Sophie hesitated. “Well, there’s Frankie. She’s threatened to sue me for breach of contract if I don’t deliver on a man with a sketchy past.”
“I’ll handle Frankie,” Ms. Birdie declared. “As it happens, I believe I may have just the solution for that too.”
“Has anyone ever told you you’re better than a fairy godmother?” Sophie said.
“Not better than, but I have been called one on occasion,” Ms. Birdie said. As she reached the doorway, she paused, her gaze returning to Sophie. “Before I go, could you clarify the design on these shirts?” She waved at the T-shirts draped over each cardboard cutout. On the front were the words:And then he said…“What’s the story there?”
Sophie grinned. “That’s part of the fun for the auction. Each bachelor will read a line of dialogue—those breath-stealing, swoon-worthy lines from the romance novels they represent.”
Ms. Birdie’s expression brightened with understanding. “They’ll read the line in the book where they declare their undying love for the heroine?”
Sophie shook her head. “Umm. They’ll read a line from a moment of passion in the book. I got the idea from a TikTok trend. Where readers show their lovers a sentence and ask them to read it out loud. The kind of lines that tend to make women go weak in the knees.”
“Oh my. That sounds rather exciting,” Ms. Birdie admitted with a thoughtful nod. “It will certainly make for a memorable auction.”
Sophie laughed. “I predict it will drive up the bids beyond your wildest hopes.”
“I do believe you may be right,” Ms. Birdie said, approval in her voice. “We’ve had quite the influx of twenty-somethings not only buying tickets but using their parents’ unlimited platinum cards to open a line of credit for bidding. In fact, we sold out in just under one hour.”
Sophie grinned. “An unlimited credit card. I can’t even imagine owning one of those.”
“I most certainly did not have access to one at that age,” Ms. Birdie said. “I predict it’s going to be quite the night. Oh, andSophie, I’d like to have a table at the silent auction featuring your T-shirts. Are you interested?”
Sophie’s stomach fluttered with excitement, and forgetting herself, she threw her arms around Ms. Birdie in a hug. “Yes. Absolutely, yes.”
“Excellent,” Ms. Birdie said, once she managed to disentangle herself from Sophie.
After Ms. Birdie left, Sophie turned and spoke to her cardboard cutouts. Up until today, they had been her sounding board for all her emotional upheavals over Stone. “You heard the woman. No time to worry about my heart. We have a table to plan for the silent auction.”
Chapter 31
The night of the auction unfurled with a whirlwind of glitter and glamour; the paparazzi snapping photos of all who entered the event.
Sophie had brought Poppie as her plus one. Thanks toNaked Runway’sGlam Team, the two of them were holding their own in the elite setting.
Sophie radiated starlit grace in a midnight blue gown that cascaded down her frame; its fabric, which caught the light with her every movement, was sprinkled with crystals that mimicked a clear night sky. Her hair was swept up in an elegant twist, and delicate diamond earrings—her mom’s—peeked through to add just the right touch of sophistication.
Poppie, ever the dapper counterpart, was decked out in a tailored charcoal suit that complemented Sophie’s look perfectly. His tie matched the deep blue of her dress, and his smile was as bright as the polished cufflinks at his wrist. Instead of his walker, he sported a posh cane.
The moment they had arrived, Poppie had been whisked away by Ms. Birdie. The dear had someone he simply must meet that instant.
Sophie made her way backstage to check on her book boyfriends.
Isabella stopped her before she got a peek behind the curtain. “Sorry, darling. No one who isn’t walking the stage is allowed to enter.”
“Oh, but I wanted to check on my guys,” Sophie said.
“They’re fine.” Isabella paused to make a note on the clipboard she held. “Go have fun. Rub elbows with Manhattan’s wealthiest.”
“If you insist.” Sophie turned and made her way toward the sea of haute couture. Never had she ever walked among so much awesomeness. The gowns, the shoes, the hair, the makeup, the purses, the men. It was the perfect opportunity to make connections for her next adventure…whatever that turned out to be.
“For a professional daydreamer, you clean up quite nicely,” drawled an all-too-familiar voice, causing her pulse to quicken and her breath to catch.
She slowly turned and laid eyes on Stone—the epitome of suave—clad in a tuxedo that hugged his frame with the kind of precision that could only be referred to as sinful. Or, as Sophie had read in a book recently, it hugged his frame like a dirty dream.
“I didn’t expect to see you tonight,” she said.
“You look breathtaking.”
