“Men.”
I pat my lips with a cloth napkin before going on. “It was literally a reverse auction. Men came out in suits or…less…peacocked around the stage and then women bid to go on dates with them.”
“Strange but intriguing. Go on.”
“So, this guy…this older gentleman…comes out on the stage and he was just…a whole thing.” I can feel the heat rising to my cheeks.
“How much older?” she asks with a grin.
“Mid-forties maybe?”
“You have always had a thing for the mature ones. So, what happened?”
I bite my lip. “There were hundreds of women crammed into this room. But I swear. His eyes locked on mine and after that, it literally felt like he was doing the entire show just for me. He even threw his tie at me.”
Iris’s mouth pops open. “And? Did you bid on him? Tell me you bid on him!”
“I did…” I say and Iris squeals quietly before looking around and then leaning back in. “But it wasn’t intentional. Basically, he threw his tie, it landed at my feet and was dogpiled by like six feral women. A mess of sequins and hair and fake boobs. And I, being a sane person who doesn’t completely condone the idea of human auctions, backed up. And into a table. And I might have spilled a drink and tried to catch it and waved my paddle on accident,” I grimace.
“And won the bid for a wine and dine with the Silver Fox. That is…possibly the best Vegas story I’ve ever heard. So how was it?”
“Good. We went out, we ate, we drank, we went to one of those silly wedding chapels…and we got married.”
“That’s cute,” Iris smiles and takes a sip of her drink. Then, after looking at my face, she stops. “It’s not cute is it? What am I missing?”
“You can’t tell anyone. And I mean no one, Iris.”
She nods and I know I can trust her.
“It wasn’t a fake chapel. We’re actually married. We also slept together and now we are trying to figure out what to do about it. Fast forward to work. I started on Monday and, as you’ve seen in the photos I sent you, it’s been amazing. And this…this is my boss.”
I show her a photo I may or may not have found online. A very professional, very sexy photo of Callum.
“Wow he’s…wow. No wonder you like your job so much!” She laughs and shakes her head. “You and your older men–” she stops. Maybe she’s making the connection. Maybe it’s the look on my face. Probably both. Iris blinks. “Wait…your boss isn’t…?”
I nod. “Yep. The guy from Vegas.”
“Did you know?”
“Nope.”
“Did he know?”
“Nope.”
“And…now you work for him. And you’ve slept together. And…you’re married. Jesus, Amanda. This is…does Kate know?”
“Nobody knows. And they can’t.”
I spend the rest of dinner explaining everything to her. The deal we made. The mechanics of his situation. What our plan is. Why I’m going through with it.
“But like I said, this is confidential, Iris,” I reiterate. “I just had to tell someone.”
“Because it’s insane. Well. At least if you have to be stuck in the situation, he’s hot.”
“Yeah,” I agree, taking another bite. I think about all of it as I chew. I can’t decide if saying it out loud helps me make sense of it or if I sound ever crazier. Either way, I guess it doesn’t matter.
“Just be careful, Amanda,” Iris cuts into my thoughts. “It’s one thing to accidentally get married to a stranger in Vegas. And it’s another thing to find out he’s your boss. But the fact that he’s contracted you to remain his wife until he gets what he wants from his CEO dad? That feels…manipulative.”
