A Bid for Love

by Rachel Ann Nunes

  Larry followed Jared’s gaze. “Oh, yeah. Do you know them? I think they know you. They’re visiting.”

  Jared shook his head and then nodded, aware of the contradiction, but unable to control himself. “We’ve met,” he said. “At the hotel.”

  “How wonderful to run into them like that,” Larry said. “I’m always so excited to meet people from different places.” Larry was positively beaming, and Jared felt slightly irritated. He knew what was coming next—Larry would try to set them up.

  “The meeting is probably about to start,” Jared said quickly. “Are April and the children inside? I can’t wait to see them.” As he spoke, Jared moved toward the chapel, passing Cassi and Renae.

  “That reminds me,” Larry said, hurrying to catch up, “Trudy Martin is bedridden now and won’t be here. She’s eighty-five now, and in poor health. The doctor isn’t sure how long she’ll live. Would you like to go with me to visit her this afternoon?”

  Jared was painfully aware that Cassi and Renae were following them into the chapel, close enough to hear every word. “Sure. But I already went to see her last night. She was like a second mother to me when I lived here, and I always visit her when I’m in L.A.” Jared saw the women behind him exchange looks, Renae’s a triumphant I-told-you-so, Cassi’s completely unreadable. Jared wanted to shake her.

  Instead, he pretended not to see. He and Smithy made their way over to April, who sat near the back of the chapel with their six children where she could make a quick getaway with a crying baby if necessary.

  The oldest child, now twelve, looked up at him shyly. “Hi, Jared,” she murmured, unable to help the blush that covered her cheeks.

  Jared smiled inwardly to see that the child still hadn’t lost her girlish crush on him. “It’s very good to see you, Meagan. You’ve sure grown up in the last six months.”

  The girl blushed again, pleased that he had noticed. The other children clamored around him until Jared shushed them. “Look! The meeting’s about to start. How about we listen, and then tonight when I come over for dinner we’ll see who’s the most ticklish?” The children giggled but soon quieted, knowing Jared’s promise was good.

  Jared experienced the familiar ache he always felt when he was near children. No matter how much he played with his numerous nephews and nieces or volunteered in the church nursery, he never seemed to completely fill the void he felt at not having his own children. Mostly he tried not to think about it.

  Ahead of him two rows and to the left side, he could see Cassi sitting with her friend, Renae. His eyes continued to search her out as if drawn by some magnet. He forced himself to remember how Léon had said she treated potential suitors, and his description of her apparent hardness when trying to make art deals. She’s got her priorities mixed up, he thought.

  Jared felt better with his rationalization, but he continued to look at Cassi, despite his resolve to forget her. Because suddenly he didn’t see her as a snob or as a businesswoman; he saw her only as she had looked yesterday morning, the first time he had seen her, dressed in faded jeans and an old T-shirt, her long hair curling in every direction, and her face without makeup or guile. Was that the real woman? And if it was, why was he so attracted to her?

  Yet thoughts of the Buddha chased away any idea he might have of making friends. He wouldn’t let Cassi have it—no matter what. He smiled grimly, completely aware that there was something in him that enjoyed a good fight.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Sweat ran down Cassi’s face as she ran in place on the marbled carpet in their hotel suite. At home she usually went jogging each morning, but on trips she exercised in her room or used the hotel gym.

  Renae laughed as she watched Cassi’s antics. “I don’t know if it’s worth it,” she said. “It seems like a lot of work to be fit.”

  “Well,” puffed Cassi, “it’ll get me ready for the battle for the Buddha today.”

  “Oh, yeah. The Buddha battle with the beautiful bachelor.”

  “The arrogant jerk, you mean,” corrected Cassi.

  Renae’s eyebrows rose. “So he’s only a jerk now. That’s quite a step up from the pigsty.”

  Cassi glared at Renae but said nothing. She was already confused in regard to Jared, and she didn’t want to think about him. Seeing him at church and hearing good things about him had changed her perspective. What her new perspective was she hadn’t figured out yet, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to.

