“The bidding starts at five hundred dollars,” Sandra said.
The ten women who were up next, including me, adjusted in their seats to see the audience.
I found eager eyes and panting smiles on many of the bidders.
The paddles were raised in the air with the bidding zipping up to one thousand dollars in a matter of seconds.
Then Tabitha hopped up from her seat four rows behind us, waving her paddle with the number one on it. “Two thousand dollars.”
Another woman with shiny black hair waved her number eighteen. “Twenty-five hundred.”
The bidding kept going around the room until the number was as high as four thousand dollars.
Ryker’s eyebrows were in his hairline.
Really?I wanted to shout at him. As cocky as he was, he had to know he could get at least that much.
Then a macabre thought brightened my senses, and suddenly I wanted to puke, mainly from jealousy as well as the fact that I might not be able to keep a man like Ryker if those beautiful women, who were throwing out money like it was water, were keen to get their nails into the future NFL star. Maybe Beverly’s taunts were not about her sister getting her hands on Ryker. Maybe she was referring to some other beautiful, rich lady who could handle a man like Ryker.
Tabitha raised her paddle. “Forty-five hundred.”
The room fell silent, as did my heart. As much as I didn’t want any woman going out on a date with Ryker, I sure as hell didn’t want Tabitha to win the bid.
The other bidders sat down.
Beverly laughed. “It’s for a good cause. You shouldn’t look so pale, Haven.”
Before I could fire a retort back at Beverly, a voice I knew well said, “Ten thousand dollars.”
A collective intake of breath could be heard as the air was sucked out of the room and my lungs.
My gaze rounded to Vicki. She had her paddle in the air with her posture straight, exuding satisfaction and smugness.
I knew my look had to be crazed, shocked, and confused. I stole a look at Ryker. His gray eyes were almost popping out of their sockets.
I didn’t know whether to be mad at my friend or if I should jump over the chair and kiss her. But anger was winning out. She had a thing for Ryker like every other woman in the ballroom and on the freaking planet for that matter.
“Bitch,” Beverly mumbled.
I sought out Tabitha, who looked dejected as she pouted.
The only one smiling was Vicki. The confusion clouding my brain intensified. Where had she gotten the money? She’d said she didn’t have any to even bid on Lucas.
“The lucky lady is number ten,” Sandra said, closing the bid on Ryker.
I didn’t get a chance to ask Vicki anything or even think before the women were shuffled up to the stage. I was first in line, and I felt like I was in a herd of cows being sent to slaughter. Okay, that was rather harsh and dramatic, but Vicki had just bought a dinner date with my guy.
I was usually a good read of people, but I’d missed the mark on my roommate—correction, ex-roommate.
I didn’t hear my name called when Beverly pushed me. I almost stumbled but caught myself.
I growled at her. “Touch me again, and I will make you a bald woman.”
Sandra said my name again. “Haven Hale.”
As I walked up to Sandra at the podium, two men in black suits hurried up to the stage and snagged me. “Haven, you need to come with us.”
Then I was being escorted out of the room by my father’s men with no time to say anything to Ryker or anyone else.
