by Tia Wylder
“Oh, you’re up.” He smiled a crooked smile at her and filled a plate with bacon and eggs. A pile of dry toast was mounded in the center of the table. “Are you hungry?”
“Starving.”
“Dig in. We have the auction tonight.”
“It’s tonight?” Elizabeth nibbled on the corner of a slice of toast.
Derrick nodded and placed a pitcher of orange juice on the table. “Yeah, I thought I would drop you off with Tim while I go to the hospital to check on Charlie for a bit.”
“What about your car?”
“I already called the impound lot. I paid the fee over the phone. They should be dropping it off soon.”
“They’re bringing it to you? I thought you had to go get it from where ever they towed it to.”
“I give them a few free night’s stay at the hotel to compensate them for their troubles.”
“That’s bribery!” Elizabeth shook her head as she laughed.
“That’s business.” Derrick took a sip of juice. A car horn honked outside. “That must be them. Sorry, I thought we would have more time to eat.” Shoving a piece of bacon quickly in her mouth, Elizabeth smile sheepishly at him. “Don’t choke yourself.”
Chewing fervently, she chugged some juice and grabbed her purse. “Don’t worry. I grew up in a house with three brothers. I’m a pro at eating quickly.”
Chuckling, he held the front door open for her. “Now, why wasn’t that on your resume?”
“I couldn’t possibly include all my talents on one sheet of paper.” She flipped her hair brusquely over her shoulder.
“Oh, really? And just what other talents do you have, Miss Adams?” He couldn’t help it. His interest was piqued.
“I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.”
Derrick took the keys to his car from the man standing out front. “Here, this is for you.” He passed the man a twenty-dollar bill which was quickly pocketed. Jogging around the car, he opened the passenger side door for Elizabeth.
She waited for him to get in the car before she spoke again. “So, what exactly should I expect tonight? I’ve never been to an auction before.”
“Pretty much there will be cocktails and appetizer. Some items that have been donated will be auctioned off, and then it will be over. We just need to appear for the company’s sake. Shouldn’t take more than a few hours.”
“Hey, Derrick?” It felt odd to call him by his first name.
“Hmm?”
“If it’s okay, could you let me know how Charlie is after you see him?”
Her question and thoughtfulness caught him off guard. “Uh, sure. I can do that.” He felt his heart skip a beat. She was actually trying to care about his son. It was a new first for him, and the two of them getting close frightened him. It was nice not to feel any pressure about hiding his son, but he wasn’t sure if he was quite ready for them to move on to that step or not. If it hadn’t been for Catherine, Elizabeth still wouldn’t have known about Charlie. It was going to take some getting used to.
Derrick parked in front of Page Industries. Elizabeth climbed out hesitantly. “Do I just go to the same room I went to before the photoshoot?”
“Yes. Tim should be waiting for you. If you get lost, just give me a call.” Gathering her nerves, she waved goodbye to him and scampered inside to find Tim.
A smirk found its way across his face. It definitely wasn’t terrible to watch her walk away. Her hips swung in a mesmerizing fashion. He let out a slow whistle to himself as she disappeared inside the building. Bringing his attention back to the task at hand, Derrick set his course for the hospital.
Chapter 17: Small Promises with Big Consequences
Charlie was awake when Derrick entered his room. “Hey, buddy. How are you feeling today?” Cartoons were playing silently on the television in Charlie’s room.
“So much better! They won’t let me get out of bed though.” Charlie pouted and crossed his arms over his chest.
“You better listen to them. They just want to make sure you heal up good. When you get out of here, we can go do whatever you want, ok?”
“Promise?” His eyes sparkled
Derrick offered his hand for a business shake. “Promise.” He had been incorporating handshakes during their promises for a while now. The idea was for Charlie to associate a man’s word and his handshake with an agreement that needed to be followed through on.
“I want us to spend more time with your friend.”
His heart caught in his throat. “You want to spend more time with Elizabeth?” If he had known this would be what he wanted, he wouldn’t have made his promise so easily.
