Tyler stood, mouth agape, as Jennifer stepped to Jake’s side and slipped her hand in his. He was in shock. His friend, undeniably his best friend in town, had just bid thirty thousand dollars for dinner with him.
Tyler didn’t even hear Christopher call it or the banging of the gavel. His stunned eyes never left Jake’s. As the clapping began and the crowd started to dissipate, Christopher turned to him and shook his hand. “Thank you. We had hoped to raise a lot but I had no idea that someone would bid that much.” Christopher guffawed before quickly adding, “No offence.”
Dismissing the shock, Tyler grinned at Christopher. “None taken. I’m honestly as surprised as you are.”
“But seriously. Thank you. I know this probably isn’t your favourite thing to do,” Christopher acknowledged. “But here’s the man of the moment. Jake.” Christopher smiled as Jake stepped up onto the stage and joined them.
“A cheque on Monday?” Jake asked quickly.
“Perfect,” Christopher agreed. “I better go find Beth before I get in trouble for ignoring her.”
“Yeah. I’m surprised she didn’t bid,” Jake enquired.
“She was under strict instructions not to!” Christopher chuckled. “Which surprises me why she didn’t. If I know my wife like I do, usually if I say no she does the opposite just to get a rise out of me.”
“You wouldn’t have it any other way,” Jake taunted with a grin.
“You’re right. I wouldn’t,” Christopher admitted before stepping from the stage and vanishing into the crowd, leaving Jake and Tyler alone.
Neither knew what to say. Tyler felt odd and completely out of his depth. As much as he was glad his mate had made the winning bid, he couldn’t help but wonder if having a stranger own him wouldn’t have been easier. Or less awkward.
“So…” Tyler offered.
“Yeah,” Jake replied just as off balance.
After a moment Jennifer appeared at Jake’s side, leaning over and kissing Tyler innocently on the cheek. Jake didn’t even raise an eyebrow. “So, I knew you liked my company, Jake, but thirty grand is a bit excessive, even for you. You could have just said I’ve got beer and steak, you in?” Tyler grinned smugly.
“Yeah, but now I’m broke, so you’re buying.” Jake chuckled as he wound his arm about his wife’s slim waist.
Jennifer was a stunning woman in every sense of the word. Although Jake had money, Jennifer carried more than her own share. She was an amazing mother, a smart and savvy business woman, and even Tyler could see from the outside that she was a remarkable friend. She was the complete opposite of Jake. She was cautious where Jake was frivolous but somehow that just worked for them. And standing there, seeing the love surrounding them, Tyler couldn’t help but wonder if maybe someday that would be possible for him too.
Still not one hundred percent sure what had just happened, Tyler shook off the romanticised thoughts bubbling in his head and asked, “I don’t get it. Why’d you spend so much?”
“Good cause?” Jake replied, raising his eyebrows.
“Nah, don’t buy it,” Tyler called his bluff.
Jake scanned the room, his eyes methodically moving until they came to a screeching halt. With his gaze locked on Ava, she was firmly stuck in place.
Without breaking Ava’s gaze, Jake spoke directly to Tyler. “You hurt her and I will kill you.” It wasn’t an idle threat. Tyler knew without a doubt that Jake meant every word.
Tyler followed Jake’s gaze, smiling when he spotted Ava caught in Jake’s trap. “Got it,” he agreed quickly.
“I’m serious,” Jake warned, clamping his hand on Tyler’s shoulder.
“I know. Me too.” Tyler agreed quickly, downing the glass of sparkling water someone had handed him before thrusting the empty glass back in Jake’s hand and stepping off the stage towards Ava without a word or backward glance.
