Episode 10
Episode 10
Let Destiny Be the Driver
NAOMI
I couldn’t believe my eyes when the man of my dreams entered the elevator.
I’d literally been dreaming of him all night. Our non-date yesterday had been the stuff of a fluffy, made-for-TV movie. And it all came crashing down when he’d admitted that he was waiting to meet his soon-to-be wife. Even though we’d continued our time together, cracking jokes and getting to know one another, it was all very innocent. Until of course that blistering, life-altering kiss. I’d never had a more bittersweet kiss because essentially it was a stolen moment never to be repeated. At least that’s what I told myself every time I thought about Memphis while I got ready this morning.
And there he was. Looking magnificent in a midnight-colored suit and a pristine white dress shirt that made his dark skin glow in contrast.
“Well, I’ll be damned. What a coincidence.” I grinned, trying to play it cool.
“Naw, I don’t believe in coincidences.” He had plenty of room to stand but chose to invade my personal space by stepping closer.
“No?” I swallowed and took a step back.
He stepped forward, coming so near that I instantly put both of my hands to his broad, muscular, brick-like chest. It was a valiant effort to keep him at a distance—something he was not having. My heartbeat sped up and my knees shook, but I wouldn’t let him see the hurricane of emotions invading my mind and body.
“No, pretty lady, I don’t believe in coincidences. I believe in fate. And that bitch has the worst timing ever,” he grumbled, sounding put out.
“Oh, you think it’s fate that you entered my elevator car this morning?” I asked, buying time so I could think of how to best respond.
My body wanted to wrap around this hunk of a man and give into the sexual chemistry coasting between us. Though my brain and heart knew better. There was a third person not invited to this party, and I would not be the reason a sister was brought low.
His nostrils flared, his breathing audible as he pressed even closer. I swear he became a fire-breathing dragon who’d cornered his prey and was about to feast. And I wanted that... badly . But I wouldn’t give in.
I pushed more firmly against his chest. “What does your fiancée think about you talking to me about fate? I’d bet she’d be pretty pissed off if she knew her man was standing so close to another woman and looking at said woman as though he wanted to eat her whole and lick the bones clean.” I showed my teeth on a hiss.
Memphis inhaled sharply, his wild gaze softening as he took a step back, and then another, and again until he was resting his body against the far wall.
I nodded curtly. “Smart move.” I crossed my arms over one another. “So, when are you meeting up with the lucky lady?” I changed the subject to his woman. It was best for us both to remember that she existed and wasn’t a figment of our imagination.
His jaw firmed and his lips compressed together. “Soon,” he bit out, which was an interesting response from someone who would be seeing who I had to assume was the love of his life, the person he planned to commit his future to. I mean, he was marrying her after all.
The elevator dinged at the floor I needed. I made to leave but in the last moment I put my hand to the doors preventing them from closing and focused on the man who I had to let walk away.
“You know, Memphis, maybe instead of believing in fate, you should think about what your destiny entails.”
“How do you mean?” His voice was a low rumble I wanted to listen to for eons.
“Well, I believe your destiny is what you make it. You drive where your destiny leads and there are many different paths you can take. There’s choice in it. All the hills and valleys of your life are of your own making. I guess it’s a matter of thinking. Do you want to drive toward your destiny or fall into your fate? One way or another, the choice is yours. I wish you all the blessings in your future marriage. Take care of yourself. You’re one of the good ones.” I winked and backed away, allowing the doors to close on a future that wasn’t meant for me.
“Ms. Shaw?” a feminine voice spoke from behind me.
I turned around and was greeted by a young woman of Asian descent. She wore a perfectly tailored black suit jacket and short pleated skirt that showed off a nice pair of legs. She had her hair slicked back into a small bun at the nape of her neck, making her appearance a bit more severe.
She held her hand out. “I’m Jade Lee, Madam Alana’s protégé. We have been expecting you.”
I shook her cool hand and then followed her down a corridor to a set of double doors. She opened one side and gestured for me to precede her.
Madam Alana was sitting at a glass desk wearing an eggplant-colored suit with a slim line of black satin edging the lapel. The purple tone was magic against her skin tone. She too had pitch-black hair but hers was parted straight down the center, the long lengths pressed behind her ears and lying in a flat sheet down her back. What I wouldn’t give to have such ease with my hair. I, however, preferred the bigger-is-better approach and let my curls flow where they wanted to. Of course, I kept them in line with heaps of expensive hair product, but the fine results couldn’t be denied.
I reached my hand over the desk, greeting the woman with a handshake.
“Pleased to meet you, Ms. Shaw. Please take a seat.” Alana gestured to one of the empty chairs. When I’d chosen one, Jade sat in the other one, an electronic device in her lap.
I glanced at the woman and then at the Madam.
Madam Alana smiled coyly. “Jade is tutoring under me in order to learn the business. We are growing at an astronomical pace. There seems to be an increasing need for marriages of convenience these days.”
“It’s definitely not easy to meet the right person.” I thought of my chance encounter with Memphis once more. If only…
“Let’s get right to business, shall we?” She interlaced her fingers and rested her hands on her desk.
I nodded.
“You’ve been completely vetted and all background checks cleared as I suspected they would. Though I am rather surprised to see you show up at this auction and want in at the last minute. May I ask what drove you to come to Las Vegas and join my event?”
“Honestly, I’ve been kicked by another man I’d let in. Used up and spat out.” I gritted my teeth.
“I can’t imagine someone of your caliber would be left in the lurch,” Madam Alana tutted.
