Working It Out (A Romantic Comedy) Read online

  Well, if she couldn’t get in, that was that. At least she could tell Cameron she’d tried and there would still be time for that bath and her favorite show.

  Grace moved to the front of the line and smiled at a petite woman wearing a red evening gown, with her light-brown hair pulled back into a twist.

  “I’m here as a guest of one of the bachelors,” Grace said. “Cameron Williams?”

  “Oh, you must be Talia.” The woman gave an answering smile as she held out her hand. “I’m Lanna Carver, Cameron’s friend from college. Thank you so much for coming.”

  Grace took Lanna’s hand and gave it a quick shake. “Actually, Talia couldn’t make it tonight, so Cameron asked me to come in her place. I hope that’s okay. My name is Grace Warren.”

  “Oh, of course,” said Lanna. “Any friend of Cameron’s is always welcome.” Lanna handed her a white paddle, along with a brochure. “This is your number for the auction and a brochure with a listing of all the bachelors. I hope you find one who piques your interest.”

  “Thanks.”

  “No problem,” said Lanna. “Be sure to sample all the desserts while you’re here. The food is to die for.”

  “Will do.” Grace smiled again and walked into a beautiful room. Elegant tray ceilings complimented the large rectangular chandeliers, under which dozens of women mingled. Even with her silk gown and simple up-do, Grace felt underdressed in comparison to the rest. She clung to her skirt as she made her way to the dessert table, her stomach grumbling since she’d skipped dinner—also thanks to Cameron. The list kept adding up. If the desserts didn’t look so appetizing, she probably would have considered quadrupling her bid.

  Grace loaded up the small plate with a few tarts, a macadamia cookie, and a mint brownie. It was her reward, she rationalized, for agreeing to do this.

  As she munched on the goodies, Grace took a moment to look over the crowd, noting the array of dresses—everything from the cliché mini black dress to long, flowing evening gowns. One woman even went all out, with a short chiffon train trailing behind. The room was filled with blondes, brunettes, and red-heads all dressed their best to impress men like Cameron Williams—a man with a crooked nose who perpetually shook his head to keep the hair out of his eyes and enjoyed talking about himself a little too much.

  As Grace continued to people watch, a tall, willowy woman mounted the stairs to a platform at the front of the room and introduced herself as Milly Lebaron. As she spoke, the rest of the women moved closer, their dresses combining to form colorful patterns that sparkled beneath the dim lighting. Milly welcomed everyone and gave a short presentation on the afterschool program, explaining what the money would be used for. She thanked several benefactors, including the owner of the hotel, then explained how the auction would work.

  Finally, Milly gestured for the first bachelor to join her on the platform. A handsome man of average height stepped next to her, turning slightly to the side with his thumb hooked into the pocket of his tux jacket. He was introduced as Ty McPherson, and Grace immediately sized him up by his name alone. She’d once dated a Ty and knew the meaning of his name well. Stubborn—as in a pain in the neck.

  Don’t do it, girls, Grace thought. If his personality fits his name, you’ll be wasting your money.

  “We’ll start the bidding off at one hundred,” Milly announced. A woman immediately raised her paddle.

  Grace bit her lip, lingering at the back of the crowd, away from the others. Exhaustion seeped through her body, making her wish the auction were over already. Her gaze travelled longingly to the side of the room where several chairs stood against one wall. Empty chairs. Did she dare take a seat while she waited, or would that be rude?

  “Going once, going twice, sold to the woman wearing the lovely emerald dress!”

  Grace’s gaze snapped back to Milly. How much had the stubborn Ty been sold for? And how many bachelors would be auctioned off that night?

  Grace opened the brochure Lanna had given her and started flipping through the pages. Each bachelor had a quarter page dedicated to them, along with a picture, brief bio, and what kind of date a woman could expect from him. Grace flipped to the end, where Cameron’s face stared at her from the last page. Since Ty’s bio had appeared at the front of the brochure, Grace assumed the bachelors would appear in the order listed, which meant Grace would be here for a while.

