Love ❤️, Friendship, & Everything Else

Chapter 10: Masquerade Party

Barnes and Barnes Legal was having a New Year's Eve party/charity event. Fatima and Jake went together.

The event started at 10:00 pm and ended at 2:00 pm. Shari brought a guy she just met. He was handsome but shorter than what Shari would normally date.

The girls greeted each other. "Shari, are you going to introduce us to your date?" Fatima chuckled.

"No, not really. I met him at a bar 2 weeks ago. He asked me out. And I told him he could be my date here. That's it, that's all." She responded.

"Well dang, I take it there will be no second date?" Fatima asked.

"No. He is too short, and he has a regular job. Y'all know, I only date athletes." Shari replied.

"Girl, you sound crazy."

The party started and everyone went to the dance floor to start dancing. Andi's date was running late. When Mr. Barnes told the staff that the theme was a masquerade ball, Andi was worried she wouldn't have a date.

"Does that mean everyone will be bringing a date?" Andi wondered as they were leaving her dad's office.

"I can have my brother come and be your date.  He's been doing escort services for a while now. "

"Umm... no thank you."

"It's strictly professional, he says he doesn't sleep with any of them. The women are like you just need a date for a big event. He escorts them, they pay, and that's it."

"I'm not paying anyone to play my date."

"It's on the house. He's my brother and you're my friend once I ask, he'll do it for free."

"Ok, I guess. He just better look cute." Andi agreed to it.

"Good looks run in my family."  He bragged.

Once Jake noticed his brother wasn't there he gave him a call.

"I'm here man, what's up?"

"OK, meet me at the back near the kitchen." He called Andi over and they went to the area.

In walks this handsome 6'2 light complexion guy with grey eyes and light brown hair.

"Don't I know you?" asked Andi, but with the masks on it was hard to tell.

"Never mind, we'll get acquainted later, you're already late." She grabs his hand, and they start dancing.

After a few more dances everyone is told to take a seat at one of the tables in the ballroom.

Mr. Barnes gets up to make a speech. "I would like to thank everyone for coming out for our 20th anniversary here at the Marietta location. Also, in June of this year will be 10 years at the Snellville location. Ain't God good! I would also like to thank my wife, Angela, my daughter, Andi, and all my staff who make this firm a success. Hope you guys enjoy, now I will turn it over to Mrs. Barnes."

"Thank you all again. Are y'all ready for some fun? We are going to start with our auction. The first is to auction to win a date." Mrs. Barnes announced excitedly.

On the screen, the crowd sees a picture of a tall stature with a medium build. He has on black pants and black shirt and a mask to cover his face and identity.

"Okay, are ya'll ready to bid on this tall, dark, and handsome man?"

The crowd screams.

"Let's start the bid at $100."

The ladies were bidding their butt off. Everyone wanted to go on a date with him.

"Going once, going twice, we have a date for $1200."