"Pamela?" I heard Sam's voice from my living room.
"You scared the crap out of me!" I yelled. I stepped out of the bedroom and found Sam, Suzanne and Bonnie waiting for me in my living room. Bonnie was holding a bottle of wine. All three were still in their formal clothes from the gala. I felt underdressed in my bathrobe, but we'd all had slumber parties before, so it was no big deal.
"What?" I said, one hand on my hip. They better be here to grovel.
"It wasn't her fault," Suzanne said. "It was mine."
"You held a gun to her head and threatened to pull the trigger if she told me?"
"Will you let us explain?" she asked.
I sighed. "Fine. But right now there is a huge rift, and I don't know how I can ever trust any of you again."
"Can we sit? Open the wine?"
I looked between the three of them. Sam knew I was upset and looked exceedingly guilty. I couldn't read either Bonnie's or Suzanne's expressions.
"Fine," I said, grabbing a chair and curling up in it, my feet tucked under me. "Which of you thought this would be a fun joke to pull on me?"
"I'll open the wine," Bonnie said, heading to the kitchen. Sam and Suzanne took places on the sofa, leaving the other easy chair for Bonnie when she returned.
"No one thought of it as a joke," Sam said quietly.
"Pamela," Suzanne said. "We were in trouble. We had advertised twelve people, and every year we try to include a woman who is a little exotic. We had two this year, and they both cancelled."
"Exotic? I couldn't be less exotic. Why me?"
"You're straight. That makes you exotic. You're attractive, and in that gown, you were ravishingly stunning. The way the auction went proves we were right about that."
I stared at her. "Digging your hole deeper, Suzanne."
"I'm sorry. I'm just trying to say, you fit the role of exotic bachelorette number six. Will you grant that?"
I thought about it. "Fine. But you should have told me."
"I wanted to," Sam said. "Whenever your name came up, I said 'no'. Just like I did over dinner last week."
"She did," Bonnie said, coming back into the room with the wine and four wine glasses. She set the glasses down and began pouring. "She told us we weren't discussing it. But she was out of options, so I brought it up."
"And then you jumped on it," Suzanne said.
"I tried to stop you," Sam said. "But you gave me The Look. Pamela, I was screwing up the event, and I made a bad call. I should have ignored your look and told you, but you said 'yes', and I was so relieved, because I knew you would be great."
"She tried to call you later that night," Suzanne said. "And I argued with her until it was too late to call you. Then I made sure everything made it to the printer before she could decide to ignore me and tell you anyway. Once it was at the printer, the cost of you cancelling was too high."
Bonnie handed me my wine. I'd had enough alcohol, but I took it anyway. She handed out the other glasses and sat down in the other easy chair. The three of them looked at me to see what I'd say. I just stared at them.
"You set a record," Suzanne said. "Our previous high was nine thousand."
"For one date?"
She nodded. "Tonight's turn was unique for us. Moira knew she couldn't outbid Gwendolyn, so she came up with that offer so they could both win, and in doing so, set a new record for us."
"It's ridiculous," I said. "They're both going to expect me to put out. They're going to feel cheated. I know it's for charity, but that's a ridiculous amount of money."
"They don't expect you to put out," Suzanne said. "They expect good night kisses. They might be hoping for a make out session, but they understand that's unlikely. They both wanted to provide a nice donation to charity, and they're tickled pink at the results."
"I watched you with Gwendolyn," Sam said. "Moira did, too. The three of us talked after you left. Pamela, you had a nice time with her."
"That's not the point."
"I know it's not the point about how we set you up. But I'm getting somewhere." I thought about it and nodded. "You had a nice time. You flirted with Gwendolyn. You went out of your way to put her at ease. Gwendolyn has never really dated."
"She says she has all the dates she wants."
"She has one night stands. It's not the same thing as having a relationship."
"She's not going to have a relationship with me, either!"
