Strings of the Heart (11 page)

I couldn’t help gasping in surprise, especially after the conversation we’d just had. Rhys also appeared floored, but then his face reddened with anger. “I don’t recall agreeing to be paraded around tonight, Mother. In fact, I’m pretty sure you know how I feel about auctions.”

She gave a dismissive wave of her diamond encrusted hand. “It’s all for a good cause, isn’t it?”

“I don’t like being played like this. I think I will have to graciously bow out.”

Margaret narrowed her eyes at him. “With your name already in the program? I don’t think so, Rhys.” When Rhys started to protest further, Margaret shook her head. “I will not have my event ruined by your petty demands.”

As an antique clock struck the hour, Margaret jerked her chin up at Rhys. “It’s time to start the auction.” Without another word, she turned and stalked away from us.

Rhys’s jaw clenched and unclenched. Reaching out, I tentatively touched his arm. When he didn’t flinch away, I patted him. “I’m so sorry.”

He momentarily closed his eyes. “It’s okay. I don’t know why I’m even surprised. She does bullshit like this all the time.”

“I know earlier I was teasing, but if I had any money, I’d totally bet on you.”

Rhys’s eyes popped open and a smile curved on his lips. “I think that’s a great idea.”

“But—” I started to protest.

He shook his head. “To ensure that I don’t have to be someone’s plaything for an evening, I’ll give you the money to bet on me.”

“Seriously?”

“Sure. Why not?”

“But how will I know when to stop?”

“That’s the thing. You
won’t
stop. You
will
be the winner. Okay?”

I nodded. “Okay.”

Rhys leaned in and kissed my cheek. “Thanks, Allison. You’re a lifesaver.”

I enjoyed the nearness of him for a fleeting moment before he whirled around and made his way to the front of the study. Picking up a microphone off a marble-topped table, he stood behind a small wooden podium that had been brought in. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I hope you’ve come here ready to dig deeply into your pockets for this wonderful cause because it’s now time to start the auction for autism research.”

Applause rippled through the room. “I am your host this evening, Rhys McGowan—” He was interrupted by shrieking whistles and cheers. He smiled good-naturedly. “Thank you, I appreciate your enthusiasm. I hope you’re paying attention to your programs this evening for which bachelors are available and in what order. So let’s get this started by calling up our first bachelor of the evening, Walt Harrison.”

I stood back, watching Rhys go through the motions. He was actually quite good at emceeing. He kept the crowd laughing and the bachelors moving through.

I was momentarily distracted when a girl my age bumped into me. “Nice dress.”

“Oh, thank you. I actually borrowed it from a friend.”

A sickeningly sweet smile appeared on her face. “No doubt from the back of her closet considering it’s so old. I can’t even count how many seasons ago that dress was fashionable.”

Her friends encircling her giggled behind their hands. While there were a million and one things I wanted to say to her, I found it incapable to verbalize any one of them. Gripping my champagne flute tighter, I merely edged away from the group of stereotypical society bitches.

I had just taken a sip of bubbly to calm my nerves when a voice behind me caused me to choke. “Don’t worry about my niece, honey. She’s a second generation cunt.”

Whirling around, I took in an elegantly woman in an emerald dress. Her salt and pepper hair was swept back from her face with glittering combs. She gave me a genuine smile—the first one I had witnessed all night besides Rhys’s. “Thank you…I think.”

She laughed. Extending a white gloved hand, she said, “I’m Vivian Percy.”

“Allison Slater.”

“I don’t think I’ve seen you around these shark-infested waters before.”

“No, thankfully, this is my first time and hopefully my last.”

“I don’t blame you on that one. Who are you here with?”

“Rhys McGowan.” When her blue eyes widened, I quickly said, “He and my brother are bandmates.”

“Ah, yes, Rhys McGowan. He grew up to be such a cutie pie, didn’t he?”

With warmth flooding my cheeks, I replied, “Yes, he did.”

“Thinking of betting on him this evening?”

“Um, well…” I wasn’t sure if Rhys wanted me to make our plans known.

“He’s a hot ticket, honey. If it were me, I wouldn’t have to think twice.”

“Yes, I am planning to bet on him.”

Vivian smiled. “Good for you. Now hold my spot a minute while I run and grab a bite to eat. I’m famished.”

“Sure.”

Two more bachelors were auctioned by the time Vivian returned. “Who is next?”

