This is a short story, it meant to stand alone, please do not link it with each other.
As always, unedited. Apology for mistakes. Enjoy :)
***
"I can't believe you put me in the bachelor auction!"
"Yeah, I did. " I replied casually, ignoring his complaint.
"You should ask me first you know?" Luke, my best friend, he could be such a pain sometimes, following me around and told me that I shouldn't do this or that. Well, he was right this time, I should have asked him but I couldn't resist the temptation to see big money coming in from these desperate rich girls who wanted to have a piece of him even only for few hours. Sometimes I felt sorry for these girls. They tried their hardest to get his attention. I often saw their text in his mobile or heard some phone calls that they made when I was with him but he never responded them well.
"I know I should. Oh this one is nice, here try it on." I picked out a shirt from the rack and gave it to him and without even saying anything he walked obediently into the changing room. I didn't know what he was thinking when he did what I asked without any protests came out from his mouth but I didn't believe that he was upset with me. He was one of the most patient men that I've ever encountered in my life that sometimes I forgot and bullied him a little bit. But the good thing was he would never let me walked over him too much, he would tell me to stop if I crossed the line, so yeah, our relationship was great.
A minute later he walked out in the new shirt. I let him stood there in front of me while I was pretending to think about his look. To be honest I could throw him a rug and he would still look good in it. So this shopping thing was just for my satisfaction.
"I don't know, can you turn around?" and he did. I deliberately sighed out loud to tell him that I wasn't happy with my choice and he rolled his eyes.
"It's just a shirt Sam, this one is good enough."
"Luke, I want you to look hot so we can get big donation for the charity, you know, I have to sell you as high as possible."
"Who's coming anyway?"
"You must know them, some of them are your Pops' friends."
"How do you know?"
"We approached our best client, your Pops' office and they gave us a list."
"I bet Pops also suggested you people to sell me. He is obsessed with finding me a wife."
"Nah, this is purely my idea."
"Then you should sell yourself too, you're single."
"Nope, can't do, I will be too busy running the event."
"Not fair."
"I know, anyway, put this one on." I handed him a suit and again he did what I asked. Now he looked better, perfect!
I walked closer and reached out to his shirt to open one button to expose his chest a little bit more. He groaned, "I am not some thugs."
"I know... I know... I just tried some different look."
"No, you just want to ogle my chest." Shit he knew! But I put on my poker face and pretended not to hear what he just said. "You know what? This shirt is enough. I have plenty of suits at home."
"I know you have. How many Kiton?"
"Um... I am not sure, but my mom ordered me K50 and it arrived last month. I haven't got the chance to wear it."
I took a sharp breath, K50? Darn these rich people, they could walk around in a suit that was way more expensive than my car.
***
At the event.
Sometimes I wondered how the girls admiring my so called sophisticated, glamorous design gowns, bought them and wore them proudly in parties. I couldn't even breathe in this thing, my own creation, the ultimate couture mermaid dress that my manager pushed me to wear. She said this was to promote our company, to show the audience how beautiful our design could be. Easy for her to say but this was the most torturing night of my life. Not to mention, my high heels were killing me.
"We are almost there. Sam, do you have your list ready?" Robert the MC called out for my bachelor lists for auction and without even looking twice I gave it to him. Rosa my colleague told me that she made some changes and asked me to check it but I forgot and since I trusted her I wouldn't be worry about mistakes.
"Ladies and gentleman, now is the time for what we're waiting for, the bachelor auction! The winner bidder will get the rest of the night with our bachelors or bachelorettes. You can take him or her out for dinner, maybe movie, and picnic under the stars, all is up to you. All we ask is be respectful people, especially you boys, we don't want you go home with scratch on your face. Okay, I have here the list of our volunteers, when I call out your name please come up on the stage.
I've waited patiently for Robert to call out each name from the list. We were pretty lucky this time, we had ten people who put their name up in the list including Luke. Oh well, that was me putting his name without asking him. I saw him sitting on the back table, giggling around with some girls. Typical him, he didn't look nervous at all.
As he promised me, he dressed up to the max and ditched the shirt that I bought for him last week. Oh well, he was one of the Russo clan after all, in this particular occasion, of course he needed to uphold the name of the family. I shrugged. My trained eyes immediately recognised the quality of his suit, it must be his K50. I was suddenly feeling excited about this particular suit that I heard would need fifty top tailors to make and could cost 100 grands each. I must check it out later I swore.
I heard Robert called out the last two names to the stage and I was expecting Luke name to be mentioned, but I heard my name instead.
"...and the lucky last, the one and only Samantha Sheppard, the most talented designer of our company finally agreed to put her name down to be auctioned as well."
WHAT?!?! I froze.
"Sam...." Rosa touched my upper arm.
"How? What?" I was confused as hell, it was supposed to be Luke not me.
"Didn't you agree to this? Luke told me just before we start that he pulled out and you will take his place."
"Ugh..."
"Sam?" Robert called me again out loud on the microphone with hand extended down toward me who stood right next to the stage. The audiences clapped their hands supporting me to come up on the stage so they could start the auction.
God damn you Luke! I was fuming but I had no choice, I had to go up there. I saw him stood up at the back of the room clapping his hands loudly, looking too happy to my misery.
Cursing under my breath I dragged myself up on the stage and stood on the very end of the line. The rest of the auction went blur and when my time came I saw some random guys raised their hands to place the bid. I couldn't see them properly, my sight blinded by the headlight that went straight into my eyes.
I heard someone yelled five hundred dollars. Five hundred dollars? I felt cheap.
