Boys: Alphas of 2017 - Vol 1

by Hazel Parker

Sebastian kissed her still, then slid his mouth down her shoulder as she slumped towards the wall.

  “We need to go,” he said quietly.

  Lily’s only response was to turn around and kiss him fully, and he found he couldn’t resist.

  When Sebastian returned to the event, minutes after she left, he found himself surrounded by Ethel Green and her friends. Apparently, Matthew didn’t show up because he was sick, and the slot he was slated for at the auction was now vacant and they oh-so-needed to have a replacement right away.

  The pleading look in their eyes was something he couldn’t ignore, and so Sebastian asked what the auction for Matthew was about.

  “He was the one to be auctioned. A day out in town with the highest bidder, all-expense paid,” Ethel explained.

  Sebastian nodded his head. “I’ll do it.”

  The buzz of excitement that filled the air puzzled Lily at first, who hadn’t really caught up with the happenings until after dinner. She had been seated with the women in a round table and was too hungry to really chat, so she ended up listening to the conversation in between concentrating on whether she wanted to have the chicken or the pork, or hell—both. The past few days had been tiring, but great, as she bonded with the organizers and felt closer to them. Then there was her escapade with Sebastian in the restroom—gosh, in public—which basically had her stomach grumbling by the time they were done.

  Not that that was the only thing that happened. She was still humming in pleasure, which more than made up for the extra exhaustion.

  She caught snippets of what they were talking about, but not enough to fully get the picture. There was supposedly some sort of surprise, one that even most of the organizers didn’t know about. But once dinner was done and the host, Ethel’s husband Barry, took his place on the stage, everyone was all ears as he greeted them enthusiastically and explained the auction process.

  There would be a surprise person offered onstage that everyone would bid for. The proceeds would go to said charity and the highest bidder would have an all-expense paid date and town tour with the offered person. It all sounded pretty standard, similar to all the other auctions she had heard about. Barry talked some more, entertaining the crowd with his anecdotes before finally proceeding to call out the offer to come onstage.

  A second of thrilling pause passed before Sebastian stepped onstage. A hush fell across the room as the surprised audience stared.

  Then everyone started to get energized and pay attention as Barry announced Sebastian Nolan to be the last-minute surprise.

  Hanna groaned. “I don’t have enough money for this.”

  Janice shot her a look. “You have a boyfriend, remember?”

  The other woman shrugged. “It’s a friendly date. I just want to stare at him and dream.”

  Janice rolled her eyes. Darla, in the meantime, had started leaning forward to showcase her cleavage all the more, a certain gleam in her eyes—one that had Janice groaning this time.

  “And Darla is obviously gonna win this. And probably won’t stop bragging about it for the rest of her life.”

  Lily was no longer paying attention to their banter; her eyes fixed onstage as Sebastian stood up calmly with all the lights on him. He looked dashing and confident, and obviously everyone noticed it too as the women started to whisper to each other and a buzz filled the room.

  Then Barry announced that the auction had started, and numbers started flying.

  It started at one hundred dollars, given by Ethel, who wanted to get the ball rolling. Then Hanna called out a higher number, winking at her boyfriend from across the room as she did so, to which he good-naturedly grinned. The other ladies followed suit, and some men even bid in out of fun, including her uncle, John. Darla waited calmly for the participants to call out more and more, waiting for a pause before she raised her hand.

  “Two thousand dollars,” she bid, with a grin on her face.

  It was a pretty big amount and Hanna grinned at Darla while Beth smiled. Janice opened her mouth to say something, but she was interrupted as another number was called out.

  “Three thousand dollars,” the unfamiliar female voice said.

  Lily and the rest of the women at their table turned their heads to the woman on the other end of the room who had raised her hand. Lily recognized her earlier as the blonde who had come in with the mayor, all elegant curls and seductive looks. It didn’t sink in—until Hanna groaned—for Lily to realize exactly who the woman was.

