.
“Come on, Ana,” Mia nags. Taking her outstretched
hand, I follow her onto the stage where ten more young
women ha一ve assembled, and I note with vague unease that
Lily is one of them.
“Gentlemen, the highlight of the evening!” the MC
booms over the babble of voices. “The moment you’ve all
been waiting for! These twelve lovely ladies ha一ve all
agreed to auction their first dance to the highest bidder!”
Oh no. I blush from head to toe. I hadn’t realized what
this meant. How humiliating!
“It’s for a good cause,” Mia hisses at me, sensing my
discomfort. “Besides, Christian will win.” She rolls her
eyes. “I can’t imagine him letting anyone outbid him. He
hasn’t taken his eyes off you all evening.”
Yes, focus on the good cause, and Christian is bound
to win. Let’s face it, he’s not short of a dime or two.
But it means spending more money on you! my
subconscious snarls at me. But I don’t want to dance with
anyone else—I can’t dance with anyone else—and it’s not
spending money on me, he’s donating it to the charity.
Like the twenty-four thousand dollars he’s already
spent? My subconscious narrows her eyes.
Shit. I seem to ha一ve gotten away with my impulsive
bid. Why am I arguing with myself?
“Now, gentlemen, pray gather round, and take a good
look at what could be yours for the first dance. Twelve
comely and compliant wenches.”
Jeez! I feel like I’m in a meat market. I watch,
Jeez! I feel like I’m in a meat market. I watch,
horrified, as at least twenty men make their way to the
stage area, Christian included, moving with easy grace
between the tables and pausing to say a few hellos on the
way. Once the bidders are assembled, the MC begins.
“Ladies and gentlemen, in the tradition of the
masquerade we shall maintain the mystery behind the
masks and stick to first names only. First up we ha一ve the
lovely Jada.”
Jada is giggling like a schoolgirl, too. Maybe I won’t
be so out of place. She’s dressed head to foot in na一vy
taffeta with a matching mask. Two young men step
forwar
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