I glanced down at the program. “A Jackson Marshall.”

Shifting her plate to her left hand, she said, “Oh, thank God, I didn’t miss him.”

“Is he your boyfriend?” I asked casually.

Vivian hooted with laughter. “Oh honey, maybe forty years ago I would’ve tried to get my hooks into him, but he’s young enough to be my grandson.”

“I’m sorry.”

She waved her hand that held a canapé. “Don’t be. There is a reason why I want to bet on him.”

Rhys interrupted my thoughts by saying, “Going once, going twice, sold for one thousand dollars.”

As applause erupted around us, Vivian leaned in to whisper in my ear. “Jackson’s father was arrested awhile back for absconding with investors’ money—total white-collar criminal, if you get my drift. The one thing that people in Savannah society prides themselves on are being close-minded, unforgiving assholes. It doesn’t matter that Jackson is an upstanding young man with a 4.0 GPA at Vanderbilt. Most people here would love to see him ostracized, even though he couldn’t help, nor was responsible for, what his daddy did.”

At that moment, Rhys called Jackson’s name. When he strode up to the podium, my eyes bulged in surprise. It was as if Chace Crawford had entered the room. Jackson’s blue eyes sparkled as he glanced into the crowd. “Oh my,” I murmured.

Vivian chuckled. “I forgot to mention how handsome he was, didn’t I?”

“Just a little.”

Taking the microphone, Rhys read off a biography about Jackson that of course made him sound entirely too good to be true. When he finished, Rhys said, “Now let’s start the bidding at five hundred.”

Silence reverberated around the room. As Jackson’s beaming smile receded a bit, Rhys cleared his throat. “Do I have five hundred?”

As Vivian drew in a breath, I shot in front of her. “Five hundred!” I blurted before I could stop myself. It didn’t matter that I didn’t have five hundred dollars or that I didn’t even want to begin to explain to my parents why the charge on my “emergency” credit card was actually for a bachelor auction.

A gasp went up in the crowd, and Rhys blinked at me a few times like he wasn’t sure he could believe what he was seeing. Jackson, meanwhile, broadened his smile and winked at me. I ducked my head as my cheeks flushed.

“Well, well, look at you,” Vivian whispered.

Cutting my eyes over to hers, I replied, “I couldn’t help it. I felt so bad for him up there.”

“Never fear, honey. I’m about to put all these narrow-minded assholes in their place.” She grinned. “I just hope you don’t mind if I outbid you.”

“Oh no, please do. My bid was simply a moment of impulsive stupidity.”

I then shifted my gaze back to Rhys who appeared to have finally recovered from my outburst. It seemed that I had gotten the ball rolling on some bets for Jackson. “We have nine hundred. Do I hear a thousand?”

With a wave of her hand, Vivian said, “
Ten
thousand dollars.”

My mouth gaped open in shock while chatter buzzed around us. Jackson grinned and shook his head at Vivian. Rhys coughed. “I believe that was for ten thousand dollars?”

“That’s right, sugar,” Vivian drawled.

“So we have ten thousand for Jackson Marshall. Do I have eleven?” He then had the audacity to look at me and raise his brows. When I scowled back at him, he laughed. “That’s ten going once, twice, and sold to Mrs. Vivian Percy.”

As faint applause echoed around us, Jackson came striding toward us. He pulled Vivian into a bear hug. “Thank you, Miss Vivian. You once again have managed to be far too generous when it comes to me.”

She gave his cheek a smacking kiss. Rubbing her lipstick off him, she said, “I think it was just enough.” She winked at me. “I’m sure that’ll have their tongues wagging all night, especially when Jackson here goes for the highest price all evening.”

“I do appreciate it. And I hope you’ll let you me take you out for dinner and drinks—all on me, of course,” Jackson said.

“I would be honored. I’d love to catch up with you about how college is going.” Vivian snapped her fingers. “Oh my, I just remembered that Jules will be here for a visit in a few weeks.”

Jackson smiled. “I’d love to see her.”

“Then it’s all settled.”

After he gave Vivian another hug, Jackson turned to me. “Thanks for betting on me, even if you didn’t win, Miss…?”

“Slater. Allison Slater.”

“Nice to meet you, Miss Slater.”

“And you’re welcome. You know, for my bid.”

Leaning in closer to me, he gave me a smile that would’ve normally caused my panties to get wet. “I’d love to take you out for dinner sometime, too.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “What are you doing after this?”

