These women all have different reasons for being here, but they’re all here willingly. I’ve talked to a few of them, and the confessions came easily enough. One is here because she needs the money to pay for school, another woman is doing it so her niece can have an operation. The stories go on and on, and when it’s my turn, I almost feel like a fool when I tell them that I’m here hoping that my ex-fiancé bids on me. Man, saying that out loud it makes me seem desperate, and I can tell from the pitying looks I’m getting that they think I’m a fool.
Damn, and maybe they are right.
Coco walks to the edge of the room and claps her hands together. Everyone stops talking and looks toward her. She doesn’t smile as she announces, “All right, ladies. Everyone get ready. The auction is about to start.”
If possible, the room gets even quieter, and everyone starts to form a line. Coco gives us all one last meaningful look as if to sayDon’t even think about backing out nowand then walks out through the opening of the curtains. We can hear Coco announce the beginning of the auction, but from where I’m standing, it’s as if she’s speaking to an empty audience. There’s absolutely no sound, not a peep, besides her.
I tug at the butt of my panties and try to cover my cheek, but it’s a lost cause because this outfit I’m wearing doesn’t hide a thing, especially since I’ve gained a little over thirty pounds since Ethan last saw me. Heck, if he does show up, he may take one glance at me and run the other direction.
The auction is underway, and I am a basket of nerves. I’m still not sure if Ethan is going to be here or not. I know this is crazy and over the top, but I had to do something. I couldn’t stand by any longer while he threw away our happiness.
I look around the room, and the remaining virgins are standing around waiting to be called. Some are nervous, but it’s obvious that some are excited. Security is busy, and I sneak toward the curtains to peek through. There’s a woman lit up on stage. She’s eating this up, and her confidence is obviously soaring because she’s smiling to the crowd and strutting back and forth on the stage. Coco is standing behind a podium that has a sign with the auction’s name on it. She introduces virgin number one and tells a little about her.
I glance out to the crowd, but I can’t see a thing. It’s almost pitch black, and my nerves start to skyrocket. What if Ethan doesn’t show up? What if another man bids on me and I have to marry him instead? I signed a paper and committed to this, and if I back out now, I’d owe Coco lots of money. I take in her stern expression as the bidding ends at four million dollars, and it’s obvious that she’s shrewd when it comes to money. I can’t imagine that she’s going to just let me leave on my own.
The next girl gets called, and I go and stand back in line. I can’t seem to stop fidgeting and worrying about everything that can go wrong.
“Are you okay?” the young woman behind me asks.
She’s looking at me with real concern on her face, and it’s probably because I look as if I’m going to pass out. I take a few deep breaths and let them out slowly. “Yeah, I’m okay.”
She grabs on to my hand and squeezes it. “My momma always told me that everything happens for a reason. There’s a reason you’re here today, and by the end of it, and whatever happens out there, well, there’s a reason for it.”
I automatically think about Ethan. I know he’s my soul mate and who I’m meant to marry. I just hope he comes to his senses because whether he’s ready or not, I’m about to go out there and meet my fate. “Why are you doing this?” I can’t help but ask her. She didn’t say anything when we were all talking earlier.
She reaches into the bodice of her negligee and lifts both her breasts. She looks down and examines herself to make sure they look perky. “Oh honey, I’m just here for the money.”
I give her a smile and nod. For just one split second, I’m about to judge her for admitting she’s only doing this for the money, but I want to kick myself when the thought enters my head. We’ve all had different journeys, and I have no idea what she’s been through. Just like she doesn’t know what I’ve been through.
She pats me on the shoulder. “It’s going to be okay.”
I grab on to her hand and squeeze it. “I know. Everything happens for a reason, right?”
She chuckles. “That’s right.”
I turn back around and realize that I’m next in line. In just a few minutes, I’m going to walk through the curtain, and my life is going to be completely different. It’s out of my hands now.
A security guy looks through the curtain. “Virgin number seven.”
I pull my shoulders back and start walking to my future. All I can do is hope it’s the future I’ve been desperately dreaming of.
Chapter7
Ethan
Iwas almost late, and from my research, I know Coco, the owner of The Breeding Bidders Auction House, does not like tardiness. Bobby warned me that if I was late, I may not get in, but who would have thought that there would be a line of helicopters waiting to set down? I mean, they’re holding this thing in the middle of nowhere with only one place designated to land.
The helicopter barely touches the ground and I’m out running. Instead of worrying about scaring someone with the scars on my face, I’m running through the woods toward a big white tent, and every eye is on me. What the hell is Nikki thinking? This is insane.
I sign in, and I’m escorted to my seat by an usher with a flashlight. When I sit, he explains to me the small lit-up numbers on the chair that are used for bidding and then he walks off as I sit down and try to catch my breath.
The Auction House seems to be all about maintaining the anonymity of its guests. I can’t see a damn thing except for a small stage up front with a podium.
A woman appears between an opening in the curtains, and from my research, I gather from the blonde bob and the severe features that this is Coco St. James. I sit on the edge of my seat anxiously waiting for Nikki to walk out from the back. I wait through a number of women being bid on. The bids are in the millions, but I’m not sweating it. I’ll bid my whole entire fortune if it means getting Nikki out of this mess.
Finally, they call virgin number seven, and when I see Nikki in a see-through pink negligee, I about come out of my seat. She’s perfection. She’s the same but different than the woman from a year ago. I’ve watched her from a distance, but this is the closest I’ve been to her, and it’s killing me that I can’t touch her. Not yet. She’s put on some weight, and her curves are beckoning me. I hear a growl from somewhere behind me, and my hands clench in my lap. It pisses me off to know there are other men in this room wanting her and even thinking that they may be leaving with her. It will be over my dead body before I’ll let that happen.
I listen intently as Coco talks about Nikki. She gives the details about her, letting the audience know she’s a radiology tech and resides in Whiskey Run, Tennessee. She is a verified virgin and twenty-one years old. The whole time Coco is rambling on, I can’t take my eyes off Nikki. She’s beautiful with her long red hair, curvy body, and the way her cheeks seem as if they’re permanently tinged pink. I can tell by the way she’s fidgeting that she’s uncomfortable and embarrassed to be standing up there and on display. This is not her type of thing; she’s always hated being the center of attention. Even from where I’m sitting, I can see her trembling.