Sold!: A Holiday Romance

by J. L. Campbell

  She allowed herself a thirty-second pity party and then sat up. She was older and while not wiser, she could certainly handle herself and her business. She braced herself with a deep breath. "I'm going to ask you to leave. I can't do this. Not here, not now."

  When Carsten didn't make any move to get up, she cocked her brow.

  He opened both hands and then folded them in front of him. "I'm sorry, I made a stupid mistake taking this here, but I spent last night thinking and once I make up my mind, I move quickly."

  She sat without moving, while hoping whatever he said wouldn't add more pain to the agony she was in the middle of dealing with.

  "That's partly what last week Sunday and yesterday were all about. To see if things were any different, but they weren't. It's like you're halfway into our relationship. As if you're afraid to reach out and take what I'm offering.

  "I'm simply giving you time to decide what you want. I'll be back in a couple of weeks and I hope by then you'll have a decision for me."

  "What are you saying, Carsten?"

  He sat forward, his hands still clasped together. "I'm saying the ball is in your court. I love you, Feechi, but I'm not going into this with any half measures. You're either all in or not."

  She blinked and collapsed against the back of the seat. Carsten had just floored her without trying. He continued looking at her, his gaze earnest, but she was at a loss.

  "How can you know that?"

  "I've been around for thirty-six years now, and just like my parents knew when they found each other that was it for them, I just know. There are no ifs, ands, buts, or maybes, Feechi. I know what I want. I'm just giving you a chance to decide what you want."

  She still couldn't absorb what was happening, but now the tears she'd been blinking away rolled down her cheeks. How could she have been so wrong about his motives?

  "Carsten, I … " She couldn't get the words out, so instead she pulled out her handbag to get at the facial tissue. "I'm sorry. Here I am thinking that you have to be the worst man on earth to hurt me like this and you … "

  She couldn't continue because the tears wouldn't stop coming.

  Carsten got up and took her by the hand, tugging until she got to her feet. He pulled the crumpled tissue from her hand and patted around her eyes. "Come on, Feech. Don't cry. I promise I'll be back before Christmas."

  She still couldn't get a coherent sentence together and when Carsten tipped her chin up to meet his gaze, all she could do was revel in what she saw in his eyes. He wasn't lying. This man had deep feelings for her.

  She wasn't sure what she felt for him and didn't want to examine her feelings now. There'd be time enough to do that later, especially since he wouldn't be around.

  "Do you really have to go?"

  "It's something I've been putting off for the last month, but now is a good time, before the holidays. This way the shipment will be in transit and will get here in time for our next auction."

  "When are you leaving and where are you going?"

  "Today. Georgia and then Mexico."

  She jerked away from him. "It sounds like this was in the making for a while."

  "I did say I've been putting off this trip." Carsten hugged her and then ran one finger over her cheek. "Tell Jack to expect something special."

  For the life of her, Feechi didn't understand why this felt so final. She swallowed hard and took a step back, reminding herself the office wasn't the place to fall apart.

  Carsten slid one hand to the back of her neck and Feechi knew he planned to kiss her. She drew a breath to remind him where they were, but was lost when his lips brushed hers. His kiss was slow and thorough, reminding her of what she was going to miss in the next few weeks.

  She was breathing hard when he stepped away, wiping lip gloss from his mouth with the back of one hand. "Sorry, that was totally unprofessional, but I couldn't leave without tasting you."

  On impulse, she stepped in close to him and slipped her arms around his waist while peeking around him. She hugged him close, murmuring in his ear. "I'm going to miss you."

  She stood back, cupping his cheeks and letting her gaze drift over his face.

  With an affectionate light shining in his eyes, he stroked her cheek again. "When I come back, I expect an answer."

  She wrapped her arms around herself, biting her lip to stop herself from telling him not to go. She'd never been a clinging vine and didn't intend to start now. His business was here so, come what may, he'd return.