“Yes! She was really nice, and she took care of me.” His smile beamed from the hospital bed.
“Are you sure you don’t want to do something else? Something with just the two of us? Maybe we could go watch the cars at the racetrack or go to the zoo.”
Charlie’s face fell. “No. I want to spend time with Elizabeth. You promised.”
“I did promise, didn’t I.” Derrick sighed and tousled his son’s hair. “Let me think about it. You keep getting better, and we will see, okay?”
“Okay.” It was clear some of the excitement had worn off with his plans in jeopardy.
Derrick sat on the edge of his bed and pulled his son up next to him. He turned up the volume on the TV in the corner of the room. The two of them focused on the cartoons playing on the screen. His worst fear had happened. After being around Elizabeth just once, Charlie was already getting attached to her.
Chapter 18: The Auction
The sensation of Derrick’s kiss still haunted her lips. Elizabeth sighed and allowed a tender smile to warm her eyes. Tim Perkins brushed the final touches of glitter along her cheekbones. His bald head reflected the lights that dotted the edges of the mirror.
“I’ve seen that look before.” He winked at her knowingly.
“What do you mean?”
“That is the look of a woman in love.” He wagged the tip of the makeup brush at her before dusting off his hands.
Elizabeth averted her eyes quickly. “What? No. I’m not in…” She couldn’t finish the sentence. Love? Was she in love with Derrick? Her heart throttled against her chest. The memory of being pressed against the wall still took her breath away.
“Whatever you say.” He chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest. “What do you think?” He spun her chair around so she could see the finished project.
A black floor length dress hugged her curves. Crystals swirled intricately across the bodice, and a slit on the side went up to her hip. The smoky colors of her makeup make her seem alluring and exotic. “Wow.” Elizabeth tilted her head to the side. A small voice in the back of her mind wondered if Derrick would like it.
Clapping from the back of the room caught their attention. Derrick stood in the doorway looking her up and down. “Excellent work as always, Tim.”
Tim did a faux bow. “It’s easy when I have a beautiful model to work with.”
“Miss Adams, are you ready to go?”
She took the silver clutch that Tim held out for her. “Yes.” It was hard to look him in the eyes.
Derrick walked ahead of her to the car. He held the door open for her, but didn’t make any physical contact. The car ride was silent. Something felt off. Even though they were so close to one another, Derrick felt distant. Elizabeth fiddled with the clasp on the purse that Tim had loaned to her. A cold lump settled in her stomach. When the car parked outside of a large silver building, Elizabeth couldn’t take the silence anymore.
“Did I do something wrong?” She chewed on her lip, still afraid to look him in the eye.
“Why do you think you did something wrong?”
“You just feel distant tonight.”
Derrick sighed and put on his formal smile. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
The insincerity stung. She knew something was wrong, but she was unable to make herself push the issue. Without an
other word, he got out of the car. Not wanting to be a burden, Elizabeth opened her own door and shut it a little too forcefully. A sliver of pain crept out from under Derrick’s business mask. He turned and walked up the steps. His hands were jammed into the pockets of his black suit so that it was evident he didn’t want to hold hands. The sudden switch from acceptance to rejection made Elizabeth’s stomach ache.
Inside the building were dozens of well-dressed couples. Evening gowns sparkled under twinkling lights. Long tables filled with finger foods and beverages lined one wall. Derrick signed his name to a piece of paper and picked up a red paddle with a number stamped on it. A live string orchestra thrummed gracefully in the corner. It would have been beautiful if Elizabeth wasn’t distracted. The distance Derrick was exhibiting dampened the event for her. She mindlessly accepted a flute of champagne.
As she sipped, a man in a tux stepped on stage. The musicians stopped when he raised his hand. A soft hush fell over the room. “Ladies and gentlemen, I would first like to thank you all for coming out to support our cause. All proceeds from tonight’s event will go to Buxton Orphanage. So, without further ado, I would like to bring out our first item.” Two men carried out a large piece of wooden furniture. “This armoire was made circa 1880. It is in excellent condition and still retains the original ornate floral pattern on the front as well as the bronze work embellishing the top. Shall we start the bidding at $100,000?”
