by Claire Adams
“It’s a good cause,” I said. “But I don’t want anyone knowing how much I donated.” I kept my voice quiet, hoping my friend would understand I didn’t want to let too many people catch wind of the amount, much less me talking about money.
The woman finished reading the donors, and I held Abby’s hand as Nick and I stopped by the bar. A whiskey on ice and straight bourbon later, we walked through the floor and greeted the other donors. I knew several of them, and met quite a few I hadn’t before. All in all, it was pleasant, and at least Abby was behaving and seemed to enjoy herself.
“Maddox!” someone yelled, and I turned to find an old friend.
“Phil, how are you?” I asked. We shook hands, his old, wrinkled fingers feeling rather clammy for the chilled temperature. Phil owned a restaurant on Third Street, and I’d helped him out quite a few times on his neverending menu changes.
“Good. Just want to get this over with. Damn fundraisers never leave us alone. At least we’re about to get a nice candy show, though. Right?” he sneered, and I tried my best not to grimace. The auction part of this fundraiser was my least favorite.
“Every dollar raised is for the children,” I said and politely excused myself. My thoughts drifted as I roamed the floor, until a flash of red caught my eye and I turned to find a woman standing by herself in the middle of the floor.
She was beautiful. That word might not have been enough, but at that moment, it was the only description I could remember as my blood pumped a bit faster. Her hair, thick and long, was a dark red that was a stark contrast to her pale skin and bright green eyes, and she wore a long, shimmery black dress that hugged curves so round and voluptuous they were beginning to make me blush. Someone got her attention, and she turned toward them and smiled. It was a forced smile, I could tell easily, but a blush spread across her cheeks and her red painted lips curved. I couldn’t move.
“Daddy?” Abby pulled on my sleeve and batted her thick eyelashes at me. Ever the perfect, polite little girl in public. “May I please have some ice cream?”
The crowd around us aahhed at Abby’s politeness, and I reluctantly turned from the beautiful redhead and kneeled in front of Abby.
“Of course; let’s get you some and then sit back down.”
A chocolate sundae later, and we were back at our table as the auction began. There was a line of women waiting to stand on the stage, but my attention was everywhere else, trying to find where that beautiful woman was sitting.
“Uncle Nick, I’m sitting next to you,” Abby said. Then she asked me to move so Nick would be between us.
“I can’t remember who won last year,” Nick said as the auctioneer explained the rules for the night. The women were to be auctioned off for a date with the winning man, with all the proceeds going to the fundraiser. The ‘winner’ of the night was the woman who raised the most money.
“I don’t remember, either,” I admitted. “This whole thing is disgusting anyways. I’d rather just cut them another check and be done with it.” The women began to walk on stage.
“Funny, you totally wouldn’t have said that before you had her.” Nick gestured at Abby and gave me a nudge. I shrugged. He was right; being the father of a daughter had changed me in more ways than one.
“It just makes you realize what’s important.” I smiled as Abby ate her ice cream and stared at the women climbing the stage. She would never have to go through that, at least. There was no way I’d ever let my daughter auction herself off, not even for charity.
“Oh wow, she’s beautiful,” Nick whispered as the last woman took her spot. I groaned, knowing how Nick gets when he sees a woman he’s interested in. I turned to see what he was looking at and suddenly it was as if someone had stolen my breath.
On the stage, on unbalanced legs, stood the beautiful redhead that I had been looking for. She nervously stared at the crowd, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, and crossed her arms as her bidding began.
My hand raised before I realized it. I had to have her, if for nothing more than to end the obvious pain she was in before the crowd.
“I thought this whole thing was disgusting,” Nick said slyly. “Funny how a pretty girl can change your mind.”
Abby turned and looked at Nick, and then tried getting a better look at the woman by craning her neck and finally pulling her feet up under her bottom.
I looked at Abby and then the redhead.
Something inside me stirred as my blood grew warmer. “It’s for the children, Nick.”
