Episode 11
Episode 11
Buds and Booze
SUMMER
Once the paramedics had assessed me and determined I’d had a small anxiety attack due to the fear when the elevator glitched, they’d left with the suggestion that I get some rest and relaxation. I didn’t have time for that as I was now late for my meeting with Madam Alana. We were currently on the fifteenth floor and there was no way I was ready to get back into an elevator to go up a few floors. I found the stairs and trudged up the five flights, feeling incredibly winded from taking them in heels, not to mention I was still rather shaky from what I felt had been a harrowing brush with death. It was probably more of a normal occurrence for those that took elevators regularly, but I was still shaking in my cork platform wedges.
I made it through the exit at the twentieth floor and walked over to the reception desk where I was greeted by two stunningly beautiful Asian women.
“Oh, chéri , you must have had a terrible fright.” The older female approached, one of her hands on my arm as she looked at me with compassion and concern.
“Madam Alana?” I guessed.
She responded with a soft smile and a nod. “Please come, come. Have a seat in my office so you can rest, and we’ll chat.”
The woman led me by my elbow as though she was supporting me lest I might suddenly fall. I appreciated the gesture because I was still a bit wobbly. She led me to a large office that had floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the Strip. Her view was breathtaking. I could see the desert beyond and the sun creating interesting shadows along the ground from the high-rise casinos.
I was brought to a small seating area where I sat on a white leather couch.
“Jade, please pour Ms. Belanger a glass of water. Or would you prefer something stronger?” Madam Alana asked.
I shook my head. “Water is fine. Thank you.” I eased back against the comforting leather and closed my eyes, taking a few deep breaths and then letting them out slowly.
“Relax, take all the time you need,” she encouraged.
Her voice was so soothing with a French lilt to it that I instantly did as she said. I kicked off my shoes and curled my knees and bare feet up and to the side, letting the entire scary experience leave me one breath at a time.
“Ms. Belanger?” the woman named Jade called, and I opened my eyes to find her holding a glass of water in front of me.
“Thank you.” I sipped the cool water and slowly started to come back to myself. Being a woman who lived regularly with anxiety and depression, I had a few coping tools of my own, but being able to just sit and breathe was often the best method for bringing me out of a spiral.
My therapist had taught me to focus on my five senses. The first being sight. Look for something in your general vicinity; it could be anything. In this case, it was the bouquet of flowers that sat on the low glass coffee table.
The flowers were the palest pink roses mixed with bright yellow yarrow flowers that had a long blooming period, usually from June through September. I then inhaled fully, using my second sense, smell, to take in the lush scent of the roses. They were lovely, and the floral notes were subtle but pleasant. Next was touch. I tuned into the chill of the glass I held and focused on how the cool temperature contrasted against the warmth coming from the windows. I tried to ignore sound, because the fear I’d experienced elevated even the slightest noise, making my own breath seem overly loud. Last was taste. I swore we’d been so close that I could practically taste Jack’s cologne on the tip of my tongue.
Even though the man was frustrating, he did help me through a frightening experience. Perhaps I should have given him my real phone number? It wasn’t likely that he’d call anyway, but when he did, he’d get a rude awakening. I smiled to myself. Part of me liked the visual of such a suave, attractive man calling the local pizzeria in my hometown of Eureka, California, and being told that “Rebecca” did not work there.
“Feeling better, Summer?” Madam Alana asked.
I took another sip of the icy water and sighed. “Yes, thank you. I will admit to being pretty scared.”
The Madam waved her hand. “As would anyone, chéri . Are you feeling well enough to discuss the auction?”
I sat up straight and put my glass down on the coaster so it wouldn’t leave a wet ring on the pristinely clean glass. Someone must wipe that down every single day for it to look that nice.
“Summer?” Alana’s voice brought me back from my squirrel moment. Often when I’d had an anxiety-induced attack or episode, my mind would drift to random things. It was annoying, but also part of who I was.
I shook my head to clear my thoughts. “Yes, sorry. I’m very eager to be entered into the auction,” I announced my intention, something she already knew, which was why we were meeting in the first place.
“You’ve read through the terms and conditions?” she clarified.
