“Hello, Trudy,” Julian said politely. “How do you like tonight’s event?”
“Oh, it’s marvellous,” Trudy quipped, eyeing the crowd. “You have quite a good turnout. Wait, is that Travis Paulson?” She pointed at the sexy young billionaire in the corner.
Lia sneaked another glance at Travis. There was no denying that he was hot. She watched as he detached himself from the group to examine another painting. It was an abstract expressionist piece with lines crisscrossing over an unfinished circle.
Trudy didn’t wait for an answer. “Oh, Julian, I love that painting!” she gushed, pointing to the one Travis was admiring from across the room. “Would you please tell me more about it?” Before Julian could protest, Trudy grabbed his arm and dragged him in Travis’ direction. She expertly navigated a path through the crowd of people that stood between them and the handsome billionaire. She was clearly a woman on a mission.
Julian looked at Lia pleadingly and silently mouthed “Help me!” Lia suppressed a smile and followed them across the room.
Trudy cleared her throat. “Oh, Julian, this is such a wonderful work of art,” she exclaimed loudly even before they came to a halt in front of the painting next to Travis. “I simply adore how you deconstruct reality and configure the parallel lines of eternity into a finite time and space.”
Lia could barely stop herself from laughing as Trudy knocked into Travis startling him out of his reverie.
“Thank you, Trudy, but it’s actually…” Julian started.
“Oh, darling, you must tell me at once how you come up with such genius ideas!” Trudy interrupted. Then she made a great show of noticing Travis for the first time. “Oh, hi, I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t disturb you. I just love art so much I can’t stop myself from expressing my appreciation. I’m Trudy, by the way.”
Travis gave her a polite smile. “I’m Travis.” He turned back toward the painting, a look of concentration on his face.
But Trudy wasn’t one to give up so easily. She leaned in closer to Travis and pressed herself against him. “Have we met before? You look so familiar.”
Travis took a step back and shook his head, still smiling politely. “I don’t think so.”
“Oh,” Trudy exclaimed, feigning surprise. “You’re Travis Paulson, right? I’ve seen you before. I think it was at the modern art museum fundraiser with your father last month. Such a wonderful event, don’t you think? It’s so generous of your family to support young struggling artists. You give back so much to the community.”
For a short second, what looked like could’ve been a pained expression shot over Travis’ face, but before it could take hold, a self-confident smile curled on his lips as he turned his full attention to Trudy. “Oh yes. I was there. I loved the show.” He winked. “Although the after-party was even better and much more fun.” Lia found herself intensely disliking and resentful of his cocky self-assuredness.
“Isn’t that what after-parties are for?” Lia remarked dryly.
Travis turned toward her, grinning even wider. “You got that right, lovely lady.” His gaze traveled over Lia’s body with a wolfish grin. She hated it when men looked at her like that. She thought it was demeaning. She felt the color rise in her cheeks, both from embarrassment and anger.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch your name,” he said to her.
“I’m Lia.” She stretched out her hand for a handshake.
Travis took her hand and raised it to his lips with a seductive gaze. “It is very nice to meet you, Lia.” She jerked her hand away from him but not before the touch of his lips against her skin sent a small shiver of excitement through her body. She self-consciously wrapped her arms around her waist and felt a nudge at her side. It was Julian. “Oh, and this is Julian. He’s responsible for all of these stunning works of art.” She gestured toward her friend who flashed a shy smile at the rich billionaire.
A sparkle of interest appeared in Travis’ eyes. “Wow! It’s wonderful to meet you.” He shook Julian’s hand enthusiastically who was blushing up to his ears. “I wanted to ask you about this one. What is the idea behind…”
Trudy cackled loudly in Travis’ ear and placed a hand on his arm. “Oh, yes, after parties are great for getting to meet new people, make new friends and really let loose if you know what I mean.” She flipped her peroxide blonde hair over her shoulders and batted her eyes suggestively at Travis. He turned toward her with a provocative smile of his own. Travis radiated the kind of confidence and control that made women swoon. Julian opened and closed his mouth, unsure of what to do and Lia squeezed his hand reassuringly.