Chapter 38
Ava
She wanted to sprint for the doors and get as far away as possible, but Jake held her captive. Despite the fact he was standing on the other side of the room, he still managed to freeze her where she stood. Watching the auction had been one of the most nerve-racking experiences she’d ever endured and come Monday, Christopher was going to know exactly how unimpressed she was. Although it barely lasted ten minutes, to Ava it felt like a lifetime. She’d picked off her hastily applied nail polish before devouring her fingernails like a starved woman. She hadn’t been able to sit still. Even with Amanda’s warnings and threats ringing in her ears, Ava just couldn’t do it. She’d never been more thankful for the back table hidden in the dark. Ava knew Tyler couldn’t see her but she’d seen everything, including Sienna’s vulgar display as she tried to sink her clutches into him. Ava couldn’t stifle the giggle as she imagined how Tyler’s date with her would have gone if Jake hadn’t stepped in and saved the day.
“Something amusing you, Ms. Jacobs?” Tyler asked as he stepped up beside her and causally dropped his hand onto the small of her back.
“Absolutely, Mr. Andrews.” Ava replied sweetly.
“Care to share?”
“Nope,” Ava replied boldly. Obviously the two glasses of champagne she’d finished had given her some much needed liquid courage. “So, when’s the hot date with Jake? You know you two make a pretty eye-catching couple.”
Tyler chuckled, a deep belly laugh. “You’re funny,” he admitted as he slowly directed her back towards the dance floor without asking.
“I try,” Ava flirted as she spun and wrapped her arms around Tyler’s neck, shocking him silent.
They moved to their own beat as Tyler led them round the dance floor in a dance that only they knew. Ava noticed people watching them but she didn’t care. She was warm. She was happy. And she was safe. Who gave a flying fuck what anyone else thought really?
“What’s that smile all about?” Tyler asked, lifting her chin with his long fingers so she was looking into his eyes.
“Just thinking,” she offered quietly.
“About?”
“That this is weird.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean…you. Here. Dancing with me. Being auctioned off. Jake buying you. All of it,” Ava dribbled as she sank her head back onto his shoulder and held him tighter.
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” he admitted, causing Ava to gasp and lift her wide eyes to meet his.
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
“Seriously,” a third voice added, bursting the bubble, resulting in Tyler spinning Ava too quickly and causing her to stumble about. Tyler was rendered speechless as she tucked herself even closer to him as she righted herself. “Seriously, get a room,” the voice interrupted again.
Ava’s eyes bounced until they landed on Jake’s mischievous face. He was up to no good and it was written all over his face. “Oh look, Tyler. Your boyfriend’s here,” Ava quipped.
“Really mature, Ava.” Jake laughed.
“Ava, you look stunning,” Jennifer said as she rolled her eyes in her husband’s direction.
“Um…thanks?” Ava mumbled, the effects of the champagne evaporating from her body instantly. “You too,” she added almost as an afterthought.
“So, Jake, what can we do for you?” Tyler asked, his face expressionless.
“Well, since I own you…”
“For one night only. For dinner,” Ava reminded him coolly.
“Yes, for one night only. For dinner,” Jake repeated, smirking at Ava. “I was wondering when you were available.”
“How about tomorrow? Get this thing over and done with.” Tyler grimaced.
“Don’t sound so miserable about it,” Jake teased. “I mean surely you can’t plan the perfect date by tomorrow?”
“For you I can,” Tyler replied tightly. With Ava’s hand still firmly encased in his, Tyler squeezed it softly.
“Oh, you wanted to go to dinner with me? Oh, that’s so cute. But seriously man, you’re not my type.” Jake smi
rked.
Ava had no idea what Jake was up to but she knew him well enough to know it was probably no good. He was a prankster at heart and more than once over the years she’d been on the receiving end of his jokes.
“Huh?” Tyler grunted.
“Well, since I am a happily married man,” Jake began, pausing briefly to place a kiss behind Jennifer’s ear, causing a giggle to erupt from her perfectly glossy lips. “I thought that maybe Ava could take my place. Unless you have plans?” Jake suggested, focusing his attention on Ava.
She couldn’t help it. Her mouth fell open and her eyes widened with disbelief. “Wh-What?” Ava spluttered.
“Ava, I think what Jake is trying, very badly I might add, to ask you is to please take his place,” Jennifer explained softly.
“Jake!” Ava blurted out as the realisation sunk in.
Jake didn’t reply. He nodded quickly and then wrapped his arms around his wife, leading her to the other side of the dance floor and away from a bewildered Ava.