I nodded. “I have. Nothing seemed out of place or unacceptable.” I knew both of those things because my parents had poured over every detail of the paperwork. They then had one of our family lawyers do the same. The lawyer found the entire situation rather disturbing, because signing your life away for three years for a lump sum of money wasn’t the normal path couples took toward holy matrimony. However, I wasn’t a normal woman, and my parents were the absolute opposite of it.
They were born and bred hippies who lived in the Emerald Triangle of Humboldt County. We ran one of the nation’s largest cannabis farms. My father was a botanist handling the sciences behind our many strains while I was the family horticulturist. I made sure things grew. Every farm in our county called me to evaluate their plants and discuss their needs. Regardless of the potential for competition, I always helped. There was room in the cannabis sector for everyone. Now my mom, well, she was a practicing witch. Basically, a magical fairy in her own way. She was in touch with nature and the universe in all its many forms. Everything she handled turned to gold, or in our case, green.
We were a family of growers, and so far, we’d been the best at it. The problem wasn’t our product, it was the fact that we were so big, one of us needed to truly take the business to the next level. Since my parents were already in their sixties and my sister wanted no part of the business side, I needed to be the one to do it. Except I didn’t know anything about running a business. We’d always hired those people to do the office work, but we were at the point where we probably needed to go public or hire someone who could take the company further. Whatever that looked like, we needed help.
“I will admit to having been surprised when reviewing your file. If I may be bold and up front with you?”
“Please. I’m an open book. Ask anything you want to know,” I encouraged.
“After reviewing your background checks and history, I note you are already a multimillionaire.”
I nodded. “Yep. Business is booming.”
The Madam cleared her throat and crossed her toned legs, placing her hands to her knees looking incredibly prim and proper while I had my bare feet up on her white leather couch. I instantly realized my mistake and shoved my legs back down and reached for my shoes with my toes, to no avail.
“Then I’m to assume you don’t need the money from the auction?”
I shook my head. “Nope. I have tons of money. My family is set in that regard.”
Her sculpted brows narrowed. “Then may I ask what is the reason you want to be entered if not for the money? You’re uniquely beautiful, so I can’t imagine it’s a problem for you to find a prospective mate.”
“Pshhhhh. Don’t let the cover of the book fool you. I’m super awkward when it comes to attractive men. There was a man in the elevator… Whoo, boy. Hot as the California Valley in the middle of July. I was all kinds of dorky. Fumbling around. I dropped my purse that had a pair of undies in it. That was embarrassing. Meeting men has never been a problem for me. It’s my flighty and carefree nature and clumsiness that often puts a man off.”
“Oh?” she asked, suggesting with her tone that I continue.
I shrugged. “Sure. I spend a lot of time with my parents. They’re really cool, and I like being around them. I also love my community. We’re very family-oriented.”
“Family-oriented?” Her gaze flitted to her assistant who sat quietly next to us. They looked at one another, something passing between them I wasn’t privy to.
“Are you interested in having children?” Alana asked.
A wave of happiness immediately flooded my system. “Gosh, I would love a whole bunch of kids. I can just imagine teaching some little ones how to plant and grow their own food. The pride in eating something you’ve grown yourself. Teaching them the business my parents started from a small acre on their own private land, that has grown into hundreds of acres over the years. Kids are awesome,” I agreed.
“What are you looking for in a bidder, if I may ask?” Alana changed the trajectory of her questions.
“Truthfully, my mom and I discussed this concept, and we figured that bidders are probably successful businessmen in one way or another, right?” I asked, wanting to ensure I was on the right track. Otherwise, it would all be moot.
“Yes, that is an accurate assumption, however the businesses vary drastically from artists, famous composers, entertainment investors, real estate tycoons, and the like.”
“Exactly what I’m looking for. I need a man who would be interested in teaching me how to be a better businesswoman. A man who has been successful running one already would know the ins and outs. I figured three years with someone like that would be a one-on-one, hands-on approach to learning everything.”
“And could you see yourself committing to this person for more than three years?” she asked.
