“You ready, Mr. Fréres? If I had a few extra dollars, I would certainly bid on you.” The manager smiles brightly, her lips blood red against a set of very white teeth. She looks a little like a vampire, and the glint in her eyes indicates that she’d like very much to latch on to my neck and suck me dry.
I take a small step back. “I’m a virgin. I’m sure I’d be a disappointment.”
My admission only fires her excitement. Her tongue comes out to snake across her bottom lip. “Maybe I should check my credit card limit.” She swipes a finger across my tie.
“Wendy, stop terrorizing our bachelors.” Another woman about my mother’s age comes over to inspect me. The tension in my shoulder eases. “You’re quite the nicely formed young man, aren’t you?” The tightness in my back returns at the predatory gleam in the new woman’s face. “You must be Dotty’s delicious son everyone talks about. A high school teacher, right?”
I nod.
“Well, I might just place a bid on you myself.” She leans in, a sour minty smell wafting past my nose. “The benefit of being older is having a deep pocket.” She winks and reaches out to trail a hand down the front of my tux.
I drop my hand to block her groping touch.
“He says he’s a virgin,” says the younger woman.
“You should put that in the auction text. It’ll play well with the crowd, and they will never know the truth. It’ll be our little secret.” She winks as if she thinks I’m a saucy piece of work before sauntering off.
“I don’t think your lie about your v-card worked,” Petersburg whispers in my ear.
I turn to see him at my shoulder, lined up and ready to be put on the chopping block. I don’t bother to tell him or anyone else that it isn’t a lie. People think that all men over the age of fifteen should be pounding their dick into anything that moves, but I’ve seen what kind of damage that can do and never wanted to be that kind of guy. Besides, it’s not like I don’t know what to do. I’ve read plenty of material. I know how to touch a woman, find her pulse points, listen to her moans, figure out what turns her on—and off. You don’t need hands-on experience for that. Having sex with someone is special, and I plan to wait until I find the right woman—someone pink with light green eyes, golden hair, and a perfect Cupid’s bow mouth.
I straighten my shoulders. Time to be won by my princess.
Chapter Six
Paislee
“Here he comes.” My grandma nudges me. I bite my lip, not sure I can do this. These women are out for blood. No wonder he asked me to bid on him. He pulls at his collar, looking uncomfortable. I wonder if he’s nervous. He still keeps shooting glares at the man next to me. I wonder if they know each other.
“You can do it if you want.” I try and hand the paddle to my grandma, but she only laughs. I guess I’m on my own.
“You’ve got it,” she encourages me as the bidding starts. The announcer doesn't even get a starting number out and a woman across the room is shouting ten grand. My mouth falls open. As I thought, these women aren’t playing around. They are here to win.
“Did you think he’s really going to want me to bid that much? I’m not even sure if I have a limit. What if I spend more than he wants me to?” I fire off the questions. My nerves have definitely taken over.
“You don’t have to use his card sweet, girl. You have an account of your own,” she reminds me for the hundredth time. “He’s also a Fréres. He’s a trust fund baby too. I’m sure there is no limit.” I have to admit that the knowledge of him being a trust fund baby kills a little of my attraction to him. My experience with these sorts of people has been limited to my own half-brothers. They are douchecanoes.
I guess we could add my good old dad into that category as well. Fréres does scream money, but it felt like there was something else there when I ran into him. He was normal and down to earth. He was easy to joke with. Something I’ve found hard to do with anyone around here. Except my grandma. In saying that, he did need me to do something for him, so that may be why.
When another girl shouts out twenty thousand, I almost fall out of my chair. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to wrap my mind around the kind of money these people have.
“You make more than that in interest in a year.” I jerk my eyes away from Fréres to look back at my grandma. “Bid!” she shouts. I raise my paddle in a knee-jerk reaction.
“Thirty!” Was that my voice? Did those words actually fall from my lips? Holy crap. My mouth instantly goes dry knowing everyone is looking at me now.
“There you go. Show these rich bitches who’s going to win,” my grandma says with the biggest smile on her lips and a look of pure determination.
“Aren't we rich bitches too?” I whisper under my breath. Before she can answer me, I have to bid again. The exotic-looking beauty at the next table glares at me. I mouth I’m sorry to her. Again a knee-jerk reaction. It felt right to apologize. She looks away from me confused but undeterred as she raises her paddle to bid again.
“Forty-two,” she says. Fréres is staring right at me. My heart gives a weird flutter that his eyes have remained on me this entire time and not the other beautiful women that have bid on him. I give him a look, silently asking if I should keep going. He gives a small nod, making my heart flutter again.
“Forty-five!” I shout.
“What the fuck? You just said sorry!” The woman from the other table looks as though she’s going to explode.
“Sorry?” I say again, and my grandma shakes with silent laughter. The woman slams the paddle down on the table.
“He’s not that good in bed,” she says loudly for everyone to hear. Oh, they must have been teasing about the virgin comment they said earlier about him. I guess the joke is because he gets around? Silly of me to think that a man that looks like him could be a virgin. The joke is actually on me for believing it.
“Forty grand says otherwise,” Grandma tosses back at the woman, making the people around us snicker.
“Grandma!” I shouldn't be shocked. Grandma can land some killer one-liners that tend to be on the dirty side. They shouldn't catch me off guard anymore, but they still do. She looks so prim and proper until you mess with her or me.
“Forty-five. Going once. Going twice.” I listen to the announcer, praying that I don’t have to lift my paddle to bid anymore. I close my eyes. “Sold to the pretty young lady. Congratulations. You can head over to the table at the back to pay for your man.” When I open my eyes and look around, everyone is staring at me with curiosity. Great, now I’ve drawn attention to myself.
When I look up toward the stage, I see Fréres has a huge smile on his face. I’m all yours, he mouths to me with a teasing smile. For one second, I find myself wishing that were true.
Thankfully, the next man’s bidding starts, and the attention pulls from me. I make my way over to the table. I don’t miss the handful of glares that I get from the women as I walk. I open my small purse, pulling out his card and mine too. I hand over mine. I’m not sure if it’s the right thing to do, but I actually think it will make my grandma happy.