by Mia Sosa
The emcee tapped her mic. “Okay, ladies and gentleman, the bidding floor is one thousand dollars, and there is no ceiling. Who’s ready to get us started at one thousand dollars?”
Dozens of women raised their bidder cards.
“What about fifteen hundred dollars? Can I get fifteen hundred dollars? Fifteen hundred dollars for Learn to Net.”
The women’s hands remained in the air.
“Wonderful. You’re being generous tonight. Let’s see if we can pick things up here. Anyone ready to give me two thousand dollars for a date with Mr. Vargas.”
“Three thousand dollars,” said the human disco ball.
Dozens of hands dropped.
“What about thirty-five hundred? Anyone prepared to give me thirty-five hundred?’
“Thirty-five hundred dollars,” said another woman.
“Thirty-five hundred dollars from the woman in the blue dress.”
Ah. The woman who’d been flirting with Daniel at his table. Had they planned this?
With one hand on her cocktail and another hand on her bidder card, the human disco ball stood up. “Five thousand dollars,” she said in a raspy voice. “He’s mine, ladies.”
Human disco ball was definitely a smoker.
Gracie tapped her feet in excitement. “Oh, this is better than I expected.”
Onstage, Daniel replaced his wide smile with a deep frown, and he knitted his brows.
So he doesn’t want to go on a date with human disco ball, huh? Poor thing.
For the next minute human disco ball and the blue dress tried to outbid each other. Mimi, meanwhile, was rooting for the human disco ball, whose flushed skin and boisterous gestures signaled a serious hangover in her immediate future.
Each time someone other than human disco ball raised their bidder card, Daniel’s eyes lifted, his expression brightening with hope. And each time his rowdy pursuer upped her bid, his face fell in defeat.
She loved the idea of making him squirm, so Mimi raised her bidder card. Commencing Operation Get Rid Of the Blue Dress in five, four, three, two…“Ten thousand dollars.”
Daniel’s gaze shot to hers. With his eyes wide, he mouthed, What are you doing?
Having fun, Mimi mouthed back with a saucy smile.
Just as she had hoped, the ten-thousand-dollar bid caused the woman in blue to tap out. Much to Mimi’s delight, human disco ball was no quitter, however. “Eleven thousand dollars,” she said with a wave of her cocktail.
“I need you to raise your bidder card, ma’am,” the emcee told her.
“Oh, yes, here,” she said.
“Do I have twelve thousand dollars? Is someone ready to give me twelve thousand dollars?”
Daniel’s gaze whipped to Mimi’s, and when she threw up her hands and shrugged her shoulders, his eyes narrowed in understanding.
Take that, Mr. Perfect.
With a feigned pout, Mimi dropped out of the bidding.
The emcee tapped her mic. “We have eleven thousand dollars on the table. Going once, going twice, going three times. Sold to the lady in silver. We have our winning bid for a date with Daniel Vargas. Eleven thousand dollars to LTN.”
The human disco ball whooped and ran to the stage to collect her prize. Daniel grimaced when she tackle-hugged him and nearly brought him to the floor in the process.
Mimi burst out laughing. The evening had turned out much better than she’d anticipated. “Are you getting pictures of this, Gracie?”
Gracie’s mouth gaped. “You’re so evil.”
“Me? What did I do?”
Her best friend stared at her in silence.
“Oh, c’mon, Gracie. That woman was going to win the bid no matter what. I was just having a little fun.”
“How?”
“By taunting Daniel with the possibility that he’d escape her clutches.”
“And what if she hadn’t upped her bid?”
Yes, Mimi. What if?
She’d earmarked the money in her bank account for the down payment on her own condo, but in the moment, with Daniel’s smug grin staring back at her, she’d risked her ability to pay for her future home simply to needle him. Mimi bristled at the realization that she’d abandoned her good judgment for such a stupid reason. She couldn’t tell any of this to Gracie, though. Her friend would make too much of it. So she settled for a half-truth. “Then I would have happily dipped into my hard-earned savings in support of my best friend.”
