Chapter Ten
Evie
Since I’ve done my duty, I start to sneak out, shoulders rounded to make myself as small as possible. People are murmuring, their eyes on my retreating figure.
I. Must. Leave. Now. Nate will take care of the payment, since he knows I don’t have that kind of money. But he was the final bachelor, so the crowd’s milling around, talking and staring and pointing. Now I wish I’d worn a scarf around my face or something. This is just too much, because the people don’t have anything—or anyone—on the stage to distract them.
When I walk past the doors to the ballroom, relief starts to unfurl. The scrutiny sucked, but I did my job. I bailed Nate out of his horrible situation. Kim should be proud of me. Hell, I’m proud of me.
Flashes go off, putting spots in front of my eyes. My vision seems to swim, and I raise my hand as more cameras flash around me.
What the…? Is there a celeb behind me?
I turn around, and through the spots I see Nate. Huh. Doesn’t he have other things to do? Maybe toast to his victory over Georgette?
“Hello, Mr. Sterling,” I say, since I can’t think of anything else.
“Good evening, Ms. Parker,” he says with the grin that never fails to make him look ten times hotter.
“I should get out of the way. I think they want to take your picture.” Which makes more sense than them taking pictures of me. He’s an important man.
As I start to move away, Nate’s arm snakes around my waist. He pulls me to his side until we’re flush against each other. “They’re here to take pictures of the winners and their prizes.”
“Uh… They are?” My belly flutters. Nate feels warm and solid against my bare arm, but I don’t think that’s the reason for the vibrating sensation in my stomach as more flashes go off. I really shouldn’t have eaten anything at Jun’s. I look up at him. “It wasn’t in the program.”
Nate frowns as though he can’t believe I didn’t know. “Photo ops are a given.”
“Maybe for you.” I sniff, then smell stale alcohol. Where is it coming from? There’s nobody around us.
He beams, pulling me closer. “You won me. So you’re part of the package now.”
Oh. My. God. “You never told me that!”
The blinding smile on his face loses a few watts. “I thought you knew.”
“No, because it wasn’t in the fine—” I stop as the stale alcohol smell hits me again. “Were you drinking before the auction?”
“Yeah, last night.” He winces. “Not that much, though,” he adds. “Only, like, fifteen or twenty.”
“Fifteen or twenty?” The words are entirely too loud, and I cover my mouth. “Nate, shouldn’t you be in the hospital?” We can leave here immediately. I’ll even hold your hand.
He looks at me, then looks at himself, then back at me. “What for?”
“For alcohol poisoning,” I hiss at him. “You can barely have three drinks without falling flat on your face.” It was a pain to drag him to his mansion when he was all but passed out. And he to
ld me things he shouldn’t have, things I shall not recall because he was drunk and had no idea what he was saying.
Understanding dawns on his face, although I’m not sure what kind of understanding is required for this. Doesn’t he know his limits?
Actually, never mind. He’s a man. Of course he doesn’t know.
“You should’ve called me last night,” I say.
“It’s okay. Court was there to…er…take care of me.” He coughs into a fist.
“Speaking of which, I didn’t see his girlfriend bidding on you.” The redhead with the blonde friend definitely wasn’t Court’s girl. “I guess he still hasn’t made up with her?”
“You missed it. She bought him for fifty bucks.” Nate shakes his head.