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I casually make my way to Suite D and see the guys walking back toward me, talking. Nervously, I duck out of sight. I don’t know why I’m being such a weirdo, but I’m a little ashamed to admit that I’m just snooping. They move past me, unnoticing, and once they’ve passed, I continue towards the other suite. The door is propped open, presumably so they can continue loading stuff in, and I slowly creep inside.
There’s not much to see, just boxes, but there are drop cloths covering some furniture, giving the place a spooky appearance. But they’re definitely moving stuff in. Maybe it’s tools and they’re working on a remodel?
The more I look around, the more questions I have.
Chapter 5 - Juliette
"You're too early,” a woman’s voice says, startling me, “You'll have to come back later," She says.
She steps out of some back room, and immediately, I’m struck. She’s lovely, tall and blonde, with an air of confidence I could only dream of possessing.
"Um, I'm not here about that," I say nervously as she strides over to a stack of boxes and deftly rips one open, unfolding the flaps and assessing the contents.
Wondering what exactly it is that I’m “too early” for, I go on: "I actually own the record store a few spaces over. I was just curious about what was going on over here and decided to be nosy and check it out," I admit sheepishly, a nervous little laugh bubbling from my lips.
I avert my gaze to the ground. It was probably a little rude of me to be over here at all, let alone to just march right in. The woman is preoccupied with her task, however, and hardly seems to notice that I’ve opened my mouth.
I take advantage of the moment to look around the space once more. "Are you opening a new shop here?" I ask, trying to keep the hope from creeping both into my voice and into my heart.
"Goodness no,” the woman shakes her head and laughs, “We just rented the space for a one-night event." She explains.
“Oh,” I mumble in disappointment.
Something in my tone apparently draws her attention, she looks away from her boxes and throws a quick glance in my direction. She studies my appearance, looking me up and down, and I feel heat rising into my face at her intense stare.
"Are you single?" She asks after a few more seconds of eyeing me.
I blush crimson and am shocked into silence. After a few seconds I manage to stammer a response. "Uh, well, uh….you are lovely and all, don't get me wrong, but I'm straight,” I can't meet her gaze out of embarrassment.
I don't want to offend her either with my response. To my surprise, she laughs and holds up her hand, showing me the wedding ring on her finger. "I am, too. Allow me to explain, I’m not hitting on you, the reason I was asking is because you’re really pretty and you’ve got a great look. I thought you might be interested in the event we are hosting tonight. " she replies.
I look up at her with wide eyes. She definitely has my curiosity. "What do you mean? Is it like some kind of a fashion event?" I ask.
No one has ever really complimented my looks or style before, although I know some of the stuff I like to wear is becoming trendy again. She shakes her head and laughs. "No, not exactly. Though the right outfit can certainly help you at this event," She says.
Now I'm even more curious to know what she's talking about. She moves away from the boxes and we stand in front of each other talking. I listen as she explains what tonight is all about.
"So I’m sure you’re familiar with the concept of an auction, right?” she asks.
I nod, curious. An auction sounds like the last thing I need right now, unless I’m contributing lots or something.
“Well, this event is an auction, but rather than selling antiques or cars…we sell people’s time. Our patrons are mostly wealthy men, and our auction participants are offering everything from a simple date to more.”
I’m puzzled for a moment, but then it clicks. “You mean, like…someone could sell…” I struggle to think of a polite way to word it, “A night in bed?”
She chuckles. “Something like that, if they want to, yes.”
My mouth hangs open in a mixture of shock and horror. I can't even imagine doing something like that. Subjecting myself to the pleasures of some stranger to make a quick buck. The woman laughs a little at my response. "Are you sure you wouldn't be interested in attending or participating? You have a lovely figure and I’m sure you would do quite well," She asks again.
"No, thank you," I reply quickly.
Suddenly I want to get back to the safety of my own store as soon as possible. "Well in case you change your mind, here's a business card. My number is on the back,” the woman says, handing the card to me.
