“Yes, it is just like any other auction. Auctioneer will start the bid at one thousand dollars. Highest bidder will win the date. Usually quite a bit of people participate. The date auction is the most popular event at this fundraiser. Most of the participants are retired doctors. Some academicians participate for the fun of it, but they never win the date, they always get outbid. There are some attorneys, Wall Street guys like you. I hope you came with your checkbook and enough money in your bank account, because you need to do whatever it takes to win her date, understood?”
“Of course Sydney! For a date with Emma… sky is the limit.”
“Awesome!” Sydney smiled. “Now let’s hide you. For dinner, you will sit at table 112 with Dr. and Mrs. Abbott, Dr. and Mrs. Saccone, and Dr. and Dr. Kelly”
“Who are these people?”
“You will meet them soon, be nice!” She warned me with her eyes and rushed to deal with another event crisis.
I found my table and chuckled quietly when I took my seat. The average age for the guests at my table was about seventy and just like Sydney mentioned, four of them were retired doctors attending the gala to have a fun night and support a good cause. Despite not having anything in common with them, our conversation during dinner was more interesting and entertaining than I thought it would be.
The soft jazz music accompanying our dinner ended when a tall, middle-aged, brunette lady took the stage and announced the date-auction was about to start. One by one all the volunteers came up to the stage and the audience burst into loud cheering, whistling and clapping. The first girl on the stage was a short, skinny girl with glasses. She was laughing and waving to her friends. The next was a red head with a lot of freckles followed by a blonde wearing braces. Sydney, Amy and Emma were the last ones to come.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from the date auction when Steve told me about it last week. All I cared about was finding an opportunity to be with Emma, however, I didn’t expect a lineup of attractive, smart girls with college degrees. Most of them were doctors doing their residencies in various New York City hospitals. They weren’t tall, super skinny runway models with fake smiles. All the girls looked kind, congenial and modest; many of them seemed to be very shy and uncomfortable on the stage. It was obvious that they were there to raise money for the hospital and contribute towards this good cause.
The auction started with Linda, a senior year med student from Mount Sinai School of Medicine and continued on to Nora, a resident at Columbia Medical. I watched the bidding from the back of the room. I hid my face with my fedora as much as possible while I patiently waited for Emma’s turn. With every new bid, the auctioneer was making an effort to raise the price a bit higher. His enthusiasm, fast and loud speech was creating friendly competition and an entertaining atmosphere.
“You cleaned up nice, Dylan!” Steve said as he walked over and stood next to me while I was glancing at Emma furtively.
I took a sip of my wine. “You don’t look too bad yourself either Steve!” I said. I turned around and shook his hand, smiling broadly. “Are you going to bid?”
“Oh, yes! I promised Sydney I’d be here. I guess Amy was worried nobody would bid for her. She didn’t want to be the bargain-date of the night, but she doesn’t know Chris is participating in the auction.”
“Who is Chris?”
“Chris Martin… I’m surprised you don’t know him. He’s Emma’s classmate. I find his jokes annoying but the girls seem to like him. Sydney told me that he’s had a big crush on Amy for a year, but he doesn’t do anything about it other than give her a hard time. Now it’s my turn to give him a hard time.” He said grinning stealthily, cocking his brows.
When the bidding for Amy started, I stepped back and watched Steve raise the bid a thousand dollars every time Chris lifted up his paddle. When it reached ten thousand, Steve let Chris win. Amy looked relieved and there was a big smile on her face.
Whether it was planned or simply my luck, which made me additionally nervous, Emma was the last girl called onto the stage. She looked timid and hesitant when the auctioneer asked her to step out and introduce herself. She held the microphone, her hands quivering, obviously showing her nervousness and reluctance in participating. The auctioneer thanked her and started the bid at one thousand dollars.
An old man in a designer tux to my left raised his paddle immediately. “One thousand from bidder number 8,” announced the auctioneer.” A young, sharp but cocky looking guy at the other end of the room bid next. He looked familiar for some reason, it seemed like I’d seen him somewhere before. “Two thousand from bidder number 23,” came the announcement right away.