"You're teaching her how to court you," Sam said. "She doesn't have a clue how to do that. What do you think that's worth to her?"
"She doesn't have a clue how to have fun," Bonnie said. "And when I've gone out with her, she has bought me an expensive dinner then immediately takes me home. She's a very good lover, but that's all she is."
I stared at Bonnie.
"She knows there's more to life than work and sex," Sam said. "But she doesn't have a clue what it is. If she had won a gay woman tonight, it would be the same thing. Dinner and sex. With you, sex is off the table, and she has to work to get a kiss. You are exactly what she needs, and she knows it. She wants you to play hard to get."
"It won't be playing," I said. "And I don't think it's going to be hard, I think it's going to be impossible." I paused. "Unless she were to drug me."
"She wouldn't," Suzanne said. "That's not something you need to worry about, I absolutely promise you."
"I'm not sure your promises mean that much right now," I said. "But I'll try to put it out of my head."
She winced at my words, and then had the grace to look contrite.
"What about Moira?"
"Moira is exceedingly sweet," Bonnie said. "Everyone loves her."
"Moira watched you with Gwendolyn," Sam said. "It was clear you were still upset, but she was impressed with how gracious you were. She is going to flirt your ass off, but if you want more than a goodnight kiss, you're going to have to invite her. She won't pressure you."
I looked between the three of them.
"I'm sorry," Sam said. "I should have told you that first night." She paused. "For our friendship, I should have told you after. I know you felt betrayed. I will never, ever give you another reason to feel that way again."
"All right," I said. "But I am still upset."
Suzanne said, "Pamela, is there anything we could have done to have convinced you that you were the right person? I think we could have convinced you to do it, but you wouldn't have believed you were the right choice. True?"
I thought about it. Yes, they may have been able to convince me to do it, but I would have expected Bonnie's offer to win. I admitted that.
"Would you have bought that gown?"
"No. I'd have worn my LBD."
"In hindsight, was the gown the right choice?"
I laughed weakly. "Yes."
"How do you feel about everything else?" she asked.
I thought about it. "I liked Gwendolyn. And, well, I guess there's a bit of an ego trip, too. I'm nervous as hell, but having two women paying so much for a few dates with me is awfully flattering."
"Do you think you'll have fun on your dates?"
"Yes, actually, I do."
"Will you do your best to make sure Gwendolyn and Moira do as well?"
"Yes." I paused. "I might allow tongue."
Bonnie laughed. "Sure, for them you allow tongue."
I let the three of them cajole me into a better mood. Eventually I got up from my chair and made Sam move over on the sofa, then sat down next to her and leaned against her.
By the time they left, I was looking forward to my dates.
* * *
My phone rang Sunday evening. I didn't recognize the number.
"Hello?"
"Hello," said a woman's voice. "This is Moira Jenkins. We met last night."
"Moira," I said warmly. "Hello. It's good to hear your voice."
We chatted amiably for several minutes before she asked, "Are you worried about why I called?"
I laughed. "Not at all, Moira. I'm looking
forward to our dates."
"It's sweet of you to say that," she said. "It was clear you weren't happy last night."
"I know," I said. "But Gwendolyn was very kind and treated me better than any guy I've ever gone out with. I am told you are very sweet. And Sam stopped by last night and groveled beautifully."
She laughed.
"So, I am looking forward to our dates. I am also told to expect you to flirt my ass off."
"Is that a problem?"
"No. I can't promise I'm very good at flirting back."
I could hear her smile over the phone. "Is it going to be a problem to flirt with another woman in public, where other people can see you?"
"Bonnie flirts with me all the time. I usually deflect it, because I'm afraid of encouraging her, but sometimes I go with it. We can get pretty outrageous, up until she carries it too far and I have to shut it down. So no, I'm going to have fun. I just don't want to lead you on."
"I understand," she said. "Do you like to cook?"
"I do," I said. "Did you want me to cook for you?"