Glancing away from his hypnotic blue eyes, I stared over to where Rhys stood at the podium. He was auctioning another bachelor, but his attention was focused on me and Jackson. I couldn’t help getting a sense of a pleasure from the fact he looked like he wanted to punch Jackson for daring to talk to me. “You seem like a really wonderful guy, but I have plans.”

“Meaning there’s someone else you care about?”

I nodded. “Yes, there is.”

“Ah, all the good ones are always taken.”

I couldn’t help blushing with his compliments. “Thank you.”

“See you around.”

Waving, I watched him disappear through the crowd. The sound of Rhys’s gavel coming down caused me to jump. “And now we come to our final bachelor of the evening.” He paused and smiled. “Which appears to be me.”

Whistling pierced my eardrums. Turning to Vivian, I said, “I’m going to get closer.”

“You do that, doll.”

When I was almost right in front of Rhys, he asked, “Shall we start the bidding at five hundred?”

I opened my mouth, but a voice behind me cut me off. “Five hundred.”

Glancing over my shoulder, I saw it was Vivian’s niece—the bitch who had insulted my dress. Oh, she was going down all right. “I have five hundred. Do I have six?”

I thrust my hand into the hair and said, “Six.”

Rhys grinned. “I have six. Do I have seven?”

For the second time that night, the bitch knocked into me. “One thousand.”

Amused chatter filled the air that Miss Bitch had upped the ante. Rhys bobbed his head. “Well, then, it appears we have a thousand. Do I have fifteen hundred?”

“Two thousand,” I spat.

“Okay, that’s two thousand. Do I have—”

“Three thousand,” Miss Bitch interrupted Rhys.

I glared at her. “Four thousand.”

Stepping between us, Margaret said, “Ladies, you need to follow protocol.”

Lowering her voice, Miss Bitch hissed, “You are not going home with him. I
am
.”

Feeling like I was back in high school rather than a grown woman, I snapped, “Wanna bet?”

Rhys cleared his throat into the microphone. “So that’s four thousand, do I have forty-five hundred?”

“Five thousand,” Miss Bitch said, never taking her eyes off mine.

At this rate, we could go on all night. Something had to be done. Drawing my shoulders back, I punched my hand into the air. “Ten thousand.”

Miss Bitch’s eyes widened. “Did I hear you just bet ten thousand dollars?”

Cocking my brows, I countered, “Did I stutter?” When she didn’t respond, I said, “Yep, I thought you heard me correctly.”

I flicked my gaze from hers to Rhys. He grinned and shook his head. “Looks like we have a bid of ten thousand. Do I hear eleven?”

I shot Miss Bitch a look that dared her to try eleven. She then huffed out a frustrated breath before crossing her arms over her chest. I took that as she was conceding. When no one else bid, Rhys banged the gavel down on the podium. “Looks like Mr. Marshall and I will be tying for the highest bids tonight of ten thousand dollars.” Once again applause and whistling assaulted my ears. “Thanks to everyone who came to help make tonight such a success. Thanks also to all the bachelors who have offered their time and services. Most of all, thanks to my mother, Margaret McGowan, for planning and executing this evening’s festivities.”

When the applause started to die down, Rhys bypassed anyone else waiting to talk to him and came straight for me. I couldn’t help the beaming smile that lit up my face when he pulled me into his arms.

“I think I just won a date with you with your money,” I said against his ear.

He chuckled, causing my body to vibrate with his. When he pulled away, he was still smiling. “I believe you have. And where do you intend to take me on your date?”

Since I had had enough high class for one night, I knew it had to be somewhere low-key. “How about a B&D burger and some fries?”

“Ah, I see how it is. You’re planning to go cheap on me now that you’ve spent a lot of my money.”

I grinned. “Yep, sounds good to me.”

“You’re in luck, cheapskate. I happen to love B&D burgers.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” I replied, a little breathlessly since Rhys still had his arms around me.

Someone cleared her throat behind us. It was Margaret with her “I’ve been sucking on lemons” expression. “Rhys, darling—” she began.

He held up a hand. “Mother, I’m sorry, but this young lady just bought my time fair and square.”

“The newspaper wants to get a picture of us.”

When Rhys scowled, I nudged him forward. “Go on. Your adoring public awaits you.”

“I would happily like to tell my adoring public to get bent,” he said, in a low voice.