  Great. She’d be quadrupling the bid for sure now.

  Grace scanned through Cameron’s bio, picking up words like physical therapist, healer, athlete, etc. When she came to the type of date a woman would expect from him, she slowed down and read the paragraph.

  If you read my bio, you’ll know I’m a fan of the great outdoors. The woman who wins a date with me will get a day filled with high adventure and surprises around every corner. From the moment I pick you up, I’ll take you away from normal, everyday life and into a world where your dream date becomes a reality. Whether it’s parasailing across the Seattle skies, taking a romantic horseback ride down the beach, or ziplining to a beautiful, private location for dinner, the day will be one you’ll never forget. Guaranteed.

  Quickly, Grace covered her mouth to muffle the laughter threatening to burst. No wonder Cameron was petrified of someone else bidding for him. He’d actually have to put some thought, effort, and money into a date. Cameron was more of a “Let’s grab dinner, hit a club, or catch the latest sports game on TV” type of guy—at least based on his experiences with Talia and past girlfriends. High adventure and surprises around every corner? Not likely.

  Grace shook her head, thinking that maybe quadrupling his bid would be letting him off easy. Maybe she shouldn’t bid on him at all.

  “Sold to the woman in black!”

  Once again, Grace had missed the amount the latest bachelor had gone for. She needed to pay better attention and forced her eyes to follow the movements of the next bachelor coming on stage. Tall, with wavy dark blond hair and light eyes, he was incredibly attractive. Grace’s interest was piqued.

  “Welcome, Jake Peters.”

  Jake. As in supplanter. As in would do whatever it took to get to the top, like the Jake in her freshman biology class who’d swept her off her feet then stolen her idea for the final project. Grace had been forced to come up with a new idea on the spot and had ended up with a B because of it.

  Her eyes narrowed. Okay, not so attractive anymore.

  Grace shifted her weight from one foot to the other and eyed the chairs once more. But if she sat down now, she might be tempted to rest her head against the back of the chair and fall asleep. As much as she wished she could do just that, her conscience would never allow it. She’d made a promise to Cameron, after all.

  Carefully, Grace shifted her weight once again and kicked off one of her black heels, followed by the other. If she was going to stand here for another hour, she would do it without her feet screaming.

  “Can’t you drive a little faster?” Seth urged his friend, Garrett, who took the speed limit very seriously, especially when it came to driving within city limits. “I’m late.”

  “I told you we didn’t have time to play one more game,” Garrett said, referring to the two-on-two pick-up game of basketball they’d just played. “But would you listen? No. Come to think of it, you never listen to me.”

  Seth frowned at the traffic light as it changed from green to yellow, causing Garrett to slow the car to a stop once again. They were so close. He could see The Bellevue at the end of the street, but it still seemed so far away. “I wasn’t about to walk away as a loser—especially not to them. We should never have lost to them.”

  “Well, now we’re losers twice over, and you’re late to a bachelor auction, which I still can’t believe you’re going to.”

  “Lanna gave me no choice.”

  Garrett snorted. When the light finally changed, he moved the car forward at an almost painfully slow speed. It seemed like hours before he finally pulled into the parking lot. For a guy who co
uld elbow his way to the basket with the best of them, Garrett drove like a snail. A really sluggish snail.

  As soon as Garrett pulled up to the front entrance, Seth leapt from the car.

  “What about your tux?” Garrett gestured to the garment bag in the back seat. “I thought this was black tie.”

  Seth grabbed a hoodie from the front seat and pulled it over his head, hoping it would mask the smell of sweat. He didn’t have time to change. “They’ll have to take me as I am. Maybe if you’d driven faster . . .”

  Garrett rolled his eyes. “Whatever, dude, I drove the speed limit. This one’s all on you.”

  “I just hope they let me in.”

  “It might be a good thing if they don’t.”

  Seth shut the car door and jogged inside, following the signs to the auction room. The doors were closed, and a porter sat at nearby table. Ignoring him, Seth went straight to the doors and pulled one open.

  “Hey, you can’t go in there,” the porter called.

