The Billionaire's Bitch

Pt. 2 Thirty

Theodore Beacher was ecstatic that we had made it after all. As soon as he saw us, he pounced upon us, jabbering away about nothing with the greatest of enthusiasm. He also had a whole army of people to introduce us to.

"I knew you'd be able to get him here." Teddy confided in me while Adrian was making small talk with an elderly couple. "I saw it as soon as I met you. He's different around you."

I gave Mr. Beacher a purposefully bland smile.

He was a rather squat, balding middle-aged man who lived for gossip and charity functions, apparently.

He currently had his pudgy, warm hand on my arm, which I didn't appreciate.

Teddy then leaned in close to whisper conspiratorially, "Honestly I'm surprised you're still working for the man. I half-expected to see a ring on your finger by now, my dear, the way you snake charm the old brute."

I felt myself go brilliantly white in the face. "Oh!" I laughed nervously. "I wouldn't hold your breath."

"One never knows, my dear." Teddy tittered, giving me a wink and squeezing my arm. "And you had better think about locking your man down before the auction starts!"

Adrian returned to my side at this juncture, taking my arm firmly out of Teddy's possession, which I greatly appreciated.

"Auction?" I said, looking up at my boss for answers. "What auction?"

"Why, the man auction, of course!" Teddy awarded me another wink. "All the ladies get to bid on the select gentlemen of the evening! For charity, of course, all for a good cause!"

I blinked at him, dumbfounded. "Bidding?" I said like I'd never heard of the concept before.

Teddy was already steamrolling ahead over me, though, of course. "Speaking of, Adrian, we should go and get you your number!"

I looked up at Adrian, feeling very much like protesting whatever the hell was about to happen.

He was gazing down at me with a wry smirk, the bastard. "You didn't read the whole email, huh?"

I began to scowl.

Adrian smoothly turned to Teddy. "Go ahead, Teddy, I'll catch up. There's someone I've been wanting to introduce to Eve."

###

"So what is this about an auction?" I said as Adrian dragged me along.

He slanted a smirk down at me. He squeezed my hand reassuringly. "Don't worry about it, angel. Come on, there's someone I really want you to meet."

I blinked as I found myself face-to-face with a striking, angular female face, crowned with spiky black hair. Pale, intelligent gray eyes were framed with trendy square glasses, black.

"Rory, this is Eve, the young writer I've been telling you about. Eve, I'd like you to meet-"

"Ms. Beckfield!" I said, before he could finish. "I-I can't believe it! It's so great to meet you!"

Stop it, Eve, just shut up!

I couldn't help it, though, I was starstruck.

The woman smiled at me thinly. She wasn't sure if she liked me yet or not, and I couldn't blame her.

We made inane smalltalk for a few minutes before we were all shepherded into the smaller ballroom for the auction.

Adrian left me alone with Rory and her wife to go take part in the freaky auction and I tried not to lapse into pure panic mode.

"Adrian tells me you write, Eve?" Rory said to me mildly, sipping her champagne. She held her bidding Number-on-a-Stick rather ironically as she studied me. Her wife had gone off to the ladies' room and I was on my own now with Rory.

"Uhm, y-yes!" I stuttered.

This was so not happening right now!

Rory smiled at me kindly. "It's alright, relax. I deal with nervous writers all day. You're a terrified bunch, that's for sure; defining trait."

I smiled at her weakly, just trying not to puke on her. "I've read your book, of course." I told her, desperate suddenly to NOT talk about my own writing. "'Cold Day In' was..."

"Please don't say a revelation." She begged.

"I was going to say an inspiration. That bad, huh?"

Rory sighed, sipping her champagne more often than I did, thank God. "People. You write something to connect minds, to enlighten, and all you get for your efforts is more insipid responses."

"Indeed!" I said. I was seriously at a loss right then.

I was distracted. I kept glancing towards the stage setup, where a line of men in their late twenties to early forties were starting to line up. Adrian was among them.

They had been labeled with number cards over their hearts, from 1 to 8. Adrian was #7.

I was watching him anxiously, wishing we could communicate somehow. He was standing as poised and elegant as a male model; one leg cocked, one hand in the pocket of his charcoal gray suit.

He wore a dry smirk on his face like a mask, but when he met my eyes, his gaze softened. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, appearing to send a quick text before sliding it away again.

I then felt my phone buzz in my clutch and I hastily pulled it out, not caring that I was essentially ignoring Rory at this point.

The text had in fact been from Adrian. 'Better bid on me, sweetheart. I'll compensate you for it later.'

He'd even included the winky face emoji.

I looked up at my boss uncertainly, but he was no longer looking my way.

Teddy had just taken the stage with a microphone and the bidding was about to commence.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

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