Halloween Bites

“Three million,” I grit out, still only bidding against myself.

“So, yeah, the same guy. Three million,” the auctioneer seems somewhat confused, but is just going with it.

After Mandy’s drunken night at the bar in my casino, I watched the monitors as she went to her room and passed out. I went to bed myself, thinking she’d be hungover and sleeping it off when I woke. When I got up and checked, she was already gone. All of her things were out of her room and no one knew where she went. By the time I got to the lobby, Cupid was there talking to the doormen and trying to track her down.

“She’s gone. She left at four this morning in a town car. The doorman didn’t know the driver, and when we pulled the surveillance cameras, we saw it was an unmarked car. I’m so sorry, Charles. She took everything with her, and we can’t seem to locate her.”

“Fuck!” I shout, punching the wall beside me. When I pull my fist away, I see the damage I’ve done, both to the wall and to my hand, but I don’t feel a thing. I’m completely numb. She got away from me. “You find her, Cupid. Now. And have that wall fixed.”

As I walk towards my elevator, I feel my phone vibrate. I pull it out of my pocket and see it’s a number I don’t recognize. Thinking it might be Mandy, I answer it in a panic.

“Mandy?”

“I thought you might be interested to know that your former employee has signed up for my October Mistress Auction.”

“I don’t have time for this shit, Samantha.”

“You’re not listening, Mr. Townsend. Mandy has requested to enter the Mistress Auction next week.”

I’m stone still at her words, thinking about everything that sentence means. My brain isn’t fast enough to process her words and the pain they cause at the same time. What has she done? What did I do?

Samantha clears her throat, bringing me back to the moment.

“Whatever it takes. I want her. I’ll buy out the auction.”

“I thought you might say that. You know I’m always willing to help a friend. For the right price, or course.”

“Of course. Name it. I don’t give a fuck. I have to have her. Only me bidding, and I need a guarantee.”

“I’ll work up the numbers and email you the details. I’ll have the other gentlemen attending the auction sign an agreement not to bid”

“Done.”

“Always a pleasure working with you, Mr. Townsend.”

Before she can hang up, I stop her. “Samantha, where is she?”

“Oh, Charles, you should know by now, every girl needs her secrets.”

The line goes dead, and I’m left standing there with my phone in my hand, and no way of finding her. One week and she’ll be mine.

It’s been absolute hell waiting until now to have her. And having to see her like this, displayed for everyone, is tearing me to pieces. Hearing me yell out my last bid of three million has Mandy turning around and looking at me with hard eyes. She’s not willing to concede yet, and she struts along the front of the stage, arms spread wide.

“Gentlemen, gentlemen, let’s be reasonable. Are you going to let him have me all to himself? I’m willing to spend the next thirty days on my knees, thanking you for spending your hard-earned dollars on me.”

That last sentence spins me into a rage I’ve never felt before. I stand up so fast, my chair topples over.

“Five million. Call the auction. Now!” I slam my fist down on the table, sending the drinks crashing to the floor. I’m the only one for whom she’ll ever be on her knees. The idea of her at someone else's feet nearly sends me over the edge.

“Once, twice, sold!” The auctioneer slams down the gavel and the curtains close, sealing Mandy behind them.

“Can we look now?”

I look down at the table and see that Aaron and Justin have their hands covering their eyes. They look ridiculous, but if it’s two fewer people seeing Mandy naked then I’m all for it. “She’s gone.”

Aaron breathes a sigh of relief at my words. “Thank God. We need to call and tell Lucky what happened before she finds out and stabs us to death.”

I see Justin pull out his phone. “Let me do it. You’ll just mess it up.”

“Maybe we should go home and tell her while we’re fucking her so she can’t get mad. God, this didn’t go anything like Lucky’s did. Why was Mandy naked? Gross.”

Justin smirks as me. “Hey, at least he had to pay what we did. Five million each was a steal for Stella.”

While Justin and Aaron are arguing, I look around the room and see the door I need to go through to claim Mandy. I start to walk away, and I feel a hand on my arm. I turn back to see the brothers standing there looking at me.