“Exactly my way of thinking,” Travis said. His gaze returned to Lia again. “I assume you lovely ladies wouldn’t say no to an after party tonight?”
“Of course not! After party, here we come!” Trudy giggled and tightened her grip on his arm.
“How about you?” Travis asked, looking straight at Lia. His eyes bore into her, but she looked away.
“I’m sorry, I have plans,” Lia answered curtly.
“Oh. Are you sure those plans can’t be stretched and modified in a way that our little party could fit in?” Travis asked, flashing her his best boyish smile. “We’ll be at Crash. You should really come. The boys will love you. You won’t be disappointed; I guarantee it’s going to be a wild time.”
“Oh, it’s the hippest place in town,” Trudy squealed.
“Only the best for me and my friends,” Travis boasted. “There’s no need to settle for bridge and tunnel fare when you can have champagne and caviar.”
What a self-satisfied, self-important, and self-entitled prick, Lia thought to herself as she felt anger welling up inside of her. “Well, thanks for the invite, but considering that my origins are probably much too pedestrian for your refined tastes and that I actually have to earn the money I spend, I should probably call it a night. Anyway, I’d much rather spend my money on something more meaningful like a painting and do something worthwhile with my time than indulge in overpriced drinks with wasted frat boys. Come on, Julian.” With that, she stormed off, dragging Julian behind her. A hush fell over the small crowd that surrounded them. She’d just insulted the heir to the Paulson family fortune. The words came out of her mouth louder and meaner than she’d meant them to. Maybe it was a reaction to the alcohol, the crowd, the over-the-top obnoxiousness of Trudy, or her own preoccupation with the theater’s financial struggles. Whatever it was, there was no taking back what she’d said and the damage had been done. Travis stared after her, his mouth half-open.
“Did you really have to insult him like that? You know he can make or break either one of us,” Julian hissed at her once they were out of earshot.
Lia was still fuming. “I’m sorry, Julian. I just can’t stand self-centered stupid people who’ve never had to do a day’s work in their lives. Who cares anyways? I doubt I’ll ever have to see him again.” The next day, Lia’s public reprimand of Travis and his playboy posse was plastered all over the gossip columns.
Now, standing center stage and listening to Travis’ victory speech, Lia sighed loudly at the memory of that night. In hindsight, she knew she was in the wrong, she just didn’t expect that it would come back to haunt her like this. Travis was still talking into the microphone, speaking about his appreciation for bold new art and up and coming artists. She felt a nudge in her side. It was Maggie standing beside her, beaming.
“You lucky girl,” she whispered. “You get to go out with Travis Paulson! How are you going to thank me for arranging it?”
Lia rolled her eyes. “I think it might rather be revenge than a date.”
Maggie raised an eyebrow. “Revenge? How so?”
Lia quickly recounted the events at Julian’s fundraiser. Maggie threw her hands in the air. “Are you crazy? Paulson Tech is one of our biggest sponsors! We’re lucky they didn’t stop backing us after your little tantrum.”
“I know, I’m sorry,” Lia replied. “Though, in my defense, I didn�
�t know at the time that PT was our sponsor.”
“Still, you should know better than to insult rich people.”
Lia nodded. “You’re completely right. It was really unprofessional of me. But I just couldn’t help it. His self-satisfied, privileged boasting got under my skin.”
“Well, get ready to endure a whole lot more of it.” Maggie rolled her eyes at her friend.
Applause broke out and Travis handed the microphone back to the techie. Lia plastered a polite smile on her face and thanked the audience once again for attending the gala. Then the lights went up and the auditorium was filled with the sound of five hundred people shuffling to their feet. The noise was intensified by the excited chatter of the actors and the crew behind Lia. Maggie joined their colleagues while Lia remained in her spot, still collecting her thoughts.
“We should go celebrate,” Lia heard one of the actors suggest. “How about an after party?”