Chapter Six
Everly
Everyone was staring at me, and all I wanted was to jump off the stage and make a run for the exit, but that wouldn’t help anything. I’d end up on my ass after tripping over these ridiculous heels. Phil’s words, his urging reminder that this was only going to help my career in the long run, was the only thing keeping my feet in place.
The auctioneer continued to take bids, and I almost fainted at the amount these hungry, wealthy men were planning on throwing away just for a single date with a woman they didn’t know. I faked a smile on the outside, but if anyone bothered to actually look at me, they’d recognize it was forced and painful.
The back of the fundraiser, a part of the building that had been roped off and reserved for parents to play games with their children in a giant, carnival-themed party, was loud and distracting at least. It took me a moment to realize the bid was between two men, and it was over 10,000 dollars.
“Ten and one?” The auctioneer pointed at one of the men, a balding man who leered me at with hungry eyes and licked his lips far too often. He was plump in the middle, with a nose that stuck too far from his head and eyes that threatened to pop out with the smallest amount of force. The auctioneer pointed at the other man still left, and before I turned to look at him, I was already praying for him to win.
“Eleven and five,” a smooth voice said, and I saw him. A tall man leaning confidently in his seat, eyes on the auctioneer, but body turned toward me. His head was shaved, and he had a five o’ clock shadow spreading across his chin, but he was big and strong, and if I had to be honest, not bad looking.
I shook my head and reminded myself that he was participating in this gross event, and paid attention to the other people at his table. A few more wealthy business owners, no doubt, but the people directly next to the man were surprising. One was another man close to his height, with blond hair that curled at his ears and an attractive smile. I realized he’d been staring at me the whole time.
And on the man’s other side was a little girl; she couldn’t have been more than three, with a head full of blonde curls and eyes as blue as the sky. She wore an odd ensemble of clothes, and rested her head against the blond haired man’s arm. His daughter, perhaps?
By their attire, they didn’t look like they fit in at the fundraiser. No, they seemed more like a father/daughter duo who would have more fun in the carnival with all of the other children and parents.
“Twenty.” The man sitting with the odd pair said at last. The older man dropped out, and shortly after, the auctioneer rushed me off of the stage as he started the bid for the next woman. It all happened so fast, I didn’t know what to make of any of it.
A night with me was just purchased for 20,000 dollars. My knees were weak as I found Lacey and Belle waiting near the side of the stage, but I listened closely as the other women’s bids didn’t even come close to my amount.
“I’m so sorry we’re late, Everly,” Lacey said, and I took turns hugging them both. Belle, a 5-year-old dressed in such expensive clothes I never once imagined wearing at that age, looked at the crowd with wary eyes. “My date with Michael lasted longer than I expected. I had no idea you were being auctioned off though; you didn’t say anything.”
“I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it,” I admitted. The final applause roared as the auction ended, and the crowd dispersed, breaking off into smaller groups to converse with one another. “My boss heavily suggested I vo
lunteer, and if I’m ever going to get anywhere in that place, I need to keep him happy.” I found Phil, the asshole owner of the restaurant I worked at, shaking hands with the man who’d just purchased our date. “There he is now; I guess I’m meeting the lucky man.”
Lacey and Belle both turned and watched as Phil slapped the man’s shoulder and they exchanged a few words and smiles. Phil noticed me pointing them out and gestured toward us. The man paused as our eyes met, and he said something to Phil and began walking our way.
The butterflies in my tummy started to bite and I took a deep breath as they came closer.
“There were a few games in the carnival that Belle wanted to play,” Lacey said. “We’ll be over there.”
“You mean you wanted to play,” Belle said and looked at me. “She’s been wanting to throw darts at a wall of balloons since we got here.”
I could barely register what they were saying, as all of my attention was fixed on the man coming my way. “I’ll find you,” I said and waved them off.
“Hello.” I turned and found myself staring into a pair of kind, gray eyes. The man was taller than I expected, and an expensive whiff of cologne confirmed that he was indeed very, very rich. “I’m Maddox Moore.”
