Bidding for love

Striding down the street , heading for an interview, I'm lost in thought about tonight's auction. My life has been a mess, family responsibilities, and debts seem to be my new normal. That's why, I agreed to Mr Maguire's sick plan of auctioning me off to the highest bidder But I made it clear that a date is all the highest bidder is getting. I don't care about the consequences, just the payout. I got pulled out of my trance as soon as a puddle of dirty water splashed on me. It swiftly greets my chin, trailing down my chest and finally stopping on my tight faded blue skirt.

"Seriously!" I groan irritatedly, trying to somehow dry off the liquid with my hand.

In utmost fury, my eyes darted to the stupid car that had ruined my outfit, my mood and possibly, my day. Like I'm not already having a bad day and the day has only just begun.

I glare at the vehicle as it makes its way to the front of a building and parks there. It's a shiny, black car, very fancy. I'm concerned with the fact that my outfit has been completely ruined and I've got a job interview this morning. I can't let this slide. Whoever's sitting behind the wheels owes me a freaking apology and I'm going to get it come what may.

With my fists balled, my teeth clenched in anger and frustration and my purse clutched under my armpit, I stomp over to where the car is, strands of my golden blonde hair falling to my face. I make my way to the front of the car, eagerly awaiting the driver to come out. I tap my foot on the ground seeing that whoever's in there is hesitant to come out and I get even more irritated.

I'm about to open my mouth to say something when a tall, muscular man steps out. His black suit is sleek, his jet-black hair styled perfectly, and his chiselled features radiate an aura of power. He glances at me, his eyes piercing but expressionless. I'm taken aback by his intensity, and it makes me feel uneasy he makes his way back into his car and drives off

I'm left standing there pissed but there is nothing I can do, I've never felt so uncomfortable. I inhale a deep breath, staring in their direction and then I remember I have somewhere to be. I cuss at myself as I hurry off to the edifice for my interview.

"We'll get back to you," the employer says to me in a monotonous voice, concluding the interview after only a few minutes.

But I can feel it in my guts that it's a no. I was tardy and I came in here looking like crap

The rest of the day is a blur: a failed interview, a stressful shift at the restaurant, making my way home. I start preparing for tonight. I put on a red skimpy halter neck dress Mr Maguire lent to me for the event, accentuating my curves and firm, round bust and apply makeup as per his instructions, feeling like a commodity

I get 30% of the highest bid and the rest goes to him. I can't complain because it's a fair deal.

Now, I'm standing in front of eleven affluent bastards, forced to put on a smile and pose like a runway model as they ogle and leer at me.

"Gentlemen, the highest bidder gets to take this enthralling beauty on a date. Who will it be? Let's begin! Going for Ten thousand dollars ," Mr Maguire booms and I glare at him.

That's a little too high for a start, I think.

"Ten thousand dollars ," one man says.

"Twenty thousand ," another counters.

"Thirty thousand ," I hear another thunder.

"Forty thousand !" Another man yells.

"Fifty thousand !"

Holy shit! Are these people out of their minds or what? They've got so much money to waste, just sitting there, drinking and calling amounts I've never seen in my life. I'm still wondering what's it with rich people throwing money away like that when I hear a deep voice say ever so calmly, "One hundred thousand dollars ."

All heads turn to look at the person and I gasp as my eyes land on him. He's the same man from earlier this morning, the cold devilishly handsome man.

We lock gazes, my mouth partly agape and his expression as cold as ever.

"Two hundred thousand dollars , " I meant to say," he deadpans and I gulp, my heart skipping a beat.

Who is this man?

The man's aloof voice resounds in my ear for a couple of seconds.

I still find it hard to believe that there are people like him who'll waste that much money, trying to win a bid. Rich people will always remain a big mystery to me. No matter how hard I try, I can't fathom how the minds of these people work. What is it that they're trying to prove?

The whole place is thrown into a deafening silence and seconds later, murmurings, mutterings and gasps engulf it. I stare in awe and bewilderment at the man who's on the verge of becoming the highest bidder tonight. He's sitting so confidently and relaxed in his chair, wearing a smug look that he doesn't seem to get tired of. Our eyes are still locked, his looks are burning holes through me. My legs threatened to fail me and I got self-conscious, my heart was racing fast, you need to get a hold of yourself Sarah, I whispered to myself All I wanted to do was walk up to him and ask him how he could bid such a ridiculous amount to get a date in return. I know I should be psyched that he's willing to pay that much to go on a date with me, that I'll be walking home with nothing less than $Fifty thousand dollars but I still find all of this unreal.

