Highest Bidder

by Le Carre, Georgia

  Then just before he disappeared from sight, he stopped without turning around. “I know what it's like to lose a parent to idiots, so I’m not one to do that so carelessly to others. Think about that before you go believing every tale that is spun to take advantage of you.”

  Freya

  When I arrived home, Maddie and Ella were gone and my mother was sitting in front of the TV. There was an empty glass of wine on the coffee table. There was something so sad and forlorn about her that I felt the hair on my arms rise. Just then, she turned to face me and I saw her reddened eyes and knew she had been sobbing her eyes out.

  My poor, poor mother. I hurried over to her and immediately held her in my arms. Although she was my mom, I was a head taller than her, so she fit quite snugly in the crook of my shoulder. “Why are you crying?” I asked. “We are out of danger.”

  She touched my face gently. “I’m sorry, Freya. I’ve put you in danger by being a very, very foolish woman.”

  “It’s okay, Mom. It’s settled now. The debt is paid fully.”

  She dropped her head. “No, it hasn’t.”

  “No?” I asked softly.

  She shook her head. “I took another loan and they have been chasing me on that as well.”

  “I see. Don’t worry, Mom. I’m pretty certain my professor will help out.”

  She peered at me through wet lashes. “Why would he help? He doesn’t want you to do anything with him, does he?”

  I pretended to laugh. “He’s old enough to be my grandad, Mom. It’s not like that. He’s just a kind man. Anyway, it will just be a loan. I’ll pay it all back.” I was getting so good at telling lies it surprised me.

  She took a deep breath. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I am sure.”

  “Oh, Freya.” She let out a long sigh. “I’ve been so frightened this last month. I didn’t know what to do. I thought I was going to get a heart attack. I was supposed to be protecting you and I was getting us into deeper and deeper trouble. After what happened to your Dad, I swore to myself that I would take care of you, but look at what I have done.”

  “Oh, Mom, you have done great. I wouldn’t change you for the world,” I burst out.

  “I’m so tired, Freya,” she whispered. “I just want to lay my head down for once and have my heart actually know what it means to rest. Sometimes, I think I can’t take it anymore.”

  I led her head back to my shoulder and tried to keep my own tears at bay, as she sobbed, her shoulders quietly shuddering. Even when my father had died, I hadn’t seen her cry this much. It bothered me to no end, but I understood … I understood that she had never allowed herself to properly grieve. This was her outlet.

  I held her even tighter to me until she eventually lifted her face. She brushed my hair softly away from my cheeks and looked into my eyes. “You’re so strong. So strong. I’m so proud of you.”

  I planted a kiss on her cheek and felt my heart break just a little when I noted the wrinkles around her eyes. She had foregone her Botox injections to save money. As if she was a child, I placed another kiss on her nose and she squeezed her eyes shut.

  I wiped the tears from my eyes. “I love you, Mom.”

  “And you're a blessing, Freya.”

  “Well, you didn’t say that when I was sixteen.”

  “You were a brat, and I’m not taking that back.”

  Suddenly, my phone rang. I knew it was one of the girls so I gave my mother a quick kiss on the cheek and hurried to my bedroom. I ran the shower and in the lowest tone I could drop my voice to, I gave Maddie a quick update on what had gone on with Brent. There was of course no mention of his proposal but it was not difficult for her to put two and two together.

  “So he is responsible for this?” she asked.

  “Yup.”

  “What’s the catch this time?”

  I hesitated about whether I should tell her about Brent’s proposition, as I knew what her reaction would be, but I really needed to talk it out with someone or I would go insane. “A one month relationship with him, purely physical.”

  “Over my dead body,” she said.

  I smiled. That is exactly the kind of over-the-top thing I expected from her.

  “What the hell does he take you for? Chattel?”

  “That’s a fancy word,” I commented lightly.

  She ignored my attempt at jest. “This is not funny. What is wrong with him? Is this legal? Can’t he be reported or something? I mean, I used to wonder what kind of guy you’d get involved with when you finally started dating, but never in a million years would I have thought this? How the hell did you find a maniac right off the bat, but he looks so gorgeous and so damn sane—”

  “I have an incoming call, Maddie,” I said. “I’ll call you back.”

  “I’ll be waiting,” she warned.

  I immediately accepted the waiting call without giving the unknown number a second look. Whoever it was would be better than listening to Maddie continue ranting. I had a feeling she was going to go on for a while.

  “Hello,” I answered.

  “Is this Freya Anderson?” a sultry woman’s voice responded.

  It could very well be a response from the bank, but this late? “Yeah, who’s this?”

  “It’s Judi Mirren. Uh, do you mind if we speak? I’ll be very brief.”

  “When?”

  “Now. I’m outside your apartment.”

  I frowned. This would be interesting. “Okay.” I held the phone as I headed out.

  “Where are you going?” my mother called out.

  “Uh, I just want to check the mail, I’m expecting something,” I answered putting on my Parka. I shook my head at how easily the lies were flowing out of me these days. It just seemed so wrong, but what choice did I really have?