“Everly,” I said, not particularly interested in giving him my last name. An eyebrow rose, but he shrugged and shook my hand. Maddox Moore… why did that name sound so familiar?
“You were a natural up there,” he said, as if every weekend for him was spent bidding on women. It dawned on me that it might be. A handsome man like him with fat pockets could buy his fill of women any day of the week.
“Thank you; it was my first time,” I said, realizing his hint of sarcasm a bit too late.
We stood in awkward silence, something that I didn’t expect from a man who probably hosted galas and drank only the finest scotch in front of a fireplace.
He leaned in and my back stiffened as his arm brushed against mine. “I’ll have everything prepared for our date. Until then, I’ll let you enjoy the fundraiser, and I’ll pick you up tomorrow night, if that works for you?” His brows lifted, as if he anticipated my response.
I wanted to tell him that no, it didn’t work, and that there might not be a day that ever worked. But Phil’s eager face popped in my mind and I nodded, although I really didn’t want to give him my address. I considered all the grunt work I’d have to do to make it up to Phil if I didn’t go through with it. He’d have me scrubbing the toilets at the restaurant if I embarrassed him, and I couldn’t afford to be on his bad side. I’d sacrificed so much already to give up on my dreams over a silly date.
“Tomorrow night is fine. Do you have a pen?” Maddox nodded and pulled one out from his pocket. I dug out the night’s program from my purse and wrote the address of a not-so-fancy restaurant far from my apartment before handing it to him.
He glanced at it, and a lopsided smile appeared. It was almost charming, but I quickly shut that thought down. It was best I kept my level head and not let him charm me into some swooning idiot who’d lose focus on her future for a shitload of heartache.
“I’ve never eaten here.” His voice brought me back down to earth, and I faked surprise. I had no doubt the man had never dirtied his feet in that restaurant, which is why I chose it. “I’ll meet you at 7, Everly. It was a pleasure to meet you.” He smirked, and I watched as his broad shoulders slipped away into the crowd.
Despite his politeness and looks, I still didn’t feel comforted by the fact that I basically was sold to him for the night. I grimaced, already dreading the following day. If nothing else, I needed to figure out how I knew his name. It rang a bell – a warning bell.
I found Lacey and Belle popping balloons at one of the game stations at the party. They were both giggling so hard their faces were red, and my sister had tears in her eyes. I’d missed whatever had gotten them to that point, but it was good to see them having fun.
“She’s been losing the whole time,” Belle said as she handed me a dart. I watched as Lacey attempted another hit, aiming far too low and throwing her dart toward the ground. The two of the tuned up their giggles again, and I realized my sister was the laughingstock with her poor aim. “Mom, will you let Auntie Everly try?”
Lacey moved aside for me and handed me a dart. I squared my shoulders and stuck my tongue out a bit as I aimed. With a flick of the wrist, the dart sailed across toward the balloons, headed right for a fat blue one. As it made contact, the dart bounced off and fell to the floor. Belle and my sister both stifled their giggles as I gave them a sideward glare, but soon the three of us were giggling and I was red-faced too.
“So, how was Mr. Moneybags?” Lacey asked. She tapped my shoulder and pointed across the room, where Maddox was standing next to the blond-haired man and the little girl. It was obvious, from how the little girl was hanging off of the blond man’s arm, that she was his daughter. I blew out a sigh of relief; at least Maddox didn’t have children.
“He’s polite,” I offered. “Meeting me at Thad’s tomorrow.”
“Oh dear Lord, please don’t tell me you picked the restaurant,” she said. “Wait, of course you picked it. A man like that would never eat there. He probably wanted to pick you up in his helicopter and fly you to the top of a skyscraper where an esteemed chef would be waiting with a seven-course dinner,” Lacey said, and Belle gasped.
“A helicopter? Does he have one?” Her little mouth hung open and she turned to see who we were talking about.