  “The mayor’s daughter,” Beth whispered, though it wasn’t necessary. “Penelope Dawson.”

  A smug look crossed Penelope’s face as no bid came after hers.

  “Any other takers?” Barry asked, looking around the crowd. “We have ten seconds until—”

  “Four thousand dollars,” Darla called out, shooting Penelope a glance. Penelope kept her gaze onstage and the look in her eye was something Lily wasn’t sure she liked.

  Fluidly, like a panther that was both graceful and dangerous, Penelope raised a hand and sweetly declared her competitive bid. “Five thousand.”

  Unexpectedly, Ethel pitched in with her own bid of six thousand, which made the audience laugh and Barry raise both brows comically. But that was the only interruption to the two competitors who obviously were locked in a silent war that the others could do nothing about but watch.

  Lily watched as the numbers flew even higher, anticipation hitting her nerves as her friends egged Darla on, who ignored them and kept bidding.

  “Ten thousand dollars,” Darla announced, skipping from eight thousand triumphantly. There was no response from Penelope, so she grinned at Lily happily.

  “Well, that’s certainly a grand amount!” Barry exclaimed, laughing. “Anyone else?”

  A pause.

  “Twenty thousand dollars.”

  Darla sat back, shocked, the grin frozen on her face. Barry kept up the question for anyone to go higher, but it was obvious Darla had bid all she could when there was no response from her.

  Something was pounded on the podium, and the crowd applauded as Penelope stood up. There was a smug look on her face when she glanced at Darla but it was fleeting as she turned her head back towards the prize she won.

  Lily looked at Sebastian. He had a polite smile on his face, the usual one she saw him use with the people he mingled with daily. Penelope smiled back at him and they were called to the back of the stage to discuss their date before they could return to their seats.

  The next person was then called out, but Lily found herself no longer listening as she glanced in the direction the two were going. Penelope had given Sebastian a handshake and a smile that was a little too confident. While Darla always talked about how she wanted to get it on with Sebastian, Lily knew it was never going to be serious. Darla had a flirty streak, but was generally a good girl who knew her morals despite her talk.

  Unlike you.

  A flash of guilt hit her at that. Lily sighed, glancing at the pair again as they began talking and Penelope kissed his cheek. Then they were no longer visible as they continued walking backstage.

  They were adults. And it was none of her business.

  Reminding herself of that, Lily forced herself to focus back on the current show.

  The event finished at eleven, but the organizers stayed behind to do the general cleanup before leaving. They finished at midnight and a sleepy Beth drove Janice and Lily home. She took the driving slow to avoid accidents, though Janice kept commenting that there was no need since the road was obviously empty. Still, Beth refused to take any risks and stubbornly maintained her driving and it was almost one by the time Lily arrived home.

  She shed her clothes on her bedroom floor and took a quick shower before donning panties and a cotton top, then crashing into bed. Five minutes later, just as she was on the verge of sleep, her phone rang. Lily answered it with her eyes halfway closed.

  “Yo.”

  “Hey.”

  Sebastian’s voice penetrated th
rough her sleepy state, and Lily perked up a little bit. She smiled into her sheet. “What’s up?”

  “I just wanted to make sure you got home safe,” he said.

  “Safe. You didn’t tell me you were gonna be auctioned,” she commented casually.

  Sebastian grunted. “Last minute thing. It was supposed to be Matthew.”

  “Oh.” She paused, burying her head deeper into her warm bed. “When’s the date?”

  “Next Saturday. It’s a whole day affair, apparently.”

  “Nice,” she murmured.

  “You should get some sleep,” he said regretfully. “I just wanted to check that you got home all right.”

  Lily murmured something, but she didn’t know exactly what she said as exhaustion took over her, seeping into her bones. She crawled up until her head reached her soft pillow, murmured a good night and sweet dreams to the sweet, hot man who was on the other end of the line. He chuckled and said the same thing, but she didn’t hear anymore as her eyes closed completely.

  Lily was dead asleep before she could even press the phone’s off button.