  Freya

  A few minutes later, I was in front of the hedge of our small apartment with my phone to my ear.

  “Where are you?” I asked.

  “Just a bit further down. Oh, I see you. I’m in the white Mercedes.”

  She flashed her headlights at me and I knew where to go. I disconnected our call and soon, I was sitting beside Judi Mirren in an overheated car.

  When she greeted me, I smiled but couldn’t meet her eyes. There was something too disturbingly unreal about the moment for me to accept. I didn’t know where to look so I just stared straight ahead.

  “I’ve heard a lot about you, Freya,” she began.

  Her voice ... There was something about it. Breathless, calculated, intended to manipulate. I had never seen her in real life before, or known her beyond her status as an actress, and of course, Brent Lucan’s rumored girlfriend. I summoned up the courage and turned to look into her ocean blue eyes. They were mesmerizing. She was eight years older than me, and supremely confident. I didn’t understand why I was sitting in her car.

  “It would have been lovely for us to meet at a café, but it would have caused quite the stir if I were to be spotted.”

  “Yeah, it would,” I responded, clasping my hands in the dark of the car, impatient for her to get to the real reason why I was here.

  “I heard about how you and Brent met,” she drawled.

  My defenses instantly went up. My hands tightened with nerves as a chilling calm came over me. I wondered who exactly was telling everyone about how I met Brent.

  “And I’ve also heard that you’ve been spending quite a lot of time with him,” she continued.

  I turned to her, the smile gone from my face. “That’s actually not true and even if it was, why would it matter to you?”

  She looked away from me and smiled into the dark. “Because I’m his girlfriend. I’ve been with him for years and I don’t intend to walk away because of a little infatuation with a kid. What are you? Nineteen? You have no idea how to keep a man like him.” She turned to face me again, the blue of her eyes almost violet with emotion. “He’s taken. He’s my man. Do you understand that? I need you to stay away from him. He’s not
someone to be toyed with.”

  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I was being warned off Brent.

  “I propose Brighton,” she said with a dazzling smile. “It’s a lovely bohemian city. Full of people your age. It’ll have all that you’ll both need. There's not much going for either of you here anyways, well except your university, but I’m sure a transfer can be arranged. I know people who can do that for you.”

  “Either of you?” I asked. I knew what she meant, but I wanted to hear her say it.

  “Well yes, you and your mother. Quite frankly, I don't understand how you both have stayed so long in London when there is so much nasty talk about your family. Please understand, I’m not trying to be rude, I'm just trying to be realistic. You both need a fresh start away from all the drama here and you especially, do not want your mother finding out about how you came in to your … little … umm … nest egg.”

  There it was. The other shoe had dropped and it smacked me right in the face. “Are you threatening me?”

  “It’s not a threat,” she said. “It’s a friendly warning. Going away will tie up everything neatly and grant everyone peace.”

  I turned to her. “And you have the right to do this because?”

  The smile instantly wiped off from her face. The gloves were off.

  “Because I have a lot at stake. Brent Lucan is the brains behind my company and distractions like you are going to make things very difficult for everybody. You’re just some shiny new toy, so please for the sake of yourself and your mother, go somewhere else and start anew. I’ll help you in any way that you need. Money and any kind of support either of you need. I think you’ll find I am very generous when I get my way.”

  “Is Brighton far enough?” I asked, my tone distant and condescending.

  “Excuse me?”

  “We might as well leave England. Paris seems like quite the place. My mom was raised there. She also had her honeymoon there. Or is that too close? How about a different continent? I’ve heard South Africa is stunning. Along the coast perhaps.”

  “You’re funny,” she said icily.

  “No, you are. Either that or you’re deluded to think that my life is somehow worth so much less than yours that it can be uprooted and flung to wherever pleases you.” I grabbed the handle of her car door to storm out. She tried to stop me, but I got out, slammed the door shut behind me, and returned home, feeling as if my heart would burst with fury.

  I couldn’t even respond to my mother as she called out to me. Or even my phone when Maddie began to call back. I let the call go unanswered but when she kept calling, I picked it up and spoke as calmly as I could.

  “Ella says we should go out for a movie,” she said.

  “Come on. Let’s go!” Ella screamed from the background.

  “I’m sorry, count me out, please. I’m tired. I’ll call you guys tomorrow, okay?” I didn’t need to go to the movies. My life already seemed like one. I ended the call and went in search of my mother.

  She was seated in the living room, the television on, but muted. Like she too, was deep in thought. When she noticed me, she smiled and called me over. “You didn’t eat. I didn’t want to disturb you, so I just left some chicken and potatoes in the oven for you.”

  “Thanks, Mom.” I sat beside her.

  “Why did you go outside?” she asked.

  “Uh.” I quickly put together another lie. “I was returning a call I missed earlier for an internship interview.”

  “Oh, I thought you found somewhere already?”

  “I did, but I’m still reviewing new options.”

  “Oh,” she said innocently, making me feel worse for lying to her.

  “How’s the store doing?”

