Sold to the Hottest Bidder

by Layla Valentine

  Once our food was finished and our catching-up mostly done, another warm feeling washed over me as I looked over at my sister and remembered the things we had done as children. It had been so long since I had seen her, and I hated the fact that we’d allowed ourselves to fall as out of touch as we had. She looked over at me and raised an eyebrow.

  “What are you looking at?” she asked, and I chuckled.

  “I’ve just missed you, is all,” I said.

  “Now, don’t get all sentimental on me!” Maddy scolded with a smile.

  Part of me wondered if she were teasing, while another part of me thought I detected a serious tone to her voice. I sat up in my chair and smoothed the front of my dress, trying to think of a retort that would bring the nonchalant feel back to the conversation.

  “Oh, don’t you worry, I know it’s still World War III between us,” I said with a sly grin.

  Maddy smirked, looking amused.

  “I’ve missed you too,” she replied, but at that moment, her phone vibrated and she looked down.

  I rolled my eyes and looked at my hands in my lap. I knew it was like my sister to be on her phone even though we were at the dinner table, but I still felt rather annoyed watching her ignore me. I was about to tease her about it when the server walked over.

  “Can I interest you lovely ladies in dessert?” he asked, looking from one of us to the other, as though he wasn’t sure who to focus on.

  I was about to ask him to bring something for us to split when Maddy spoke up.

  “No, thank you, I think that will do it for us—would you mind bringing the check, please?” she smiled as she looked up from her phone, then turned her focus back to the screen in her hands.

  I had been ready to reply, but I closed my mouth now and crossed my arms as I sat back in my chair, irritated with my sister for being so rude. The server looked from one of us to the other once more, then turned to get the check.

  I watched him go, waiting for him to be out of earshot, then addressed my sister—who was still buried in her phone.

  “I was thinking it would be nice to split something—we’ve only been here for an hour, after all.” I waited for her to reply, and she casually glanced up from her phone at me.

  “Oh, Emily, I thought we had a great time—what else is there to say? We’ve already talked about work and our dating lives. Well, my dating life anyway.” She winked at me with a cheeky smile, but the look on my face showed her I wasn’t amused. “You know I’m teasing!”

  “It’s not that—I mean, this is isn’t exactly the least expensive place to eat in town, and I thought we ought to stay a little longer to get our money’s worth out of dinner.”

  I didn’t want to tell her again how much I’d missed her, but I didn’t feel as though we had spent enough time together to call it an evening.

  Maddy looked at me with a smile, then reached forward and put her hand over mine once more. I noticed it was a habit she had recently started, and part of me found it to be rather condescending.

  “Emily, you know I wouldn’t invite you to a place like this unless I was going to pay for it. I know you make nurse wages; it’s quite all right.” She patted my hand then turned back to her phone, and I only felt more hostile.

  “I have the money to pay for myself, Mads, but I thought we were having a good time. What changed?”

  I didn’t do anything to mask the anger in my voice. I was feeling more hurt than anything, but I didn’t bother to try to convey that in my tone. Maddy had always been rather selfish, but I hadn’t thought she would do anything like this. I kept my voice low, not wanting to attract the attention of anyone else in the restaurant.

  Maddy looked at me in surprise, then she recovered with one of her dazzling smiles. I did my best to smile back at her, though I could feel the tension in my chest.

  “I’m sorry, Sis, I didn’t mean to ditch you like this, but I’ve been invited to another engagement tonight, and it’s something I really have to go to—if I don’t, it could cost me Singapore.”

  She gave me a concerned look and I relaxed a little. I didn’t think it would be any fun to go to such a thing, but spending time with my sister would be better than cutting the night short because she had to work.

  I knew what it was like to get called in for a late shift, after all, and I wanted to give her the courtesy that I would hope to receive if the situations were reversed.

  “Can I come with?” I asked with a smile, hoping to smooth over the situation.

  Maddy looked up at me with an amused smile on her face. It wasn’t exactly a kind smile, and I began to feel small in my chair.

  “I hate to do this to you, but it’s invitation only. I’m really sorry—these are the kinds of people that know a side of the business that no one else does; they don’t really want to have a lot of outside interference in these kinds of things.”

  She smiled at me, but I could feel the tight wrench in my chest once more. I forced a smile, though I could feel the angry tears trying to well up in my eyes.