The doors to the auditorium opened and the audience started filing out of the hall. A gust of cool air rushed in from outside. Lia felt it on her hot cheek as she looked around the auditorium. Somewhere in the region of the VIP seats, there was a slight disturbance in the steady flow of people. Lia strained her eyes to see what was happening and felt her stomach sink when she saw a tall blond man trying to break through the moving wall of bodies and get to the stage. Travis.
Lia watched his progress worriedly. What should she say? Was she supposed to apologize for her rude behavior from that night at the gallery? Thank him for his generous donation? Or both?
He arrived at the front of the theater and with an energetic leap, he hopped onto the stage. He gave her a lopsided grin. “Hello.”
Lia straightened her back. “Good evening. Thank you for the generous donation. It really means a lot to us.”
Travis winked at her. “See? I can spend my money on meaningful things.”
Lia blushed. “I apologize for my comments from before. I was completely out of line.”
Travis gave her a sheepish smile. “Don’t worry about it. In fact, I owe you an apology as well. I didn’t mean to offend you that night. I don’t know why I made that stupid comment. I’m sorry.”
They regarded each other in silence for a moment. Lia couldn’t help but notice his strong jawline and the way that his unruly hair fell rather charmingly into his eyes. She smoothed the front of her dress self-consciously.
There was a polite cough coming from behind Lia. They both turned toward the sound. It was Maggie.
“Hi, Travis. I’m Maggie Mains, Pages’ financial director.” She shook Travis’ hand. “Thank you for your donation.”
“The pleasure is mine,” Travis replied gallantly. Behind them, the crew started disappearing backstage.
“Would you like to join us for the after-party? We’re heading to Red, a little club around the block.” Maggie gestured at the retreating backs of their colleagues.
Lia opened her mouth to protest but Travis rubbed his hands together. “Excellent. I love after parties. Thanks for the invite.” He winked at Lia. “It will give us a perfect chance to discuss our big night.”
With that, he took Lia’s arm and followed the crew to the stage door.
CHAPTER THREE
Lia had been inside Red a thousand times, but never got tired of the club’s small and cozy interior. Its walls were covered in red velvet and silk, which made her feel like she was inside of a jewelry box. The crystal chandeliers and cast-iron tables enhanced the club’s sensual mood and sultry jazz flowed from the speakers.
Travis looked around and took in his surroundings. “I like this place,” he announced. “They made the most of their apparently small budget.”
Lia snorted. “And you can tell that how?”
Travis pointed to a chandelier. “The crystals are fake, but of really good quality.”
Lia stepped closer to the chandelier, examining it. To her, it looked genuine. “How do you know they’re fake?”
“Look at the light shining through them. If they were real, there would be rainbows on the wall. Real crystal acts like prisms. These are made of glass, but with excellent workmanship.” He pointed at one of the teardrops hanging from the chandelier. “Look at the fine edges and patterns. It was definitely a lot cheaper than crystal, but it’s still beautiful.”
Lia looked up at the ceiling and nodded. “You know a lot about crystals.”
Travis grinned. “A lifetime spent among crystal chandeliers.”
“What a hard life you must have had.”
Travis cocked his head to the side. “I’ll put that down as sarcasm instead of outright rudeness.”
Lia apologized. “I didn’t mean it that way.”
Travis gestured toward the bar. “Let me buy you a drink.”
Lia’s colleagues were already at the bar. A few of them stole curious glances at Travis, but nobody dared to approach them. Maggie was drinking something blue. She grinned at Lia over the rim of her glass. Lia made a face at her. For a brief moment, she considered joining the group of her colleagues, anything to avoid a one-on-one conversation with Travis. She was drawn to their carefree laughter and general merriment, but as she made a step toward the group, Travis placed a hand on her back and whispered in her ear. “What would you like to drink?”
Lia turned back to him. “Erm, a mojito, please.”
“Excellent choice.” Travis signaled to the bartender. “Two mojitos, please.”
