A Diva in Manhattan: HarperImpulse Contemporary Romance. Aubrie Dionne

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СКАЧАТЬ long. In any case, he’d have to do some homework on the real Lance DeBarr before this so called date.

      The door opened, and Mrs. DeBarr snuck in. “How’s my adopted son?”

      “A little nervous.” He’d lied so many times already; he figured he’d be honest with something. “Why couldn’t I just be myself?”

      She took a seat beside him and adjusted her velvet scarf. “Sadly enough, no one is going to pay thousands of dollars to go out with a construction worker.”

      He smiled. She was probably right. He wouldn’t want to pay to hang around with half the men at work. “I can’t imagine why.”

      She laughed. “I’m sure you’re a great bunch. Look at you- such a gentleman, helping me raise money for this good cause.”

      He shrugged. He still felt like a schmuck assuming her son’s identity. “What if someone who knows your real son sees me tonight?”

      She shook her head. “Don’t worry. My son is rarely seen in public. He keeps to himself and travels the world half the time. I see him maybe once a year. Besides, you do look kind of like him, plus a few pounds of muscle.”

      Did he pick up on a strain of melancholy in her voice? “Once a year?”

      She nodded, tight lipped. All of a sudden she looked frail and vulnerable, her fancy velvet a façade for an aging, lonely woman. Brett took her hand. He was glad he’d come.

      She placed her other hand over his and squeezed. “I’ll have to thank your parents for allowing me to borrow you.”

      Brett sighed. How much should he tell her? “They’re both gone.”

      She covered her heart with her hand. “Oh, I’m sorry. You’re so young, I guess I thought…”

      “They died before they should have.”

      Silence fell. His chest tightened, and no words would come. Brett wanted to tell her more, but he always closed up when anyone asked him about his family. It was as if talking about the fire made it more real. Better to live in denial, pretending his folks were still in the log cabin in Maine, his dad cutting firewood, and his mom stitching her embroidery pattern for the windowsills.

      The door opened, and Altez poked his head in. “You’re up next.”

      Brett jumped to his feet. Nervous energy coursed through him like that night a few years ago at the talent show in college, when he had stood backstage with his guitar. Only this was worse. They weren’t judging him; they were buying him.

      He followed Mrs. DeBarr and Altez onto the stage. Bright lights shone down, blacking out the audience for a second as his eyes adjusted. Most of the front and center seats were filled, everyone holding their numbered paddles. Ms. Barbie sat in the front row.

      His pulse quickened.

      He scanned the audience, but he couldn’t find Alaina. She probably wasn’t even bidding.

      Altez took the podium. “The next item up for bid is the handsome Mr. DeBarr, and one luxurious night out for two. Bidding starts at one thousand.”

      Brett almost choked. One thousand? Dollars?

      Five paddles went up- four older ladies and Barbie’s.

      Altez raised both eyebrows as if impressed. “Do I hear two thousand?”

       Come on older ladies. Hold your ground.

      They all held up their paddles.

      “Three thousand?”

      Everyone was still in.

      His collar tightened around his neck as Altez raised the bid as high as ten thousand. Three of the older women dropped out, leaving one older lady with blue-gray hair and Barbie.

      The thought of disappointing the blonde princess weighed heavily on his shoulders. He was no stockbroker. He couldn’t help her with her finances any more than he could wear her pink dress. If she knew who he really was, she’d be disgusted.

      “I’ll raise the bid to fifteen thousand.” A voice called from the back.

      Brett shielded his eyes against the light. Alaina stood from her seat, raising her bidding paddle over her head. Where did she come from? And why was she after him?

      What did it matter? Somehow, he believed what had sparked between him and Alaina transcended any social barriers. He could feel her draw to him deep within his gut.

      Or maybe he was just crazy and didn’t want to go out with a pink nightmare.

      The last older lady dropped out, leaving Barbie. She turned and sneered at Alaina. Then she held up her sign. “Sixteen thousand.”

      Alaina didn’t blink an eye. “Twenty.”

      The audience collectively gasped. Barbie’s face grew red and a vein at her temple pulsed as she slowly brought down her paddle.

      Altez scanned the audience. “Twenty thousand going once, going twice…sold to Alaina Amaldi.”

      As the crowd clapped, Brett walked off stage in a daze. He was going on a date with Alaina Amaldi, the unattainable vision of beauty he’d seen from the street only hours before. And she’d paid for it. In big bucks.

      Had he died and gone to heaven?

      Trying not to burst his own bubble, he reminded himself, again, that she thought he was Lance DeBarr, sole inheritor to the DeBarr fortune. Did his status really matter to her?

      Brett plopped in his seat as Altez and Mrs. DeBarr came in and congratulated him for attaining the biggest donation of the night. Seeing Mrs. DeBarr happy made posing as her son worth every risk.

      He brought Mrs. DeBarr aside. “What do you know about Alaina Amaldi?”

      Mrs. DeBarr looked away as if she was afraid to tell him the truth. “Only that she’s the biggest diva who ever walked the stage of the Met.”

      “Great.” He refused to believe her. The woman he’d met in the cocktail room had seemed like a lot of fun. Brett peered out the curtains to the audience. He was going to find out just what Alaina was looking for one way or the other.

       CHAPTER THREE

       Prize

      Alaina leaned back in her seat in the audience, trying not to look too smug. Twenty thousand was like pennies to her. Thanks to the accounts her parents had set up for her future, she made more in interest every month.

      Besides, it was for charity.

      And anything was worth beating Bianca, no matter the cost. Not to mention she had the man of her choice, Lance DeBarr.

      The СКАЧАТЬ