  “I see,” I said flatly.

  Maddy’s smile faded, and I felt torn. I wanted to apologize, but the longer I sat across from her, the angrier I became. Surely she had known about this before dinner—she could have said something about it before now, or rescheduled meeting up with me.

  She slipped her phone into her purse and looked as though she were about to reply, but at that moment, the server returned with the check.

  “If that is all I can get you, ladies, I would like to bid you both a good night,” he said, clasping his hands in front of him and giving us a nod.

  Maddy turned to him, but I was the one who responded.

  “Thank you so much, it has been delightful, as brief as it was.” I smiled, though it was far from friendly. He looked down at me and glanced at Maddy, then without a word he turned and walked away.

  “Let me get it; I really do feel bad about this,” Maddy insisted as she scrawled her name across the front of a check.

  She looked over to me and smiled as she tore the paper from her checkbook and set it on the table. She took the receipt and put it in her purse, which she slipped over her shoulder as she rose to leave. Part of me was surprised she was still leaving, and I got up as well.

  Mindful of the other people in the restaurant, I did my best to keep my voice calm.

  “Are you really leaving me like this? Come on, Mads! We never get to see each other, and this is the first night in months I have been able to take off. You have no idea how hard it is for me to find time to myself, and I wanted to do this with you. Don’t skip out on me now!”

  I didn’t want to sound like I was begging, but part of me felt as though I was. I felt like a whining teenager as Maddy whirled around and faced me, also doing her best to keep her voice calm. She took a few steps back and sat back down at the table, and I did the same.

  “Listen, Em, I know you worked hard to get tonight off, and I am so happy that you did! I really was looking forward to doing this with you, which is why I came here in spite of having to go to the event. You know they get really angry when I’m late to these things, and I’m going to be, now. I’ve stayed as late as I can, but I really have to get going.”

  She sighed as she looked back down at her phone, and I shook my head in disgust.

  I yanked out my own phone and ordered a ride on my taxi app, glaring at her with disproval and anger between typing in the pickup and drop-off details. She smiled weakly and looked down at the table, clearly not even considering changing her mind. After confirming that I would have a ride home in a few minutes, I rose and held my clutch in front of me.

  Maddy turned and gave me another smile, but I was far from happy.

  “I never do anything fun, Mads, and I really thought that tonight we could do something without being interrupted.”

  “You’ve never really been one for a fun time, Emily, so what difference does it make?” Maddy asked with a flippant tone.

  I fe
lt infuriated. I wanted to yell at her, but I knew it wouldn’t make any difference. So, I held open my arms in a clearly irritated gesture.

  “Can I at least get a hug?” I snapped.

  Maddy leaned in and halfway wrapped her arms around me. It was clear she didn’t want a hug any more than I did, but I was still angry.

  “When do you think you’ll have the time to see me again?” I asked frostily.

  Maddy looked at me with wide eyes, clearly hurt and angry herself.

  “I don’t know; I have a difficult schedule to work with, but maybe if you were to get some time off, you could tell me when you’re free again, and if I’m in town, I can see if I can meet you.” There was an iciness to her voice, too, and the smile she gave was flat.

  I hesitated a moment, torn between apologizing and making up and walking out of the restaurant. In the end, I gave her a curt nod and grabbed my purse, then turned to go.

  Other diners glanced up at me as I walked past, doing their best to act as though they didn’t notice the squabble I’d just had with my sister.

  We were used to bickering—it was something we had done since we were young. But there was a finality to it, now, that I didn’t like. I knew this wasn’t going to be the last time that I saw my sister—nor did I want it to be—but unlike when we were younger, I had no idea of how we would make up, or when we would meet up again.

  She would go to this party and have her fun and exciting life, and I would go home to my apartment. I would slip into my sweats and watch some stupid reality show until I fell asleep on the couch.

  Infuriated, I tapped my foot as I waited for the cab to pull up. It wasn’t long before a shining black car came to a swift stop in front of the restaurant, and the window rolled down.

  “Miss Shadows?” the driver called.

  I gave a curt reply and stepped into the street, hurrying across before traffic started flowing once more. I yanked the back door open and slid inside, then turned my attention out the window. The driver didn’t say anything as he glanced through the rearview mirror at me.

  I made eye contact with him but quickly looked away. I wanted to be left alone.