Travis helped Lia up onto a barstool, then seated himself as well. As they waited for their drinks, Lia played with her necklace. It didn’t happen to her very often that she had no idea what to say, and the feeling unnerved her.
“That’s a beautiful pendant,” Travis remarked, eyeing her necklace.
“Are you going to tell me it’s fake?” Lia blurted out without thinking. She regretted it instantly. What was wrong with her?
Travis raised an eyebrow. “You don’t seem to like me very much. Or are you this thorny with everyone? Perhaps I should ask your friends.”
Lia felt horrible. She genuinely regretted her words. She reached over and put a conciliatory hand on his wrist. The sudden skin-to-skin contact sent a slight, not at all unpleasant shiver down her spine. Her voice quivered a little as she spoke. “Listen, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be rude to you, it’s just…” she trailed off.
“What is it?” Travis asked attentively.
Lia shrugged. “I don’t know how to explain it. I just… I can’t imagine why someone, especially you, would pay that much money for a chance to take me out on a date.”
“Especially me? Why, what’s wrong with me?”
Lia’s fingers found her necklace again. “Nothing’s wrong with you. I just don’t see why you’re interested in me. To the point of paying fifty thousand dollars to Pages.”
Travis gave her an evil grin. “What makes you think I’m interested in you? I’m supporting art.”
Lia raised an eyebrow. “I see. So would you be willing to exchange our date for a… let’s see… a costume from our latest play?”
Travis laughed. “You got me. No, I wouldn’t want to do that.” He leaned back in his seat and regarded Lia with an unreadable expression. She sat up straighter under his scrutiny. “The truth is, you intrigue me, I respect what you did,” he said at last.
“Really? Why?”
Travis chuckled. “Remember your friend from that night? The one with the squeaky voice?”
“Trudy? She’s not my friend.”
“I can see why. Now imagine that most people who surround you, who want to get to know you, are like Trudy.”
Lia shuddered involuntarily. “I don’t want to imagine that.”
Travis laughed. “Of course not. That would be horrible. But that’s what my life is like.”
Lia gaped at him. “No way. You’re exaggerating. You’re a free person, you can choose who you spend time around. It shouldn’t be hard especially with your kind of money.”
The ba
rtender placed their drinks in front of them. Lia stirred hers, enjoying the sound of the ice cubes clinking against the glass. She took a sip. The alcohol burned her throat pleasantly.
“Perhaps it would seem that way,” Travis admitted, sipping his drink. “With money you get a lot of attention and with so many eyes on you all of the time, you really don’t have as many choices as you’d think. Most of the girls I meet are really just after my money and the publicity. They don’t really care to get to know the real me.”
Lia snorted. “Rich boy problems.”
Travis laughed. “I know it’s a cliché. But it’s true! If you were almost any other woman, you’d spend your time kissing my ass and trying to get me to buy you expensive gifts. Instead, here you are throwing insults at me as if I couldn’t just buy this whole place without batting an eyelid. I like that.”
Lia thought about this for a moment. “So basically, I’m a challenge?”
“You could say that.” Travis shrugged. “But I think it’s more than that. I want to know why you’re like that. Why you’re seemingly not interested in my wealth and my position. I want to get to know you. And,” he added with a cheeky grin, “you’re smoking hot.”
Lia leaned back in her seat, blushing slightly and trying to make sense of the new Travis she was just learning about. She didn’t know how to react or what to say and so she did her best to nod thoughtfully and sip her drink as she stalled for time.
Travis cocked his head to the side. A slight smile played on his lips as he could sense her awkwardness. “Don’t worry. I don’t expect you to answer right now,” he said. Lia widened her eyes in surprise as she almost spat out her drink.
Travis chuckled. “What, did I just read your mind?” He leaned forward, gazing at her intently. “In fact, now that I think about it, I don’t want you to answer my questions at all. I want to find out all by myself. And I will.” He said with a triumphant expression on his face.
The Auction: The Billionaire Wins a Date Page 2
