Highest Bidder

I watched him, my heart melting within my chest. I broke the sweet kiss. “You’re going to screw up,” I said. “A lot, but I’m going to be there no matter what. We’re going to make this work.”

His eyes fluttered open, and I saw the fear in them. “I know. Promise me that you won’t ever give up on me?” He raised his hand to my cheek.

I held onto his hand as it cradled my face, and reveled in his warmth. “I won’t,” I responded.

“I love you, Freya Anderson.”

“And I love you, Brent Lucan.”

“Will you marry me, Freya?” he asked.

My eyes widened. “What?”

“That’s the only way that I can be assured that you’ll be in this with me, until the end.”

“My mom will kill me,” was all I could say.

“I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to win her over.”

I kissed him long and deep and when we finally broke apart, I whispered the words that would forever bind me to this man whom so thoroughly owned my heart, “Yes. I’ll marry you.”

“We have a baby on the way and a lot of work to do before that,” he said to me. “I want to know everything about you. I want to know what pisses you off, what makes you happy, what makes you excited … I want to know everything.”

“Well, that’s easy,” I replied, my lips twitching with amusement. “You.”

His brows furrowed in confusion, but when my jest finally clicked, he stood up, lifted me away from the ground and buried his face in my neck to hide his smile.

Evelyn Anderson

ONE MONTH LATER

“Would you like another glass of champagne, Mrs. Anderson?”

I opened one eye and smiled. “I don’t mind if I do.”

“Just relax and I’ll get someone to bring it to the waiting area for you.” The quiet sound of her soft-soled shoes faded away.

I closed my eyes and sighed with contentment. It’d been so long since I was treated like a queen. It felt good. Really good. For a while there, I thought I would never have this luxury in my life again, but as my mother would sing to me, Che sera sera. What ever will be will be. Without any warning, my daughter was marrying a billionaire duke and suddenly, she was insisting that I go for 24 carat gold and caviar facials.

Irina, the beautician came back. “Okay, it’s time to remove your masque now.”

“Is it? This bed is so comfortable I was about to fall asleep.”

She laughed easily and as she worked, she chatted about her noisy neighbor who played the drums till late at night, depriving her of her sleep.

Her movements were precise and efficient and soon she was done. “Finished,” she declared in her lovely accent. “Have a look.” She pressed a button and the bed I was lying on became a chair again.

I leaned forward and peered at the large mirror on the wall opposite. The treatment cost the earth itself, but it really did make one’s skin glow.

“Doesn’t your skin look amazing?” she gushed.

“Yes, it does,” I agreed.

“I always say there is nothing like the pulse heartbeat machine to boost collagen production and take years off a woman’s skin.”

I wasn’t going to argue with her about that. I got out of the chair as another member of the staff appeared, carrying a tray with my glass of champagne on it. “This way, please, Mrs. Anderson.”

I was lead to their waiting room. It was beautifully and extravagantly done up in cream and gold. There was a vase on the low coffee table that hadn’t been there before. It was beautiful and I immediately made note to find something similar for my boutique. I lowered myself down on one of the cream couches and leaned back.

The woman left the flute of champagne on the low table. “Would you like to book your next appointment now?”

I smiled. “Why not?”

She came back with a diary. We settled on a date that was convenient to me and Irina.

When she left, I took a sip of the cold liquid. Delicious bubbles broke on my tongue. Ah, this is the life.

As I placed the glass back on the table, another client of the salon came into the room. I recognized her instantly.

Diana Merrick, wife of Robert Merrick who was an ‘old friend’ of my husband. She took a double take when she saw me, then she quickly recovered, and gave me a brilliant smile.

Of course, I smiled back, but my smile did not reach my heart. When I was down and out, she had snubbed me. Actually, turned her back on me while I was halfway through a sentence. It was not even like I asked her for a loan or help. She just didn’t want to know me because I had fallen from grace.

“Hello, Evelyn,” she greeted brightly.

“Hello, Diana.” My voice was equally false.

“It’s nice to see you here … again.”

“Yes, there was a time, only very recently, when I couldn’t afford to come here.” I pretended to laugh. “Actually, I still can’t. Thank God for my daughter. She insists on paying for me to come here once a month.”

Diana Merrick shifted uncomfortably on her sofa. “Ah yes, Freya. She’s getting married soon, isn’t she?”

“Yes, that’s right. They are going to have a spring wedding.”