The Highest Bidder

❊ Cʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ Sɪx ❊

After I cleaned up, finally getting all the grime and sweat off of me from the day before, I looked at myself in the mirror. My face was pale, bringing out the small amount of freckles lining my cheeks and the bridge of my nose. My normally bright green eyes were rimmed with red as if I had been crying. In short - I looked like a mess.

There was a bruise on my left cheek from where the man from the auction hit me. I knew it would only get worse before it got better. When Enzo said that he stocked the bathroom, he didn't stock it with makeup. Or anything else a woman might use.

The entire room was white except for the tan walls. The floors were just as clean as the rest of the house, the white tile a mirror to my every step. There was a standup shower and a bathtub right next to it - which I could honestly say I liked to have the choice between the two. Across from the tub was a double sink made up of white granite. The mirror was huge. Even throwing my hands out to my sides, there was plenty of room to see at least two feet further each way. I didn't see the need for such a huge bathroom.

I threw on a pair of red plaid sweatpants and a white tank top before exiting the bathroom. Just in time, too, because there was a knock at the door.

I walked over and threw the door open, ready to tell Enzo where to shove it. But it wasn't him. It was Sophia.

I blinked. "I'm not hungry."

And as if to mock me, my stomach let out a growl loud enough to make me wonder if anyone else in the three-story home heard it.

She grinned. "I hear that. Come on."

I followed her, albeit reluctantly, out into the hall and towards the other hallway. She turned right, pushing swinging double doors open to show a huge kitchen. There was only one chef working, his head bent as he stirred something in a large pot.

He pointed a wrinkled finger to two bowls filled with goulash before turning and grabbing spices from the rack beside him. He seemed to be working hard, so I didn't take that opportunity to introduce myself. If things went the way I wanted it to, I wouldn't be living in the mansion for much longer. I had to think of an escape plan so that I could actually return to my own life. I didn't want to work for Enzo. I didn't want to "learn the ropes". I wanted to go home. Well, back to my apartment to grab everything then move again. I didn't need him, or anyone else from the auction, finding me.

Sophia grabbed the bowls without a word and motioned for me to follow her back out the double doors. She led me to another room where there sat a mahogany dining table with thirty seats surrounding it. An intricate bouquet of flowers sat in the middle of the table with a bunch of flowers that I couldn't have named if I tried. But if the rest of his house was any indication, they were probably overpriced.

I sat down across from her and pushed the food around in the bowl.

"Okay!" She shoved a spoon into her food before looking up at me. "We serve Enzo and his guests for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We don't eat with him, instead we eat afterward. The chefs make us something separate after they're finished making his food. After breakfast in the mornings, he usually leaves a list at his chair of things for us to do during the day. It's pretty much all just cleaning, but sometimes he gives breaks. You'll be following me around until he believes that you can do things by yourself."

I stuck a spoonful of the goulash in my mouth and had to keep from sighing in contentment. I only had it once, a long time ago, and it reminded me of better, less illegal times.

"Question," I said after I swallowed that bite. "What does Enzo do?"

She pursed her lips as she chewed, thinking. "Your guess is as good as mine is. I know that he has company over quite a bit. But he keeps his profession quiet."

"Is he gay?"

She choked on her next bite of food and had to wash it down with water. "I'm sorry? Is...Enzo?"

"Maybe he's a male escort," I said, thinking. "No, that wouldn't explain the mansion. Unless he doesn't come cheap. But what person would pay for another man to..."

I trailed off at the horrified expression on Sophia's face.

She laughed, the sound echoing throughout the empty dining room. "No! He's not! Please do not ever ask him that! He would have a fit! No, Eva, Enzo is not-"

"I'm not what?" Enzo's deep voice cut her off from her sentence.

She covered her mouth with her hand and turned away from him, her grin obvious as she looked at me from the corner of her eye. It was as if she was telling me that I was in for it. But I guessed that since he was there, he might as well know what we were talking about. It wasn't like I was trying to make a good impression.

"I asked if you were gay," I said, waving my hand dismissively. When he only stared at me, I continued. "Then I asked if you were a male escort. If you're any good, you'd be able to buy a fancy place like this."

Sophia's laugh was barely contained, her back still turned to Enzo. She almost fell out of her chair by how hard she was laughing. I didn't understand. All of that would only make sense. He didn't react to a woman practically naked in front of him, instead looking only at her face. And even if he did look, he didn't react. Like maybe he wasn't interested or maybe he was used to seeing it.

He only shook his head and turned, but I could plainly see the amusement in his eyes.

"Enzo," I called. "What is it? What do you do for a living? Or, ah...who?"

Sophia snorted and stood, excusing herself from the room. I could hear her cackles down the hall, even as she walked further away.

He turned to face me. "I can assure you that I am not gay, Eva. I was being courteous by not blatantly staring at you. As for my job, that's none of your concern."

Sophia walked in a few minutes later and eyed me, her lips twitching as she attempted to hold back her laughter.

"So, am I close?" I shoved another spoonful into my mouth and cocked an eyebrow. "Male escort? Do you do the do for a living?"

Enzo turned and looked back at Sophia, who had her face against the wall to the dining room, her shoulders bouncing in laughter. The only reason why I was continuing was because of how amused she was. If it weren't for her laughing so much, I would have stopped pressing the question. But he knew what kind of person I was when he decided to purchase me. He could either embrace it or let me go. I'd rather go with the latter.

He faced me again. "You're going to be a handful."

"You knew that going into it." I smirked. "Just wait until you really get to know me, Enzo."

He shook his head and turned away, but this time I didn't stop him from leaving the room. Instead, I shoved another spoonful of goulash into my mouth and gave Sophia a wink. If I couldn't get him to let me go right away, I'd annoy the shit out of him until he decided that he couldn't handle me anymore. Either way, I wasn't staying a whole year.