Highest Bidder

Just then, I noticed a man coming up to me, a smile plastered on his face. At first, I ignored him, but I realized our eyes were locked and his smile wasn’t faltering. I had absolutely no idea who he was, so I turned around to check if there was someone behind me.

There wasn’t.

“Let me call you back,” I said into the phone.

Freya

The man was tall and well built, but his choice of the evening’s attire was quite garish; a blood red velvet blazer and a silk dress shirt, open down to his chest. When he arrived in front of me, he got straight to the point. “May I have this dance?"

I blinked with astonishment. Men didn’t come up to ask strangers to dance at these kinds of events. Besides, I thought everyone knew I was toxic. I recovered my equilibrium pretty fast. Smiling, I gave him the only answer I could, “No, thank you.”

Ignoring my refusal, he made to reach for my hand so I quickly pulled away. The last thing I needed was more gossip at my expense.

“Oh, I do apologize. I’ve just been watching you for a while now, and I’m eager to have a little chat with you. Just one dance?” he pleaded.

I didn’t want to be rude, especially given that the caliber of the event we were at did not encourage scenes. Regardless, I truly did not want to dance. “I don’t want to dance,” I repeated politely. “However, if there is something I can help you with I’ll be happy to?”

His grin brightened even further, and although he seemed harmless, it still made me feel slightly paranoid that I was the butt of some joke.

“Don’t you remember me?” he asked, showing me his palms.

My eyes narrowed. “No. I’m sorry, should I?”

“No?” He shook his head. “It’s been a few years but I recognized you instantly. I’m Liam Lucan. We met in the kitchen of my father’s manor house almost a decade ago. I believe you might have even saved me from certain death at my brother’s hands.”

My eyes widened. He was Brent’s brother! God, I had absolutely no recollection of him. I could remember every detail of Brent’s face from that day, but Liam’s was a complete blur. I felt myself soften just a bit towards him. “I’m sorry, but you must have grown up a lot because I don’t remember you at all.”

“That's alright,” he said, and held out his hand. “A dance?”

I looked at the hand and sighed inwardly. I guess one dance won’t hurt. I could do with a friend in this hostile place. I was about to take his hand, when my phone rang. “Excuse me,” I said and pulled it out to glance at the number. There was no ID. Under normal circumstances, I might have ignored it, but not right now. It was the perfect excuse to escape.

“Hello?" I answered, and at first, there was no response.

“Hello? Who is this?”

There was a lot of background noise, but when he spoke, I knew exactly who it was.

“Don't,” Brent’s commanding voice came through, “do it. Stay away from him.”

I froze, taken aback that first of all he knew or had even bothered to store my number, and secondly, that he knew what was going on. I looked in the direction of his table, but couldn’t get a clear line of vision with all the people moving around. “Why?” I asked into the receiver.

The next sound that followed was a rude beep. He had hung up.

I pulled the phone from my ear and turned back to look at his brother. I was going to step away, but a sudden surge of anger filled my heart. I didn’t even want to dance with him, but Brent’s tone pushed me in the opposite way. Based on what I recalled hearing between the two of them that day I had interrupted their savage argument, I had no business stepping in, but I needed to know what exactly Liam wanted to say to me, or perhaps, I just needed to piss Brent Lucan off.

Putting my phone away, I accepted Liam’s hand, and was pulled onto the dance floor.

It was mighty uncomfortable being in such close proximity with him, especially since I was now aware of Brent’s disapproval, but I sucked it up, ignored the sick feeling at the pit of my stomach and focused on not stumbling to the quick waltz. He danced expertly, but years of previous training came in handy, and soon I was able to take my overactive mind away from the dance moves to the strange man in front of me. I tried hard to, but I just could not detect any physical resemblance between him and Brent. Where Brent’s nose was high and aristocratic, his was narrowed and almost girlish. His eyes were close set and a bit shifty, and his dirty blond hair was not quite the best complement to his pale skin.

“What did you want to talk to me about?” I asked.

He smiled at me and raised his hand to spin me around, which I found slightly irritating because I knew he had done that to avoid answering me. Refusing to ask the question again, I went on with the dance, stiffly enveloped inside the circle of his arm.

He laughed at whatever look was on my face. “You really hate dancing, don’t you?”

I didn’t bother to correct him that it had more to do with my partner, and overall circumstance, than the activity itself. “Yeah, I’ll be done after this song,” I said.

“Your wish is my command,” he replied.

I exhaled like a bull. I’d never disliked someone instantly in my life and worse, I didn’t even know why. Perhaps it was because of Brent. I submitted to the dance and not until it ended did he say another word.