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“Goodnight. I have an early session in the morning.” He grabbed hold of the brushed gold knob and started to open the door.
“Are you serious?”
“Dinner was different.”
“Eric King, if you walk out that door, don’t bother calling me.”
He opened the door, walked out and she slammed the door shut. He cringed and laughed.
Olivia walked down the hall to her bedroom fuming at Eric’s insubordination. How dare he treat her that way. She was Olivia Bennett. She had dated men much better than Eric. In fact, she could have been the wife an African prince, or the young wife of a Texas oil tycoon. Neither option was appealing once she met their families. Being controlled was not to her liking.
She undressed and threw her clothes in the hamper. Her new red Tom Ford dress needed to be cleaned. She wanted the stench of the evening erased from her memory. She would give the dress to her housekeeper, but she liked the way it fit.
She was about to hop in the shower when the door bell started ringing. She rushed over and looked out the peephole. Then she opened the door. “Yes, Clyde?”
“I apologize for disturbing you, Miss Bennett. However, I was told not to deliver this until your guest left.” He handed her the black envelope.
“Thank you.” She took the envelope and went to hand him a tip.
“That won’t be necessary. Good evening.”
“Good night.” She closed the door and took the card out of the envelope. “I enjoyed spending the evening with you and would like to do it again. Are you available later in the week for dinner, or possibly on Saturday for brunch? Eric.”
She reread the invitation and a huge smile covered her face. “Now that’s how you book a second date.”
When Eric arrived at his office the following morning, his assistant handed him a small cream colored envelope with an orange monogrammed “OAB” on the back. He sat down and read the note. “I enjoyed myself last night as well. Unfortunately, I am not available this week for dinner. However, I would be delighted to accept your invitation for brunch on Saturday. Call this number with the details. Olivia.” He leaned back in his chair, smiling.
Chapter 6
Eric was being the perfect gentleman with Olivia. On the evenings he wasn’t with her, he was with his favorite dish at La Porte Noir. He had a plan when it came to Olivia. He wasn’t going to push her to make love. He wanted it to be her idea. He figured if he made it seem like it was her idea, she’d be a little more grateful.
Tonight was the Milford Gala. He knew she was on the committee and was expecting her to invite him. He gave her every opportunity to do so, but she never did. Last night, when he brought her home, he coolly suggested dinner the following night and she said, “No.” No explanation, just no.
Eric knew things were going well between them, but he had yet to get her to say they were exclusive. He needed to know that she wasn’t seeing anyone else.
The following morning, he had his assistant call the charity and get him a ticket. Unfortunately, it was sold out. Once his assistant explained who he was, they made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Olivia had been looking forward to this evening. She loved working with charities and the Milford Gala was her favorite. She was the head of fundraising this year. She didn’t want to do another casino night or concert. Instead, she suggested a Bachelor Auction. She knew it was a definite money maker. There were plenty of desperate single women in Manhattan to provide enough funds to renovate the waiting rooms at all five Milford Clinics.
She walked around the room greeting guests before checking in with her assistant. The auctioneer was ready. She made her way to the stage.
“On behalf of the Milford Clinic, I would like to thank everyone for their support. It’s because of people like you, that we are able the fund the clinic and make the necessary renovations. So let's get started. Ladies, grab your wallets and let's sell some dates. Thank you.” She handed the microphone to the auctioneer, walked down the steps and took her place off to the side.
“Our first bachelor tonight is Harold Thornton. Harold is a real estate developer, and likes spending time on his boat. If you’re interested in learning to sail, while spending time with a man and his golden lab, this is the man for you. He’s six feet four, dark blond hair, killer blue green eyes and abs for days. Trust me, ladies. I saw him back stage, that’s all muscle.” The crowd laughed. “If I weren’t married, I'd be all over this gorgeous man. I bid two thousand dollars…just don’t tell my husband.”
The auctioneer’s joke and opening bid was just what was needed to get the crowd going. The rest of the auction went very well. Olivia was taking note of every winning bid and tally. They were on the last bachelor. She wanted to reach a million dollars, but fell short by fifty thousand. As she was about to walk back onto the stage, the auctioneer made an announcement.
“Ladies, we have one more bachelor this evening. Dr. Eric King.” Olivia looked up and caught Eric’s eyes and smile. It couldn’t be.
She went searching for her assistant and found her in the back of the ballroom. “Stef, who is that on stage?”
She looked up and replied. “Oh, that’s Dr. King.”
“I heard that. What is he doing up there? I personally interviewed every bachelor and he wasn’t on the list.”
“He called this morning. He said he had spoken to you a while back and told you he wasn’t sure if he would be in town. Turns out his plans had changed, and wanted to know if he could get a ticket. I asked him if he still wanted to be one of the bachelors, and he said "yes". Besides, we needed someon
e to replace Dr. Milton. Is there a problem?”
