The day of the auction dawned bright and sunny, and I entered the studio that morning to be bombarded by the excited buzz of every female within a hundred mile radius while the guys, on the other hand, just looked plain depressed. I grinned at the faces surrounding me as Jamie groaned in the corner, SME preened at the female attention, and a slight glance of a Ralph Lauren shirt peeking out from one of the studio doors clued me in to the fact that Tom Quincy was just plain hiding. I couldn't blame him. I had already been asked to join a betting pool on who could dish out the most money for the man, and by the time I walked away after shaking my head good-naturedly, a catfight had ensued between two of the girls. Oy! What a predicament, but at least Darius would draw in the dough.
"Worried much?" I asked Kwest humorously as I saw him duck toward the studio door behind me. Kwest shrugged at me as he looked around himself cautiously.
"Don't you know not to stop a man intent on escape?" He asked with a desperate look etched across his face as he ducked into the studio behind Tommy' silhouette. Boy, you'd think the guys were headed to the guillotine instead of a dinner. Spied edged up to me before draping an arm casually across my shoulders.
"You ready for tonight, sexy?" He asked with a teasing glint in his eyes as I smiled up at him.
"What makes you think I'm going to bid on you, hot pants?" I asked as I shrugged nonchalantly. He just chuckled as he looked around the room meaningfully.
"You could always end up with Jamie, and worry all night long about the voodoo curses Patsy is probably brewing up even as we speak for anyone who wins him, or you could end up with Kyle or Wally." Spied remarked slyly as I raised a brow in mock horror before gripping my chest in a lame attempt at pretending I was having a heart attack.
"Oh the horror!" I cried as I smiled up at Spied teasingly. I was just glad he was back to his old 'devil may care' self even though I knew I had to face reality sooner or later. I saw Liam walk past us slowly, and I quirked a brow upat him seductively.
"Of course, I've kind of had my eye set on ol' Liam here the past couple of days." I said with a suggestive wag of my brows as Liam stopped in his tracks and threw me an 'excuse me' look before smiling sardonically. I almost shivered at the unfamiliar expression.
"I ought to hold you up to that, Jude Harrison." Liam said formally as he turned and walked away stiffly while Spied and I dissolved into a very childish fit of giggles. Oh, it felt so good to laugh! I saw Portia motioning for me from the side of the room and I rolled my eyes as I turned toward her.
"I'm being paged." I said woefully to Spied as he kissed me lightly on the forehead before kicking my rear with his shoe.
"Go get all dolled out." He said cheerfully. "I don't take bums out to dine with me." He said with a small laugh. I just grunted.
"Coming from a man that eats at Caveman Days every other day." I mumbled teasingly as I headed in Portia's impatient direction. A glimpse of red behind her almost had me skipping as I felt the material calling my name. Oh, the joys of having your own wardrobe consultant. I was just about to enter the room when a loud clearing of the throat behind me made me whirl around expectantly to find Tom Quincy motioning toward an empty room. I scrunched my eyebrows up in curiosity. What the hell could he want? It was not even close to time for me to record. I looked back at Portia who was now tapping her foot to a very murderous tune in her head. Tom held his hand up in a gesture of peace.
"Just give me one minute with her, will ya?" He asked incessantly as his ex-wife literally growled before spinning around to enter the clothing closet—leaving us standing alone near the door of Studio 1. Tommy looked around him cautiously before grabbing my hand and leading me into the darkened interior of the room. I just followed behind him in stunned curiosity as he slammed the door behind us before trapping me against the glass.
"Okay, Tom. I can't say that I'm very displeased with this sudden interruption…but…um…" I said haltingly as my breathing quickened—letting my sentence fade into oblivion as Tom's face suddenly came within an inch of my own before his hand melded against my lips. Every nerve ending stood to sudden attention.
"I need you to do me a favor, Jude." He said quietly as I nodded mutely at him, moving my lips against the palm of his hand as I tried to speak against his skin. His eyes locked with mine as he slowly removed his hand while staring at his palm a moment as if he had felt the same electric charge I had.
"What are you getting at, Tom?" I asked with foreboding as he quirked a brow before placing his hand into the pocket of his jeans and pulling out what looked like a very large wad of cash. Pressing it into my palms, he wrapped his hands around my closed fist as he sighed.
"Promise you'll bet on me if anyone that even comes close to resembling some unnamed participants in my past comes up with the highest bid. Please." He said in genuine dismay as I cocked a brow at him in amusement. He really didn't want to spend time with Sadie or Portia that much? I couldn't help but nod. I mean, considering the amount of women that would be there, there was no way either of them would come up with the highest bid. Could they? Orwas I secretlyhoping they would. I just nodded again in aquiescence. Tom smiled down at me as he turned the door knob slowly behind my back. I swallowed painfully around a lump in my throat as Tom whispered 'thank you' against my ear, and I shivered as I turned around and fled the room. One look at Spied's laughing face as I reached the wardrobe closet, and the truth hit me. What had I done? I unclenched my fist to stare at the money in my hand and I gasped as I saw the amount that was wadded up there. Holy shit! Tom had given me over twenty thousand dollars. Oh geez, oh damn! I was in for it now.