"I was wondering if you were free for a cooking class on Tuesday. There's a truffles making class at the Kitchen Window." The Kitchen Window was the best cooking school in the city, and I loved their classes. I'd never taken the truffles class.
"Really?" I asked. "I'd love to go!"
"Fabulous," Moira said. "A light dinner first? How early could I pick you up?"
"I usually work until five," I told her. "And I would need to come home, freshen up, and change clothes. But that squeezes us for time, so I'll arrange to come home early. I could be ready by five thirty. Does that work?"
"That is perfect," she said. She already had my address, but confirmed it. "I'll try to get you home at a decent time." Then she paused. "How long would you give me for our other two dates?"
"Overnight would be pushing it," I told her. "If you were to ask, I'd get nervous."
"No, that's not what I was thinking," she said. "But all day Saturday? Would that be okay? I'd pick you up early and get you home late. If that doesn't interfere with Gwendolyn's plans for you."
"I'm seeing her on Friday," I said. "All day Saturday would be fine. Are you going to tell me more?"
"How daring are you?" she asked me.
I grew a little quiet. "Everything is relative," I told her eventually.
"Oh honey," she said. "Are you really that nervous?"
"I'm sorry, Moira," I said. "This is a little new for me."
"Understandable. I'm not asking you for sex. I'm wondering if you would like an adventure. I want to surprise you with the details, but I need to know how adventurous you are."
I thought about it. "Are you going to ask me to jump out of an airplane?"
"Not quite, although if I had, would you have said yes?"
I caught myself grinning. "I've always wanted to try that." I paused. "But you know, I don't know if that's really date material."
"So you aren't afraid of airplanes? Even small airplanes?"
"Not at all."
"I don't want to tell you any more details," she said. "I'll have to watch the weather, but I have something in mind for next Saturday. I'll tell you what to wear later in the week."
"This all sounds very mysterious," I told her.
"I may change my mind what I want us to do," she said. "Once I get to know you a little better and can judge what you may enjoy."
"You could simply ask," I told her.
She laughed. "Where's the fun in that?" She paused. "Plan on Saturday, probably something adventurous."
"I'm looking forward to it," I told her.
After that, we talked for a while longer. She asked me what sorts of foods I liked to cook and we compared recipes. I asked her about her job.
"I'm a real estate agent," she said. "I think I mentioned that last night."
"You said you had closed on three houses. I'm a mortgage loan officer." We talked about the bank where I worked for a minute. She told me about the houses she had sold. As she talked, I could hear the passion in her voice. She loved her job.
"You don't sound thrilled about your job though," she observed.
"It's okay." I explained further then said, "I don't mind doing mortgages. I like when I can help someone. But I have to say 'no' to so many people, and I don't like that. And ultimately, it's not why I earned an MBA."
I heard the smile again in her voice, but she changed the topic. We talked for a little longer before hanging up.
Bonnie had been right. Moira was sweet. I decided I liked her.
TrufflesI was nervous at work on Tuesday. I was sure I'd have a nice time, but I was afraid of disappointing Moira. Still, I got through the day and left the bank at four. I got home, took a fresh shower, and then spiffed up.
For the class, I wore a little black dress, nylons, and heels. I was a little worried I'd be spending too many hours on my feet. I had taken classes at the Kitchen Window before. Usually you get to sit, but sometimes you spend most of the class standing. Still, I wanted to dress to impress, so that's what I did.
Moira rang my doorbell promptly at five thirty. I was ready for her. I opened the door, and we stared at each other for a moment.
"You look great," she told me.
"So do you," I said. She was dressed in her own dress. It was red and stunning. I invited her in.
"Cute house," she said. "If you ever need an agent." She was grinning when she said it. I laughed.
I gave her a quick tour. It didn't take long. We finished back in the living room near the front door. She turned to me and said, "Your home is very lovely. Thank you for showing it to me." She paused. "Are you nervous?"
"Yes."
"So am I," she admitted. "I am afraid of disappointing you."
