Chapter Four
"What happened with you and Lucas the other night?" Nicole asked, swirling her drink around with her straw. Nicole had called Sami and asked her to meet at the Brady Pub so they could discuss something. Nicole had sounded excited on the phone and Sami was eager to find out what was going on.
"Lucas thought I was trying to make Brandon jealous by showing up here with him." Sami explained, "But we spent the night at my apartment and I think I'm really making progress with him."
"Good." Nicole nodded approvingly, "That's just what I wanted to hear."
"Why?" Sami asked curiously. Nicole had really seemed to be putting a lot into getting Sami and Lucas together now, not that Sami minded. She needed all the help she could get.
"Well, Jennifer came over to the mansion yesterday, to talk to Brady. I overheard her tell Brady that Bonnie Lockhart came up with this idea for a fund-raiser and convinced Mickey to put her plan into action. They're doing this bachelor auction thing on Valentine's Day and Jennifer is in charge. She's going around asking men in Salem if they want to be auctioned off."
"Your point is?" Sami prompted.
"I saw the list of names Jennifer already had down." Nicole grinned, "Along with Phillip, Brady and Brandon, Lucas was also on the list of names for the men being auctioned off."
Sami felt her heart rate speed up at the news, "This is absolutely perfect." she leaned back in her seat and took a long, satisfied sip of her drink, "I can use this to help me get Lucas."
"That was what I was thinking." Nicole said wryly, "I was pretty excited too. Until Victor came in and gave Jennifer a one thousand dollar check in advance ensuring that I was not allowed to bid on Brady or Phillip. God, I hate him."
"Me too." Sami agreed, staring into space as she formulated her plan. Nicole noticed the look on Sami's face and smirked.
"What are you thinking about?" Nicole asked.
"I need your help." Sami told her, "Look, I am going to buy Lucas at this auction. But I want him to get at least double whatever money Brandon gets. Actually, make that triple. You have to help me."
"How?" Nicole questioned.
"You have to bid on Lucas too." Sami informed Nicole, "And then every time you bid, I'll just bid higher. Then that will prove that I love him and not Brandon."
Nicole stared at Sami in horror, "I don't want to bid on Lucas. Everyone will think I'm desperate! Besides, if I bid on him along with all the other women at the auction who want to buy him, you're wasting even more money."
Sami sighed in exasperation, "Don't you get it? I'd pay a million dollars if I had to because Lucas is worth it."
"Do you even have a million dollars?" Nicole scoffed, shaking her head in amusement at Sami's words. Sami was so head over heels in love with the guy it was funny. Even she wasn't this bad with Brady. At least she hoped she wasn't.
"That isn't the point." Sami's eyes bore into Nicole's beseechingly, "Please, Nicole? I'll never ask you for anything else ever again, I promise."
Nicole rolled her eyes, "This is going to be pretty embarrassing but fine, I'll do it."
"It won't be embarrassing." Sami countered, "Lucas is an amazing guy and you're lucky you once had the wonderful chance to be married to him." Nicole scoffed again, earning a dirty look from Sami, "I'm serious. If I had been in your position, I would have-"
"Harshly rejected him and went back to chasing Austin?" Nicole offered helpfully. Sami seemed to think about it for a moment, then lowered her head in shame.
"Probably." she replied sadly, "I can't believe I tried so hard to get so many different guys when the most perfect one was right in front of me all along."
"You shouldn't feel sorry for yourself." Nicole responded, "At least you've come to your senses and realized that he's the one you really want."
Sami looked at Nicole with unconcealed amazement, "When did you stop being so bitchy and start actually becoming kind of tolerable?"
"Oh, I had just spent to much time around Victor." Nicole quipped, "It was all his fault. But now that I've been spending so much time with Brady, it's changed me. I'm a much better person now." she laughed at the idea, "Actually, I'm just trying to take my mind off being followed around by policemen, like you said I should. And trying to do the near impossible of getting you and Lucas together is as good a way to do it as anything else."
"The near impossible?" Sami yelped in mock outrage, "That isn't true. Lucas and I have become very close, it's just Lucas' insecurities that are getting in the way. But once I make sure those are gone, we'll finally get to be together."
"All right." Sami tuned Nicole out for a moment and looked around the pub. Her eyes rested on Bonnie Lockhart sitting with Celeste and a wicked smile crossed over her face. She knew how to make this bachelor auction even more memorable and all she had to do was talk Bonnie into doing what she wanted her to do.
"Ew, Sami, you aren't fantasizing about Lucas, are you?" Nicole couldn't contain her disgust as she watched Sami absentmindedly roll the straw between her fingers, an half-smile on her face.
"Why would you think that?" before Nicole could answer, Sami called Bonnie over to their table and the older woman stood up and came over.
"What can I do for you, doll?" Bonnie drawled, an wide, artificial smile spreading across her whole face. Sami smiled back at the woman before answering.
"I just wanted to tell you what an amazing idea I think this bachelor auction is and I'm so happy you suggested it. In return for you coming up with this fabulous idea, I wanted to give you some very good advice."
"I'm all ears." Bonnie responded, leaning in closer to hear.
"I'm sure you'll want to place a bid on one of the men in the auction and I know the perfect match for you." Bonnie's eyes widened in excitement and she gestured for Sami to go on, "You know my ex-husband, Brandon Walker? You two would definitely have a great time."
"Brandon Walker?" Bonnie repeated uncertainly.
"You have to know who he is." Sami replied, "Tall, broad-shouldered, actually he's big all around, if you know what I mean." Sami gave the woman a suggestive wink. That was a little white lie but Bonnie would probably never realize that.
"Sweet Jesus." Bonnie licked her lips, causing Nicole to cringe, "Tell me more."
"He's a wonderful gentle-man." Sami began, realizing she was going to have to lay it on thick because there weren't too many truthful compliments she could pay Brandon anymore, "He's incredibly rich and he has a thing for older women."
"This is like a dream come true." Bonnie pressed her hand against her heart dramatically and grinned down at Sami, "You have no idea how much this means to me, sweetheart. I'll make sure I buy that man, if it's the last thing I do." she practically skipped back to Celeste's table. After she was gone, Nicole made a little noise that reminded Sami of a sound a hurt bird would make.
"What was that?" Nicole hissed, "Why did you set my brother up with that trashy woman?"
"I didn't set him up with her, I just gave dear old Bonnie a little advice." Sami shot back, "She didn't have to take the advice, she did that all on her own."
Nicole scowled at Sami but Sami averted her gaze to her drink and took another sip. From the looks of things, this was going to be a very memorable Valentine's Day, especially if she got her way with Lucas after the auction.
