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The restaurant is bustling, and the noise hits me hard as we enter. God, why is it so loud? And did Joel end up booking out the entire restaurant? Nobody looks like they are here for anything except a party. I spy Eric’s parents off to my right, hovering by the bar, his mother taking hefty sips from her glass. I feel a little bad for her; she was really apologetic about what her son had done and confided in me that she’s not comfortable about Anna because of her attitude. She’s concerned about their relationship and wishes that it wasn’t Anna that Eric asked to marry him.
Her judgment is pretty good, and I’m glad she isn’t taken in by the smoke and mirrors. Neither of Eric’s parents look like they want to be here. The more I think about it, as I look around the room I don’t see any of his family around. Just his parents, not his brothers or even his grandmother. It’s either co-workers or people who, I guess, are Anna’s friends and family.
My instincts are making me feel nauseous, and I can feel the hairs stand on the back of my neck.
“Megan.”
My mouth is dry as I turn to see Joel approaching us. I have to stop myself from licking my lips, seeing him dressed in jeans and a white shirt that looks brand new. It’s very difficult not to openly gawk at him.
Swallowing, I give him a slight smile. “I’m here,” I squeak.
“I can see,” his mouth twitches as he looks me up and down. “And you’re very fitting for the occasion.”
Natalie clears her throat, giving me a subtle nudge that makes me sure that I’m blushing.
“Do you still not have any idea what Anna’s up to, Dad?” she asks. “Not knowing is making me uncomfortable.”
“I still don’t. She refuses to tell me, but she says the party will start soon.” Joel pauses. “They’ve been waiting for Megan, apparently.”
That’s enough for me to know that this is about me. I really want to leave now, but I can’t move.
“She’s not going to humiliate me again, is she? She’s not going to stand up in front of everyone and talk about how grateful she is that I gave her my boyfriend or something?” The words come falling out of my mouth before I can even think.
“Knowing her, I wouldn’t be surprised,” Natalie grunts.
Joel looks just as troubled. Then I see Anna, gliding through a group of friends toward us. I have to admit that she looks amazing in a shimmery silver dress that hugs her figure. She smirks at me, brushing an imaginary hair over her ear.
“Megan! I was beginning to think you weren’t going to get here.” She starts to lean toward me to kiss my cheek, but I move back and out of reach.
“Why do you want me here, Anna?” I demand. “If you wanted to embarrass me, you could do it another way. There’s no need for me to be here.”
“Why wouldn’t I want you here?” Anna recovers quickly from me spurning her greeting. “You’re a big part of this evening.”
“How?”
A knowing smile spreads on her face. “I’m not telling you that. It’s a surprise.”
“This isn’t a game, Anna,” Joel says sharply. “Stop it and tell us what’s going on.”
But Anna simply brushes him off and turns away. “You’ll find out in a moment, Dad. Don’t worry.”
I turn to Natalie as Anna leaves. “I need a drink.”
“Same here,” Natalie takes my arm. “Let’s get something from the bar. Hopefully, we won’t have to take long.”
We didn’t have to wait that long at all. Shortly after we’ve paid for our drinks, Anna gets up on the dais at the end of the room, tapping a knife at her glass.
“I want to thank everyone for coming here tonight. Eric and I do appreciate it.” She gives Eric, who is standing off to the side, a smile and it’s returned. “We hope that we can celebrate with everyone beyond tonight. Our wedding is going to be one hell of a party.”
Cheers go up around the room. I watch as Anna and Eric exchange looks, and while I can’t see Anna’s clearly, I can see Eric’s. There’s something sly about it, and it makes me nervous. They’re definitely up to something. Anna turns back to the party.
“We also want to have a bit of fun with everyone. So we’ve devised a few games tonight. An auction.”
“What are you auctioning?” someone shouts somewhere in the crowd.
Anna’s eyes are glinting.
“People. You hear about these virginity auctions, right? Well, this is something similar. An eligible woman comes up here and people bid to spend the night with her. The winner gets the girl, and we get the money to go toward our honeymoon as a bit of extra… pocket money, so to speak.”