  “From what I heard about him, the guy’s worth checking out.”

  Cassi stopped running in place and stood there puffing. Her face was flushed, but not all of it stemmed from exercising. “Maybe for someone else. Me, he didn’t give the time of day. Did you see how fast he went into the chapel when he saw me yesterday? My being there cut off all his small talk. He couldn’t wait to get away from me. I don’t care, either. I’m going to beat him and walk away smiling. I won’t ever have to see him again.”

  “What if he has a bigger budget than you do?”

  Cassi frowned. “It’s all too possible. He represents a fairly large gallery in New York, the Garrettson Gallery. They have a very specialized clientele. It’s likely they already have a customer who has commissioned them to get the statue, and for me that spells trouble. I wish I really could slip something into his drink.”

  “Except we already agreed that was out of the question.” Renae had a big smile on her face. “Besides, he’s cute.”

  Cassi sighed and sat down on the bed next to her friend. “How can I forget, with you always reminding me?”

  “So what are you going to do?”

  “You tell me.” Cassi stood up and went to look at her watch on the nightstand. “Oh, I’ve got to get ready. The first leg of the auction starts at ten, and there are a few things I wanted to bid on.”

  “Not the Buddha?”

  Cassi shook her head. “The Buddha will go at threeish. But that’s after the lunch break. At noon the auctioneers leave until two.”

  Renae nodded. “This should be interesting.”

  “Let’s hope it doesn’t bore you to death. But I guess it’s only a two hour block. If you hate it, you don’t have to come after lunch.”

  “And miss your battle for the Buddha? No way.”

  They dressed and were ready to go when they noticed a folded sheet of white paper partially under their door. Cassi bent to pick it up while Renae opened the door.

  “No one’s there,” she said. “Cassi, what’s wrong? Why are you so white?” She grabbed the note. “If you want to live, do not bid for it,” she read. “Bid for what? Is this some kind of a joke?”

  Cassi met Renae’s eyes, feeling her knees go weak. The black type on the otherwise unmarked sheet was perfectly clear to her. “The Buddha,” she said. “It has to be the Buddha.”

  “But no one even knows you want the ugly thing. Except that French guy and—”

  “Jared,” Cassi finished.

  Renae’s mouth rounded to an O. “That’s ridiculous. Anyone could have sent it.” Then she added more doubtfully, “Or if he did, it’s a joke.”

  “Well, this kind of joke I could do very well without.” Cassi crumpled the note and threw it into the wastebasket. “I won’t be intimidated by anyone, especially not by an arrogant pig.”

  “Pig, huh? I can see we’re back where we started.”

  “I’m not discussing this with you. Come on. Let’s go.” As Cassi led the way to the elevator, chills crawled down her spine. What if the note wasn’t a joke? What if Jared Landine was serious in this threat? Or what if he hadn’t sent it at all? She glanced nervously over her shoulder, imagining eyes following her, but no one was there.

  At the door to the auction, a man stood guarding the entrance. Only people who were pre-registered could enter, although those registered could bring guests. Most of the items were expensive enough to prevent the average person from wanting to attend, and art dealers made up nearly the entire clientele.

  “Card please,” t
he man said. Cassi handed him her registration card.

  “Cassi Mason,” he read aloud, and his hand slid down the list to find her name. “You’re number forty-four.” He handed her a long white card with a number printed in bold black letters. Cassi thanked him, and she and Renae walked into the auction room. Rows of gold-cushioned chairs had been set up, and already many were filled. Everyone looked eager and excited for the competition, and a buzz of voices echoed through the room. Cassi couldn’t help noticing that Jared Landine was nowhere in sight.

  “We have a number?” asked Renae. “How does it work?”

  “When we want to bid on an item, we simply raise the number. This makes the auction employees’ jobs easier because they know exactly who is bidding for what, even if they don’t remember us from prior auctions. And they don’t have to worry about payment, because they have a list of what galleries we represent and they know our history. Only the independents are regarded with any reserve.”

