Her use of the word allowing also pissed me off, as if I had to get permission from Jasper.
“We have a good understanding, Silvia,” Jasper said as he popped a piece of bread roll in his mouth. “It’s a bit of fun and for a good cause.” I found it amusing that they were on a first-name basis.
“Indeed. You must be pleased to have a fiancé that is so trusting,” Silvia added. I almost choked on my soup, and Jasper handed me a flute of champagne. To those keen eyes watching, he was being the gentleman, helping his lady to clear her throat, but I knew exactly what was behind that gesture.
Don’t let anyone see that this thing between us isn’t real.
I recovered, but the woman still wasn’t done. “Well, don’t be surprised if my Michael makes a bid; he’s been watching you most of the night, and I must say, I’m not surprised in that dress.” Again, that wasn’t a compliment. I just smiled and nodded as I lowered my glass to the table.
Michael Peters? I almost threw up in my mouth. He was sitting at the next table, the kids' table. The boy couldn’t have been more than sixteen; he was tall, but his baby face gave him away. He was a typical all-American boy, zits all over his chin, and one of those voices that was at that in-between stage.
The conversation then moved on to discussing the items up for auction. The F1 day out, the hot air balloon experience, several beauty treatments, the date with me, Reed’s football, and lastly, the lady to my left mentioned the bike I had taken a fancy to.
I so wanted to look over and see what Reed was doing, but it would have been too obvious to the man sitting beside me.
I zoned out, feeling numb, chewing my food, which was suddenly tasteless. Just like brunch had been at my father’s club. I wondered if Reed would take the blonde woman back to his hotel.
Fuck, why did the thought of that hurt so much? Part of me wanted to open my purse and message Phoenix to ask if they had plans after the Ball. Maybe they weregoing to a club or something. Could I tell Jasper I was meeting my brother and crash their party? That would be so much better than going home with him.
Stop it, stop dreaming of things that could never be! My subconscious cut in rudely.
I played my part during the rest of dinner. Once the dessert course was taken away, the caterers brought coffee. Guests then started to mingle, visiting the bar or restrooms, and I felt myself relax until Jasper said. “I meant what I said. I’ll buy something for you. An early wedding present, maybe?”
I glanced at him, my expression impassive. “It's OK. I have my paddle. If I see something I want, I’ll go for it.”
“OK, sorry. Point taken. I’m being an ass.” You could have knocked me down with a feather. Jasper never called himself out for anything.
“Maybe we should bid on that Goram silverware set. That would be an excellent talking piece when we are entertaining.”
My future with Jasper flashed before my eyes. Dull as shit. I held my tongue.
And then Mr. Burn’s, a man on my father’s payroll, brought the gavel down to signal the start of the auction. Everyone scurried to their seats like the post-holiday sales had just opened. Burns was the one who interrupted brunch with Reed. The guy had always creeped me out. Burns dealt with my father’s private business, stuff that none of the family was ever involved in. I still wondered what had been so important for him to interrupt a family meal, as that rarely happened.
“OK, ladies and gentlemen. Please find your seats, grab your paddles, and get your checkbooks ready.”
The auction was a frantic affair, and I hadsomefun in the end. Everyone was bursting with passion and excitement as they tried to outbid each other. There were jeers and jokes between some of Newport’s finest, and I managed to relax enough to smile, something I rarely did those days. I even allowed Jasper to put his arm around me at one point when the crowd cheered for Mrs. Smythe, who managed to secure herself the F1 racing car day. The woman was in her eighties. How would that work?
A couple of glasses of champagne later, the Lot with the bike came up.
At first, I kept quiet as a couple of younger girls sitting with their parents started to bid.
It increased to three thousand dollars, and as Mr. Burn’s, my father’s associate, who was chairing the auction, asked for four thousand, I lifted my paddle.
“Four thousand, thank you, Miss. Summers. Do I hear five, anyone? Come on, ladies and gents, five thousand?”
I then went head-to-head with Millie Rae Smith, who was a sweet girl, but I didn’t let that stop me.
The gavel was just about to go on six thousand dollars when I lifted my paddle and went for it, shouting out, “Ten thousand dollars!”
This brought an uncomfortable cough from Jasper, a whoop from the crowd, a going-going-gone from Burns, and a stern look from my father. It was his money I was spending after all.
As I won the motorcycle, I felt a thrill fizzle through my body, something I hadn’t felt for years.
Yes!
After accepting congratulations gracefully from those at our table, I lifted my head, and my eyes connected with Reed's.
I couldn’t begin to guess what he was thinking, but his mouth held one of those dopey grins of his that I used to hate.