  Someone knocked on the door, and instinctively, Feechi patted her hair and straightened her jacket before calling, "Come in."

  By that time, Carsten had picked up his jacket and was ready to go.

  The door opened and the interviewee she'd scheduled was standing on the other side of the doorway. Feechi recognized her from the picture she'd submitted with her résumé and welcomed her into the office, putting aside personal matters.

  She had no time to dwell on missing Carsten or to mull over the things he'd said. He'd made her responsible for this small aspect of his business and while he was gone she had the task of organizing the next two auctions and that's what she'd do.

  Taking her seat, Feechi introduced herself to the woman before her and got down to business.

  The auction was different from any other one she'd attended. Exciting and liberating. This time, she was totally responsible for every aspect of the event and Carsten wasn't there to support her.

  The carpets were all in place, thanks to her team of movers and shakers, as she'd taken to calling James, Jonas, and Manny. James and Manny had been with Carsten before he hired her, and hadn't given her any attitude since she'd taken over the business. She'd added Jonas to the team and he got on well with the other two men.

  Since this was her first solo effort—if she didn't count consulting with Carsten on a few things—she'd hired Dee for the night to handle the collections. Feechi trusted her without reservation and had no doubt she'd do a good job. Her new assistant, Denay, was also in position at the registration desk.

  At the last minute, Carsten's recommended auctioneer had cancelled, but he had put Feechi on to someone who he said was just as good.

  She scanned the auction hall where a few customers were already browsing the lot. Only then did she allow herself to relax. She'd gotten this far, so only the actual auction was left.

  Once more, she gave thanks for Carsten. Not many men would have given her this opportunity when she didn't have any experience. She'd bugged Marlon on a couple of things she was unsure of, but he'd given her satisfactory answers and told her he'd swing by to offer moral support.

  She looked at her watch, her nerves on edge. Ian Miles, her auctioneer was nowhere in sight.

  She pulled out her phone and had it in hand when Marlon walked into the room with Ian. They'd met once since Feechi had first called him and he'd been as pleasant and professional as he sounded on the phone.

  Marlon greeted her with a hug. "It feels like I haven't seen you in ages."

  "It's only been a month."

  Chuckling, he said, "It feels like a lot longer than that since Carsten stole you away from me."

  "Trust me, it isn't and he didn't steal me. You gave me a great recommendation that landed me this job."

  "You're way too modest, you did that on your own."

  "Nice to see you again, Feechi," Ian said, stepping forward to shake her hand. "I have the listing you sent, so I'm ready to get things started."

  Fingers crossed, she went to make a final check on Dee, then she stood at the back of the room as Ian invited the group of prospective buyers to sit, and started the auction. The well-heeled patrons nibbled and sipped their way through finger food and wine as the evening progressed, while putting money down on their selected items.

  Feechi didn't have much to do other than help the runner move the lot numbers and the buyers' numbers between Ian and Dee. For much of the time, apart from Ian's melodious description of the items being featu
red, all she heard was that magical word, 'Sold!'

  When only two carpets were left, Feechi crossed her fingers hoping they wouldn't have to take them back to the warehouse.

  Using his charm and skill Ian wrapped up the auction, with the last two items going to a husband and wife who come in halfway through the proceedings.

  After thanking Ian and booking him for the next auction, their last one before Christmas, Feechi walked him to the closest exit.

  Dee sat to one corner of the room and Feechi guessed it would be a few minutes before she finished the reconciliation.

  "Thanks again," Feechi said to Ian, "you have some magic on you. We sold everything."

  His gaze strayed over her shoulder as he spoke. "There's an art to it. One day I'll share that secret."

  Feechi stepped to the side to see what had caught his attention.

  Her sister seemed just as spellbound as Ian and had stopped writing. Feechi did the math and then walked Ian over to introduce him to Dee. With that done, Feechi told him goodnight and sat down to wait for Dee to finish the accounts.

