𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧- (𝐒.𝐌)

Part 3~ De l'amour

The day after

Hannah

Stupid me thought that 'Shawn' was talking to me. But of course not. He was talking to the bartender that was a girl. What was it I said? How can a handsome rich man like a normal university girl like me?

I'm sitting on Graces' couch doing some school work. Grace sitting beside me looking at her phone. My work got interrupted by an email notification that pops up on my computer screen and Grace got an email on her phone as well. We both changed looks and we opened the email at the same time. We read the sentence out loud.

"You have passed the audition. Replay to this as quickly as possible to confirm your new position as a prize. You need to be at De l'amour at 8 pm! If you miss this you don't get another chance. Alice Treadaway"

Both I and Grace sent back an email as quickly as possible and said that we are gladly coming to De L'amour later tonight.

But then I realized that I need to stay away from school for like one week. So I wrote an email to all of my teachers and said that I was sick and that I'm not coming to be at the lesson for an entire week. Before I could send it to my teachers my computer screen was pushed down on my fingers.

"What do you think you are doing?" "Telling all of my teachers that I will not be able to attend lessons for a whole week because I'm sick," I said the last with quote marks with my fingers. "No you're not. You need to stop being the perfect girl all the time and just go out and have fun without telling everyone the real reason. Or even telling why you can't be there"

"Bu-" "No but's. Common we need to fix us for tonight" she took my computer from my lap and placed it on the coffee table in front of us. She grabbed my hands and pulled me up from my couch. She turned on the music and 'Blinding Lights by The Weekend' started to stream out loud of the speakers and Grace started to sing along and dance which caused me to laugh.

"You look hot," Grace said with a smirk. "Why have I never seen that dress before?" "Because it's new" I looked at myself in the mirror and to be honest I looked hot in this dress.

When our personal driver -that Alice had sent to pick us up- parked outside De Lamour, My eyes widened with surprise. It looked so fancy.

"A-are you sure that this is right?" I asked the driver "Yes Miss. This is right" he looked at me through the mirror. He stepped out of the car and helped us out.

When we stepped inside everything was white and gold. It looked like a person with OCD lives here. Everything looks so perfect. "Why does it feels like I'm Julia Roberts from Pretty Woman?" I whispered to Grace who stood beside me and looked like a shocked as me. "Because we live on like 10 dollars every month? Hey, have you notice that it's only the bidders that wear masks?" I looked around and saw men in dark blue or black suits and everyone was wearing masks.

I saw Alice coming up to us so I evidently smiled "Good evening ladies and a big welcome" she greeted us with her french accent.

"The auction will start in one hour. You can use the time to socialize and present yourself to the bidders so they can get to know you. And if I may offer one piece of advice, making a connection with the bidders can improve your chances of receiving higher bids. I'm gonna leave you two now, but don't forget to be at the stage in exactly one hour"

I took a glass of champagne from the table in front of us. I saw that Grace started to freak out "Here take this" I handed her a glass. "You may need it" "Thanks" she grabbed it with a fake smile and took four big sips and her glass was empty. "Okey, tell me what's wrong" I took the empty champagne glass out of her hand and placed it on the table again "I'm starting to get scared" "About what?" "What if an old ugly man bidding on me. Like him over there" she pointed in one direction and I looked where she pointed.

Not far from where we're standing, a middle-aged man, his gray greasy hair is slicked back from his heavy forehead, he is leering at one of the Prizes, his eyes are glued on her but.

Next to me, Grace snorts in disgust, she is trying to imitate Alice's french accent "Congratulations. Monsieur Donkey just won you for a whole week" I giggled and shook my head.

"But Alice might be right. We should socialize with the bidders. Are you coming?" She pointed out with her elbow and I wrapped my arm around it "Yup" We walk into the big living room arm in arm and there a lot of Prizes and bidders in the big livingroom. As quick as we entered the big room I felt eyes on me. I looked to the side and I got eye contact with a piercing gaze that belongs to the most gorgeous man in the room. Shawn. "I'm going to talk to this guy over there" Grace let go of my hand walked up to a young guy.

Shawn is standing meters away from where I'm standing but the feeling of his eyes on me is electrifying. He doesn't take his eyes off me and I'm just captivated by him. The mask he is wearing is the same as yesterday and it seems to melt away as he hypnotizes me from the side.

A waitress goes by him with a bar of a silver tray full of champagne glasses. He takes two glasses from the tray and has his eyes on me the whole time and then he is walking up to me. As closer as he gets my heart beat faster. He holds his gaze as he walks and I'm getting conscious of each step he takes.

"Good evening. Seems like we meet again after all" he chuckles and handed me the glass of champagne. "Yeah," I said nervously and felt my cheeks heat up and took a sip from my champagne. I look around nervous with my eyes as the thin glass is on my lips. "Are you nervous?" He raised one eyebrow

"Yeah kinda. I don't want Mr. Donkey to bid the highest bid on me" he tilted his head backward and let out a laugh "Mr. Donkey? That is the greatest name I ever head"

"It's him over there" I pointed behind Shawn and he turned around to see where I pointed. "He always gets what he wants," he said and turned around at me again. "But don't worry about it. I'm going to do the biggest bid on you so he won't have a chance" he winked and took a sip from his champagne and had his eyes on me meanwhile.