  Seth ducked into the back of the room, hoping the porter would prefer not to make a scene and leave him alone. But the man caught up and stopped Seth with a hand on his arm. “Sir,” he whispered, “This is an invitation-only event. You’re not allowed in here.”

  “I’m friends with Lanna Carver. She’s expecting me.” Okay, so that was only partly true, but Seth was desperate.

  The porter looked skeptical, but finally nodded and relinquished Seth’s arm. Breathing a sigh of relief, Seth made his way to the back of the crowd, next to a woman wearing a shimmering blue dress.

  “Two hundred to the woman in red,” Milly announced from the podium.

  Good, Seth wasn’t too late. He sidled closer to the woman in blue. “How many more bachelors are there?” he said quietly.

  Startled green eyes blinked at him. “What?”

  “How many more guys are left?” Seth gestured to the bachelor on stage.

  The woman’s gaze shifted back to the man standing on the platform. “Why?”

  “Three hundred from the woman in green,” Milly continued, accepting more bids.

  “Because I want to know, that’s why,” Seth said. It was a simple question. Why wouldn’t she answer it?

  The woman looked him up and down the way she’d size up a crazy person, probably taking in his sweat pants and hoodie and wondering what mental hospital he’d escaped from.

  “Going once, going twice . . .” Milly’s voice rang out.

  The woman next to him quickly averted her gaze and raised her paddle, indicating a bid.

  “Five hundred from the woman in blue,” said Milly. “Do I have five-fifty?”

  Not wanting to chance it, Seth went to raise his hand, only to realize that he didn’t have a paddle. He looked around frantically, spying one on a table not too far away. He grabbed it and held it up.

  “Five-fifty to the”—Milly’s voice drifted off as she squinted at Seth—“um, person in the back,” she finally finished.

  “What are you doing?” hissed the woman in blue. “That’s not your number, and you can’t bid on Cameron.”

  “Why not?” Seth looked around to see if anyone else planned to bid. He couldn’t leave it at five-fifty. That wasn’t nearly enough.

  “Six hundred, anyone?” Milly’s voice echoed through the room.

  When no one raised a paddle, Seth elbowed the woman in blue, who stared at him as if he’d grown two heads. “Bid again,” he whispered.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Going once, going twice . . .”

  “Bid again!”

  She raised her paddle.

  “Six hundred to the woman in blue,” said Milly. “Six-fifty, anyone? For the date of your dreams?”

  Seth raised his paddle once more. “Twenty thousand,” he called out.

  A hush fell over the crowd as every woman in the room turned to stare at him, including the woman in blue. But Seth didn’t care. He only cared about Milly’s reaction. Would she accept the bid or have him dragged from the room?

  A slow smile made its way to her face as recognition dawned. “Twenty thousand to the man at the back.” She playfully elbowed the bachelor standing next to her, whose face had drained of color. “Wow, aren’t you a wanted commodity,” she teased. “Do I have any other bids?”

  The bachelor’s eyes flickered from Seth to the woman in blue, who turned her palms up in question, as if asking what she should do. The bachelor shook his head slightly, and Seth got the impression he’d just messed up whatever plan the two had going on.

  “Going once, going twice—sold to the man in sweats at the back!” Milly pronounced.

  Seth’s mouth turned up in a self-satisfied smile as he gave himself a mental pat on the back. No way could Lanna turn down the money now, not when Milly had accepted his bid. It felt as though he’d crested Everest, even with all the women in the room staring and whispering at his expense. Apparently they didn’t understand that he’d one-upped the most stubborn woman of them all.

  The woman in blue faced him, her arms folded as she studied him. A few dark curls escaped the knot at the nape of her neck, hanging next to her dangling pearl earrings and giving her a casual elegance which Seth liked. With her light-green eyes and arched eyebrows, she looked beautiful beneath the dim lighting in the room. He held out his hand for her to shake. “The name’s Seth.”

  She ignored his hand, gesturing to his clothing instead. “This is a black tie event. You’re wearing sweats.”

  “You don’t say.”

