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“Okay, you’re up next!” Dani exclaimed. “We’ll announce you soon.”
I nodded, inhaling deep breaths from my heart rapidly beating a mile a minute.
“You can do this, Paige,” I muttered to myself.
“Our next date to be auctioned is with Paige Summers, please make your way out onto the stage.”
I made my way over to her.
“Is everyone ready to spend some money?” she shouted into the microphone. “We’re going to start with the bachelorettes and then the bachelors and let me tell you… phew!” she fanned herself. “These participants are hot! But before we start a bidding war that I know will occur with this beauty standing beside me, let’s discuss the two rules. First and foremost, you can outbid as long as it’s within the allotted timeframe. And last but not least, the date you take your person on must be planned by you and last the entire day. Tomorrow from nine a.m. to midnight! Before they turn into a pumpkin of course,” she joked, making the audience laugh.
The auditorium of the university was packed with students and alumni, ready to spend some cash.
“Let’s make this a great event!
The crowd started screaming and chanting to begin.
“This stunning girl is Paige Summers! She’s majoring in business administration and loves the ocean. If she’s not reading a romance novel then she’s out at the beach, working on her tan! She loves anything chocolate and pizza.”
I smiled, glancing at her.
She winked at me. “We’ll start the bidding at fifty dollars! Do I hear fifty?”
“Fifty!” a guy in the front yelled with his hand up in the air.
“Do I hear a hundred?”
“A hundred!” another guy called out.
It went on like this for the next five minutes.
“Do I hear a thousand?”
“Two thousand dollars,” a man in the back declared. I didn’t recognize him.
“I’ll do twenty-two, fifty!” another bidder hollered.
Until the gentleman in the front offered, “Three thousand dollars!”
Holy crap! What is he going to expect for three grand?
My heart was beating profusely. I could feel it in my throat and at my temples. The bidding war ended with a guy offering ten thousand. I couldn’t believe someone was paying that much money for a date with me. Good thing he was handsome.
I met him outside, near the concession stand.
“Hi, Paige.” He extended out his hand. “I’m Eric.”
I shook it. “Nice to meet you.”
He had kind eyes. I didn’t mind having to spend the entire day with him tomorrow.
“I’ll pick you up in the morning.”
“Sounds great. Hopefully,” I nervously laughed. “I’m worth ten k.”
“Babydoll, you’re worth a million.”
“Cheesy, but I appreciate the compliment. I have to ask, where did you get that kind of money? I mean how old are you?”
He smirked. “I’m twenty-one and I have to spend my parents trust fund on something other than booze. Any suggestions on what you’d like to do?”
“Ummm…” I smiled. “I don’t care. Whatever you have planned I’m sure I’ll enjoy.”
“I love a woman who wants a man to take charge.”
We spoke for a couple of minutes. I desperately tried to not think about Adrian, but it was no use. There was no connection between Eric and me. My stomach didn’t flutter, my palms weren’t sweaty, nothing of what usually happened with Adrian. It was truly pathetic, the infatuation I had with him.
Would it ever end?
Once I walked into my dorm room, hundreds of emotions crossed through my body. I needed to give up hope that something was actually going to happen between us. Cade would forever be his brother. There was no changing that.
I spent the rest of the day letting myself mourn the death of what could have been. By the next morning, I woke up ready to say goodbye to Adrian and hello to Eric. This was the beginning of a new life for me. One where I’d have a boyfriend even if it killed me.
I got ready, wearing shorts, a tank top and a pair of wedges. Grabbing my backpack, I pulled out my textbooks and tossed them on the bed. I threw a bikini, a sarong and a towel in case we went to the beach there instead. It didn’t take me long to get ready. Before I knew it, there was a loud and hard knock at the door to my dorm.
I beamed, eager to go on my date.
Maybe this guy was my soulmate?
Regardless, I was going to give him a chance.
Screw Adrian.
Thinking of my happily ever after was how I opened the door. Never expecting the man standing on the other side of it. Just when I thought I’d forgotten all about him, he showed up out of nowhere.
“Adrian, what are you doing here?”
He leaned against the doorframe, simply stating…
“I’m here to take you on a date.”
Sixteen
Paige
Ijerked back. “A date?”
“Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Is this a joke?”
