Twizzlers (MxMxM)

Chapter 1 - Art Auction?

Evander

I knew I shouldn't have trusted Roland. He'd snuck on me when I was taking out my car keys and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. The fact that he'd snuck on me made me very mad. Usually, I could sense him long before he could get the jump on me, but my mind was more focused on the need to get home as quickly as possible; work had been awful.

"I will break your arm if you do not remove it," I said before he could open his mouth.

The hyena shifter laughed awkwardly, but hastily removed his arm as per my instruction. "Ev, come on, man! Let's go have some fun."

I turned to look at him. For a man in his mid-thirties, he acted too much like a child for my tastes. I always saw him hitting on the girls in our department - even if it's against company policy - and chatting loudly when he should've been working. It was a wonder he'd gotten so high up in the chain of command when he was so unfocused and immature. "I'd rather not," I replied, crossing my arms and leaning against my car.

Roland sighed, rolling his eyes. "I knew you wouldn't be up for it. It was going to be awesome, too. An art auction, super private and elite from what I heard."

His words piqued my interest for once. "Art auction?"

I'd always had a soft spot for pretty things. My home was filled with enough artwork to fill an art gallery, but I was always still on the lookout for more. Damn hyena knew exactly what to say to make me reconsider. "Is it really an art auction or are you just pulling on my leg?"

The man cracked a large grin. "Oh, it's real. I hear it's got some real beauties, and this guy right here knows how to get in."

I should've paused to consider the way he said that, but I was too distracted by the prospect of leaving that auction with more pieces for my collection. "Fine, I'll join you. When does it start?"

"Pick me up at eight."

"Why do I have to pick you up? You have your own car," I asked him.

He shrugged. "You have a cooler car. I want to ride in style."

I watched as he walked off, still a bit unsure as to why I just agreed to go out with him of all people.

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I waited in front of Roland's house at seven-fifty. I didn't want to be late, especially since I didn't know anything about the catalog and I wanted to check it out before bidding started. Before I drove here, I'd tried looking into the auction. I wish Roland would've told me yesterday or earlier so I could register as a buyer, but even when I looked at local auction houses, nothing was going on that aligned with what Roland told me. That alone should have sent warning bells off in my head, but he did say it was a private affair. I hadn't been to many private auctions, so maybe they were different.

And because I was so uncertain about what to expect, I dressed up in a nice suit and made sure my hair was neat. Even if I wasn't able to buy, if any of the artists were there - you never knew - then maybe I could buy from them that way. Good impressions were important.

Roland came out a few minutes later, just before eight, with a jacket covering a button-up overtop some slack and dress shoes. Good, so I wasn't the only one dressing up, though he was a bit more casual than I was. He hopped into my car and whistled when he saw me. "I always forget how handsome you are in a suit. You rarely wear them into work."

I didn't answer to his compliment and instead asked, "Where am I going?"

He gave me the address and we started driving. Roland tried multiple times to change the music station, but I slapped his hand away. "Ev, this is old man music. And I know you're ancient, but I don't want to fall asleep before we get there."