  Her eyes continued to search his face—well, more like probe—as though she could see into his mind and thoughts. She held up the brochure she carried, showing Seth the face of the bachelor he’d just bid twenty grand for. He took it from her to get a closer look.

  “What do you plan to do about the incredibly expensive date you won?” she asked.

  Seth scanned through Cameron’s bio, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He returned the brochure back to her and tapped the page. “Experience an unforgettable day of high adventure, apparently. Sorry if I, uh, took that away from you.”

  She looked completely unfazed, as though this strange situation happened all the time. “You know he’s not gay, right?”

  “I made that assumption, yes,” Seth said, wondering what was going through that pretty head of hers. “Why? Are you hoping I’ll hand the date off to you since I’m clearly not gay either?”

  “Aren’t you?”

  The way she said it made Seth’s jaw work back and forth. She looked so confident, so unshakable, reminding him of someone who got under his skin on a regular basis—Lanna. Except the two women looked nothing alike. Lanna was petite and fair, whereas this woman was taller, with darker hair and a darker complexion. But that expression—that impassivity—exactly the same. Maybe Lanna had given her lessons.

  Yet for whatever reason, it bothered Seth that this woman might think he preferred men to women. “No, I’m not.”

  “Then you won’t mind if I do borrow that date from you. I’m sure Cameron would prefer me over you anyway.”

  If she didn’t look so sure of herself, Seth would have said, “Have it, it’s yours.” But something in the way she said it made Seth bristle. “Yes, I would mind, actually. I happen to like ziplining, parasailing, and . . . romantic horseback rides.”

  “And Cameron, apparently.”

  Seth took a step forward, leaning close so his eyes were only inches from hers. “Like I told you, I’m not gay.”

  “Oh yeah? Prove it. Give me the da—”

  Seth immediately dipped his head slightly and covered her mouth with his. Her lips were warm and soft, and she smelled faintly of citrus. For a second, it seemed like she responded, but then she planted her palms against his chest and shoved him away.

  “What are you doing!” she hissed, looking a lot less assured than she had moments before.

  Seth’s mouth drew into a smile. “You said you wanted proof, so I gave it to you. Is that enough
, or would you like more?” He took a step closer.

  Her fists clenched at her side, but she stood her ground, glaring up at him. She opened her mouth to say something then snapped it shut. Lifting her skirts, she turned on her heel and stormed away, only to stop, turn back, and pick up a pair of black heels lying on the ground where she’d stood.

  Seth couldn’t help but chuckle as she strode away once more, head held high, her bearing stiff and full of pride. Seth felt as though he’d won a battle—well, two battles actually. Milly had accepted his bid after all.

  Seth’s eyes followed the woman in blue as she disappeared through the door. Then he turned and scanned the room, his gaze landing on the dessert table. He started forward. Tonight was a night for celebrating, and he’d start with those delicious-looking brownies.

  Small fingers clenched around his arm, stopping his progress. “We need to talk,” Lanna said, her voice quiet but firm. “In the hall.”

  Slowly, Seth turned around and bit back a groan. He knew he’d have to answer to Lanna at some point, but he’d hoped to get some sustenance in him first. Facing her on an empty stomach was like giving himself a handicap. “Can’t we talk by the dessert table? I haven’t had dinner yet, and I’m starving.”

  “In the hall. Now,” she repeated, this time with more steel in her voice.

  Seth let out a sigh, said a mental goodbye to the desserts, and allowed Lanna to lead him out of the room and around the corner to a secluded alcove. She let go of his arm and turned on him. “I can’t believe you did that. How could you? You just made a mockery of this entire night.”

  Seth blinked, confused. Where had Lanna been during the final bid? In a bubble? “No, what I did was make your afterschool program an additional twenty grand. I get that you’re mad at me about the money, but I didn’t make a mockery of your auction.”

  “You bid on another guy, Seth!”

  Oh, well there was that. For whatever reason, her words struck Seth’s funny bone, making him grin. “Didn’t you see the date that guy offered? How could I pass on something like that?”