The Devil's Intended-Love & Evil In Palm Beach

by Pamela Southwood

glad to see you.” It was Anthony! Kristen looked startled and nervously noticed he was wearing a number. He poked at his card and laughed “I’m going to be one of the bargains tonight.” Kristen felt shy and smiled at him.

   Anthony was bubbly and said “So why didn’t you call me? Didn’t you get that text?” Kristen didn’t know how to answer him. She felt like she was in a dream that he was talking to her. It had been long time since she had last seen him.

   Anthony looked concerned at her silence. “Kristen, I need you to do a big favor for me.” Curious, she finally spoke. “What would that be?” Anthony pulled his checkbook from inside of his suit coat “I don’t have much time until I am up. I want you to buy me. I like this charity and I want to make sure it makes enough money tonight. One of my friends is on the committee and talked me into this.”

  He pulled out a check and started writing on it. He handed it to Kristen. It was made out in her name for $80,000. She loosened up with him now. She held it up laughing “You think you’re worth that much?” Anthony gave her a friendly leer “Depends on what you want to do with me.”

  Kristen replied “You mean I will really win you?” Anthony said “Absolutely! You are the only woman that I want to have own me.” Kristen felt her emotions returning. Anthony was getting ready to walk back in to the room. “Kristen, we need to talk about what happened. I don’t want to lose you. You need to know I reacted on the jet as I did because I am not used to sharing my life with anyone. I like to keep things private. That includes my business and my feelings. Believe me. It is better for you that way.”

   He paused and carefully continued. “I saw you in the ocean last month. I have been very worried about you.” Kristen looked at him. “That was you in the car? How did you know I was down there?” He answered “Kristen, I make sure that I know everything about you. You are very important to me.” He had no time to keep talking and started to walk.  

   Kristen was a bit puzzled by what he said but cheerfully followed him into the room. She went back to her table and was feeling very happy and relieved. She understood in some part what he meant about being private. She knew even more that she needed him in her life. One of her friends looked at her “What are you beaming about?” Kristen smiled “You’ll see.”

   Anthony now joined the small line of men left that were waiting to go on the stage. He didn’t tell her that he was the last one and was the grand prize. His number was finally called and he hopped up the stairs. He looked just like a GQ cover. His dark hair and classy Italian looks made him stand out. He was so debonair!

   The bidding resumed and the opening amount was $50,000. Kristen worried instantly that she was not going to be able to afford him. She tried to catch his eye to get some sort of sign from him on what to do, but he was too busy charming the audience.

   The women in the place were going wild. Kristen raised her hand to bid the $80,000, but the price kept rising as the crowd reached a fervent pitch. It was like being in a male stripper club! She wondered if Anthony knew that he was going to be that popular tonight. She thought about bidding much more but didn’t want to do that unless he had approved it. She was also thinking of putting her own money into it, but decided not to.

   The final bid was $150,000. It was made by a famous heiress from Germany. She was obviously single and was beautiful! Kristen nervously watched as she went up on the stage and pretended to stuff her winning check down the front of his pants.

   The crowd had a good laugh as Anthony pulled her hands off him and up over her head. He then kissed her cheek, put his arm around her, and they walked off the stage and into the hallway.

   A lady in the audience said loudly “Wow! Is she lucky! They really look like they were made for each other. They look like Barbie and Ken dolls.” Kristen remained at her table having a parting drink with her friends. She wasn’t sure what her next move should be.  A minute later she could feel her phone buzzing in her purse. She pulled it out and saw a text from Anthony. He had inserted smiley faces into it and it read “I will call you tomorrow. I miss you.”

   Kristen was very happy with how he was now acting. Her girlfriend broke the spell when she stood up and went over to the banquet table in front of the stage. It had the lists of what the bachelors promised to do for their dates. Her friend held up Anthony’s itinerary and started reading aloud. It was for a date the following day in St. Croix. Anthony would be flying the winner there on his private jet. Kristen’s heart sunk. This was more than she could bear. Anthony looked a little too happy when the heiress won him. She now just felt like going back to the ocean and swimming away.

