by Jamie Knight
There's a reason I don't cut loose, or have relationships. I try not to think about it, but I can’t help it. It was heartbreaking all those years ago to have to break up with the only woman I ever loved. I promised myself that I would never hurt like that again. So far I've done a good job of it.
These auctions play a huge part in that, to be honest. I can just go and pay for the services that I need without any of the messy emotional attachments that usually go along with a relationship. Frankly, I prefer it this way. It's easy and its convenient.
The more that I think about it, I realize that I am excited to go with Tim to the next auction. It will be good to have some fun again. That's usually the kind of women that you meet at these things anyways. They just want a little bit of fun, or to let their wild side out. It's definitely not the worst way to spend an evening. But for now, I force myself to concentrate on work.
And now that I'm looking forward to the auction. I push all the messy feelings about my past aside.
After making the necessary corrections, I take the documents out to an employee who has been working with me for years, a sweet elderly lady whose name fails me at the moment. "Could you type this up for me again? The temp that the agency sent over has no idea what she's doing." I confide in her quietly.
She glances behind me to the temp, and whispers to me: "Sounds about right."
We both share a quiet laugh and I leave her to her work. "I'll have them on your desk by lunch." She assures me.
I like working with competent people. I want my company to run like a well-oiled machine. I ignore the temp, who tries to smile at me as I walk by. I walk into my office and shut the door. I don't believe in workplace relationships, too messy. Besides, I'll see plenty of women like her at the auction. Young, and gorgeous, only good for a few turns and not much else.
I quickly dial the temp agency and speak to them quietly about sending this one back. "Is there a problem sir?" The lady on the phone asks me. "Oh no, it's just that I’ve decided to promote from within and I’ll no longer be needing her help,” I assure her in my most polite tone.
"Ok sir, we will let her know. Please contact us in the future with any openings you need help to fill!" She replies.
I assure her that I will and hang up quickly. Thank goodness that is over with. I make a note to learn the name of the woman whose help I asked for. I also want to negotiate a better position for her now, maybe one that includes secretarial duties. It'll save me money because I won't have to hire anyone else. I can afford to give her a raise as well. I'm writing all this down, and as I look up, I see the temp talking on her cell phone.
I sigh in exasperation. I'm so glad that today is her last day. She looks up suddenly at my office window, glares at it then storms off. I guess they just called and told her. Satisfied, I go back to writing. I need to make this proposal sound more professional.
Chapter 4 - Lorelai
It's been about a month since the fire. So much has happened that even though everything has been a whirlwind, it still feels like it’s been longer somehow. I’m still trying to process that night. It’s been a lot to deal with. I contacted my insurance right away, and thankfully they were able to cover the cost of some of the damages and repairs.
Some of the minor work, especially the cleaning, I was able to do on my own, although it took a lot of work and time.
You can still see how damaged the store is, but at least I was able to get it mostly operational and take in a few customers again. I stand in the shop and pause to take a breath. I look around at the parts that I have blocked off. I've had to reduce the inventory and number of clients that I can handle because of the fire.
I walk to the back of the shop, into the new makeshift office where I have a pile of bills to wade through. I glance through them, looking at the total for all of them. I'll be lucky if I'm able to pay them all and still keep the lights on for another month.
The cost of everything is too much to bear right now. The fire devastated me, both emotionally and financially. And having to take on fewer clients has meant less profit, compounding the issue. My hand shakes a little as I set the papers down, the numbers making my eyes swim.
For the past few days I have been worried that I might actually lose the shop. I'm barely making anything now, and on top of everything else, I’ve still got to pay my own rent and keep myself afloat. I wander into the shop and plop down in one of the chairs I have for my clients. My worries get the better of me and I start to cry again. I'm so busy crying that I don't hear my next customer come in.
"Lor? Hey, are you all right? Is everything ok?" A voice next to me asks.
I jump, startled, and stop crying. I try to pull myself together and wipe my eyes. Looking up, I see that it's Tammy. "I'm here early for my final fitting,” she explains.
I nod as I try to get my emotions under control. She sits down next to me and puts a sympathetic hand on my shoulder. "You want to talk about it?” she asks.
I sniffle and stare at the ground. "I'm just worried. This fire has taken so much for me. The biggest problem of all is money. I don't know if I will be able to stay in business. This was my grandma’s shop, you know? She left it for me to take care of and I feel like I’ve failed her."
Tammy reaches over and gives me a quick hug. "I'm so sorry, Lorelai. But this wasn’t your fault, don’t beat yourself up over it."
I thank her for the hug and stand up. "Shall we get to work?" I ask, trying to appear cheerful.
She stands up with me and looks at me. "Did I ever tell you how I met my husband?" She asks suddenly.
I shake my head no as I lead her back to the workroom to look for her dress.
"It was a few years ago. I was in desperate need of money. I met him through a mutual friend at one of these, I guess you would call it, uh… sex auctions." She explains sheepishly.
I set her dress on a nearby hanger and look at her in shock. She laughs at my expression. "It was all very innocent. Basically a woman can auction off anything she wants, like a date, or something as extravagant as her virginity and the men will bid on it."
