A/N: aged up our delinquent crew but kept Lincoln and Roan at their respective ages.
The Griffin-Kane Foundation cordially invites you to its Third Annual Charity Ball and Bachelor Auction.
Raven Reyes hated when she received invitations to events that required formal attire only. She used to love all the pomp and circumstance that came with those, but one offhanded comment about how her knee brace just didn't quite go with that dress shredded her confidence. She knew she was a "freaking genius", as her friends often referred to her, and she was totally amazing as she so frequently remarked, but self assurance only went so far.
Abby and Clarke insisted that her presence was required, and if the mother-daughter duo weren't the closest thing she had to family, she'd spend the night on her couch curled up with a bottle of wine and a Harry Potter marathon. At least, until Abby informed her that she'd managed to convince her daughter's boyfriend, Bellamy Blake, to volunteer to be auctioned off, with his condition that Clarke bids and wins.
Raven loved her black dress, the cutouts along her waist both highlighting her curves, and drawing attention away from her brace, allowing her to finally feel her best again. Look good, feel good runs through her head as she checks herself in the mirror one last time before grabbing her clutch and mobile.
She and Clarke enter the ballroom together, pose for obligatory photos, and make their way towards their table, socializing with familiar faces along the way. Raven could see their reserved table close to the stage, where Bellamy sat with his sister Octavia and her boyfriend Lincoln. Clarke had expressed her concern for Raven being seen as the proverbial fifth wheel, and offered to set her up with one of her friends also in attendance, but Raven respectfully declined.
The two women were sidetracked by Vera Kane, Clarke's stepfather's mother, but Raven excused herself shortly after Nia Brumal interjected herself into the conversation, with a younger brunette woman, whom she introduced as Echo, at her side. She didn't doubt that Clarke could hold her own, but she'd rather torment Bellamy about his participation tonight.
She allowed herself to indulge in the atmosphere, smiling and greeting as she slowly manoeuvred around the tables between her and her friends when she noticed him. Undeniably handsome, his partially pulled back shoulder length hair and bearded scruff at odds with the obviously bespoke black on black suit created a sight that she held in healthy appreciation. Their gazes met only for a moment before his attention was called away.
She was truly flabbergasted that Abby Griffin had ever managed to convince the matrons on the charity board into having a bachelor auction, and the first half of the lineup provided excellent entertainment. She particularly enjoyed watching Clarke getting into a bidding war with Nia's overzealous brunette over Bellamy. Raven had to reassure her that the victory would be well worth the hit to her pocketbook.
Rather than sit in patience during the intermission, Raven made her way to the open bar, cursing her decision to wear the lowest heels she owned, feeling the pain in her knee rise. As she thanked the bartender for her refill on her vodka cranberry, a warm hand closed in on her elbow. Turning to its owner, one brow raised, she was pleasantly surprised to see a pair of blue eyes belonging to the gorgeous man from earlier.
"Sorry to impose, but I need a favour. My ex is here, and if I know my mother, she'll use this to try to get me to reconcile with Echo."
Raven studied him, his request came across sincerely, and she did have some money saved up thanks to the settlement from the accident, but at the sight of her hesitation, he included that he'd cover his tab. Raven figured what the hell, good karma and agreed after requiring some collateral to ensure he followed through.
She returned to the table with perfect timing, the lights dimmed and the DJ announced the next bachelor. Clarke's phone backlight drew their attention, and the curse that she uttered was drowned out by the music.
"I knew she'd be upset, but this is ridiculous." Clarke leaned to her right and showed Raven the text she'd just received from none other than Echo. A few scathing remarks, followed by a catty reference to the Clarke's dress. Echo followed with a remark challenging that Clarke couldn't win every worthwhile bachelor tonight. "She's just bitter. I've half a mind to push every bidding up just to make her pay top dollar."
The crowd around them broke into applause, and the DJ announced the victory to a donation of $1,300. There was a slight pause, and Raven regretted not asking her mystery man's name, as she'd have to pay close attention, wishing they'd been given a flyer or something. The next bachelor to walk out was not whom she'd been waiting for, so she leaned over to Clarke and was pleased to learn there would only be two more guys left.
Another short round of bidding, and the DJ announced the next bachelor to be Roan Brumal, the son of Azgeda Investments tycoon, Nia Brumal, and the bidding would start at $100.
Raven was a little awestruck at the sight of him as he walked out from behind the stage curtains, one hand in his pocket and a sexy tilt to his lips that she fumbled to reach for Clarke's paddle until the bidding had jumped to $500. She raised the number to the astonishment of her friends.
Echo had begun to fume, she was waiting for the early stragglers to drop out, but she'd be damned if she lost Roan to Clarke's little nobody friend. "Ten thousand dollars!"
Roan turned to Raven from his place on the stage, cocked a brow at her questioning expression and gave her the faintest nod of approval. She took it as a sign, stood up with the number in hand and shouted "FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS!"
The crowd erupted, and Clarke pulled Raven down back to her seat. "Raven! What are you doing?" They both glanced across the room at Echo, almost daring the other woman to bid again, but once again had to suffer the defeat.
The DJ announced the winning bid to be fifteen thousand dollars, and Roan then proceeded to jump down from the stage, and walked up to their table, his stride making Raven mentally compare him to a jungle cat. He reached for her hand, bringing it up to his lips to ours a chaste kiss to her knuckles with a hint of a smile. He turned to her left and smiled in greeting to her friends, with a hug for Clarke, with whom he was already friends.
The group of friends was due to leave shortly, a separate party planned with the rest of their friends at Octavia and Lincoln's home. Raven decided to go out in a limb and asked Roan if he'd like to join them, delighted at his easy acceptance. When he offered her his arm, Raven was startled when his lips brushed against her ear.
"Clarke tried to set me up with you before."
A shiver ran down her spine at the rasp of his voice. "Wait, what? When?"
"I'd seen the two of you together,and tried to ask about you without raising her suspicion. But Clarke's very protective of her friends. She figured it out quickly. She tried to see if you'd accept her offer finding you a date for tonight, but you refused. Echo found out and managed to convince my mother that if she had a moment alone with me, perhaps I would consider our relationship again."
"So, asking for me to bid on you?"
"Keeps my mother and Echo from interfering with my love life, and gets me a date with you."
"A fifteen thousand dollar date?" She smiles up at him, flattery does seem to get you everywhere.
"For Clarke's totally amazing friend? Worth every penny."