The Replacement Girlfriend

Chapter 19

Her hands almost immediately pushed the box back to him. “Well, I don’t want it,” she said.

Seth whistled and shifted his eyes as the smile on Michelle’s face faded into a thin line. “It looks like the dance floor is now opening,” Corbin conveniently mentioned as the band that just took over the stage started to play. He gave each of the other guests at the table a quick glance before turning to his wife. “Feel like working the old bones dear?”

Following Corbin’s footsteps, Michelle and Seth also joined the dance floor as the elderly gentleman and his son left to socialize with the other guests in the room. Soon Chase and Krislynn were left alone in their own little bubble of tension though neither of them seemed to notice the disappearance of their other six guests.

“That’s too bad,” Chase finally said as he pushed the box into her hands once again. He couldn’t seem to understand why she was so upset. She wanted this necklace – he was positive of that. “I brought it already so you might as well just take it.”

“I can’t take it.”

“Why?!”

“Don’t you get it Chase?” Her eyes regarded him with hopelessness as she paused for a moment. “I know you have a lot of money. I know you’re used to buying girls whatever they want, but I’m telling you I’m not like that! Sure I was super mad about the hickey you gave me, but I wouldn’t have stayed mad forever. You don’t need to buy me something like this!”

“Well I just did,” he shouted back in the most civilized manner he could muster. “Can’t you just thank me like a normal person and get over it. I’ve just spent a million bucks on you.”

“No I can’t get over it and do you know why Chase? Because I have moral standings! I have pride in myself. I’m not like those trash whores you bring home to sleep with.” Her gaze lowered and stared at the velvet box before placing it back into his hands. “And I know. I know you’ve just spent a million bucks on me, but to tell you the truth, I’ve never felt more cheap.”

For a moment all Chase could do was stare at her. Then slowly, his gaze moved to the box in his hands and he opened it up to study the necklace resting inside. “This thing is only worth 85,000 dollars. Even with the crazy bidding, it barely reached a quarter of a million, do you realize that?” He tilted the diamond locket towards her before looking her in the eyes. “Why in the world do you think I named one million dollars for it?”

“Because you’re an idiot.” Instant reply. “Because you’re a show-off and an attention whore.”

The words stung a little, but Chase quickly brushed it off seeing that as harsh as it was, it contained at least a bit of truth. “Alright. Maybe 20% was that, but can you guess the other eighty?” Krislynn cocked her head to the side and when she couldn’t come up with an answer, he gave her a hint. “Where do you think all this money is going to end up?”

She had to take a minute to think it over and when she realized why he spent that much money on a necklace worth 85 grand, her lips parted and her eyes widened in shock. “No way. You raised the price by that much just so you can donate it?”