I laughed. "I'm the one who should be afraid," I said. "You're paying a lot of money for this date."
"How about this? We agree to have a good time and not worry about the rest?"
"Deal," I said, holding out my hand to shake on it. We did, but once she had hold of my hand, she kept it. I decided to let her. When I didn't pull away, she smiled, a smile that extended to her eyes.
She had little crow's feet. She was older than I was. I guessed she was about forty. But she was beautiful, and her smile was infectious.
"I need to grab a pashmina," I said. "And then I am ready to go."
She released my hand, and I disappeared into my bedroom. I had set the pashmina on the bed, so I only had to grab it. I was still holding it in my arms when I returned to the living room. She took it from me and then draped it over my shoulders. She had to stand close to me to do it, and I found myself staring up into her eyes.
She stared down into mine for a moment, then turned, setting her hand on my back to guide me towards the front door. I grabbed my purse, held the door for her, then locked up as we left. I let her take my hand on the way to her car.
Moira led me to her car. It was a typical realtor's car, large for carrying clients between houses, and stylish. She opened my door and held it for me. I smiled at her before settling in. I watched her checking out my legs and smiled again.
"I am busted," she said when she climbed in on her side.
In response, I pulled the hem of my dress up another inch. She laughed. "You can keep going if you want."
"Oh, not quite yet," I said. "You need to work for it."
She started the car and backed out of my driveway. I waited until she was looking to the left before putting my arm on the rest between us where she could touch me if she wanted to. She made the left turn onto the crossroad that would lead to the freeway entrance before noticing my arm.
I saw her glance down at it before returning her focus to the road. Then I saw her smile and reach over with her right hand to caress my wrist before putting her hands back on the wheel. It felt nice.
"Thank you," she said.
"For what?"
"Please don't be coy." She glanced down at my hand again. "I am a cautious
driver. Will the invitation to touch you remain open once we are in public?"
"Yes," I told her.
She touched me briefly twice more during the drive, but by and large she kept her focus on driving. We talked about cooking, always a safe subject. We compared notes. She liked to do large entertaining, such as family holidays and dinner parties. "I live alone, so for myself I tend to keep things simple."
"I know what you mean. I do the same thing, but I enjoy cooking for up to four. Sam, Suzanne and Bonnie come over often, and in the past I've cooked for my boyfriends." I paused. "They seem to take it for granted."
"Don't you hate that?" she said. "You spend days planning a meal, looking up extra special recipes, trying to find just the right ingredients, and worrying that someone is going to have exactly the foods he or she likes, and then they act like it was easy."
"Bonnie is actually my most appreciative guest," I said. "I can never tell if she is serious, but there are days she acts like she's having orgasms from something I've made. Even if it's an act, I appreciate it."
We chatted back and forth about that before I asked her, "How did you know to invite me to a cooking class? Did you ask Sam?"
"No. It's a truffles class. You would have to hate chocolate to hate the class."
I laughed. "Fair enough. Moira, this is absolutely perfect. Thank you."
She caressed my arm briefly again.
We arrived at Calhoun Square and parked in the ramp. Moira turned the car off and turned to face me, her hand reaching out to rest on my arm. "Pamela?" She paused. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable."
"Are you wondering how much flirting I can tolerate?"
"Yes."
"Keep it tasteful and I will tell you if it's too much." I paused. "I'll flirt back, but Moira. It's just flirting. I am here with you to have a nice time." I paused. "Will you tell me if I am disappointing you?"
"With what you just said, I won't be disappointed, Pamela." She looked down at her hand caressing my arm. "This is really all right?"
"Yes. It's nice. I'll be disappointed if you stop."
Her smile grew and she nodded.
We climbed out of the car together and met at the back. She took my arm, and we held hands as we walked through the parking lot. She released me at the doors to the mall so that she could hold doors for me, then took my hand again once inside the mall.
Bidding War Page 5