I just continue to stare open mouthed. “That’s innocent?” I ask incredulously.
"The way I made money was by hosting an auction at my business,” she explains, “They pay a pretty hefty hostess fee. I'm just telling you because its quick money, and there's nothing wrong with it." She confides.
I look at her, then ask timidly: "Did you auction off your virginity?"
She laughs. "Not at first, but eventually…yeah," she admits.
I stare at her in shock again.
She pulls a business card out of her purse and hands it to me. "Look, they’re having an auction here tomorrow night. Why don't you stop by and see how it's done for yourself? We can talk more then, and if you're interested in hosting I can introduce you to the people in charge.".
I take the card from her and stare at it.
"Where can I try my dress on?" She asks.
I snap out of my trance, put the card down, and pick up the dress. "Right this way." I say brightly, directing her to the new makeshift fitting rooms.
She smiles at me and takes her dress inside. While I wait for her to change, I go back out into the store and stare at the card on the counter. Her story is certainly unusual. I don't know if I can bring myself to do anything as daring as attend the auction, though.
I sigh and look around my shop. Memories of my grandmother surface again and I have to will myself not to cry. I realize that I can't lose this shop. I have to do anything and everything I can to save it. That means making money in any way that I can. Tammy walks out in her dress. "Well how do I look?" She asks with a smile.
"Fantastic. Also, I’ve decided I'll be at the auction tomorrow." I inform her, turning to look at her with a smile.
She smiles brightly. "Wonderful!" She exclaims.
I help her over to the mirror. "How does it feel?" I ask, directing the focus back onto her dress a
nd her wedding.
She looks at herself in different angles in the mirror. "Oh, it’s perfect! You did an amazing job. I'm surprised you were able to do it so quickly." she replies.
I laugh a little, "It’s my job." I reply.
As I see her smile I realize all over again that this is a job I love doing. There is no way I am going to lose this shop. She smiles at me again. "This dress is perfect. I'm glad this is the last fitting, I can't wait to wear it for real!" She squeals in delight.
We both laugh excitedly.
After she changes and pays for the gown, she gives me a quick hug. She writes the time of the auction on the back of her card. "If you have any questions you can always call me."
I thank her and she leaves the store. I make a note to deliver her dress a few days before her wedding.
Chapter 5 - Gabriel
The night has finally arrived. I'm at the auction with Tim. Well, “with” is a loose description, I lost track of him the moment we walked through the door.
I was really looking forward to tonight, we both had high expectations for what could happen. I have to be honest, though, now I'm starting to be kind of disappointed that I came. This is a pretty packed auction. I wasn't expecting there to be this large a crowd tonight.
I mean, there usually is, but at the larger events that take place out of town. I let out a sigh of boredom as I look around at the crowd of people again. There is not one single woman here that catches my attention. I think I might just be wasting my time. I look around for Tim. I need to tell him that I'm going to leave. I don't think I can endure much more of this.
I could be at home working right now, instead of wasting my time here. If I had known it was going to be this much of a let-down, I wouldn't have agreed to show up. I have got to stop letting myself get talked into these types of situations.
I finally spot him a distance away. He's deeply engrossed with some woman. I hesitate, I don't want to interrupt him, but I don't know how much longer I can take being here. It feels like this was a huge waste of time. But I also don’t want to just flake out and disappear, either.
I'm about to walk over to him, when I hear the hostess announce the start of another auction. I think nothing of it, but out of the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of fiery red hair and turn to see the woman walking up on stage. I do a double take and immediately stop in my tracks. I'm mesmerized, all I can do is stare at her. I think I'm holding my breath. It's like the atmosphere in the room suddenly changed.
It's almost as if I'm drawn to her. I move closer to the stage so I can get a better view of her. My eye is drawn once again to her long red hair, which she wears tied back. If I look close enough, I can see a soft smattering of freckles on her lovely face. Hazel eyes look nervously out over the crowd. They don’t stop on one person, certainly not me. I bet she is quiet or shy. She looks the type.
I pay close attention as the hostess says, "This young lady is auctioning off a date tonight."
I'm a little disappointed that that’s all she’s offering. I think someone else groans in the audience. But right away, people start bidding. I'm surprised by this. I can tell the woman on the stage is too. I'm even more shocked when my own hand flies up to be included in the bids.
The numbers increase, and soon it's just me and a couple of the wealthiest men here. I don't know what it is about this woman, but I can't stop myself. Maybe it's her appearance or the fact that she seems so different from the other women here, but something won’t let me quit.
She’s mine.
I watch as she looks out at those of us who are left bidding. She keeps looking at me, then away. Eventually we lock eyes. I can see her gasp softly on stage. My heart starts to pound deep within my chest. I don't know what's come over me. All I know is that I want her to be mine and I will stop at nothing to have her.
