“Five hundred!” someone shouts.
“Seven hundred!” another answers.
“Sold for eight hundred to the man in the back with the questionable tie.”
Laughter ripples through the room.
The proceeds will go to a cancer charity, one that funds patient support and hospice care. It is close to my heart because my grandmother died of cancer when I was a child. She was the only one who ever made me feel loved and safe.
I move through the crowd, fixing a centerpiece, adjusting a light, answering questions. My mind runs through numbers. The goal amount, the remaining items, the shortfall we will face if we do not hit the target.
“Callista,” Jenna says, hurrying over. “We have a problem.”
My stomach tightens. “What kind of problem?”
“The Burberry trench,” she says, lowering her voice. “Someone spilled wine on it. It is ruined. We cannot auction it.”
My heart sinks. “That was supposed to bring in at least a thousand.”
“I know.” Jenna glances at Hailey, who fidgets beside her. “So we came up with an idea.”
I do not like her tone. “What kind of idea?”
Hailey smiles too brightly. “We will auction a date with you.”
I blink. “What?”
“It is perfect,” Jenna insists. “Everyone loves you, and you already said you are doing this for charity. You could easily make up the missing amount.”
“I already have a boyfriend,” I say quickly. “I cannot.”
Hailey waves a hand. “Oh, come on. It is just for fun. The winner gets coffee or dinner. You can always donate the date back to the charity if you want.”
“You do not understand. My boyfriend will not like this.”
“Then tell him it is for a good cause,” Jenna says with a sly smile. “Or maybe he will bid for you himself. That would be romantic.”
The girls giggle. I keep my face calm, but my stomach twists. Dmitry is many things, but romantic is not one of them.
Still, I look around at the crowd, the lights, the stage. The charity deserves the money. This cause is close to my heart. Dmitry can deal with his possessiveness. I’m not letting a deserving cause wither because I was too afraid of displeasing my fake boyfriend. He’ll just have to deal with it. He may have fucked me, he may have made me come multiple times, but he doesn’t own me.
“Fine,” I say finally, feeling defiance creeping up my throat. He hasn’t talked to me since we had sex. That was two days ago. This is justice. “I will do it.”
A cheer goes up. Erin grabs the mic immediately. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have a very special final item tonight. A date with our very own Callista Vale. Wait for it, and make sure to keep your wallets open.”
The room erupts in whistles and applause.
I smile because that is what they expect of me, but inside I feel a spark of panic. I pull out my phone and type quickly.
Callista:Do not freak out.
Dmitry:Too late. What did you do?
Callista:I am being auctioned for charity.
Dmitry:WTF?
Callista:Relax. It is just a date auction. You should bid on me.