Hearing the price made Elizabeth almost squirt champagne out of her nose. Paddles rose around the room as the bidding commenced. Terrified of being mistaken as a bidder, Elizabeth tried to remain as still as possible. These people had that much money to throw around?! She reminded herself it was for charity. Derrick had disappeared into the crowd. She thought she caught a glimpse of him through the throng of people, but then he disappeared again. If he was just going to leave her as soon as they got to the event, why did he even bother bringing her here? Her lips pouted, and she cautiously took another sip from her cup.
A parade of furniture and paintings slowly made their way across the stage. Elizabeth had lost interest after the fifth oil painting sold for an egregious amount of money. She felt out of place amongst these people. She sighed and glanced around the room again trying to find Mr. Page.
A murmur rippled across the crowd. A large, covered frame was rolled onto the stage. “For the last item of the evening, we have a very special treat from Page Industries.” Elizabeth’s eyes flitted to the stage. The auctioneer pulled a chord, and the cloth covering the frame fell away. Intense embarrassment flooded her. On stage was a large replica of the picture of Mr. Page and herself that had been chosen for the new ad campaign. “The item up for bid is one evening with the lovely woman in this picture.” He glanced down at the cue card in his hand. “Is Elizabeth Adams here tonight?” Slowly, the crowd turned to look at her and cleared a path for her to the stage. She could feel their eyes on her. “Miss Adams? Would you please make your way to the stage?”
For a moment, the entire room was silent. Her legs moved as though she were walking through water. Elizabeth’s cheeks flamed. How could this have happened? She didn’t agree to this. Her body was shaking as she took the stage. Panic was building just under the surface. The crowd sized her up deciding what her time was worth. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes. Betrayal stung her heart. Had Derrick set this up? Was this the reason he wanted her to be at the event?
The auctioneer grabbed one of her hands and twirled her in a circle. Elizabeth stumbled through the motion. “What do you say, ladies and gentlemen? Shall we start the bidding at $500?” The price was so low next to the other items that had been paraded across the stage. A paddle in the back went up hesitantly. Elizabeth recognized the man bidding on her. He had been at the coffee shop the day she had stood up for Derrick. “$500 to Mr. Ethan Craft. Do I see $600?” Another paddle shot up across the room. The bidding continued until they reached $1000. She still hadn’t seen any sign of Derrick. Had he left her here to deal with this on her own? Her hands were cold as ice. “$1000 to Mr. Craft. Going once. Going twice…” Elizabeth’s heart was in her throat.
Chapter 19: Business Games
The crowd of people provided a buffer between Derrick and Elizabeth. He was facing inner turmoil over what his son had asked of him. To Charlie, she was just someone he saw as a potential playmate. He didn’t understand that she might not be around long. Derrick was still sorting through his own feelings for her. He either needed to take a chance and let Charlie spend more time with her or cut her off now before his son became even more attached. It didn’t matter if he liked her. What mattered was if he thought their relationship would last long enough to make it worthwhile. He had shielded Charlie from his personal life for years. Was it finally time to break from that?
Derrick wove his way through the crowd. The auction had begun. He smiled and nodded as he continued to mingle. A heavy hand landed on his shoulder. “Page! There you are. I was just telling Ethan that I hadn’t seen you yet.” A man with dirty blonde hair patted Derrick’s shoulder roughly.
“If I had known you were looking for me, I would have made a point to find you.” Derrick’s smile hung stiffly from his lips. Daniel Hartman stared at him with greedy eyes.
“It’s a bit loud in here. Why don’t we step in the other room and catch up?”
Derrick glanced around. Elizabeth was watching the auction. She should be fine on her own for a bit. How much trouble could she get herself into? “Very well.” He gestured for the other man to lead the way.