   Still deflated, she was very quiet on the limousine ride back to her house. Her friend asked “Why were you bidding 80,000 dollars on Anthony Fiore? Do you know him?” Kristen shook her shoulders “I’ve seen him around. I was just doing it for the charity.” All the girls laughed in unison “Yeah, right Kristen. What aren’t you telling us?” One of the girls added “He’s going to have a memorable time with Margit. She’s an infamous man-eater.” She studied Kristen to watch her reaction, but she remained stoic.

   Kristen arrived home and prepared for bed. She was just about to turn her cell phone off when it rang. Anthony was laughing on the other end “Why didn’t you bid more for me? Don’t you want me?” Kristen answered “I wasn’t sure you would want to go that high.” He said “How was I to know Margit would bid that much. I’m scared!” Kristen replied “You’re a big boy, you will be alright.” Anthony said “I am going to tell her I have to sit with the pilot in the cockpit and help him fly.” He begged “Seriously Kristen, I am going to send the jet back for you and I want you to meet me in St. Croix for dinner. I am only obligated for the day in paradise, not the night. I don’t want this wrecking anything between us. Will you please come and meet me?”

   Kristen said “No, no that’s crazy. You don’t want that.” Anthony insisted “Yes, I do. I am going to wear a parachute and if she tries anything I swear I will jump out!” She started laughing hard “I’ll be sure to rent a boat and rescue you then. You will be fine. I am not going. I have a late luncheon to go to for gala planning.” It seemed that Anthony was satisfied that he did his best trying to convince her. Kristen wondered if it was just an act. She wasn’t all that worried anymore. They talked for a bit longer and then signed off with Anthony saying “Good night Dream Girl.”

   Kristen went through the motions the next day but her heart wasn’t into what she was doing. She was going to feel uneasy until she saw Anthony again. As each hour passed she kept picturing what she thought her new boyfriend and Margit were doing that moment in St. Croix. She couldn’t get it out of her head.

   She went to her gala meeting and was very surprised when they appointed her Co-Chair for the next year’s event. They must have been impressed by her high bid the night before. The title carried a considerable amount of prestige along with the work involved to bring it all together. That day, several more women in the group acknowledged her and started telling her about various social functions that they would like to invite her to. Kristen was feeling like she was the new “darling” of the island social network. She felt like her mother. She hoped that Anthony would be by her side through all of it.

   Kristen survived through the evening and into the next afternoon without a call from Anthony. Her worst fears were confirmed when she saw the Palm Beach Shiny Sheet. Again, Anthony was pictured and now looking very comfortable lying on the beach with Margit. There was a caption that read “Palm Beach Lovebirds” and it featured a spread of various cozy shots of them on their date.

   Kristen thought “If this date didn’t mean anything to him, he was doing a great job of acting.” She wanted to call up Ashley or Melanie and cry about it, but decided against it. She didn’t want everyone else to know what she was going through. They would tire of it if dating Anthony continued in this manner with all its problems. She didn’t want her friends to be afraid to pick up the phone.
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br />    Kristen made a decision to not give him another chance to upset her. She didn’t even want to hear about the date and that nothing happened. Judging by the pictures, everything was happening! It seemed effortless for Anthony to like someone. He really was just a Playboy and her heart would never be strong enough to accept that. She had to change course for her own good.

  She had no plans for the evening and made a bowl of popcorn and lay on her couch watching television. She was wearing her “comfy” clothes and looked like a mess.

     There was a light knock on her door. She stood up and shuffled in her slippers to peek out the side window to see who was outside. She was surprised to see Anthony on the steps. He called through the door “Kristen please open up. I know you are standing there.” She slowly let down on the latch and he pushed the door open. He didn’t give her a chance to speak and raised her up in his arms and carried her over to the front room couch. He lay her down as he kneeled on the floor and intensely kissed her.

   The copy of the newspaper was near-by on the coffee table and he reached back with his hand to pick it up. After he pulled his lips from hers, he held up the paper. “I was afraid