“Right. You know I’d never take your savings. And you could have gotten us in trouble. They could accuse me of planting someone in the audience to artificially inflate the winning bid.”
“Gracie, relax. If anyone asks, I’ll show them a bank statement proving I could have paid the winning bid if I’d had to.”
“Okay, fine. Don’t be surprised if you’ve made a frenemy, though.”
Mimi scoffed at the idea. “Daniel doesn’t scare me. And besides, he has nothing he can hold over my head.”
She glanced at Daniel’s face, and he pinned her with a “you are so going to regret this” stare.
Nope. There was definitely nothing significant he could hold over her head.
Thank goodness for that.
CHAPTER TWO
Daniel held his breath as the woman who’d won a date with him squeezed his waist as though it were that last bit of toothpaste in a nearly empty tube. If her grabby hands weren’t enough, she reeked of alcohol. Desperate to find a reason not to honor the date, he made a mental note to ask the event organizers if her obvious inebriation nullified her bid. With his face averted, he pried her off him. “Lisa, is it?”
“Yes, yes, Lisa.” The slur in her voice confirmed that she was flat-out drunk.
He guessed Lisa to be about his age, though he found it hard to tell since she was wearing more makeup than the entire cast of a Spanish telenovela. “Lisa, are you interested in architectural design services? That’s another option.”
She ran her hands down the lapels of his jacket. “No way, handsome. I’d like a date.”
Of course she would. The easy route would have been to laugh off her advances, play up his charm, and get as far away from Lisa as he could. But a vision of his mother chastising him for not doing the right thing stopped him. “Lisa, I’m sure you’re a lovely woman, but you’re drunk, and I’m guessing you know some of the people here. Is there someone who could take you home?”
Lisa blinked several times, suddenly appearing a lot younger than he’d first thought.
Was she even processing his words?
She groaned. “Oh, God.” Her voice quivered. “You’re right. Can you walk me to my table? I came with a friend. She’ll take me home.”
Daniel gave her a reassuring smile. “Of course.” He held out his arm, and Lisa hooked her own through it.
“Thank you,” she said.
“No problem.”
She swayed against him while he did his best to hold her up so she could walk across the ballroom without embarrassing herself any further.
A young woman, Lisa’s friend presumably, was ready for the handoff. “I’ve got it from here,” she told him.
She and Daniel nodded at each other, and then he spoke to Lisa. “Lisa, I’ll be sure to get your contact information from the organizers. We’ll schedule a date soon. In the meantime, take care of yourself.”
With her gaze on the floor, Lisa mumbled her thanks before disappearing with her friend.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spied Mimi at the far end of the ballroom, heading toward one of the exit doors, the sway of her shoulder-length blond hair matching her clipped pace. Not so fast, troublemaker.
He strode toward the double doors at the north side of the ballroom, intent on finding Mimi and…what? What would he do when he found her? He needed a plan, preferably something in the way of an ambush.
He considered the possibilities as he made his way across the ballroom, until Gracie intercepted him.
“In a rush to get somewhe
re, Daniel?” she asked.
He muttered a curse, remembering that he was here as a board member of LTN and should have been working the room on its behalf rather than pursuing Mimi. The woman might as well be his personal railroad switch, because she diverted him off his usual track whenever she was near. “Gracie, hey. Congrats on the donation. Wish I would have gotten you more.”
“More? Are you kidding me? I’m delighted with the result.” Gracie peered at him. “So were you heading out?”
“No, I wanted to talk to Mimi about something.”
Gracie raised a questioning brow. “You did?”
“Yes. Did she leave for the evening?”
“No, she’s checking on whether anyone bid on her consulting package.”
His ears perked up. Did someone say ambush? “What consulting package?”
“She put up some hours of consulting to benefit all of the participating charities. You know, publicity and PR services. Brand management.”
An idea took shape, one involving Mimi at his disposal for several hours. He’d definitely have her attention then. “Did she now?”
Gracie gave him a sly smile. “She sure did.”
“When does the bidding close?”
