to his head, or my head rather, he seemed really dreamy right now.
Like we were in an airbrushed dreamy scene in a movie.
“It upset me to see a princess so sad. And back then, I wanted to kill the person responsible. Then when I found out the reason you were crying, it broke my heart even further.”
He leaned in and I welcomed his lips with mine.
“My brothers aren’t going to like it.” I mumbled, still kissing him.
“Yeah, I can handle that.”
“How?” Another mumbled word. His lips left mine and I immediately missed them.
“Thirteen years ago, I wanted to ask you out. Of course, I asked Lincoln, you know, bro code and all. We made a pack that I could date you on three terms. One – when you’re all grown up, working, and have your own career.
Two – when I’m all grown up,” He chuckled to himself, “have my own career, business, empire or whatever I saw as a career path.”
Did he really mean that? My overprotective brother gave his consent to date me? Liam, sure, he made it a point to stay out of my business, and I out of his. But Lincoln? He would never leave any of us alone. Even my mother was scared of his meddling.
“And three?”
“When I’m ready to settle down.” Butterflies, a warm sensation filled my belly. That was followed by doubts as Chloe’s words about him looking for a bride came back to me. Was I his last hoorah before he settled down with Lucy? Or did he mean me?
There I was, ready to have ten dates, some good sex, and fuck him out of my system. And he just casually hints that he sees me as his future wife? Fuck. He had a way of messing with my heart.
“What about your girlfriends? Your supermodel dates? Your special hobby?” I emphasized the word ‘special’ with a raised eyebrow. I didn’t want to say the obvious. It certainly wasn’t public knowledge what Kai Li was into, but him being my brother’s best friend, I’d learned things about him.
“That was exactly why Lincoln had term three. Your brother wanted me to date all the women I wanted. Any kind. And if I still felt the same way about you, he wouldn’t stand in my way. If you’ll take me, that is.”
What feeling was he talking about?
How could he feel the same thing about the same person after all these years?
I admit that I’ve had a huge crush on him since I was eighteen. But I was naive. I was barely past believing that Santa was real. As much as I wanted to believe that Santa was real, my scientific mind would just kick me back to reality.
But Kai was my Mr. Right. My soul mate. The one I wanted as my forever love. All these were just some abracadabra made up words, as I’d come to believe over the years. Sitting at our empty table, the large empty ballroom felt small, as the world started to close in on us.
“How did you know that I would date you?”
“Oh princess.” He kissed me on my forehead. “I had ladies, young and old, eyeing me up from the day I became a young man. So, trust me when I say I know who likes or dislikes me. My radar has never failed me.”
Cocky. But no one could blame him.
He was right. I would always date him. But I wasn’t sure I trusted my heart with someone like him.
“How about the other thing?”
“Supermodels? Oh, you know, a lot of them are nothing but good clothes racks.”
“Don’t be mean.” I punched him in the chest.
“Sorry. Yes, I know some of them are very smart but not those that I dated.”
“And the other thing?” I started to think that he was dodging my question.
“Oh, that–” He took a deep breath. “That world was fun. But it gets boring when you’re not into your partner. I’m sad to say it, but I haven’t felt any excitement in that world for a while. And I’m ready to give it all up.”
“Don’t.” My voice was small.
The sparkle in his eyes told me that he heard. “Are you serious?”
“I would like to get to know that part of your world.” I whispered as liquid fire started to dominate my lower body.
“Oh princess, you have no idea what you’re doing to me.”
I had a small taste of just that when he kissed me.