“No,” I told Belle. “Your mom is being difficult; there’s no helicopter.” But as I glanced at Maddox, at the fine lines of his suit and the glow from a watch that was possibly more expensive than the price tag on my date, I wondered if maybe he did have a helicopter. Or two or three? It wouldn’t be that surprising; men like him usually did have their big toys. My face felt warm as I realized he’d just purchased me like I was another one of his toys. It certainly made me curious to see the toy box. Surely a rich man like him had a nice home or two.
“Still,” Lacey said, as I threw my next dart and hit a balloon. “You could have done a lot worse.”
The balloon popped, and I watched as Maddox walked back to the fundraiser floor.
Maybe, I thought. Maybe so.
Chapter Seven
Maddox
“That doesn’t match,” Abby said as I handed her another tie. I frowned at the gray pinstripe suit I wore and the thin, black tie in my hand.
“You can never go wrong with black and gray, Abby,” I said, but put it away.
“This one?” She picked up a solid blue tie and held it up to my suit. “I like it.”
“Of course you do.” I frowned. “But I don’t know if a young woman would like the same color tie as my 3-year-old.” But what was the point? I fixed the tie and sat on the bed with Abby. “This is a mistake.”
“Why?” She hopped down beside me. “You like her?”
“I don’t know her,” I said. But I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her once. “It’s my first date since I’ve had you, sweetie. It’s been a long time since I even smiled at another girl. Is that okay?” I gazed into her eyes for any sign of hesitation or grief. “You can tell me if you don’t like this. If you don’t want me to go, I’ll stay home and we can watch “Frozen” again.”
Abby narrowed her eyes in concentration. “She’s pretty,” she said. “Her hair is really red. Redder than any other hair I’ve seen. She reminds me of a mermaid, Daddy. I want you to go. Uncle Nick is better at singing “Let It Go” than you, anyway.”
I laughed; the insult definitely wasn’t as bad as it could have been.
“Okay. I’ll go on a date with this woman, but only because you like her hair. Now come on, let’s drop you off at Nick’s.”
She held my hand as we walked over, but the moment the door opened, she flew into the house and looked for the latest painting that Nick had been working on. A child in the middle of an ocean of balloons, floating in midair as she popp
ed each balloon and giggled as the paint splattered her skin. Obviously, the child was Abby, and she demanded to see it every time we came over.
“Got your big date?” Nick teased me as he closed the door behind us.
“Yeah.” I checked my watch; 6:15. “Getting there a little early. I’ve never been to the restaurant, so I wanted to take a look around first.”
“Surprised Jackie let you off for the night,” he joked, and I rolled my eyes. He knew Jackie worked for me, despite how it might seem sometimes.
“It was a busy morning at Alaskan Way, but lunch wasn’t too bad. I’m going to stop by after close though, and make sure the finances for the month are in order.” I straightened my shirt and tie and then kneeled in front of Abby. “I’m heading out now. Have fun with Nick, say hi to Elsa.”
She hugged me, and I held on to her tightly. “Elsa is in the TV,” she said. “I can’t say hi.”
“Oh, of course. My bad.”
We said our goodbyes, and I squeezed Nick’s shoulder. “Thanks again for watching her.”
“Of course.” He seemed almost shocked. “Our time together is the best part of the week.” I smiled. Nick watched Abby often during long days of me visiting my restaurants. I’ll never be able to voice how much it meant that Nick was like a true uncle to her. “Have fun with the redhead. Don’t get food poisoning.” He curled his lip as if he were disgusted and let out a chuckle.
I laughed. Nick and I both had heard horror stories of Thad’s, but I was willing to try something new.
“I’ll shoot you a text when I’m on my way back here,” I said and pulled the door shut behind me.
The beginning keys of “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” filled the silence as I walked down the steps toward my car. I got in my car and drove to the restaurant with clammy hands. I hadn’t been that nervous in ages, and I sure hoped she was worth it.