Chapter 5 The Billionaire's Virgin Bride V

Tyler

The day has ended, and nighttime has arrived. Tim and I are both here at the auction. To say that I was "with" him is a bit of a misnomer because the moment we walked through the door, I stopped paying attention to him.

Tonight was one of those nights that I was really looking forward to, and you and I both had high hopes for what the evening might bring. To tell you the truth, though, I've reached the point where I'm starting to regret having come here at all. The auction room is getting quite crowded. This evening's crowd is significantly larger than I had anticipated it would be.

I mean, there is typically one, but it is only at the more significant events that take place away from the city. As I take another look around at the large group of people here, I can't help but let out a sigh of boredom. There is not a single woman in this room who captures my interest in any way. I have the feeling that I'm squandering my time here. I look in all the usual places for Tim. It is imperative that I let him know that I will be leaving. I'm not sure how much longer I can put up with this. I might break.

Instead of wasting time here, I could be working from the comfort of my own home right now. If I had known it was going to be such a huge letdown, I never would have agreed to come to the event in the first place. I have to put an end to the habit of allowing myself to be persuaded into precarious circumstances.

I finally notice him from a considerable distance away. He is totally absorbed in some woman's company right now. I pause because I don't want to be rude and interrupt him, but I'm not sure how much longer I can stand to be in this location. It seems like a significant amount of time was wasted on this. But on the other hand, I don't want to just give up and vanish into thin air either.

When I was on the verge of walking over to him, I overheard the hostess announcing the beginning of another auction. I don't give it much thought, but then I catch a flash of flaming red hair out of the corner of my eye, and when I turn around, I see the woman walking up on stage. I immediately pause what I'm doing and give a startled double take. I am completely helpless; all I can do is fix my eyes on her. I feel like I've stopped breathing for a moment. It's almost as if the vibe in the room completely shifted out of nowhere.

It's almost as if I can't help but be attracted to her. I relocate to a position that affords me a better view of the performer by moving closer to the stage. My attention is once more drawn to her long red hair, which she keeps pulled back in a ponytail. If I look closely enough, I can see that her beautiful face is dotted with a few freckles here and there. The wearer of hazel eyes casts a nervous glance out over the crowd. They do not focus on a single individual, and certainly not on me. I would guess that she is reserved or shy. She fits the profile perfectly.

When the hostess says, "This young lady is auctioning off a date tonight," I pay close attention to what she has to say.

The fact that that is all she is willing to provide is a little disappointing to me. I'm pretty sure I hear another person in the audience groan. But almost immediately, people begin placing bids.

This has taken me by surprise. I can tell that the woman who is performing on stage is as well. When my own hand suddenly flies up to be included in the bids, I am even more shocked than before.

As more people arrive, it won't be long before it's just me and a couple of the richest men in this place. I don't understand what it is about her, but I just can't help myself when I'm around her. Something about her, whether it's the way she looks or the fact that she seems so different from the other women in this room, keeps me from leaving. I don't know what it is.

She belongs to me.

As she surveys those of us who are still up for grabs, I watch her face carefully. She keeps looking at me, then turning her gaze away from me. We finally meet each other's gaze. I hear her gurgle nervously while she's on stage. My chest is becoming increasingly tight as my heart begins to race. I have no idea what's gotten into me. I really don't. The only thing I am certain of is that I want her to be mine, and that I am willing to do anything to achieve that goal.

As I raise my paddle, her eyes do not leave me at any point. The number thirty thousand. I try to speak with as much composure as I can muster. I can clearly hear the gasps of several individuals. The male competitors I was up against mutter to themselves and shake their heads. Both the hostess and the redhead performer on stage are staring at me in disbelief.

After some time, the hostess pulls herself together and inquires of the attendees, "Do we have any other bids?" She shook her head for a few seconds before making the announcement, "Going once...going twice...sold!"

I can't help but keep staring at the brunette woman. At some point, she turned away and went to the hostess so that she could wait for further instructions. After finishing up, I stowed away my paddle. I've completed my bids for the evening. Tonight, I was successful in achieving a portion of my overall goal. To determine whether or not I will be able to complete the remaining tasks, I will need to hold off until later.

As Tim approaches me, he is standing with one arm around a girl who is standing next to him.

"Man, that was completely insane. Incredulous, he demands to know, "What were you thinking?"

I shrug at him. "To be perfectly honest, I have no idea," I confess.

"There's just something about her that makes her stand out."

He shakes his head in disbelief. He can't believe how determined you are to get what you want when you set your mind to it.

I let out a small laugh before responding, "True, but you already knew that about me. Excuse me a moment."

He nods and resumes his previous activity, which is embracing his date. I pivot around and begin searching for the hostess. It's time for me to pay for my bid. I am also keeping an eye out for the woman with the red hair. I'm excited to learn more about her and get to know her better. I can see the two of them standing together on the other side of the room. When the hostess looks in my direction, I don't hesitate to approach her.

I believe that I owe you something, so I comment on that.

As I hand over the cash to the hostess, she gives me a friendly smile. "It was a delight to conduct business with you. She gives us a wink and then turns and walks away. "You two have fun!"

The brunette is all by herself in this room with me. She looks up at me briefly before quickly turning away again. I can tell that she is very anxious just by looking at her. I take a few glances around the room while racking my brain for a response. I need to be careful not to scare her.

"Hello," I manage to choke out in the end.

"Hi."

Her voice is delicate. I have a feeling that I was right about her being timid.

She remains silent and only looks at me without making any further comments. I give her the best smile I can muster. She becomes a little red in the face before smiling back at you. That is utterly endearing in every way. That came as a surprise to me. In all honesty, I'm beginning to have second thoughts about coming here tonight. It's crazy, I know that much.