“Here’s the thing. I haven’t told anyone I’ve dated recently how wealthy I am. Just that I work in the business of designing jewelry. Most men assume it is something I do as a side hustle. I simply never correct them.”
“And this approach failed,” Alana surmised accurately.
“Brutally. Painfully.” I shook my head and sighed, the memories of my many failed attempts at finding a true partner destroyed repeatedly.
“I see. I’m sorry to hear of your unfortunate experiences. I can assure you that if you choose a husband tonight, you will have a man devoted to you and you alone. He will be your husband in all things. Travel with you as desired. Be faithful only to you. But I cannot promise love. That is something that you will have to nurture with the man you choose. If it is meant to be, it will be. Do you understand?”
I thought of Memphis and how I knew from one night together that I could fall so deeply in love with him that I’d never see the sun again. Hell, I’d live in the darkness to have a man like that call me his own.
“I need a partner. A man who I can bounce ideas off of. A person who works out and knows the value of keeping healthy. An active person who enjoys the outdoors. Someone protective and a little alpha in nature to help keep the creepers off me when I’m in public. I need to be his priority, but I won’t take that for granted. I will listen to his interests and support his needs. I will be faithful and kind.”
“And would you be interested in getting to know his family?” Alana surprised me with such a question though it made sense. If two strangers were to combine their lives as one, their families would be involved. My family would be an absolute nightmare to whomever I chose.
“I would be happy to engage with my future husband’s family. I usually am well-liked by my significant other’s family members. Unfortunately, the person I choose will not have the same experience. You know about my father.” I lowered my face and stared intently into the Madam’s eyes.
“I do. He is beloved by the players within his circle.”
“Mmm-hmm,” I chuffed. “There is a fine line between love and hate. Usually that line meets right in the center at fear.”
The Madam’s lips pressed together, but she kept perfectly poised. I expected nothing less. This was a woman who walked in every circle. I’d done my research on Alana Toussaint. Everyone seemed to know of her, but no one would say a single word about what she did. It took me digging into my friend Joel Castellanos’s sudden marriage to a woman no one knew in order to learn about The Marriage Auction. And he’d been drunk when he’d provided the information, handing me a slim black card with her name and a phone number on the back. It had been very hush-hush and had intrigued me to no end.
“Do you think you have a candidate who would suit my expectations?” I asked.
Alana sat back in her chair and smirked. “I do.”
I waited a full ten seconds while Alana stared me down. “I’m all ears,” I stated.
Jade snickered and I turned my head sharply, gaze narrowed.
Her cheeks reddened. “I apologize,” Jade said and then looked at Alana who cocked a single brow.
Madam Alana was everything I wanted to be in business. She gave very little away in her expressions and vocal intonation. A master at communication who always had the upper hand. Jade would learn a lot from a magnate like her.
“Darling, I do not matchmake, per se. I research and find willing candidates of marriageable age and circumstance. Every person is different. Each agree to the terms as set forth in the contracts I sent you a couple months ago. Did you read them?”
I had. They were lengthy and far more detailed than I’d expected. Even though the buyer was bidding and paying a hefty fee, the contracts protected the candidates as first priority. I actually found this appealing because it meant there were guidelines both were expected to follow.
“I found no flaws in the parameters set forth in both contracts,” I agreed.
“Then you also read that every bidder has the same opportunity. It wouldn’t be fair for me to give any of you a leg up on your competition.” It was a statement, not a question. It needed no response because it was a fact.
Damn, she was a savvy businesswoman.
“I see. Then what does this phase of the auction entail?” I asked, feeling a bit eager.
“You will attend the event at the hour specified detailed in the invitation Ms. Lee sent you via email. The audience space will darken and each of you will have a lighted paddle displaying a number. The candidates will be brought out one at a time for bidding. When you want to bid on a particular candidate, you may press the button on the paddle and hold it aloft. I will call it out.”
“So very similar to an art auction.”
Madam Alana smiled, her face lighting up so beautifully I was taken aback by her splendor.
“I like the visual of my candidates being precious art.” Something shifted behind her eyes as though she was reliving a memory of her own.
“And I don’t have to bid on anyone if I’m not interested,” I clarified. I thought I was ready for marriage but after meeting Memphis, I wasn’t so sure. Maybe I could find the man of my dreams, though that wouldn’t be possible if I chose a husband tonight.
“The choice is always yours.” She eased her chair back and stood. “I must tend to my candidates. I hope to see you at the auction tonight.”
I stood up and shook her hand and then Jade’s.
“Ms. Shaw?” Alana called out when I reached the door. “May your destiny lead you down the right path.”
My mouth went dry, and I clung to the door handle, my palms becoming clammy. It was a sign. Maybe even divine intervention. She couldn’t know the conversation I’d had with Memphis in the elevator only a short time ago.
“My destiny?” I gulped, the hairs on my arms standing at attention while a flurry of mixed feelings soared through me.
“Yes, chéri . I always let destiny be in the driver’s seat.”
I nodded and left her office. I got into the elevator and waited silently. I forgot to push the button, not paying attention, my mind still working through the conversation I’d just had.
The door opened and there was Memphis, standing about ten feet away holding a ring box. It was open, and he was staring down at a diamond solitaire, the smile on his face so large it was as though he’d won the lottery. It was the image of a man who knew exactly what he wanted.
And it wasn’t me.
I shoved myself to the side and out of sight and smashed the “close door” button. He must not have been paying attention, so focused on the ring he’d bought for his woman. I was able to narrowly escape another interaction.
The shock of seeing him in that private moment absolutely settled my mind firmly in one direction.
I was attending that auction, and I would buy myself the perfect husband.
I deserved nothing less.