“At eight o’clock. Why?”
“Thought I’d take a look at the items up for bid. And anyone with auction experience knows the best time to bid is just before the end.”
“Well, I won’t keep you. But first, I have a bone to pick with you.”
That sounded ominous. “What did I do now?”
“You haven’t responded to my housewarming invitation. You coming next week?”
Shit. He’d hoped to dodge it, honestly. Before she married Ethan, and what seemed like ages ago to Daniel, he’d pursued Gracie like a Neanderthal. Then she’d made it clear nothing would ever happen between them, and he’d wisely stepped aside. But not before Gracie had convinced him to help her make Ethan jealous. “Not sure that’s such a good idea. Does Ethan even want me there?”
Gracie patted his arm. “Ethan’s over it, Daniel. You were at my wedding, for goodness’ sake.”
“So were my parents. I assumed it was a courtesy.”
“I’m not that courteous. Anyway, Mimi will be there.”
“And that’s incentive how?”
Gracie watched him closely. “I see how you look at her.”
“How? Like she’s deranged. Because she is, you know.”
“No, not like she’s deranged. Like she intrigues you.”
She does. But Gracie doesn’t need to know how much. “What can I say? I’m easily intrigued.”
“Fine. Who am I to argue? This act has been working for you so far. No reason to change a good thing, right?”
“I have no clue what you’re talking about.”
Gracie studied his face. “No, no, I suppose you don’t. Anyway, the offer stands. If you’re interested in joining us, just show up. No RSVP required.”
“Thanks, Gracie. I’ll think about it.”
He turned to leave, but Gracie pulled him back by his jacket sleeve. “One more thing. Mimi’s got thick skin, but she isn’t always as tough as she seems. Bear that in mind the next time you talk to her, okay?”
Well, this is…strange. He had no idea what to make of Gracie’s observation. Which now made him curious to discover the meaning behind it. “Sure. I’ll bear that in mind.”
The ballroom door closed behind him with a thud.
He spied Mimi engaged in conversation with a man who looked to be around Daniel’s age. Though she wore a smile, it didn’t reach her eyes. Perfectly professional. Perfectly polite. Minutes ago, she’d been fucking with Daniel, likely trying to annoy him for some unknown reason. Now, however, with her angelic face set in calm repose, one would never know she had such devilish tactics in her arsenal. Her ability to flip the switch on her sassy attitude fascinated him.
The man at her side bent at the waist and wrote something on a sheet of paper, presumably placing a bid on Mimi’s consulting package. A potential client then.
When the man straightened to his full height, he stepped closer to Mimi, and Daniel wondered if he and Mimi knew each other. But what did it matter? Whether or not she knew the man well, Daniel wasn’t above a little cock blocking of his own.
Just as he was about to approach them, the man moved even closer to Mimi and ran a finger down her bare arm. She stumbled backward, her face contorted and her hands outstretched as though he’d thrown a bucket of boiling water on her. And her eyes. Her gaze darted everywhere, searching for an escape. She had none of the fire he’d come to associate with her. Suddenly, Daniel experienced an overwhelming urge to protect her—and a raging need to crush the man’s skull.
With his hands fisted at his sides, Daniel stomped toward them.
Mimi’s eyes cleared when she saw his approach. She straightened, almost as though his arrival had galvanized her into action. “Hi, Daniel.”
Daniel relaxed his hands. Whatever the man’s touch had provoked in her had passed in seconds. And he doubted Mimi would appreciate him making a scene. He hoped his presence alone would deter the bastard from making another unwanted advance. If not, they’d have a problem. “Mimi. Always nice to see you.”
“Likewise,” she replied.
Her expression dulled, however, telling him the opposite was true.
“Daniel, this is…I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”
The man scowled, though it was unclear whether he’d done so in response to Mimi’s claimed failure to remember his name or Daniel’s interruption. “James Mortimer.”
Daniel held out his hand to Mortimer as he edged closer to Mimi. “I didn’t mean to intrude, but I’d like to get my bid in before the auction closes.”