Her eyes remain on me as I raise my paddle. "Thirty thousand." I say in as calm a voice as I can. I hear several people gasp loudly. The men I was bidding against shake their heads and mutter. The redhead on stage stares at me in shock, so does the hostess. Eventually the hostess recovers herself and asks the crowd, "Do we have any other bids?" After a few seconds of head shaking she announces, "Going once…going twice…sold!”
I just continue to stare at the redhead. Eventually she looks away and goes to the hostess to await further instructions. I put my paddle away, satisfied. I’m done bidding for the night. I accomplished one part of my goal tonight. I'll have to wait until later to see if I can make the rest happen.
Tim has an arm around a girl as he walks over to me. "Dude, that was insane. What were you thinking?" he asks, appalled.
I shrug at him. "I honestly don’t know,” I admit, “There’s just something about her.”
He shakes his head in disbelief. "Man, when you want something you really go after it," he marvels.
I laugh a little, "True, but you already knew that about me. Excuse me a moment."
He nods and goes back to cuddling his date. I turn and look for the hostess. I need to pay my bid. I also keep an eye out for the redhead. I'm eager to get better acquainted with her. I see them standing together across the room. The hostess looks up at me, so I immediately walk over.
"I believe I owe you something,” I remark.
The hostess smiles warmly as I pay her. "It was a pleasure doing business. You two have fun!” she winks at us before walking away.
The redhead stands alone in front of me. She glances up at me, then away quickly. I can tell that she is definitely nervous. I look around and try to think of something to say. I don't want to frighten her. "Hello,” I croak out finally.
"Hi."
Her voice is very soft. I think was right about her being shy.
She doesn't say anything else, she just keeps looking at me. I try smiling at her. She actually blushes a little before smiling back. That is adorable. I wasn't expecting that. I'm actually starting to feel glad that I came tonight. Crazy, I know.
Chapter 6 - Lorelai
I seriously can't believe my luck. I wasn't even planning on going through with the auction, but I'm so glad I did. I spent a lot of time just watching and hesitating.
I didn't think I’d have the courage to actually get up there and participate. But when I saw how much the girls around me were earning…I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to save the shop.
But I became even more nervous when the hostess finally led me up on stage. I kept reminding myself that all I was selling was a date, but being put on display in front of a room full of men made me nervous, all the same.
The moment I laid eyes on this guy, though? Well, for a moment I was almost sorry I was only selling a date. He was devilishly handsome, the kind of flawless good looks that seem almost too perfect to exist off of a movie screen.
And I can't believe how much he bid, just for a date with me. Obviously I’m thrilled, but shocked nonetheless. Not to mention deeply flattered that someone this attractive thinks a night of my time is worth thousands.
The hostess pulls me aside to go over the rules for the evening. It's really difficult to concentrate, because I’m dying to see my handsome mystery man again, to find out who he is. I look up in surprise as he walks over. Reminding myself to breathe and be cool, I listen to him talk to the hostess.
Oh my gosh, even his voice is hot.
After he pays her, she walks away, leaving us alone together. I feel my nerves beginning to flare again, so I try to avoid looking at him.
He watches me for a long time, but eventually he says "Hello."
I'm surprised that's all he has to say. I guess I figured he’d have some already prepared pickup line or something. I try not to let out a nervous giggle and reply with a shaky “Hi.”
There's an awkward silence where he just smiles at me. I can feel my face heating and I know I’m probably the color of a tomato. I'm so nervous I think I could pass out. After a few moments he clears his throat an
d holds out his hand. "I'm Gabriel."
Hesitantly, I reach out to shake his hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Lorelai."
We both pull our hands away slowly, and I try not to think about the sparks still tingling under my skin from just that little bit of contact with him.
“Have you eaten yet?" he blurts out suddenly, startling me,
For one brief, confused moment, I don’t know how to respond, so he continues: “I was wondering if you would like to grab a bite with me?"
"Uh, sure."
I cringe at my response. I wish I had something more clever to say. He smiles and offers me his arm. I'm shocked but I lightly place my hand on it. He leads me out of the crowded building and out on to the empty sidewalk. He holds the door open for me as we walk outside. I must admit, I'm surprised and intrigued by him. I thought chivalry ended long ago.
We stop in front of a very expensive looking town car. He let's go of my arm and holds the door open for me. I try not to stare and drool a little. I'm not used to being surrounded by such wealth. I thank him quietly and get in the car. He shuts the door softly for me then also gets in. We drive across town. I have no idea where we are going, so I stare out the window nervously. I am trying very hard not to be impressed by how expensive looking his car is.
"So, tell me about yourself," Gabriel says abruptly.
I glance over at him. "Um. W-well, I'm a business woman, so to speak. I own a bridal shop in town," I stammer.
We pause at a light and he turns to look at me. "That's interesting. If I may ask, what brought you to the auction? Forgive me assuming so, but this doesn't exactly seem like the sort of crowd a nice girl like you associates with."
The light turns green and we start to move again.
"Well, to be honest, a friend invited me tonight. You're assumption is correct. I usually don't go to events like this," I admit shyly.
I'm kind of embarrassed to admit that. It sort of feels like putting a sign around my neck that says “Yes, I’m a prude.”