Ava didn’t dare speak. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t look at Tyler. She didn’t want to know what he was thinking. Instead, Ava burrowed her face into his shoulder and held him as close as possible. In Ava’s twisted mind, if she pretended that it wasn’t happening, then it wasn’t. Simple. But gnawing in the back of her mind was the truth. She knew life was never simple. Especially not hers.
The song ended and she felt Tyler stiffen under her fingers but she didn’t pull away. Instead she held on tighter and kept moving. Without a word, Tyler relaxed and went along for the ride. Ava opened her eyes and saw people staring at her and she knew what they were thinking. The exact same thought that had been screaming in her head since Jake had dropped her in Tyler’s hands earlier. It was an uneasy feeling that made her question everything, but in Ava’s befuddled mind, the longer she ignored it she just could imagine that it would go away. But it didn’t. The thoughts just kept getting louder. And with dozens of pairs of wide eyes staring at her, she couldn’t silence them anymore.
“Tyler?” she asked, barely louder than a whisper.
“Yeah,” he replied softly, shifting her in his arms so he could look down into her face.
Ava couldn’t breathe. As she looked up into his calm face, she realised that he didn’t even realise what was going on around him. His entire being was focussed on her. And suddenly that knowledge overwhelmed her.
“Breathe,” Tyler encouraged as he pushed an errant curl from her forehead, sending a fresh case of goose bumps across her body.
Taking a moment to compose herself, Ava did exactly what he suggested. She focussed on her breathing. One deep breath after another. And with every breath she inhaled, Tyler’s fingers ran up her spine, only to descend as she exhaled. It had a strange, calming effect on her, and after a few moments Ava had regained her composure. “Don’t you get weirded out by people watching you all the time?” she asked, her words all coming out in a gush.
“Weirded out?”
“Yeah, weirded out.”
“Not really. I mean, not anymore. I used to but now I kinda figure what’s the point on wasting energy worrying about them when I could be concentrating on more important things,” Tyler explained.
“Oh, yeah that makes sense I guess,” Ava agreed.
“But I get it,” Tyler continued. “You aren’t used to it, and it certainly isn’t for everyone. But don’t let it get to you, okay? You’re doing fine.”
Ava scoffed but didn’t reply. She didn’t have anything else to say. What could she say? Tyler didn’t want to hear the truth. He didn’t need to know that Ava had an overwhelming fear of people looking at her. Even the thought of people talking about her or thinking about her made her queasy.
“So,” Tyler broke the silence as he twirled her under his arm before sweeping her back into his chest, “when are we having dinner?”
Caught completely off guard, Ava couldn’t contain her coughing fit. “You can’t be serious?” she managed to splutter between gasps.
“Of course I am,” Tyler pronounced confidently.
“But…but…”
“Listen, Ava. Jake did this. It’s a done deal. Now the choice is yours. Either I take you to dinner or I take Jake. And if the choice is mine, Jake can starve!” Tyler laughed deeply and Ava felt his stomach quiver against her.
Ava giggled softly and buried her head against Tyler’s chest. She felt his heart racing but said nothing. When she pulled back and looked up into his eyes she realised that something was different. His normally deep, mesmerising chocolate eyes, which she’d fantasized about getting lost in so many times, were now dark, hooded, and laced with desire. It sent fear ricocheting to Ava’s very core, leaving a terrifying thought in its wake.
It took Ava a few moments to gather her wits and pull her thoughts together but Ava knew what was right. “Tyler,” she moaned no louder than a whisper, “I know you think you have to do this but it’s okay. I know you hate this sort of thing and I don’t know what the hell Jake was thinking, but you don’t have to go through with it,” Ava conceded, giving him the perfect out.
“No!” Tyler retorted defiantly.
“No?” Ava asked softly, looking up into his face. His jaw was set hard and his lips, his very kissable lips pulled tight in a straight line. Pure masculinity was rolling off him in waves, and although Ava knew she should be intimidated caught in his steely glare, she wasn’t. Not at all.
