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Chapter 8
Presley
I’m made all prim and proper, reminding me of what it felt like when my mother was on her pageant kick. She’d sign not only myself up but my sisters up in beauty shows from the point we were old enough to walk. I remember the rhinestones, poufy dresses and the hairspray. Good god, that hairspray.
It’s like these ladies didn’t get the memo that less is more, but just like Texas style, bigger is better apparently. My hair is curled into tight, dainty wisps, while my makeup is as light and natural as the pink on my dress. If I had any control over my attire, I’d be in blood red. It’s my signature color.
“We just have to put this on and you’re ready!” one of the women tells me, placing some sort of leather collar type thing around my neck. I yank my neck back, trying to figure out why it’s so damn heavy. It feels like I have a brick sitting around my neck. “Oh, darling, please don’t move. If you do, I can pull this little lever and make things really uncomfortable for you.” She shows me a certain chain dangling from the collar device. I don’t know what it does, but I really don’t think I want to know.
The chain to my leash, if that’s what I should even call it, is some sort of metal with a leather handle. The smaller chain weaves through the bigger one and goes straight up to my collar, making me more nervous than before. “Here, you can take her out now.”
She hands the leash off to the henchmen who’s been watching me for a majority of the day. He left for a short while to get changed into this fancy suit he has on now. He leads me out the hallway and takes me up two flights of stairs until we’re on the main deck.
The moment we hit the steps I start hearing some sort of classical music. The mixed sounds of a piano with a violin accenting carries through the area. We walk down a hallway, and the goon opens a door, revealing some sort of grand ballroom type of thing.
Extravagant curtains hang from high ceilings, tables are covered in a thick cloth, accenting the curtains that grace the room, while men in full suits are taking drinks to people who are sitting at the tables. Glancing around the room, I see a stage on the side to my left, and multiple women are walking around, being led by henchmen like I am. All of us look the same, but oh so different. Our makeup is impeccably done, making me wonder where they found these artists and hair stylists. We’re all in beautifully made gowns. So, eye catching that Dallas socialites would’ve shit themselves if they were in the same room with one of these girls.
My goon walks me around in a circle, following a few paces behind another girl. We walk through the entire outside of the room. In a way, I think this is like a dog show. Where our ‘handlers’ take us around the outside of the ring for the judges to vote who’s best in show. Only, we don’t get a ribbon or a year supply of whatever dog food is being sponsored for the show. Instead, I believe I’ll keep this collar around my neck until I’m given to whomever it is that chooses to purchase me.
A loud bell rings through the area, and I see another man walk up to Alice, take her other arm, and lead her on the stage. She’s in a beautiful, sapphire blue gown and stands in the middle with the two guards on both sides of her.
A man comes up to a podium and speaks into a microphone, “Good evening ladies and gentlemen. It’s been a little bit, but we’re back again for one of our lovely auctions. I know we’re all eager to get started, so let’s get on with it.”
Over the course of the next ten minutes, we stay rooted in place, watching what’s unfolding on stage. The auctioneer keeps rattling off numbers whenever paddles are lifted in the air, and I see a couple sitting in the middle of the room continually lifting their paddle up. “Two-hundred and eighty thousand. Once, twice and – ”
“Three hundred thousand!” The woman stands up in the middle, looking straight at the auctioneer.
“Well, it seems we have a very eager woman who’d like to purchase you.” He snickers over to Alice, looking back onto the crowd. “Going once, twice, and sold to the lovely woman in the center.”
Alice is led off the platform and is seated down next to the woman. Another woman goes up next, she has black hair and is in a rusty orange dress. I stand in place seeing as it’s not like I’ll be going anywhere and spot a man staring right at me. I’m not sure how long his eyes have been glued to my body, but from the looks of it, he’s been ogling for a hot minute.
Even though this man’s eyes are glued to me, I’m unable to stop staring at the girl on the stage. She acts completely different than Alice just was. It was evident that Alice was nervous, but it’s like this woman is imagining she’s the star of a show. She’s all smiles, twirling her dress around, looking out onto the crowd like shewantsthis. But, why would anyone want this?
My eyes shift back to the man who’s staring at me. He seems to be taller, even though he is sitting down in a chair. He’s wearing a fitted, navy blue suit. My guess is that it’s Armani, or maybe Tom Ford. He has the slight impression of facial hair, looking like he hasn’t shaved for a couple of days. That’s really in right now, plus facial hair makes a man go from horrid to sexy in about three seconds.
It’s his eyes that capture my attention, though. They’re some hazel color but have a bright green tint, offsetting his chocolate brown hair.
I feel a slight tug to my leash and turn my head to my henchmen, “Thisis how you need to act if you want to be in a good home. You act like that other girl, and you go to a creepy couple like them who will enjoy breaking you.”
I arch a brow at him, wondering if he thinks I’m dumb. “I have been told that I’m special since the moment I got here. Your boss confirmed it, which makes me believe I will not go to a couple like them.” I don’t give a shit if this man wants me to act like a fake Barbie doll, it won’t be happening. I haven’t been shoved up with happy pills, and I refuse to act like I am thrilled to be here like a certain looney on stage.
“One million dollars!” The sound of a gavel hitting wood brings my attention back to the woman, and I see she’s escorted off stage and taken to a much older man sitting in the front.
I’m being tugged by the goon and another comes up on my opposite side. They take me up a short stairwell until I’m standing on the platform, bright lights shining down onto my face.
“Smile!” my henchmen, who’s been with me all day, orders, but I give him a snide look instead. No one is going to order me to smile like I’m some submissive bitch.
“Fuck you,” I hiss out to him, looking back out onto the crowd. Yet again, mysterious and handsome is looking right at me. The auctioneer hasn’t even begun spitting out numbers, and his paddle is up.
Suddenly, I’m feeling a sharp sensation radiating through my side, and I hit the floor. Luckily my hands break my fall, and I look up to the man, seeing an old-fashioned cattle prod. Electric volts course through the two points, causing me to curse under my breath.
The auctioneer starts to speak, “Let’s start out at two hundred and fifty thousand, shall we?”
“Two million dollars,” is shouted above everyone else. I glance away from my goon, oddly hoping that it’s the certain man who’s been staring at me. For some reason, he doesn’t frighten me. The others in this room only freak me out, making me wonder the kind of freaky shit they’re into. This man, though, he seems normal.
Thankfully, as I look in his direction, he’s the one standing up with his paddle high in the air. He stares determinedly at the auctioneer. “Going once, twice andsold!”
Just like that, I’ve been sold, like a fancy chest from an estate sale. I’m nothing but an object here and knowing this is what will keep me alive and grant my freedom. Mr. Mysterious doesn’t know it yet, but he has another thing coming if he thinks I won’t get out of this.
