Chapter Eight
When Aaron had mentioned fundraiser, followed by auction, I had pictured a fancy but frilly room filled with wealthy and uptown old people. Don’t ask me why. But I had not expected the spectacular rooftop where we had been welcomed with a flute glass of the tastiest sparkling wine I had ever had the pleasure to drink. And surely, not the trendy—and rather extravagant—array of people of all ages and backgrounds in attendance.
Who knew that the upper spheres of the Big Apple could be so … colorful?
Not that I had met everybody here. Actually, we had pretty much stuck to those somehow related to the football world. Which seemed natural after Aaron’s revelation about his past and his family involvement in it. For the last hour, I had been introduced to a couple of coaches and team coordinators, a sportscaster, and a number of influential people whose positions I wasn’t familiar with but that I nodded to like I knew exactly what they did. The only people we had talked to outside the sports bubble were a few entrepreneurs whose corporations, enterprises, and whatnot I had never heard of either.
Every time we encountered a new group of people, Aaron introduced me as Catalina Martín, not adding any kind of label before or after my name. Which somehow helped me lose all that tension I had carried with me from the car drive and definitely aided with my newfound intention of trying to enjoy myself.
This was my first time at an event like this one, and it would most likely be my last, so the least I could do was have fun.
“I already said so, but I’m so happy to see you, Aaron.” Angela, a lady in her fifties who was clad in a dress that was probably worth two or three times my month’s rent, smiled. “Especially with someone on your arm.”
I felt my cheeks heat, so I distracted myself, taking a sip from my fancy flute glass.
We had been chatting with her for a few minutes now. And the whole time, I had been silently watching the woman with fascination. Her elegance and poise had me in awe. And unlike more than a few people here, she had kind eyes. The fact that she was the mind behind tonight’s event was only the cherry on top.
“So, tell me”—Angela’s lips inched higher—“you’ll be taking part in this year’s auction too, I presume? I still haven’t gotten the chance to check the final list.”
“Yes, of course,” Aaron answered from his post at my side.
We hadn’t had time to discuss what the deal with this whole me bidding for him was. By the time I had somehow pulled it together, we had been walking out of the elevator and into the party. We’d been quickly jumping from one small group of people to the next, so I hadn’t had the chance to interrogate him about it.
“That’s lovely to hear.” She took a sip of her drink. “I had my doubts, if I may be completely honest.” Angela threw her head back and laughed. “Last year’s auction was … intense. Very entertaining, to say the least.”
Aaron shifted by my side. Glancing at him, I could tell by the way his shoulders tensed that he was slightly uncomfortable with where the conversation was going.
That piqued my curiosity.
Angela continued, “Good thing you brought someone tonight. I’m sure it will keep the night alive.” She turned to me. “Catalina dear, I hope you are ready for some fierce competition.”
I sensed Aaron shifting some more. Which pushed my eyes to bounce from Angela to him. “Fierce competition?” I repeated, thinking of Aaron’s words—“And that’s what you’ll be bidding on tonight, Catalina. Me.”—and piecing together that perhaps that was exactly why I was here.
Aaron’s grip on his glass grew a little tighter. “Nothing you should worry about.”
I watched him for a long moment, my curiosity doubling. Then, I turned to Angela, who was smiling with something that looked a lot like mischief.
“Oh, but I’m not worried.” A smile tugged at my lips, one I was going to bet was very similar to Angela’s. “I’m always here for a good, entertaining story.”
I heard Aaron’s resigned sigh from my side.
Angela’s grin widened. “I think I’m going to leave the honors to do that to Aaron.” Then, she leaned and added in a hushed voice, “I’m sure his side of the story is all the more captivating. Especially the part nobody got to see.”
Oh?
Before I could press for the details I was dying to hear, Angela’s attention was caught by something—someone—behind us. “Oh, there’s Michael. If you’ll please excuse me, I must go say hi.”
“Of course.” Aaron nodded, body still all stiff, although he was probably glad Angela was moving on to someone else. “It was nice seeing you, Angela.”
“Yes,” I gave her a polite smile. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Angela.”
“The pleasure was all mine, Catalina.” She leaned in and air-kissed my cheek. “Don’t let him off the hook too easily.” She winked and then walked away in the direction of the section of the rooftop where most people were gathered. A space filled with high tables that looked straight out of a design catalog and lines of wicker floor lamps that served as the only source of illumination.
I turned to look at Aaron, finding that pair of blue eyes already on me.
Pushing down the slight blush climbing up my neck, I cleared my throat. “I’m all ears, Blackford.” I brought my glass to my lips and finally finished the sparkling wine I had been nursing for the last hour. “I think it’s time you fill me in.”
Aaron seemed to think about his words for a moment. “As I’m sure you have already deducted, tonight’s main event is a bachelor auction.”
“A bachelor auction,” I repeated slowly. “Just your run-of-the-mill Saturday night activity, I assume.”
Aaron sighed.
I rolled my index finger in the air. “Keep going. I want to hear the rest.”
“I don’t think there’s much else to say.” He balanced his glass in his hand.
“Well, forgive me, Blackford, but I think there must be plenty. Plus, I want to make sure I understand the concept of tonight’s main event correctly.”
He shot me a glance.
I suppressed my smile. “Right. So, during this auction of yours then … bachelors are acquired, you say.”
“Correct.”
“By, I assume, single women and men?”
He nodded.
“For an amount of money,” I pointed out. “All in the name of charity, of course.”
Another nod.
I tapped my finger on my chin. “I just wonder … no, never mind. It’s stupid.”
Aaron shot me a tired glance. “Out with it, Catalina.”
“If people are bidding—buying—all these bachelors”—I watched his eyes narrow, exasperation written all over his face—“what happens next? When the bachelor is acquired, what is he acquired for?”
Aaron’s lips pressed in a flat line.
I continued, “I mean, this is not like bidding for a boat or a Porsche. I guess you cannot take the bachelor for a ride.” Okay, that sounded … wrong. One could technically take someone for a ride. A certain sort of ride. “Not that kind of ride,” I rushed out, watching Aaron’s expression change. A muscle jumped in his jaw. “Not like a ride in a yeehaw kind of way. I said that because one takes cars for a ride. Like, for a spin. But not men, not in that way. At least, I have never taken a man for a spin.” I shook my head. I was making it worse, and the more I talked, the more Aaron’s lips paled. “You know what I mean.”
“No,” Aaron answered simply, bringing the glass to his lips and taking a sip. “More often than not, I don’t know what you mean, Catalina.” He brought his hand to his right temple. “Whoever offers the highest bid, which will be donated to the cause, gets to go on a date with the man in question. That’s what the bachelor is acquired for.”
Hold up, what?