Once they were out of the main room, Daniel smirked mischievously. “You know, I haven’t had the chance to thank you yet for sending Miss Calgary our way.”
“I’m glad you will be able to make the partnership work.”
“So, tell me, Page. Just why did you pass up such a beneficial merger?”
“I thought you could use all the extra help you could get.”
Anger flashed in Daniel’s eyes. “How considerate. So, what exactly is going on with you and that noisy girl from the café?”
“I don’t see what concern that is of yours.” Only people in his company knew that he had asked Elizabeth out on a date.
“Just concerned for your business sense. It’s not like you to let a woman interfere with business. Maybe you’re losing your edge.”
Derrick’s jaw tightened, “I think we’re done here.”
He started to head back into the auction, but Daniel grabbed his arm. “Are you quite sure you know what you’re doing?”
“Are you trying to keep me here?” Derrick jerked away from Mr. Hartman. His heart pounded in his chest. Something was wrong. “Where is Ethan, anyway?”
“Probably bidding on a piece of trash.” Daniel glared pointedly at Derrick.
Heart racing, Derrick ran back into the auction. He searched the crowd for Elizabeth, but didn’t see her. A feeling of dread flooded him. On the stage, the auctioneer called out, “$1000 to Mr. Craft. Going once. Going twice…”
Derrick spun to look at the stage. What was she doing up there?! Without thinking, he raised his paddle “$10,000!” His voice echoed across the room. Elizabeth’s eyes shot towards him. She looked like she was about to cry.
Derrick stomped up the stairs to the stage. His hand closed around hers as he pulled her off the stage and through the crowd. Guests parted to give them a clear path. Derrick’s shoulders shook with anger. Once they were outside, he pinned her against the side of the building.
“What were you thinking? How could you let them bid on you like a piece of meat?”
“I didn’t know what to do.” Tears began to fall down her cheeks. “They called my name. I didn’t know where you went. Why did you put me on the list to be sold off?”
The pain and shame in her face stabbed him in the heart. He pulled her to his chest and held her there. His hand caressed the back of her head. “Elizabeth, I would never let someone buy you.” His heart was racing with her so close to him.
“I’m going to find out who’s behind this. I promise you. Come on. Let’s get you out of here.”
Derrick put her in the car and drove back to his house. “I want you stay here tonight until I figure out what’s going on, okay?” The fierce need to protect her swelled up inside of him.
Elizabeth bit her lip and nodded. Once they were inside, he made her a drink to calm her down. They stood awkwardly in the kitchen. Her hands cupped the chilled glass. “Derrick?”
“Hmm?”
“Why were you ignoring me earlier? Why did you just leave me when we go there?”
She wouldn’t look him in the eye. Derrick placed his drink down and lifted her chin up. “I was doing business. I’m sorry I left you alone.” She didn’t need to know the details. “I’ve just been afraid to open up for so long now. When you date me, you’re getting Charlie, too. My decisions affect more than just me.”
“I understand that. I don’t care that you have a kid. I lo—” She snapped her mouth shut. Her eyes widened.
“What?” Derrick could hear his pulse in his ears.
Elizabeth looked up at him sheepishly through her lashes, “I love you.”
He pulled her to him and pressed his lips to hers. He kissed her more forcefully and felt her soften in his hands. Her body arched against his. Picking her up, he placed her on the edge of the counter. Elizabeth wrapped her legs around him and pulled him closer. His lips left a trail of kissed along her neck making her gasp. Derrick’s teeth grazed her skin. She moaned softly and ran her fingers through his hair. The passion drove them further.
He managed to stop himself just long enough to whisper in her ear, “I love you, too.”
In that moment, he knew the decision had been made for him. He had finally found someone he was willing to take a risk on. Their bodies melted together in pulsating desire. For the first time since his divorce, he felt truly satisfied. The hole inside of him was filled with happiness. Derrick let himself go. His walls fell at her touch, and he knew that he was hooked.