“Twenty-five thousand!” I hear shouted, and gasps fill the room. My eyes look at the table right in the front. I spot Ralph and Candace, who are both looking over at Layla with their mouths hanging open. Layla isn’t even sure what is going on as she realizes that the words came out of her mouth. The other women look over at her, and all she can do is stare at me. The room erupts in applause and cheers. The other guys who were on the stage with me are now clapping their hands and laughing hysterically.
“Sold,” Nico says, pointing at Layla. “That has to be a record,” he says, laughing, and then looks at me. “For that price, you better go get that woman a drink.” Everyone laughs, and I walk down the step toward her. What is going on here? I think to myself. What did she just do, and why? Why would she just do this? She literally hates me. I mean, she tells me this all the time. She’s pushed me away at every single advance for the last, I don’t know, four years, and now this? My head spins with all the questions, but all I do is paste a smile on my face.
I can’t help but smile, putting my hands to my chest. “Be still my heart,” I say, joking, and she groans. “That was so romantic, gorgeous. I knew there was something between us. I just felt it.” I pretend to make light of the situation, but my head swims with questions. Why would she do this? Can she even afford that? My heart starts to speed up, thinking that she just might have wasted all her savings on me, and I’m not okay with this. Do I want to date her? Damn straight I do, but not if it’s going to put her into debt. I’m going to go to Nico and just pay it off.
“Oh my God.” She puts her hand to her mouth and then looks over at Candace. “What did you just do?”
“What did I just do?” She laughs at her friend. “What did you just do?”
“God.” Manning’s wife gets up. “How desperate can one woman be that she has to buy herself a date?” She looks over at Layla with disgust all over her face, and I have to admit she might be hot as fuck in a totally fake way, but her attitude just makes her ugly.
“I’ll give you fifty thousand dollars not to come home,” Manning says to her and pushes away from the table. “Fuck, I’d give you a million dollars to never talk to me again.” He walks off, leaving her with her mouth hanging open, and the four of us just looking at her. She straightens her shoulders and turns and walks away in the other direction.
“Well, that was weird,” Layla says, grabbing her empty champagne glass and bringing it to her lips for the last drop. “I wonder if I won the All-Star tickets?” she says, looking around.
“Well, there she is.” I hear Nico now and turn to look at him as he walks to the table. He holds out his hand for Layla, who smiles and takes it, and I want to hit his hand away, but instead, I put my hands in my pockets. “We need a picture of the happy couple. Twenty-five thousand dollars.”
“About that,” Layla says, now standing up. “How bad would it be if I took the bid back?” she asks, looking around.
“Take it back?” I say, shaking my head and laughing. “Now, why would you do that?” I start to panic, thinking that she’ll take it back and I won’t get my only shot with her.
“Because the thought of going on a date with you,” she starts to say, and I look down at her hand still in Nico’s. I look over at him, raising my eyebrows, and he drops her hand. Now that her hand is free, she throws it up in the air. “The thought of going on a date with you,” she repeats herself. “It’s preposterous.”
“You just bid twenty-five thousand dollars to go out with me.” I point at myself. “Now forgive me if I’m wrong, but I think that just tells you how much you want me.” I smirk. “At least twenty-five thousand times.”
“Oh, I want you all right,” she says. “I want you to go fly a kite naked over a cactus farm.” She winks. Nico and Ralph both wince and put their hands over their junk.
“This is perfect.” A woman comes over with a camera hanging from around her neck. “Could we get a couple of pictures of the big-ticket item with the woman who shut it down?” She smiles and then motions with her hand to follow her.
“If you don’t go with her,” Nico says, “she’ll just come back.”
“Fine,” Layla says, then turns to Candace. “How’s my face?”
“Gorgeous.” I answer for her, then reach out my hand and pull her with me as I walk after the lady. I hold her hand, and to my surprise, she doesn’t yank it away. The woman stands in front of a huge white banner that has the foundation’s name on it.
“Now, if I can get both of you in the middle.” She motions to us. “There is a little X on the floor. Stand there.”
“Do we have to take the picture together?” Layla asks as I look down and make sure that I’m standing on the X.
“What’s the matter, gorgeous, scared that the picture is going to show that you really, really want me after all?” I smirk, which makes her glare. She puts one hand on her hip, and the way she cocks her hip, her bare leg comes out, and I finally get a look at those black strappy heels she’s wearing.
“I’m afraid the picture is going to be exhibit A at my trial when I kill you.” She tosses her hair over her shoulder and looks away. “You can get one with one of the backup bids.” She points at the women who bid but lost as they gather to watch us. I pull her to me and wrap my hand around her waist, and I swear she fits perfectly.
“That is perfect,” the woman says as she snaps two and three pictures. She takes the camera away and looks down at the pictures, and it gives Layla the opportunity to step away from my touch. I look up at her and see that her light brown eyes are bright and her cheeks are pink. “We need a couple more.”
“You know,” Layla says. “This is so much fun, but wouldn’t it look better if all the bidders get in on the picture?” I watch her trying to talk to the photographer. “Girls, why don’t you get into this picture?” She motions to the women who are standing around, looking at us. They put their drinks down, and I watch them make their way over.
“This is brilliant,” the photographer says. I’m about to say something when the photographer calls my name. “Look over here, Miller.” I look her way ignoring the women gathering around me as she moves the women around, and when I turn around, I see that Layla is walking away.
“Layla!” I call her name, and she turns around, wearing the world's biggest smile, and she honestly is gorgeous. Hands down more gorgeous than any other woman I have ever met.
“Sorry,” she says. “My ride is here.” It’s her turn now to wink at me. “Have fun with that.” She points at the women around me. “Take care, slugger.” She turns around, making her way through the crowd.
“Slugger,” I repeat the word and then look at the photographer. “You have one shot, so make it count.”
She nods her head, and after she snaps the picture, I clap my hands together and look at the women. “Ladies,” I say in my charming voice. “It has been amazing, but I have to go. There is a big game tomorrow, and I have to be in tip-top shape.” Some of them moan, and I swear a couple of them pout. I nod to the photographer and walk away, spotting Nico first. He is standing there talking to Manning, and the two of them are laughing at something.