“Good.We need more women in the department,” Skye says with a knowing smirk.
“Hey, that’s my future husband you’re talking about,” a laughing Renee says.
“And mycurrenthusband,” Dee adds.
“At least make sure it happens the weekend of your bachelorette party.New York, here we come, right?”Skye adds.
“Oh yeah,” Renee replies with a twinkle in her eye.
A week ago over drinks at my new apartment, it was decided that Renee deserves a memorable send-off to her single life, and the best place to do that was in the city that never sleeps.So in two weeks’ time, all of us girls are off to New York to join my sister for a weekend of fun.I can’t wait.
“Now, it’s time for another Rossi brother.This time, it’s Luca.”
“Somebody to Love” by Queen starts playing over the speakers and my heart skips a beat when the man of the hour steps onto the stage and it stops all together.Because Luca Rossi isn’t wearing turnouts.No, he’s wearing a black tuxedo with an open-neck white dress shirt and a pocket square that is the exact color of my dress.
I hear talking around the table but I’m struck mute, my mouth agape as I take in the most handsome man in the room, not missing when he stops at the front of the stage and scans the crowd.His eyes lock with mine his beautiful lips curve into a sexy grin before he winks at me.
“Well, now.That’s quite an entrance, Luc.Let’s see what you’re offering up for auction today,” Dad says, looking down at the card and frowning.He looks back at up at Luc.“Really?”
“Sure am, Cap.”
God, I wanna know what that card says.
I turn my wide eyes to the women around the table, all of whom are watching me closely.Val smiles as Skye moves around to stand on the other side of me, boxing me in.
“What’s going on?”I ask, my voice a little shaky.
“Just remember your deal with him, yeah?”Skye says.
“What deal?Oh, yeah.Okay ...I guess ...”
“Okay, then,” Dad says, looking my way, his stare boring into mine for some untold reason.“Who’s going to start the bidding?”
“Five hundred,” Grams yells out, waving her white-numbered paddle in the air like an airport runway controller.
“Six!”Renee counters.
“Seven hundred.”That was Skye.
“Eight hundred.”Val’s turn now.
And yet still I stand there, staring dumbfounded at Luc, my brain and mouth disconnected.I was supposed to be doing something, right?
A few women from the other side of the room start bidding before Grams enters the fray again.“One thousand, five hundred dollars!”
Luc laughs and shakes his head.“Thanks, Grams,” he calls out.
“Any time, Luc,” she replies.
Then Luc’s back to staring at me, his gaze intense and totally unreadable.The last time he looked at me like that was when he was storming over to me outside the restaurant.I shiver, and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not because I still can’t work out what the hell is going on.I was supposed to be bidding on him.Winning the auction for—what was the prize again?
Luc turns his head and says something to Dad, who claps him on the shoulder and hands him the microphone.
“I must say, I’m flattered by the bidding so far but the one person Iwantto be bidding on me hasn’t raised her paddle yet.So I think I should explain what the prize will be.”He takes a deep breath before his gaze locks on mine, pinning me in place as Skye and Val both reach out and hold my hands, each giving me a gentle squeeze.“The winning bidder will win a romantic date with me tomorrow night.It will be everything she dreams of.In fact, I happen to know it’ll be her perfect dream date ...”
And I feel his words dig deep right down into my soul.“Is this a joke?”I ask.
“No, babe.It’s not,” Val replies.