  Later, when they had picked up Jack from their mother's house and were relaxing in their living room, Feechi teased Dee about her immediate attraction to Ian.

  "He's a good-looking guy," she said, "so there's no mystery there."

  "Did you guys exchange numbers?"

  "No, Nosy Parker." In the next second, Dee broke out laughing. "I heard you booking him for your next auction. Just make sure you invite me to work with you again."

  "No problem, Sis. You deserve a little happiness in your life."

  "Says the woman who had to be convinced to take a chance on the owner of the whole auctioning shebang. Where is he anyway?"

  "Away. He left today."

  "That's sudden. You never said anything."

  "I didn't know before today."

  "That's weird."

  "Say that again."

  Sighing, Feechi got up from the sofa to pace the room, pausing in front of the Christmas tree. The sparkling lights were at odds with the sudden dip in her mood. "He gave me an ultimatum this morning."

  "What kind?"

  "He wants a commitment from me."

  "Good for you, Carsten!" Dee's fist shot into the air. "So what does he want?"

  "Basically, he wants to know if I'm in or out."

  "Taking you to meet his family says a lot and wanting to know where your head is at is only fair."

  Feechi faced Dee, pulling in a deep breath. "Yeah, it is."

  Her cell phone rang and for a second, she wasn't sure where it was.

  "It's in your bedroom," Dee said.

  Almost tripping over her feet, Feechi ran to her bedroom. She grabbed the phone off the bed and looked at it. A wide smile cracked her face and she put the cell to her ear. "Carsten, you got there safely."

  "Did you doubt that I would?"

  She closed her eyes, sighed and fell back on the bed. His call made her evening complete.

  "No, but I wanted to be sure you were okay."

  "I'm all checked in and about to order room service. There's some paperwork I need to complete. Then I plan to have an early night."

  "Me too. The auction went well. Ian sold everything."

  "Sounds good. Well done, hon."

  She hugged herself, wanting to squeal over the compliment and the endearment. Instead, she got hold of herself and sighed. "Come home soon, okay?"

  "The moment I have everything wrapped up, I will. Meantime you have some thinking to do."

  "Yeah, I do."

  "G'night, hon. Tell Jack hello."

  "I will. Take care."

  Minutes after the call ended, Feechi still hadn't moved. She lay frowning at the curtains, analyzing every word she'd exchanged with Carsten.

  He hadn't been gone a day and she was already missing him. She wouldn't dwell on that though, since she had at least a couple of weeks to get through without him. As she unwound her hair and combed it out, her mood lightened.

  Carsten wanted to be a constant in her life and like he'd said, the ball was in her court.

  It was up to her to make the right moves.

  Chapter 20

  The jangling phone set Feechi's nerves on edge. Since the beginning of the day, she'd wanted to strangle someone. Namely Carsten. Aside from that call he made on the day he left the island, he hadn't called again.

  Despite him telling her not to expect to hear from him until he got home, somehow she believed he would touch base. After all, he was the one who'd always been reaching out to her and he'd seen what she hadn't been able to hide when they parted, so she didn't understand why he'd keep her on tenterhooks.

  The phone continued buzzing, and she got it out of the pocket of her jacket. "Feechi Anoduro, can I help?"

  "Fee-Fee, it's Dee, I just dropped off Jack with Mom and I'm running a few minutes late."

  "He's okay?"

  "Yeah, he says he's staying up until we finish."

  "He's on holiday, so that's okay."

  "See you in fifteen minutes."

  After shoving the phone in her pocket, Feechi directed the hotel staff where to place the food and then checked on the progress of the men laying out the carpets.

  The shipment had been delayed and she'd weighed her mind whether to move ahead with the auction or wait until after Christmas. A few days before the holidays was an odd period for an auction, so she thought, but Marlon reassured her it was an excellent time. People were more generous with their spending, and sprucing up their homes with a unique piece was a plus during the season.

