Page 7 of Billionaire Bad Boy Auction

I groaned and shook my head. “Comedy gold? No. This is more like a tragic comedy where I’m the punchline. And now he’s expecting me to show up at his motorcycle shop tomorrow like I’m some grease monkey who cares about his little toys.”

Alexis nudged me with her elbow, her grin widening. “Hey, maybe it won’t be so bad. Dean’s not exactly Mr. Sunshine, but he’s got that whole brooding billionaire thing going for him. Plus, he’s kind of hot in an ‘I could bench press you, but I’d rather glare at you from across the room’ sort of way.”

I shot her a look of pure disbelief. “Are you seriously trying to sell me on this? I don’t care if he’s the last man on Earth. He’s old and… him!”

“Maybe it’s fate. You know, the universe’s way of pushing you into his arms. And he’s not that much older than us. Eight years. That doesn’t mean anything anymore.”

I rolled my eyes. “He’s in his thirties. I’m barely twenty-seven. That’s like… almost a decade.”

“Portia, I know you have functioning eyeballs. That man does not look old. He looks fucking hot. He’s in such good shape he’s going to outlive all of us if he doesn’t drive his bike off a cliff. Besides, men our age are still basically twenty-one. You need an older man.”

“What I need is twenty grand.”

“Come on,” she said, looping her arm through mine. “Let’s get out of here. I can’t give you twenty grand but I can get you a drink. Or five.”

I didn’t argue. The charity gala had officially become my personal hell. I was more than ready to leave. Part of me worried someone was going to chase me down and demand I produce money I didn’t have. I was officially on the run.

We grabbed our things and made our way out of the ballroom. The sound of laughter and music faded behind us as we stepped into the humid air thick with the scent of flowers and the usual dampness from being so close to the lake. I smelled fresh-cut grass as we walked across the grounds.

The walk to Alexis’s apartment was a quiet one, save for the occasional burst of laughter from her as she replayed the events of the evening. I, on the other hand, was too busy wallowing in self-pity to find any humor in the situation.

I couldn’t give the charity twenty grand. I was going to look like such an asshole when I couldn’t pay. And it wasn’t just my humiliation—the charity was missing out on money that could help people. They could have gotten the nineteen thousand from one of the other women.

Now, they were getting screwed.

I was never drinking champagne again.

By the time we reached her building, my feet were killing me. I was more than ready to kick off my heels and wash the night away.

Alexis lived in a small apartment above her parents’ seamstress shop, a place I had spent countless afternoons in as a kid. Her parents had retired a few years ago, leaving Alexis to take over the business. She had turned it into a thriving little shop that catered to the town’s fashion needs. It was cozy and familiar, and right then, it felt like the only safe haven in the world.

We headed upstairs. I immediately kicked off my heels, relishing the feeling of the cool floor beneath my feet. Alexis disappeared into the bathroom to wash off her makeup. I collapsed onto the couch, staring up at the ceiling as I tried to process the mess I’d gotten myself into.

“I can’t believe this,” I muttered, more to myself than to Alexis. “I didn’t come back to town to get caught up with a Jackson. I came to get my head on straight, not to…”

“Accidentally buy yourself a date?” Alexis called from the bathroom. “Hey, that rhymed.”

“You’re not helping.”

She giggled. “I wasn’t trying to help.”

I groaned, throwing a pillow over my face. “This is a disaster. A complete and utter disaster.”

Alexis emerged from the bathroom, her face freshly washed and her hair pulled back into a messy bun. She plopped down on the couch beside me, her expression softening as she took in my defeated posture.

“Okay, okay,” she said, nudging me with her elbow. “I’ll stop teasing. But seriously, Portia, it’s not the end of the world. So you bid on Dean. Big deal. It’s just one date.”

“One date that I can’t afford,” I shot back, sitting up and glaring at her. “Do you have any idea how much twenty thousand dollars is? Take the amount of money in my purse and multiply it by twenty thousand. That’s how broke I am right now. I’m jobless and my savings is almost gone.”

Alexis winced. “Okay, yeah, that’s not great. But maybe you can talk to Dean. Explain what happened. He’s not a monster, you know. I think, deep down, there’s a cuddly teddy bear under that grizzly exterior.”

I snorted, crossing my arms over my chest. “Have you met Dean? He’s about as approachable as a brick wall.”

“True,” Alexis admitted. “But he’s not heartless. And besides, you’ve got nothing to lose at this point. Just talk to him. See what happens.”

I sighed, leaning back against the couch. She was right, of course. I didn’t have much of a choice. I was stuck with this date.

Tomorrow at six, I’d be at his shop, ready or not.