  The week flew by and Sebastian was very busy with sick parishioners and an out of town conference. Lily missed him badly. Friday night, after an evening out with the girls she went to bed early because she was so exhausted. She had to work at the ice cream shop the next morning because the main cashier was sick and the owner couldn’t find a replacement at the last minute. Still lacking sleep, but wanting to help out, she hurriedly ate her breakfast and donned on her work clothes before hitching a ride from her widowed neighbor who was going to church for the mass. His teenage daughter sulked in the backseat, and while Lily usually talked to her, she was just too tired to do so right now. The widower, Jake, seemed preoccupied himself, though he did chat pleasantly with her for a few minutes about his plans to expand his back garden. He had vegetables and crops growing beautifully there, and sometimes knocked at her door to give her a tiny basket or two.

  He dropped her off right at the shop’s entrance, and Lily thank him before running for the shop like lightning, the bell on the door tinkling at her entrance. The owner, Russ, was already manning the counter and had given her a sigh of relief when he saw her. The ice cream server and waitress, Sylvia, was already there polishing the glasses and arranging the tables.

  “Thank goodness,” he said gratefully. “I still have to fetch my kids and take them to their doctor’s appointment—”

  “Go,” Lily said, smiling brightly. “No need to explain, just go. I’ll handle it from here.”

  Russ left right away. Lily exchanged some pleasantries with Sylvia before she went inside and started arranging the utensils. The cook arrived ten minutes later and went to the kitchen right away, and ten minutes after that, the shop was opened.

  Business was slow during the first hour, with only Beth stopping by to grab a scoop before she headed to the library. She also dropped off some books for Lily to read. Then a family of four came by and ordered breakfast along with dessert, and things started to get rolling.

  They became especially busy when half of those who had been shopping stopped by. Lily forgot her sleepiness as she focused on her cashier duties, helping out Sylvia in serving when she had time. After noon, the crowd finally drifted off and gave the crew a moment’s break.

  Sylvia went inside to help out the cook and eat some lunch, while the cook gave Lily a huge sandwich, which she chewed on while manning the counter. When Sylvia came back after a measly five minutes, Lily waved her off, ordering her to go take her lunch break like a proper employee. Sylvia smiled and went to the store across from them, promising to be back in an hour. Lily was just on the verge of finishing her sandwich when the bell chimed, and footsteps sounded.

  “Good afternoon,” she greeted automatically, keeping her voice pleasant.

  A throaty laugh came, followed by a murmur.

  Frozen, Lily looked up.

  Sebastian and Penelope had just come in.

  Sebastian’s date started at exactly nine in the morning when he picked Penelope up at the motel she was staying in and drove towards the center of the town. A quick tour was what she requested, and he was very accommodating with that as he wanted to show off Sunnydale’s best spots and warm people.

  Penelope was smart and gorgeous, and she obviously knew it from the way she moved and talked. Apparently, she had just graduated with a Master’s in Economics and had plans to follow in her uncle’s footsteps when the time was right. He was the governor of Wyoming and right now she was just enjoying her two months off before she went to work in her uncle’s office in Cheyenne, just a three-hour drive away from Sunnydale.

  One of the town’s best spots was the park at the center of the business establishments, so he parked the car there and took her for a stroll. She wore a red dress that hugged her figure and heels that she was able to walk in even on grass and she was politely enchanted by the lake and the swimming ducks there. Penelope liked talking about art—something he was familiar with and enjoyed discussing with her as they sat on the bench and let the tree shade them from the sun. While Penelope was somewhat coming on to him, she did it subtly enough that he could pretend she wasn’t doing so and ignore it completely.

  As a pastor, he had never gone on a date with anyone the moment he had chosen this life, unless it was for business purposes. He’d never even gone out on a public date with Lily, so this was a first for him in so many years.