  “Are all auctions like this?” asked Renae.

  Cassi shook her head, wishing her curls wouldn’t dance around her face so annoyingly. “No. There are as many different ways to conduct auctions as there are people who want to buy. It just depends on the company doing it. For instance, some auctions have sealed bids instead of open bidding like this one. In sealed bids, you never know if you get the item until they reveal all the bids. The highest bid wins, and they notify you later.”

  “But that takes all of the excitement out of it.”

  Cassi grinned. “I agree. But they can be profitable.”

  More people had come in and were quickly seating themselves. The auction was about to start. Cassi glanced around but still saw no sign of Jared. Her mouth tightened angrily as she realized what she was doing. Why did she care? She deliberately focused her attention on the auctioneer, who was standing in front of a small podium. To both sides of him were long tables filled with the first batch of items to be sold. On the far side, the guards responsible for keeping the art safe until transferred to the new owners stood alertly against the wall.

  “Now, who would like to bid for this item?” began the auctioneer, pointing to a small painting. He went on to describe its qualities, and then asked for a starting bid of ten thousand dollars.

  Renae gasped. “And I was thinking of trying to get it for my living room!”

  Cassi smiled but didn’t answer. The painting sold quickly, and her attention was on the next item up for bid, a ten-inch statue of a mother and baby that tore at her heart. The realistic piece had been one of the last-minute items added to the auction, and she knew without a doubt that it would sell very well, especially since it was made of exceptionally fine quality porcelain. It was worth far more than the starting bid of four thousand, but it was an obscure piece, and only those who had taken the time to look beyond its simplicity would have seen its real value.

  Cassi raised her card.

  “I have four thousand for Mother and Baby. Let’s make it four thousand five hundred. Who will make it four five for the mother with the blue-checkered skirt dancing with her infant? I have four five. Anyone for five thousand . . .” A few others bid on the piece, some simply because Cassi had done so, and the price went slowly up. Cassi won the bid at six thousand. She felt it was worth at least twice that price and smiled in satisfaction.

  Renae bumped her shoulder. “He’s here,” she whispered, jerking her chin to the right. Cassi looked and saw Jared Landine coming through the door. The guard at the door didn’t look pleased at the latecomer’s interruption, but Jared smiled at him and slipped into an empty seat. His eyes scanned the crowd, and Cassi quickly turned her head before he could see her watching him. Inexplicably, her pulse quickened.

  Cassi bid for only one more item that session, a painting, and was beaten out by Léon, who shrugged and gave her a friendly wave. With Mother and Baby hers, Cassi felt no ill will. After the last item sold, people stood to stretch their legs.

  Cassi noticed that Renae’s face had gone pale. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “I suddenly feel really tired, and I keep having these false contractions. They’re enough to drive me insane sometimes.”

  “Is there anything you can do for them?”

  Renae shook her head. “Not medicine-wise. But lying down always seems to help.”

  “Let’s go, then.”

  They were nearly out the door when Léon stopped them. At his side was the last man on earth Cassi wanted to see: Jared Landine. “What was so interesting about the Mother and Baby?” Léon asked.

  Cassi shrugged. “I like babies, I guess.”

  Léon laughed. “But only because it will bring your gallery a profit, no?”

  “You got the Mother and Baby?” Jared asked, a peculiar expression passing over his face.

  Cassi saw the look as a questioning of her knowledge and abilities. She stiffened. “Wouldn’t you have bid for it if you had been here?” She almost bit her lip as she realized that her statement made him aware that she had noticed his earlier absence. Well, what did she care? If Mr. Landine couldn’t see the beauty and quality of the Mother and Baby, it only proved how moronic he really was.

  Jared gazed at her, his face serious. “I would have. It’s a singularly beautiful piece.”

  Cassi willed her face not to show her triumph.

  “Why weren’t you here?” asked Renae.

  Jared’s mouth tightened and his expression grew severe. “Something came up.”