“Who is that old fellow, number 8? That cocky looking guy over there, number 23?” I asked Steve while I let the two men run the bid up to ten thousand. I watched them closely and stayed quiet, evaluating my competition.
“I believe number 8 is Dr. Tucker from Harlem Hospital. I know Emma worked with him during her clinical rotations there. She used to tell us what a great teacher he was and how much she enjoyed assisting him. He is a nice guy, probably participating in the auction to make Emma feel more comfortable. Number 23 though, you need to watch out for him. His name is Kyle, second year resident at Columbia. He shouldn’t even be here. Emma is probably furious and upset now, seeing him at the auction. Did she never talk to you about him?”
“No, she didn’t. Why? ”
“He is Emma’s ex-fiancé. Also, he’s an asshole. Let’s leave it at that.”
“What the fuck are you talking about? Emma was engaged to that smug guy!” I blurted out. “You need to tell me more.”
“Not now, Dylan.” He cut me off. “You need lift up your damn paddle, man. Come on… I can tell Emma is getting nervous because Kyle is the highest bidder!”
So was I… I had been waiting for the right moment to join the bidding and for Emma to see me, however, now that I knew her ex was one of the bidders, I was furious. Without waiting any further, I lifted my paddle up. “Twenty-thousand dollars,” I said loudly.
The auctioneer who was running the bids up to now turned towards me, looking surprised. “We have twenty-thousand dollars from bidder number 15!” He announced.
I lowered my paddle slowly. Now, with my face visible, I turned to see Emma’s reaction and our eyes instantly met from across the crowded ballroom. Finally, I was able to look at her without hiding my face. In her strapless red gown that wrapped her body tightly and accentuated her luscious curves, she looked incredibly beautiful. With all the noise and mumbling going on around me, I couldn’t hear her. I saw her lips move and utter my name in complete bewilderment. She took a step forward with her eyes wide open, looking at me with disorientation, probably wondering what the hell I was doing there. Her lips didn’t curve up into a big smile, it was more like a faint grin. I also sensed some relief in her eyes.
With my unexpected participation and the big jump in the bid, all eyes turned towards me, even Kyle’s. I assumed he knew who I was and my intentions. His frenzied look told me that we were at war. He wasn’t going to give up easily, and I didn’t care. I was patient and determined.
“Twenty-five!” He turned towards me and narrowed his eyes as if he was sizing me up.
“Thirty!” I said, ignoring his intimidating glare. Instead, I looked at Emma and tried to tell her that I wanted to be with her more than anything, without using words.
“Forty-thousand dollars!” He drawled. He couldn’t hide his frustration.
“Fifty!” I lifted my paddle up again and shrugged.
“One hundred thousand!” He yelled out frantically, daring me with his cocked eyebrow.
“What the fuck!” I mumbled to myself, only Steve could hear. “One hundred fifty!” I increased again without waiting for the auctioneer to repeat his bid. Afterwards, I turned to Steve and asked, “Who the hell is this guy? What’s the deal with him? I thought he was just a doctor.”
“He might be ‘just a doctor’, but his father is Eric Mi
lton.”
“Eric Milton? As in ‘Milton Pharmaceutical’?”
“Yes that one…”
“Shit! Eric Milton is a billionaire and his two sons are...” I mumbled.
“Eric yes…but not his son. Kyle is a jerk who uses his daddy’s money to get what he wants. He is playing you.”
And suddenly it dawned on me how I knew him. Max mentioned the Milton brothers to me before, and how they were frequent members of the gentleman’s club. They were also at that god damn Fleur-de-lis party Max forced me to attend which ruined my life.
I was about to tell Steve about Kyle when I heard him suddenly yell, “Two hundred thousand!” And the auctioneer repeated Kyle’s bid.
The auditorium was dead silent. Everybody around me were whispering and waiting for my next move. I didn’t have the patience. I was tired of playing into Kyle’s hand. I could feel that the bidding war between us was making Emma very uncomfortable. The pressure and climate of the room was too much for her. She was taking deep breaths, playing with her fingers. She puckered her lips and drifted her eyes away from me. Feeling Sydney’s, Amy’s, and the entire ballroom’s eyes on me, I decided to end Kyle’s game. “Fuck this!” I said to Steve and shouted “One million dollars!”
