Charity Case - The Complete Series - Piper Rayne Page 0,299

I can tell she’s playing it up for sympathy with the hopes someone will raise their paddle for her dad. “He loves nice restaurants and he walks along the lakeside every day during the summer. Plus, he’s getting close to retirement.” She winks and elbows the older woman whose cheeks take on a slight flush. “He owns his own house here in the city and also has a lake house up in Wisconsin where he likes to go antiquing and read.”

Lauren nearly chokes on her drink when she hears that and the older woman glances over at us. Vanessa’s laying it on pretty thick there. The thought of the Commander in an antique shop is comical.

“Sorry, wrong pipe.” Lauren recovers quickly, banging on her chest with her fist.

“Well, thanks for the tip. I’ll look for him.” The woman turns back to her group of friends who now speak in hushed whispers and glance over to Vanessa.

“They’re probably talking about the widow thing. It’s like an ace in the hole.” Vanessa saddles up to us. “Now let’s grab our numbers.”

We each fill out a note card with our name and number and are assigned a paddle number.

“Here’s a packet of all our bachelors tonight. You’ll find their picture, a short bio, and some interesting facts about them. At the end of the auction, you can come back here to make your payment. We take cash, check, or credit card.” The lady working at the table shoots us a smile like we scored a free trip to Bora Bora.

Lauren grabs her packet, thumbing through the pages. “Now it’s starting to feel a little creepy. Like I’m picking a sperm donor.”

“Laur,” I say.

Vanessa laughs. “Maybe that’s how we should treat it.”

I tuck my packet and my paddle under my arm, holding my drink in my hand and walk through the doors of the ballroom at the fancy downtown hotel. I take in the women of all ages and sizes surrounding me and wonder what they’re hoping to find here tonight? Love? Their soulmate? A one-night stand?

A group of three women sitting at a table glance over at us when we enter the room. All three of them have flawless make-up and hair, looking like they just left the salon. They each smile at us as we draw nearer, though I’m not exactly sure why.

“Here.” Lauren sits down at the table next to them and immediately pulls out her program.

Lauren and Vanessa ohh and ahh over the men’s profiles.

Am I the only one who finds the entire idea of bidding on a guy nerve-wracking? My hands feel clammy as I lift my drink to my lips and take a sip.

I scan the room again, taking in a few of the bachelors milling around, talking with each other. A large man steps away from one of the groups and my stomach flips. It can’t be him. Can it? I rack my brain for any recollection of hearing any rumors about him being a firefighter now. I don’t remember anything, but as soon as him or his family name comes up with anyone I tend to tune out—my mind shifting back to that night my sophomore year in high school.

“Oh. My. God. Why didn’t I think he might be here? Of course he is.” My head falls to the table. The black cloth is a nice deterrent from having to look at those deep blue eyes and messy dark hair.

Images of my scrolling girly handwriting on my high school binders of Mrs. Mauro Bianco…Mauro and Madison flash through my head. How perfect I used to think our names sounded together, like a high end Italian clothing company.

“What? Who?” Vanessa turns, her gaze scouring over the gorgeous bachelors.

I mumble his name into the table cloth, afraid to look up.

“I’ll take that one.” Lauren points to a cop who walks by. “And here I thought we’d all be watching a bunch of first responders who have their bellies straining their shirts. These guys look like they belong on the runway. They can cuff me anytime.” She leans back, sipping her fruity drink and winks at one of the guys.

“The cuff-me thing is a bit overdone now,” Vanessa says, probably having heard sexual cop jokes her entire life.

“Focus, Lauren. Maddie needs us.”

“Cool your jets, Vanessa. She’s not going to pull the trigger. She’s just going to obsess over him. She’s loved him since forever. Isn’t that right, Maddie?” Lauren sits up in her seat.

I peek up in time to