Bid For Love. Savannah Chase

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       “Going once.”

       “Going twice.”

      “Three times... Sold to the blond-haired woman standing in the front holding paddle number eight-zero-one.”

      Thunderous applause filled the room and echoed throughout the hall and hotel lobby.

       * * * *

      Nico turned her face up to the early afternoon sky. The unseasonably warm sun shone brightly and birds chirped melodically in counterpoint to the noise of the city.

      “You guys mind if we stay out on the patio?” Fran asked her and Audrey as they neared their favorite café.

      “Nope,” they replied, making their way to an empty table not far from the entrance.

      A young gentleman stopped at the table. “May I take your order?”

      Dressed in black, neatly pressed pants and a crisp white short-sleeved dress shirt, he fished a pad and pencil out of his apron pocket and jotted something down as he waited for the women to answer.

      “I’ll have a mocha latte,” Nico replied.

      “I’d like an espresso,” Audrey answered.

      “I’ll have a caramel latte with a little whipped cream,” Fran added.

      “Would you like anything to else? Maybe something to eat?” he asked as he noted their orders.

      “Nothing else. Thank you,” Nico replied.

      The waiter disappeared back into the coffee shop.

      Every Friday after work Nico met up with her girlfriends at Java Café. They sat down and discussed their week.

      Sometimes it felt like they were living their own version of Sex and the City. They talked about everything and most of the time one thing or another always led to the discussion of sex.

      “Nico, tell me, how’s that scrumptious man you call Jeff? Have you asked him out yet?” Audrey asked.

      Audrey had been asking her that question week after week, but the answer never changed. Nico shook her head. “Give me a break. You know if I ever did something, you’d all know about it by now. Besides, it would be horrible if things didn’t work out. I’d have to see him every day or try to avoid him on my way to the office. No way.” She gave a dramatic little shudder. “It would just be too weird.” Leaning forward, she added, “I’m not sure that he even likes me anyway. We haven’t really talked that much. I think the longest conversation I’ve had with him so far was when we introduced ourselves to one another.”

      Sometimes she realized she’d been flirting with him and wondered if he’d picked up her signals. That’s as far as it went.

      “Well then, I think it’s time for you to make a move. It’s obvious he has the hots for you.” Fran prodded her. “Come on, every time he looks at you he drools. I saw it with my own eyes when I dropped you off that one time. There’s no doubt he wants you.”

      “If you decide you aren’t going to make a move, I’ll have a go at him,” Audrey said. “You know, it’s such a terrible waste of a good looking man. I could definitely have a little fun.” A salacious smile spread across her face.

      Nico shot her a you’d better not even think about it glance. It shouldn’t have surprised her to hear that from a woman whose hobby was men. Audrey had always said they were put here on this earth for one purpose and one purpose alone: for her to play with. And that’s just what she did.

      “Ladies, I have some very—and I mean very—good news to share with you.” Fran leaned forward, her eyes dancing with excitement. “This year’s list of New York’s ten most eligible bachelors is hitting my desk as we speak.

      “So what’s so good about that you may ask? Those men will also be at this year’s Valentine’s Day Bachelor Auction. As always, I expect you both to be there with me. Please.”

      Audrey didn’t spare a single second. “I’m in.”

      Already on a roll, Fran pulled her usual speech to try to get them to agree to join her at the event. “It’s for a good cause, so I know you won’t say no. Well, I knew Audrey wouldn’t say no to anything that has to do with men.”

      Audrey smiled and didn’t try to defend herself against the statement.

      “So as I was saying, it’s for a good cause. This year it’s the Ella House on Forty-third Street. We’re hoping to beat the previous one hundred thousand we raised. We are adding more items to this year’s auction list,” Fran continued.

      Every year the law firm Fran worked for got together with other companies around the city and all donated their time to organize the Valentine’s Day auction.

      Fran was in charge of persuading men from the companies to take part in the auction for a Valentine’s Day date with the highest bidder.

      Every year all the money raised went to different causes. Last year it had gone to the local hospital for the children’s ward. The money helped with completing renovations that had been started but never finished due to unforeseen circumstances.

      This year the Ella House, a women’s shelter that had opened its doors in 1976, had been chosen to receive the money. Funding had decreased significantly over the past few years and they were having a hard time keeping the doors open.

      “Like I said, you can count me in. How could I pass up an evening with all those bachelors?” Audrey joked.

      “Me too, I’ll be there,” Nico added. Just not sure if any of the men will want to go on a date with boring me.

      Experience had taught Nico most people considered her a plain Jane. Her last date even had the audacity to say it to her face. It had never been a big secret that she wasn’t the life of the party and she was perfectly content with herself, for the most part.

      Yet sometimes she wished she could be a little more spontaneous, but it wasn’t easy for her to do. The first and last time she decided to live a little СКАЧАТЬ