Oh, another guy raised his hand, a thousand dollars? Not bad and he looked okay too, but unfortunately he wasn't rich enough. He quickly sat down when someone else bid for two thousand dollars.
Then to my shock an old man who sat on the front table bid for five thousand dollars. He waved at me and lifted his thumb up. At that time I was counting my saving, maybe I could ask Rosa to bid for me just to let me off the hook from the obligation to accompany this seemed like lonely rich old man. I wouldn't dare to guess what kind of dirty mind he had for me, I shivered.
"Five thousand going one.... Five thousand going twice...." My heart raced and I thought I almost fainted when a round figure stood up from the table in the middle row and yelled ten thousand dollars. He walked slowly to the front, he wore an expensive suit with pink shirt which opened half way, exposed his hairy chest. A gold necklace shone brightly reflecting the spotlight that suddenly shifted to his direction. I could see clearly as a day light his horny chubby face grinning at me. Oh my god! No... no... no.... noooo..... My mind screamed in horror. This was my worst nightmare, I thought the old man was bad enough but this one combination of fat, horny and rich was really really bad.
Some people were cheering up for this guy who was ready to walk up to the stage and took me in his short fat hand. He looked as confident as he could be, and my hope sank, I thought ten thousand dollars was a lot of money and I didn't think anyone wanted to top that well at least not for me.
"Fifty thousands." A voice from the back of the room broke the noise. The audiences went in total silence. The fat guy stunned, his eyes rounded and his face fell. Oh thank god to whoever bid for fifty thousand dollars..... Hang on, I knew that voice, of course he would save me, why did I even worry about the fat guy when I had my prince charming ready to rescue me? A sudden relief run through my veins.
"Fifty thousand dollars? Wow Samantha, you have a new admirer here." Robert broke the silence, he raised his eyebrows looking at the new bidder then after he switched off his microphone he said to me in his low voice so only me could hear him, "I am going to close the bid for this guy. Don't worry he's hot." Then he winked.
"Fifty thousand dollars going once.... fifty thousand dollars going twice.... Sold... to the guy at the back. Come here and pick up your prize sir."
Luke appeared out from the shadow walking elegantly across the floor taking his time smiling at people who congratulate him and when he reached the stage, he took my hand and kissed it then whispered in my ear, "you owe me one."
"Alright, what's your name Sir?" Robert pointed his microphone to him.
"Luke, Luke Russo." I heard the audiences cheering and clapping noisily, sure they knew what a Russo could do with their money, but Luke wasn't finish talking, he reached for the microphone and continued, "Actually...." He took a step back scanning me from head to toe in admiration before continuing his usual charming speech, "Since I won the most beautiful prize tonight, I will add another fifty thousand." And the audiences erupted from their seats, with louder cheers and whistle. Very smooth Luke! I thought. He sure knew how to impress people and to make a girl feeling special. Even after I hung out with him a lot, I haven't immune to his charm at all. I blushed.
"So Luke, tell me, what kind of date will you give this beautiful lady here?"
"Well, my limo is waiting outside, I'll take her around for a start then maybe dinner in my yacht."
I held my urge to snort, what a bluff, I knew he came by taxi and he definitely didn't own a yacht, his father did.
***
Luke guided me down from the stage and grinning guiltily at me.
"Enjoying the attention weren't you?" I asked.
"No, I am enjoying my prize."
"Okay, I am sorry for putting you in the auction without asking."
"Thank you."
"Where's the shirt?"
"Well, I save it for our special occasion. I figured you bought me the shirt so you will be the only one who can see me in it."
"Oh stop your Luke Russo charming speech, I am not some groupie. Where did you get hundred thousand?"
"My dad gave me cheque this afternoon for donation. I may as well use it to safe a princess."
"Ah... what will you do if you didn't have that cheque?"
"I guess I have to let you go with that fat loaded hot guy over there. And Sam, he is still eyeing you."
"Oh my god Luke, I would faint on the stage if he won. Let's get out from here." I walked faster exiting the ballroom.
"Yeah, I was actually tempted to let him win."
"Don't you dare!"
"Do you want to take off your shoes? You look like in a lot of pain." He looked at me and my uncomfortable face.
"No, I can suffer a little bit longer, for hundred thousand dollars, this prize must look good till the end."
"Okay then, here hold my hand, you look about to fall over." I took his hand thankfully. He was right, these shoes weren't the best choice after all. Oh this Kiton suit...... I got distracted. I sighed when my fingers touched the expensive material. I couldn't help myself, stroking his upper arm repeatedly before resting my cheek on it. He looked down at me amused by my sudden obsession toward his arm.
"Are you okay?" he chuckled.
"Uh oh, yes. You know what, you're right. These shoes are killing me." I took my shoes off and his already tall body immediately towered beside me on my bare foot. He reached around to take my shoes from my hand then held them in his.
"Thank you, but I can hold my own shoes."
"Not a chance." He shook his head.
"Fine." Still hugging his arm I followed him walking passed the lobby to the front door, leaving the party.
"Can you even breathe in that gown?"
"I am not taking it off for you!"
He laughed.
"Now what are you going to do to me? You have me for tonight." I asked when we reached the parking lot.
"I can take you back to your place then we can order pizza and do our weekly DVD marathon."
"Sound like a plan."
******
Hi guys, a new novel is. Please check it out. Title is Miss Ana's Butler. Romantic comedy, cheeky kind of novel :)
I am also writing for a new one, Fallen for Romeo. Be patient, this one will be super romantic!