  The thought of Lily made him miss her and wonder what she was doing at the moment. She was probably still at home, sleeping off the night’s exhaustion. A fleeting smile appeared on his face at the thought of her rolling around sleepily in bed, the urge to join her strong. Penelope noticed his smile and asked him what he was thinking about, to which he responded evasively before diverting the topic back to art.

  They walked around some more until Penelope complained she was tired and wanted to sit somewhere and just hang out. She mentioned an ice cream shop that she spotted when they were driving around, claiming that the heat would be more tolerable if they got a glass of iced tea or some ice cream together and took a break.

  The ice cream shop was the last place he wanted to go to, considering he knew Lily worked there. But Penelope was very adamant about it, claiming that she needed to have ice cream to cool down. In the end, he had to concede and take her there.

  Besides, it was Saturday. Lily was off for the weekend.

  The owner usually manned the shop on Saturdays, and Sebastian knew it was a relaxed atmosphere after noontime, when everyone finished their visit for a quick lunch or snack. They went around almost one and were laughing about something funny on the way inside, the bell chime signaling their entrance. Sebastian looked up to greet Russ and ask how he was doing, but the words got stuck in his throat when he saw who was manning the counter.

  Lily didn’t look up as she greeted them cheerfully, but she looked up when she heard Penelope laugh. The expression on her face was one of shock as she stared at them before she schooled it to a placid reaction that was hard to read.

  Penelope made a graceful beeline for the counter, swaying her hips seductively and heels clicking on the tiled floor. There was a selection of ice cream flavors on the counter and a menu on the wall as well, and she placed a finger on her chin, moving to her lips in a practiced pose as she eyed the wall. Then she glanced at Lily and spoke, tone distantly polite.

  “Do you serve salads?”

  Lily shook her head, not looking at him. Penelope pouted for a few seconds before turning to him.

  “I’ll just have whatever you’re having,” she said sweetly.

  Sebastian gazed at Lily, waiting for her to look at him. When she finally did, he spoke out. “Chocolate sundae and a cheeseburger, please. Hey, Lily.”

  “Hey,” she replied before rattling off the price. Their hands brushed when he handed her the auction coupon and an invisible spark passed between them. “I’ll serve it in two glasses in a bit. And the burg
er, of course.”

  “Make that one tall glass, please,” Penelope declared before turning to him. “We’ll share. I’m on a diet.”

  Lily pressed her lips together and smiled before directing them to a table. Sebastian wanted to ask why she was the one working today, but she was making a point of avoiding eye contact with him that he didn’t want to cause any further issues.

  Penelope was very chatty, obviously already comfortable with him enough to sit very close. He was asked about his life at church and his passion for it, but he felt that she wasn’t really listening to his answer and was merely preparing him for another set of questions.

  He was right.

  Just as the sundae, burger, and free french fries were served, Penelope leaned forward with a gleam in her eye.

  “So, have you ever…sinned after you became a pastor?”

  The glass rattled on Lily’s hand, enough to have Penelope shooting her a raised brow. Sebastian cleared his throat to divert the seated woman’s attention.

  “Not that I know of,” he said lightly, watching out of the corner of his eye as Lily placed the food on the table between them and straightened up. He caught her outfit before the counter hid her bottom half—low rise jeans hugging her legs, a plain white shirt that rode up her stomach and sneakers—and inwardly smiled in appreciation. Then a napkin fell out of her hand, and she bent down to pick it up.

  He went hard immediately.

  Penelope was still making some follow-up questions in a playful manner about the thrill of sinning and all that, and he forced himself to pay attention. Still, it was only half of his attention, as the counter was in his line of vision. Lily sat back in front of the counter, bringing out a book while waiting for customers and concentrating on reading it. She bit her lip, and his eyes trailed to it, which was slightly shiny with lip gloss.

  The ache inside him increased, and Sebastian had to consciously shift in his seat to adjust himself. Penelope took the first spoonful, licking the spoon deliberately before nudging the glass closer to him.

  “Hmm,” she murmured, staring into his eyes. “Delicious.”