The auctioneer was speechless at first. He repeated my bid, enunciating the number slowly. Kyle was exasperated. He threw down his paddle and walked towards me angrily. “One million once… one million twice …” The auctioneer repeated excitedly one last time. “The date with Dr. Emma Collins… SOLD at one million dollars to bidder number fifteen! Mr. Dylan Hamilton!” he remarked and closed the auction. The auditorium nearly exploded with applause and cheers. Everybody in the audience was congratulating me and thanking me for my contribution while my eyes were searching for only one person: Emma.
CHAPTER 21
EMMA
I couldn’t believe it when I heard his voice through the crowd. It was the same powerful tone: self-confident and asserting. At first, I thought my mind was playing a wicked game on me, but then I saw him. Tall, handsome, charismatic, looking staid and solemn in his black tux, black bow-tie and well groomed hair… His bright, blue eyes were so mesmerizing that for a second I forgot where I was and what I was doing. I found myself in a reverie where Dylan and I were alone. I was in his arms, caressing his face with the tip of my fingers, tracing his sharp features. God, I missed him so much. Kissing his sweet lips, savoring his musky scent. All the dangerous, tantalizing memories came back to me almost instantly. I was completely absorbed, enjoying my daydream when Kyle’s snappish voice disrupted my digressing thoughts and brought me back to reality. Kyle, the arrogant bastard who couldn’t leave me alone, looked confused, bewildered and furious.
I was the one who should have been furious, not him. I couldn’t believe he had the audacity to be here, participating in the auction. I gave him a nasty stink-eye, though I couldn’t stop him from bidding. I certainly had no intention of going on a date with Kyle, but I was worried he would win and I would be forced to comply. I was getting more concerned with every passing minute. Then, I heard Dylan’s voice and there he was, standing right in front of me, smiling his dazzling smile. Suddenly, I felt relieved. Seeing Dylan, knowing undoubtedly that he would do anything for me, that he could outbid anyone, was comforting, but also terrifying. I just got my life on track. Whether it was heading in the right direction or not, I didn’t want to think about it. I made a decision and was planning to stick with it. However, going on a date with Dylan would certainly make things go off the rails again. I was afraid that after spending a few hours with him I would lose all my willpower to stay away, and I’d change my mind.
Dylan, the one person who could turn my life upside down was just a few feet away, looking at me adoringly. His eyes were promising me everything I’d missed in the last two months. No, I couldn’t let it happen. Nothing had changed and I had to be strong.
With every bid, the air in the room became more intense and stressful. My dear teacher, Professor Tucker, who was there only to support me, was pushed out of the auction quickly as Kyle and Dylan got into an aggressive bidding war. It was more like an ego-driven, conspicuously aggressive pissing contest, which I hated being a part of. I couldn’t do anything other than stay calm and watch Dylan and Kyle make outrageous bids that had never been reached before. I was embarrassed and frustrated. When the auctioneer lifted his gavel and announced that Dylan had won the date for one million dollars, I didn’t know what to do, say, or what to feel. Was I relieved that I didn’t have to go on the date with Kyle? Or was I feeling humiliated for being a million dollar date, as if I was some object being auctioned off at Sotheby’s Auction House? Or did I feel happy to spend some time with Dylan before I left the city? Maybe I felt a little bit of everything.
As if she heard my inner thoughts, “You can just wipe that sulky expression right off your face, the million dollars isn’t for you, it’s for the hospital.” Sydney said, while I watched the crowd scatter around the ballroom now that the auction had ended.
“I know, but still, it is a ridiculous amount of money! I can’t believe he did that.” I grimaced.
“Dylan is just being generous for a good cause. He donates to different charities every year. This happens to be one of them. Just leave it at that Emma. Stop over-analyzing and enjoy your date.” She scolded me.
I rolled my eyes and couldn’t help but make a face. She was just being typical Sydney; carefree, easy going, the ultimate insouciant.