  Her movers and shakers were unrolling the last few carpets, laughing and chatting as they worked. She'd emailed Carsten about bonus payments for them, and he had approved a generous figure. He'd even approved an amount for her, which was staggering. According to him, it was his way of saying thanks for the load she'd taken off his shoulder by saying yes to his job offer. She suspected his gift had more to do with their involvement than anything else, but nobody could say she wasn't smart. She wasn't about to question her good fortune.

  Ian arrived, bringing with him good cheer and a delightful smell that reminded her of Carsten. As they exchanged chit-chat she realized that everything these days reminded her of the man who'd gone missing-in-action. Something told her he'd arrive by Christmas Eve since that was pushing it to the limit if he wanted to spend Christmas day with her. Flights were overbooked then and bad weather could keep him grounded, so he was cutting it extremely close.

  Then there was Jack, who'd been asking about Carsten every day. Too bad she'd gone and given him the message from Carsten.

  She woke from dreamland when Ian let out a burst of laughter and Dee joined him.

  When had she arrived?

  Feechi had it bad when people were coming and going and her mind was wandering in the middle of a conversation. She tuned in to what was going on between her sister and Ian. They were cracking jokes as if they'd known each other forever. That was one of the things Feechi loved most about her sister—her ability to put people at ease with little effort.

  A few persons wandered into the room, carrying numbered cards for the bidding. Feechi sent up prayers that like last time, they'd sell the entire lot. She assessed the people who'd arrived so far. All were wearing office clothing, so she guessed they'd come straight from work.

  Small details like expensive handbags, shoes and watches showed her the caliber of people Carsten's auction attracted—folks like him, which made her wonder another time what had attracted him to her. She took her mind off that, reminding herself of what her mother had told her from childhood. Keep your chin up and don't second guess yourself.

  Within another fifteen minutes, Ian gathered the buyers, invited them to sit and gave them a spiel about the lot on display. Soon, he had them raising their cards based on his description and value of each item.

  When they were down to ten pieces, Feechi got excited. With charm and professionalism, Ian had the buyers riveted
on the last pieces as he lauded the quality of each. With five items left, Feechi was even happier. It would be a nice accomplishment if this lot sold out too.

  It might be a small thing to Carsten, but she wanted it simply because of his confidence in her. The man had restored what she didn’t even realize she'd lost all those years ago. Faith in her abilities and herself.

  With one item to go—a Persian style Kashan carpet that carried a blue floral design on a beige background—Feechi had both index and middle fingers crossed, hoping and praying that someone bought the darn thing. It was huge and she feared that being the last item, it might not sell since it was quite expensive.

  The bidding was sluggish, but Feechi relaxed when four persons showed interest in the carpet.

  Ian motioned to someone standing behind her, and the bidding continued. She wanted to squeal with delight when the person behind her upped his bid.

  Finally, Ian grinned before announcing, "Sold to bidder 85!"

  Although curious, Feechi didn’t turn around immediately. That's until she dragged in a quick breath, absorbing a familiar and delicious scent, as well as what her senses told her as a grin crept over her face.

  Carsten was home.

  He stood behind her, wearing an answering grin. Low stubble covered his cheeks and when she turned, his eyes told her everything she wanted to know.

  Nothing had changed.

  She wanted to squeeze him around the waist, but of course, that wasn't happening where they stood.

  He took her arm, murmuring in her ear. "I told you I'd be back."

  Working to keep an idiotic expression off her face, she said, "But you never said you'd cut it this close."

  Everything started happening in slow motion, to Feechi's disgust. The customers lingered and after most of them departed, the last few took ages to leave. Since the only things the work crew had to move were their extra wide dollies, they got those into the truck without any hassle. Then Feechi had to wait while Carsten and Ian had a never-ending conversation.

  Feechi went and sat next to Dee, who gave her a side eye after about five minutes. "If you shuffle any more, you'll fall off that chair."