  A light came on in her eyes. “It’s doing much better. I was seriously considering shutting it down, but I then received some contacts from the charity event and since then, fingers crossed, business has begun to flow. I’ll give it a little more time to see how things go.”

  “Give it a lot of time, Mom,” I said softly. “This is what you’ve always wanted to do. Don’t let it go.”

  “When did you get so mature?” she asked in wonder.

  “Born this way. I inherited it from my mother,” I replied.

  She giggled and for a while, we were both at peace with each other. I figured it was as best a time as any now to bring it up. “Mom, do you know Brent Lucan?”

  I held my breath as she stilled and then turned to me. “Not really, why are you asking?”

  “Uh, someone was talking about him the other day, and I remembered I used to see him when he was younger, when we would go to all those boring social events.”

  “Ah,” she said noncommittally.

  But I needed more from her. “He runs his own company now, doesn’t he? I even heard that he might be running Judi Mirren’s company for her.” When she didn’t say anything, I went on, “Isn’t that the company that was involved in Dad's case?”

  She turned to me and I could see that she was already very upset. “How did you find that out?”

  “Is it true?”

  She sighed. “I don’t know the details, your father wouldn’t tell me, but I do know that he was very upset with Brent Lucan. It’s all water under the bridge now. Let’s not talk about him, again,” she said. “I don't want to deal with memories from that time anymore.”

  I should have left it there, but I had just one more question, “Mom, do you believe dad was innocent?”

  Her eyes widened with genuine shock. “What on earth do you mean?”

  “Nothing. I was just reviewing the reports about the case—”

  “Reports are not the truth. How could you even think that about your Dad? He loved you, Freya. No matter what anybody says, that man loved you and I don’t want you to go poking around all that now. It’s in the past, Freya. Leave it there.”

  “Mom.”

  “Please darling, don’t talk to me about this again,” she said, rising to her feet. “Let’s just figure a way to get our finances in order and move on.”

  Things were changing so quickly in my life. I’ve had to grow up really fast. I went back to my room and sent Brent a text.

  I accept your arrangement.

  Freya

  The bailiffs did not turn up and I went back to Uni the next day. Everything had seemingly returned to normal in our life, but for some reason it felt like the calm before the storm. I was edgy, my thoughts constantly swirling around what I would say and do when I met Brent again. Of course, I was excited about being with him again, but aggravated that our time would be on his terms. There was no happy ending to our relationship. I was like an itch to him. He was to scratch it until it was no longer itchy.

  Then I would be gone.

  When my phone rang and Mom calling came up on the screen it was like that first dark cloud that blew on the sky before a storm. She never called me while I was at school. I quickly excused myself from the circle of conversation with my team and went to huddle in a corner. “Mom?”

  “Do you know what's going on?” She sounded agitated and distraught.

  “What do you mean?” I asked, going into panic mode.

  “I’m outside the boutique right now and I’ve been locked out. Some men came over and said that my lease had been taken over and the store has been rented to someone else.”

  “They can’t do that!”

  “Apparently, the one time they can do that is if you fall back on your rent. I don’t know why the landlord didn’t remind me for the money. He’s always done it in the past and I’ve always immediately paid it whenever he did. I just don’t understand. I have the money now, but they’ve given me a week to get rid of my stuff. I don’t know—Hey! What are you doing?” she screamed frantically at someone.

  In the background chaos, I could hear a man’s voice.

  I tried my best to hear what he was saying to her, but his voice didn’t carry well. Then she came back on the phone.

  �
��What is it, Mom?”

  “I don’t know what the hell is going on, Freya?” she cried. “Who is doing this? I know it is not some random person wanting to rent this shop. The shop two doors down is empty. They could have taken that. Someone wants to ruin me.”

  “They didn’t tell you who took over the lease?”

  “Of course not. The man said that you're aware of what's happening? What the hell does that mean?”

  My stomach swirled and tightened.

  “Freya? Is that true? Do you know what’s happening?”

  “I’m on my way,” I said and ended the call.

  The moment I found a taxi, I settled in. Then I placed a call to the person I suspected would be behind something like this.

  A few moments later, Judi Mirren’s silky voice came through the receiver, “Freya,” she greeted in high spirits.

  Her voice seemed to crack a splitting headache down my skull. “Do you have anything to do with the closure of my mother’s store?”

  “I thought that I’d help you kick start the decision to leave London. I figured it would help you sell the idea to your mother. If she didn’t have anything keeping her here, then it’d be easier for you to —”

  “Are you fucking out of your mind?” I screamed. My hands pounded on the seat as I exploded in fury. “How dare you? How fucking … dare you?”

  “Are you done?” she asked coolly.

  “We’re human beings,” I said in disbelief. “How the heck can you do this? How can you toy with people this way?”

  “Freya, I warned you. You’re the one toying with me. I’m happy that I was finally able to get my message across, but this is just the start. I can see your mother right now, and she’s quite … well … frenzied. I hope you won’t cause her heart to completely break by allowing her to come to know of things that she should not. Let me know when you’ve made your decision.” She ended the call then.

  For a second I stared at the phone, then I called her back.

  “That was fast,” she said smugly.