“You’re bidding on my consulting package?” Mimi asked, her voice high and tight.
Daniel read the bid description. Ten hours of her time. Ah, payback’s a bitch, isn’t it? He turned to Mimi and gave her a smirk—for her eyes only. “Wouldn’t miss the opportunity to work with you for anything in the world. It’ll be fun, don’t you think?”
To his satisfaction, she gave him an equally charming sneer—for his eyes only. But she said nothing in response, and he was disappointed. Mimi was a slicer and dicer. That sharp tongue and witty brain had the capacity to shred lesser men into tiny pieces. Perhaps Mortimer’s presence caused her to tamp down on her usual feistiness. What a shame.
An attractive woman appeared at Mortimer’s side and leaned into him. “Honey, I’m not feeling well. Can we go?” She gave Mimi a frosty smile but didn’t ask for an introduction.
Mortimer frowned for a split second and then smiled for his audience. “Unfortunately, we have to cut our evening short.” He directed a pointed look at Mimi, who turned away and studied the program in her hand. “It was lovely to meet you, Ms. Pennington.”
“The same, Mr. Mortimer.”
Mortimer turned and regarded Daniel with a snake’s smile. “Mr. Vargas, was it?”
“Yes.”
“Enjoy the rest of the evening.”
Daniel jammed his hands in his pockets, stopping just short of puffing out his chest. “I intend to.”
With Mortimer gone, Daniel scanned the bidding sheet. Mortimer’s bid was nine thousand dollars, and the silent auction closed in two minutes. He scribbled in his bid, straightened to his full height, and gave Mimi a wink. “Wish me luck.”
“Oh, I’ll wish you something all right.”
Everything about her turned him on. Pity she didn’t feel the same. Yet. “You never intended to win a date with me, did you?”
“Why would I buy the cow when the milk’s gone sour?”
“Because the cow has more fresh milk to produce, and it’s yours for the drinking?”
“Ew. That’s disgusting.”
“Ew. You have a dirty mind. A word to the wise, Mimi. If you screw with somebody, be prepared for them to screw you right back.”
“We trie
d that already, remember? Didn’t quite work out that way.”
“Oh, I definitely remember. Ready to finish what we started in Puerto Rico?”
“Hmmm. Let’s see.” She tapped her lips with two fingers. “Um. That would be a no.”
“What is it about me that you find so unpleasant? Because I have to say methinks the lady doth protest too much.”
“See there? That right there is what annoys me. You go around acting all suave and smooth and expecting everyone to fall at your feet. And I bet they do. Oh, I bet they do.”
She laughed, though he failed to see what aspect of this conversation was funny. Her reaction wasn’t just about him. Something had prompted her to feel this way about men, or about men like him. He wished he knew what.
“My guess is that you’ve gone through life flaunting your sexuality and throwing your fake-ass charm at everyone. It’s gotten you laid. It’s probably gotten you clients, too. But take away your good looks and sparkling personality, and what are you left with? I’ll tell you. Not much. And this lady doth prefer way more than not much.”
He simply stood there, taken aback by her rant. Her cheeks turned pink when he didn’t immediately respond. Was she imagining someone else’s face as she ripped into him, or was this really about him? Hell, it didn’t matter. Either way, there was way too much to unpack here. “Ouch. Okay, well, if you need me, I’ll just be sulking in a corner. Some pretty little lady is bound to come over and ask what’s wrong. See you around, Mimi.” He spun around and strode away. Over his shoulder, he called back, “Can’t wait to find out if I’ve won the bid. I think we’d make an excellent team.”
But proving that point was going to be a hell of a challenge.
CHAPTER THREE
Monday morning, Mimi trudged to the office break room with one thought on her mind: Coffee, come to Mama.
Okay, if she was being honest with herself, she also had Daniel Vargas on the brain. As he’d no doubt planned, he’d won her consulting package.
Nina, her closest friend at the firm, poked her head out from behind the open fridge door and greeted her with a warning. “Watch out. He’s in a mood.”