"Anyone up for Two hundred and Fifty ? Going for Two Hundred and fifty thousand dollars , anyone? No one?" Mr Maguire thunders cheekily, he's almost yelling at this point.

I bet his insides are squealing with elation, his potbelly's thumping and his mouth is watering at the easy money he's about to make. I've been mulling over how he managed to organize this and get these men to come here. But I figure I shouldn't stress over it. I've got way too many things to worry about.

And Mr Maguire has always been a greedy and cunning man. He owns a nightclub and a gambling den right here in the heart of Cole Spring City where I've lived all my life. He's a loan shark too, a heavy one. He used to be friends with my late father many years ago. I ended up taking loans from Mr Maguire to fend for my family.

Now, I've got huge debts to settle with him including his excessive rates of interest that keep adding up whenever I default and many more piling up as I struggle to make ends meet. So when he'd proposed this idea of an auction, I thought it was crazy. I still do but if it can somehow lessen the burden on me, I'll gladly take it. And it's not like I'll be doing anything other than going on a date. If anything, it's a win-win for both of us, well, Mr Maguire for the most.

"Going for Two hundred thousand dollars !" Mr Maguire screams, pulling me out of my deep thoughts, happiness blaring in his voice as his eyes dance over the faces of all the men present.

I roll my eyes and shake my head a little before shifting my gaze to the dashing man in a black suit, my soon-to-be date. Our eyes meet yet again and I realize he's been staring at me, his icy glare burning my skin the whole time. I feel a strange pang in my chest yet again and I quickly look away.

"Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars !" A voice yells and everyone turns to the direction it came from.

I rake my eyes all over the person. Another wasteful rich son of a bitch, oh how much I hate rich people appears tall, with masses of dark brown hair and a five o'clock shadow that graces his chin, giving him a bold look. He's good-looking but not as good-looking as Mr Grim, I don't know his name so Mr Grim will do for now. He's decked in a grey suit and his hair is slightly in a dishevelled mess but in a way that makes him more attractive.

A loud gratifying smirk forms on his lips, having raised the bar higher. He must be feeling so smug and pleased with himself. I guess we have ourselves the highest bidder tonight, or not. We all turn to look at Mr Grim, eager to see if he'll give up or raise the bar even higher. And he doesn't disappoint.

"Three hundred thousand dollars ," he responds way calmer this time, it's scary to me. He moves his head to face the man who'd dared to bid higher than him and I observe as the two of them share a deadly glare. They seem to know each other and judging by how they're glaring at each other, anyone can perceive their rivalry.

"Three hundred and fifty thousand dollars !" The second dude counters, his smirk slowly fading off and his eyes never leaving his opponent.

"Four hundred thousand dollars ," Mr Grim responds in a chilled manner. Everything about him is so calm to the point of making me feel uneasy.

"Four hundred and fifty thousand dollars !" The other dude strikes again and now, his smirk has completely washed off, replaced by a distraught expression.

It's almost as if the auction's just for the two of them as everyone else goes dead silent, engrossed in the drama playing out before them and awestruck by their ridiculous display of wealth. We keep shifting glances between the two men, wondering which one of them leaves here with me tonight.

"Five hundred thousand dollars ," Mr Grim opposes and adjusts his tie, shooting his opponent a look as if to say, "I'd like to see you beat that."

But of course, the other guy is just as relentless and I'm getting a feeling this isn't about the auction anymore. There's bad blood between them and now they're trying to best each other under the guise of this event.

The guy hesitates before yelling in what I presume to be frustration, "Six hundred thousand dollars !"

Mr Grim doesn't say anything. I gaze at him, my eyes pleading with him to bid higher and shut this guy up for good but nothing. He just sits there, utterly speechless. I don't have a problem walking out of here with either of them but for some reason, I want Mr Grim.

"Going for Six hundred thousand dollars ! Anyone up for Six hundred and fifty thousand dollars ?" Mr Maguire quizzes and on getting no response, Mr Grim's rival gets up on his feet and walks over to me, smiling victoriously.