Stuff It

Chapter 40

"What are you doing?" Nina raised worried eyes up to clash with the unholy glow of Dash's blue orbs.

His grin was almost maniacal as he leered down at her threatheningly. "I am giving you up for auction darling. For charity,  you know."

Nina shook her head desparately. "No you're not!"

"Oh, yes I am," said Dash, forcefully. "Don't be difficult, Nina. I have to make a certain amount of donation tonight and I am not about to throw away that kind of money on some random scrawny female with an already over bloated appreciation of herself. So you're going on up there, like a good girl, and I am betting my apples on you."

He whirled her around then to stare softly into her own searching depths before adding, in warm contrast.," Like always, Nina. Like always."

Nina shook her head again furiously at that. She didn't want to be his sure bet. The person he fell back on whenever it dawned on him that there was nothing else better out there to be had.

"I am not...," started Nina on a furious undertone, but just then the announcements rolled out calling out the names of the volunteers willing to put their heads out on the chopping block...ehm... the auction block.

"Just go," urged Dash shortly, as he took in her mutinous appearence and her mouth open still in mid-delivery. His warm hands frimed up as they grip her shoulders and turned her facing determinedly forwards.

Nina dugged in her heels. She was not about to give him the satisfaction of making a spectacle of herself on stage for him. It would be beyond embarrassing to have no one bid for her. And it would be just like the Dash she knew to leave her hanging out there.

Nina turned to look at him over her shoulders and narrowed her eyes distrustfully at him. But Dash only chuckled at her efforts before abruptly bending to sweep her off her feet. The crowd around them tittered in laughter and Nina flayed her legs helplessly, as Dash proceeded to carry her up to the stage and deposit her with the other auction volunteers.

Dash's grin was triumphant as he leaned in to buss her inflamed cheeks but Nina's scowl was something to reckon with.

Chuckling to himself he left her standing there silently adding up a tally of ways she would get retribution and dismember him limb by limb.

The mc was laughing too and made a point to drop a few puns at her expense all of which sent the polite crowd to roaring off in not so polite laughter. Nina threw the still grinning Dash a fulminating glare.

"True to form we have here on the auction block a dazzling display of feminine charms at its best. So don't hold back on showing your generous appreciation. This year we have even surpassed ourselves and have in our midst  fiesty untried first timer. So gentleman open your wallet as I expect a steep bidding war on this one.."

Fiesty? Untried?

Did he know she was a virgin? Was that what he meant? Was it written on her forehead? Nina turned her glare onto the unsuspecting announcer drawing even more chuckles from the already gleeful crowd. Nina's disgruntlement only grew stronger.

The music pumped up a beat and the lights dimmed before spotlights were shone onto the stage. One by one each participant strut across the stage, displaying their charms to advantage. The bids varied widely with an elderly lady going for as high as two grand and young jezebel going for twenty grand.

Then the auctioneer called out Nina's name and began in a rapid fury of words that Nina could not quite follow to auction her off to the highest bidder.

"... a fiesty little filly, she is with curves in abundance.... well formed with a lot of landing points for a sure and firm hand..."

The chuckles from the entertained crowd only grew stronger as the auctioneer shamelessly advocated her tremendous charms. Nina frowned, scowled and pouted as she did her stuff and moved reluctantly about the make shift stage. She struck several purposefully slutty pose, determined to at least share her embarrassements with Dash. It would serve him right to have his friends get a eyeful of her charms. But despite her best intentions, the very severe lines of her suit concealed and moderated her efforts so that she merely came across as stunning to her new found admirers. The bids were plentiful.

Nina was shocked then pleased to note her popularity. She was actually smiling now as she continued to move about the stage striking various poses as she went. Then the bidding grew heated and the auctioneer's speed shot off to new highs. He rattled out numbers faster than hands shot up in the air but shoot up they still did and Nina grinned widely suddenly happy at all the attentions.

And she realized there was one very important hand that did not rise up to counter every bid. Dash sat at his chair, quietly composed and watchful,  taking in each and every person who bid on her.

The price was over hundred grand now and still rising but the players had fallen back and as it continued to rise steeply to the three hundred grand mark, Dash finally raised his hand just before the rattle of the hammer onto its gravel and announced his bid for all to hear.

"Half a million dollars," he said musingly, with a sardonic lift to his brow as he promptly stared down the man who had the temerity to bid two hundred grand for his fiancee.

The auctioneer rattled off his bid, urging others to counter it but the room remained silent.

"Five hundred grand going once... five hundred grand going twice...five hundred grand going thri..."

"One million dollars!"

Nina's head whipped in the direction of the newest bidder, so that she completely missed Dash's initial reaction to that atrocious sum.

Dash all but leaped to his feet to stare down his own mother threateningly and then a new bidding war commenced. This time between Dash and his mother.

Nina turned red again with sheer embarrassement.