“If the connection is there, rock on!” I blurted, getting more and more excited about the idea. “That would be best case scenario for sure. Oh man, my parents would be thrilled. As it is, this was their unorthodox idea for me to find a mate and business partner. They worry about me being alone and having a lousy sex life.”
Madam Alana’s eyebrows rose into her hairline. “Your parents are worried about your sexual relations?”
I grinned. “Yeah. We have a very open relationship. We talk about everything. No subject is off-limits or too personal. My mother is deeply worried I’m not getting an appropriate number of orgasms to offset my hormones and other important chemical levels within my body. Getting married and being intimate with my bidder means I’ll be getting properly laid, God willing, which was another reason my parents thought this was a good idea. Honestly, I agree with them. Finding a man to take home from a bar is all kinds of uncomfortable most of the time.”
“I see how that could be difficult,” Alana agreed. “To clarify, you want a businessman who is willing to teach you how to lead, or at the very least allow you the opportunity to shadow him in a business environment?”
I nodded avidly.
“And you’re looking for regular sexual intercourse,” she stated smoothly, not a hint of emotion in her expression, though it almost sounded a little racy when she said it with that melodic accent.
“Mmm-hmmm. You’ve got it.”
Madam Alana smiled and eased back into her chair. “This is a very interesting reason to be putting oneself up for auction.”
“If you say so. I’m used to being the quirky girl in pretty much any situation, but my parents taught me that I shouldn’t change for anyone. That I was good enough just being me.”
“They are one hundred percent correct, chéri . Don’t make yourself less so others can feel like more.”
I laughed. “That’s an excellent way to put it. I’m going to remember that.”
Alana dipped her head. “If you are certain, I will put you in the auction. I know of a couple men right off the top of my head who may be very interested in a woman like you. One just recently requested a woman who has a great family and wants kids. He’s truly looking for a love match.”
“Is he hot? I mean, not that it matters, but it does a little if I’m going to be having sex with him for the next three to fifty years.”
“The man she’s thinking of could be a fashion model but has a rugged edge and an accent,” Jade said, speaking for the first time.
Madam Alana’s lips twitched. “Jade is correct. He even requested I give him a hint during the auction.”
“Okay, so he’s hot. Is he a businessman?” I asked, feeling excitement thread through my solar plexus.
“He’s the CEO of one of the most successful alcoholic beverage companies in the world,” Madam Alana confirmed.
“Girl, hook a sister up! Buds and booze! It’s a perfect match!” I started to dance in my chair, getting even more enthusiastic about the idea now that I’d chatted with these two ladies about it.
“I too couldn’t imagine a better pairing.” Alana pressed a red-tipped nail to her chin, her gaze out the window as though deep in thought. “Perhaps I will break the rules tomorrow and give the bidder a sign.”
I sat up and put my hands together in a prayer position. “Please do. My future depends on it.”
Alana suddenly stood up. “Well, I have much to consider. Please follow Jade to the conference room and she’ll have you sign everything. Then be here tomorrow morning at eight a.m. sharp. All the candidates go through the makeover process the day of the auction.”
“A makeover! How fun. Do you mean someone is going to do my hair and makeup and put me in a swanky outfit?”
Madam Alana smiled in a way that you would at an overactive child. “Yes, Summer. It’s a long process, but the results are always appreciated by the bidders.”
“I am soooooo down with this plan. If all I have to do is show up, and someone else gets to make me look worthy of three million dollars, I’ll be living my best life.” I stood up and dashed over to Alana, pulling her into a hug.
She stiffened at first, then relaxed a bit and patted my back. I turned from her and then did the same to Jade who stayed perfectly still. “Thank you for your help!” I gushed, then went over to the couch to grab my shoes. I looped them around a finger letting them dangle. “You guys are awesome. Thank you for the talk and for including me. I’m super pumped about the auction tomorrow. I can’t wait to call and tell my parents that I’m in.”
I walked to the door and grabbed the handle, turning around to look at the two gorgeous women. “Thanks, ladies. This has been amazing.” I lifted my hand and gave them the international rock symbol with my index finger, pinky and thumb sticking up and my middle fingers tucked in.
“Buds and booze for the win!”