I clambered down the stairs and approached Dylan and Steve nervously, while Amy and Sydney accompanied me. I was contemplating what to say to Dylan when I saw Kyle walking towards him rampantly.
“What are you still doing here Kyle?” I asked, implying that he wasn’t welcome. He ignored my comment, stood a few feet away from Dylan, glaring at him insidiously, ready to do something stupid.
“You can’t buy Emma like you buy your whores for your customers.” He inveighed.
“Watch your language.” Dylan rebuffed. “This is a fundraiser. Nobody is buying anybody.”
“Who do you think you are fooling? Everybody knows what you do with your money Dylan. You are a sick bastard, a lecherous man who uses women!”
“You don’t get to talk to me like that. I know who you are Kyle Milton and all the sick things you and your brother like to do. You are quite famous according to my friend, Max Donavon. So get the hell out of here, before I tell Emma who you really are.”
Kyle gazed over at me and then back to Dylan with total frustration, “Fuck you!” He blurted out. He turned his hands into fists and was about to hit Dylan when Dylan, with his quick grip, clasped Kyle’s hands behind his back dexterously. “You don’t want to make a scene here.” He narrowed his eyes and admonished him while still keeping calm.
“You can’t tell me what I will or will not do. You asshole!”
“Yes I can. I won’t let you bother her anymore. Just get out of here,” Dylan said calmly and pushed him towards the exit. He was still holding his hands clasped in the back, and Kyle squirmed to free himself from Dylan’s strong grasp, looking totally irritated, but he couldn’t.
“You two deserve each other. She’s as fucked up as you are!” He spewed his anger in despair again. On any other day I would have let his insolent, vulgar remark go. Not this time. I was so enraged that abruptly, out of nowhere, I slapped his face. He certainly didn’t see it coming and he just looked at me, utterly mad. He was about to speak, when Dylan shook his head and spoke calmly.
“Don’t even think about it!” His eyes were throwing daggers at him. Kyle, obviously scared, finally shut up and bowed his head down. Steve and Dylan dragged him out of the ballroom and Steve stayed outside to make sure Kyle left the hotel.
Dylan returned back quickly. “I’m sorry you had to see all that. I didn’t expect that.”
“Why are you apologizing? He is the jerk, not you. I can’t believe he had the face to be here. Kyle, he is my …” I tried
to explain.
He cocked his head to side, his eyes full of affection, his lips curved into a charming smile. “Let’s not talk about him anymore,” he cut me off as he closed the distance between us quickly.
And now that we were finally alone, he caressed my hands first and then touched my face with his back of his fingers. “Emma!” He whispered my name which sounded like a magic word opening the doors of heaven coming out of his mouth.
He tilted my chin up. His arms wrapped around my waist, his face an inch away, I breathed in his intoxicating smell. It was so damn hard to resist him while all my body was craving for him.
“I missed you so much”. He spoke very softly.
“Dylan! Please don’t!”
“No. Emma. You do not get to reject me tonight. You cannot deny me this. We have to talk. Please!”
“Alright. Let’s talk!” I said and pushed myself away. Around him, I felt like a little firefly attracted to bright light. It was so hard to resist him, to break away from his attraction.
“I don’t want to talk to you here. I want to take you somewhere. Somewhere special where we can be alone.”
“I am so tired Dylan. I don’t think I can go anywhere else tonight!” I declined.
“Tomorrow morning then. I’ll pick you up.”
“Dylan…I …” I muttered, trying to object again.
He pressed his index finger to my lips. “You owe me one date Dr. Emma Collins! One date!” He smiled.
I grinned and shook my head. “Yes, I do.”
“So, what do you say? Tomorrow morning I will pick you up early, let’s say around eight and we will have our date.” Dylan asked with beseeching eyes.
“Is it possible to say no to you?”
“I guess not…” He smiled mischievously.
“Okay, then. I’ll see you tomorrow morning. You need to pick me up from Sydney’s apartment.”
“Yes!” He nodded with a knowing smile. I’m sure Sydney had something to do with tonight and Dylan’s presence. My dear friend was meddling with my life again, but this time I wasn’t mad at her. I was grateful that she did.
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