  Cassi watched him closely. There was more to his story than he was willing to tell. Could it have something to do with the note? But what did it matter to her? There was no way she would back down from bidding on the Buddha.

  She glanced at Renae’s white face. “Renae’s not feeling too well. If you’ll excuse us?”

  “Sure,” Léon moved to the side. Jared nodded but said nothing.

  Before Cassi could leave, a voice called out to her. “Miss Mason! May I talk with you?” A buyer from another gallery walked over quickly. He had brown hair and light blue eyes, seemingly dull after the brightness of Jared’s.

  “You’re Mr. Boader, aren’t you?” Cassi asked.

  He nodded. “Sam Boader.” He looked nervously at the group but plunged on bravely. “I’d like to talk with you about your purchase. Do you think we could get together sometime? Maybe have lunch?”

  “I’d be glad to talk with you about the statue,” she said, “but we don’t have to have lunch or anything. We can talk about it after the auction this afternoon. There isn’t much to tell, really. I’d stay now, except that my friend isn’t feeling well.”

  To her surprise, Sam’s face fell. But why was he disappointed? Hadn’t she agreed to do what he wanted? Her brow furrowed as she tried to decipher what had gone wrong. She looked at Renae, Léon, and even Jared in turn, searching for a clue. Léon’s face seemed amused, but Jared only stared expressionlessly. Renae, however, rescued her.

  “We should talk about it over dinner,” she said to Sam. “After the auction. That way we can take our time. It really is a beautiful piece.”

  Sam smiled at Renae gratefully, while Jared frowned. Cassi simply nodded, relieved that whatever problem Sam Boader had with her answer had now disappeared.

  “We’ll see you then, after the auction,” Sam said.

  Again Cassi nodded and turned with Renae to the door. This time they made it to the elevator without being stopped. Renae was breathing heavily while Cassi stood looking on helplessly.

  “Maybe the baby’s coming,” Cassi suggested as they arrived at their room.

  “Three weeks early? I doubt it. All of my other children were overdue.” Renae lay down on her bed.

  Cassi went to the refrigerator to see what was left of their food. “There’s not much here,” she said after a cursory search. They had a few cartons of yogurt and some bread but nothing substantial. “Should I go buy something or order room service?”

  “Room service,” Renae said. Cassi was ha
ppy to notice that already her voice sounded much better. “This is my last day to be spoiled,” Renae added. “After dinner, it’s home to the gang, and my days of luxury will be over.”

  Cassi laughed. “Speaking of dinner, why did you ask Sam Boader to eat with us tonight? We could have talked beforehand about the statue. Now we’ll have to share our last night together with a near stranger.”

  “I don’t believe you,” Renae said, shaking her head. “You haven’t changed since high school. That man doesn’t give a hoot about your statue. He wants to go out with you.”

  “With me? That’s not true. If he had, he would have asked.”

  “He did ask, silly.” Renae sighed in exasperation. “Everyone knew it except you.” She laughed. “You just see who pays for dinner tonight. It won’t be us, I can guarantee that.”

  “But that’s wrong.”

  “Why? Because a man admires you enough to want to take you out? There’s nothing wrong with that, Cassi. He wants to get to know you. And he seems like a nice guy, doesn’t he? Wouldn’t you go out with him if he asked you?”

  “Yes, but this is different. You asked him.”

  Renae sighed. “No, Cassi. I just helped him ask you because you weren’t taking any hints. Now, can we just forget this until tonight? We’ll have fun at dinner regardless of Sam Boader, I think.”

  “Okay, okay. It’s forgotten. Besides, I’ve got to figure out a way to get the Buddha from you-know-who.”

  “Oh, now he’s you-know-who. That’s another step up from arrogant jerk. I do believe you’re getting soft in your old age.”

  Cassi ignored Renae and called room service. “Send me up two grilled chicken dinners and some arsenic. No, I didn’t say arsenic. What do you think, that I want to poison someone? I said two chicken dinners and some milk. Thanks.” When Cassi hung up, Renae was laughing.