Cookies and Control (Christmas Cherry Auction #11)

1. One

One

Betsy

“It’s super dreamy to think of getting bought and ravished by billionaires, but they’re real men. I’m sure they’d never live up to my imagination.” I smile at Jasmine while packing up the makeup I was using to help Sabrina get ready.

Jasmine is the take-action type who’s likely to follow up on the idea of being auctioned next year. This year we’re merely waitressing the Christmas Cherry Auction.

Sabrina… she’s harder to predict. As long as she has time to plan and prepare, she might do it.

And for me, being on stage is a nice daydream, but I might be my own worst enemy when it comes to men. Between my smutty romance novels and my vivid imagination, it’s going to take a special guy to live up to my expectations… which I don’t intend to lower.

Sabrina and I follow Jasmine to the kitchen where we load our trays up with hors d’oeuvres and drinks, then take the offerings through the roomful of billionaires.

I had hoped that the blizzard wouldn’t hurt tonight’s event since it’s a charity auction, but there are several empty tables as I carry my tray of goodies through the room. On a good note, it’s not lost on me that I could end up snowed in at the Aubergine Affair sex club. Possibly why I arrived early. And definite fantasy material.

And so are Sabrina’s three stepbrothers who just walked in the door. Nervous excitement takes over. Yay for more bidders arriving, but will it be weird for Sabrina?

She grew up watching her older stepbrothers date. Watching them win a virgin is different. Everyone knows what the sole intent is, and this year, it’s an obligation to provide a satisfying first sexual experience to the lucky lady.

My heart flutters. Someday I’ll find the hero who can keep up with the stories I read.

Of course, everyone also knows that each woman who’s been won in the auction has developed a relationship with the men who won her. That makes it less awkward, I suppose.

Sabrina and I meet up to restock our trays with fresh appetizers.

In case she hasn’t noticed them, I decide to break it to her. “Hey, Sabrina, how’s it going?”

She forces a smile, so I give her the chance to vent. “Did you see that your brothers are here?”

Sabrina worries her lower lip. “Yes to my brothers, and I’m avoiding them, but one of the men basically just offered to buy me.”

I freeze, holding the tongs in midair. That’s unexpected. She’s not even being auctioned. Maybe my wild imagination went too far. “What did you say?”

Jasmine buzzes up to us and interrupts with her usual enthusiasm. “I’m definitely signing up for next year’s auction.”

Screw it, I can’t let Jasmine steal Sabrina’s thunder. “Guess who already got an offer?”

We convince Sabrina to discreetly point the guy out, which leaves us certain that she should take the offer. He’s potentially the hottest billionaire in the club.

Maybe he has a friend who’d like to buy me?

Sabrina says, “He was probably joking. I don’t know. Anyway, I turned him down. I have my dating checklist.”

“Stop it.” Jasmine grabs her hand. “All of these guys are loaded. They don’t have to wait through lines and check off lists. They can afford the fast pass.”

That’s the wrong thing to say to Sabrina, who waves a finger. “No fast passes for my playland. Plus, I don’t want to interfere with tonight’s fundraising.”

But as the minutes tick closer to the start time, my concern over the blizzard grows. “Have the women being auctioned tonight shown up yet?”

Jasmine rushes to the dressing room, peaks in, and shakes her head before returning. “If they don’t show…”

“They’ll have to postpone the auction,” Sabrina says.

I’m a little more optimistic. “I’m sure they’ll be here any minute.”

“Sabrina…” Jasmine teases. “Hottie McDollarSigns already made it clear he would bid on you.”

“Nope.” Sabrina is quick to shut down the suggestion.

“I’d do it. Would you, Betsy?” Jasmine won’t let it go.

A chance for dream sex… This one’s pretty easy for me, but Sabrina has a hard time doing anything spur of the moment. Maybe I can play to her methodical, organization-loving side. Besides, it’s all for fun at this point. No one has offered us a chance to go on stage. “The show must go on. Think of all of the veterans who will benefit from tonight’s donations.”

“Doesn’t have to be tonight.” Sabrina stands her ground.

Jasmine walks her fingers over Sabrina’s shoulder. Her smile is wide. Her eyes are bright. This look is all too familiar. It means Jasmine has an idea she’s ready to fight for.

“I already said no,” Sabrina defends.

I’m torn between telling Jasmine to back off and the wild possibility that my two best friends and I could all lose our virginity in a grand way this evening.