“You don’t know me very well if you think I wouldn’t fulfil my obligations, Ava. I agreed to do this and I always follow through.” Tyler’s usually smooth and calming voice was strained and rasping.
Straightening herself, Ava forced some distance between them. “I am nobody’s obligation, Tyler,” Ava spat before spinning on her heel and stalking across the room.
Chapter 39
Tyler
Stroking up and down the pool, Tyler’s arms had never felt so heavy. He was barely halfway through his warm up and already he was exhausted. Pushing his body through the laps may have kept his hands occupied but it gave him plenty of time to replay last night’s disaster over and over again. It taunted him. He recalled the look of disappointment that had consumed Ava’s face with one word. One ill-chosen word had ruined the most perfect moment. Tyler’s hands involuntarily scrunched into tight balls and his stroke fell apart. He could hear someone yelling at him but he didn’t care. They couldn’t be berating him any worse than he was doing himself. As he glided into the wall, Tyler tried to push her disappointed eyes from his mind and concentrate. If he didn’t, it was going to be a long day.
Turns out he was right. After spending over three hours in the water, his fingers were wrinkled and he’d swallowed more chlorine than he could ever remember doing before. After a quick shower and scarfing down a banana in two bites, Tyler climbed on the elliptical and pushed his body even further. The physical pain was better than the emotional. With sweat pouring down his forehead, Tyler pushed faster and harder. He was going to sleep tonight one way or another, unlike last night.
After Ava had vanished, Tyler hung around for barely ten minutes before giving up. He knew he’d pissed her off and even if she gave him a chance to apologise, there was a good chance she wouldn’t have listened or believed him, so he’d gone home alone. But from the moment he walked in the door he couldn’t sit still. Tyler took a shower, trying to scrub away Ava’s scent, which lingered on his skin. After a long, very cold shower, Tyler had set the alarm for four a.m. and slipped into bed, but sleep evaded him. Instead he tossed and turned before giving up just after three and taking another icy shower.
“Tyler!” a great voice boomed, shaking him out of his trance.
Stealing a glance over his shoulder, Tyler spotted Jonathan standing there, his arms folded over his wide chest, arrogance and annoyance radiating off him. Without a word, Tyler turned his attention back to the elliptical and slowed his pace. Moments later, on very shaky legs, Tyler stepped from the machine and gulped down mouthfu
ls from his water bottle.
With an audible sigh, Tyler returned his focus to Jonathan who remained stoically silent. “Morning, Jonathan.” Tyler said between gasps of air. He was more out of breath than he’d realised. He’d been caught in his own little world and he hadn’t been paying any attention to the pace or the incline.
“Don’t!” Jonathan warned, raising his hand to silence Tyler.
Tyler’s interest was piqued. As desperate as he was to know who or what had Jonathan’s panties in such a twist, Tyler didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. With a towel, Tyler wiped his face and neck before Jonathan summoned him with a crooked finger.
Intrigued, Tyler followed Jonathan as he dodged exercise equipment as if it were the world’s most venomous snake. Tyler had to suppress the chuckle at the image in his head of Jonathan waddling away like a squealing little girl. Once they were outside, Jonathan rolled into the chair in the furthermost corner before dropping a folded-up newspaper on the table between them.
Neither spoke for what felt like an eternity, each watching the other, patiently waiting for the other to crack. They’d been in this position more times than either would care to admit and they both knew whoever spoke first usually lost.
Jonathan was the one who broke the stalemate. “So, did you have fun last night?” he grunted.
“Wasn’t bad.” Tyler shrugged.
“Wasn’t bad, hey? Is that all you have to say?”
“Jonathan, why don’t you just tell me what you want me to say so we can hurry this along?” Tyler retorted, suddenly too weary to argue.
Jonathan’s eyes looked like they were about to shoot daggers and steam would start billowing from his ears at any second. Tyler had seen him pissed off before, but never like this. Jonathan glared at Tyler and Tyler just met his stare without wavering. As the moment dragged on Jonathan sucked in a deep breath and tossed the paper at Tyler, landing it in his lap. “Care to explain?”
Nobody's Obligation (Swimming Upstream #2) Page 20