Jasmine continues, “But Sabrina… you know how hard it is to organize events, coordinate schedules, get all of the lists realigned when something goes wrong. If anyone should understand the importance of saving the event, it’s you.”

“The veterans…” I say, feeling kind of guilty for adding pressure.

“Will get a hearty donation. There’s still time for the ladies to arrive.” Sabrina clings to logic.

Jasmine scrutinizes the drinks and snacks on the tray, then rearranges them. “We’ll see. In the meantime, I’m going to start enticing the guys I hope will bid on me.”

I play along. “I hope the owner will let us do it.”

“Don’t hope for that. Hope that the scheduled virgins get here safe and sound,” Sabrina pleads.

“That too.” Jasmine winks. “Now excuse me while I get more alcohol in these guys to loosen their wallets.”

“For the veterans,” I add to bring a little levity.

As more minutes tick past, making it less and less likely the women are going to show up, I study Jasmine’s approach to the men. Can some of her boldness rub off on me by mere observation? She paves her own way at everything and just convinced a table of three guys to bid on her if she gets on stage. Basically, she says what she wants. How much easier can it be?

With all of the ideas I get from romance novels, this should be—I fumble my tray. My heart stops. I blink several times while remotely aware that someone helped keep my full tray from crashing to the ground.

But my eyes are glued to the men across the room who serve as my guilty pleasure in every single fantasy. My stepdad and his brother.

“Thank you,” I try to say, but merely mumble to the kind stranger who makes sure I’m steady before walking away.

I should feel guilty for thinking of my stepdad the way I do, but he relied on nannies to finish raising me after my mom passed away when I was fifteen. They were a bit unnecessary and basically amounted to monitoring me.

And while it’s true, he’s legally my dad because he adopted me, I never made the mental transition.

Call me a dreamer, but I imagine our future lives as more than a parent-child relationship. And with his brother too, because… why not? They’re sinfully handsome billionaires who melt my panties. And the versions of them in my head are not nearly as problematic.

But dammit—they came to the auction, which leaves me slightly devastated. Not like they would buy me. I’m not insanely gorgeous like everyone in their family.

Bull, my stepdad, treats me like an ogre to be locked away, to this day insisting I live at home, not that all nineteen-year-olds are ready to live on their own.

Grandma’s constantly noting how many ways the beauty salon can help me out: hair, nails, waxing, botox…

And Rocky could be a cool uncle if he didn’t keep his distance—confirming that I don’t fit in their family.

The PA system crackles to life. Lazovski, the owner, is on stage. “Attention, everyone. I’ve just received word that the auctionees’ car slid off the road in the snowstorm. Thankfully they’re unharmed. Just going to be a little late. Please be patient.”

I want to jump and squeal, but getting overly excited and dropping my full tray would be frowned upon. Plus, it’s messed up that I would be glad for someone else’s misfortune.

And with my family setting my insecurities in full swing, even if Jasmine convinces Lazovski to put us on stage, it’s possible no one would bid on me.

The air in the club vibrates with excited energy while I vibrate with nervous energy. Would I actually auction myself? To raise money for the veterans? To play with fate? To risk being the virgin who breaks the auction’s perfect track record?

All in front of my stepdad and stepuncle?

Can I be like Jasmine and make things happen? The table she’s at erupts into a chant. “Do it. Do it.”

Now they’re toasting her for saving the day. Are we even sure the day needs saving?

The power of her hype occurs to me—people get caught up in it and don’t think straight. Much like me and my fantasies. Okay, that’s something I can understand.

I scan the room and catch a man looking at me, which is my official prompt to look anywhere but at him. But that’s wrong. I lean into the fantasy, the hype… the moment and meet his gaze. He raises his bidder paddle and points at me.

Oh! I look over both shoulders. Only me. Then point at myself. He smiles and nods. He wants me. He’ll bid on me.

That’s all I need. The promise of one.

Before I know it, Jasmine has Sabrina and me agreeing to be replacement virgins for the evening. I hear my words before I think them. “This will be so fun. I love that we’re all going to have our first time on the same night.”

An extra shot of adrenaline hits when I remember that my stepdad and his brother—the men who I want to win me—are here. I have to let go of that thought. Even fantasies have their limits.

But this very moment when I’m being ushered into a room to sign a contract to participate in the Christmas Cherry Auction is the closest reality has ever come to matching the wild adventures in my head.

With my best friends by my side, I sign my name on the contract and change into the skimpy red and white dress. Jasmine and Sabrina do the same.

I’m going to auction my virginity in front of my grumpy stepdad and my almost-cool stepuncle.