  I kept my focus out the window, though I really wasn’t seeing the traffic pass. All I could think about was my sister. I know my irritation had showed through what I’d said, but I hoped I had been able to mask just how hurt I was. Perhaps she had been teasing me when she said that I wasn’t the fun type. Perhaps I shouldn’t have taken it as personally as I had.

  Suddenly, I noticed the driver turn into the wrong lane—going the opposite direction from where I lived. I opened my mouth to say something, when a realization swept over me.

  Had I taken my sister’s ride by mistake?

  Chapter Two

  Emily

  My suspicions were soon confirmed as my phone started to ring and Maddy’s name flashed across the screen.

  I picked up my phone, ready to answer it and apologize for the mix-up, but then another thought came to me. I was in her car, going to a party that she had intended to go to. She had said it was invite only, so her name would have to be on the guest list. I felt a twinge of guilt in my chest as I put my cell back in my purse, but it wasn’t enough to make me ask the driver to turn around.

  I’m no fun, am I? Well, perhaps it’s time that we switch roles, Maddy, and let the other Shadows sister have some fun for a change.

  I settled into the seat and pulled out my phone again, uncertain of what else to do. I had never been one to make conversation with cab drivers, and also, as I noticed his suit, it was clear this man wasn’t working for a run-of-the-mill driving company. I didn’t know my sister’s world, or if I was supposed to engage with people such as this.

  There was something about the whole situation that almost made me feel like a secret agent. The lights along the street flew past, as cars drove in the opposite direction and stoplights turned green in front of us.

  I found it remarkable that this driver zoomed up the road so quickly with the potential for the stoplights to turn red at any moment, but he didn’t seem at all phased by the risk. In fact, there were several times when he reached the intersection as the light turned red, and didn’t slow in the slightest.

  Feeling an adrenaline rush with each passing moment, part of me wondered if this was how my sister always felt. She exuded confidence in everything she did, even when she was just hanging out with only me. I wanted some of that.

  I didn’t like always being the pretty nurse in the cartoon scrubs, making patients smile and comment on how cute I looked. I wanted to be the woman that turned heads—the one that caused men to get flustered and not know where to look.

  Now was my chance, and I was going to take it.

  Throughout the ride, I kept flicking from one emotion to another. I felt excited, then nervous, then worried, then excited again. I knew my sister had an exciting life—a life that was mostly a secret to me, let alone anyone else in our family—and I wanted a taste.

  But there was also another voice that whispered in the back of my mind, reminding me that I didn’t know the kinds of people my sister hung out with. I wanted to believe that she wouldn’t ever get herself into a dangerous situation, but at the same time, I had to admit that it was obvious she probably did, due to her secrecy.

  The car turned onto a side street I wasn’t familiar with, and before long, we were heading into the suburbs. It was a dark night—there was no moon. Though the stars became visible as we left the lights of the city, it was still much darker than usual, and it felt eerie.

  The car zipped smoothly along, riding easily around the twists and turns in the road. I rarely did anything outside of my normal routine, so it was rare for me to be on that side of L.A. in the first place. However, I could recognize that we were in a wealthy neighborhood, and I imagined we were headed for one of the houses toward the end of the road.

  I knew that there were a lot of mansions in this area, each one at the end of a long driveway that separated it both from the road, as well as from the other mansions in the area.

  The driver glanced back at me through the rearview mirror every now and then, making feel a little uncomfortable. I gave him a nervous smile at first, but quickly reminded myself that Maddy likely wouldn’t have done that. Though she was nice enough, there was a reserve about my sister that I lacked.

  Perhaps it was our careers that brought out the difference; perhaps it was the kinds of people Maddy spent her time with. Unable to decide which it was and refusing to allow myself to think about it any longer than I ought, I brushed the thought out of my mind.

  “Where are we going?” I asked after half an hour in the car. The driver glanced back at me with a surprised look on his face, but didn’t answer. I waited for a moment, then tried once more. “Excuse me, sir? Would you mind telling me where we are going?”

  There was a nervous knot in my stomach, but I forced a smile regardless. I didn’t want him to see how nervous I was, especially since he thought I was my sister. He glanced back in the mirror once more, then looked back at the road in front of us.

  “I’m paid to drive, not talk, miss,” he replied.

  Unsure of what to say, I turned my attention back out the window. There was something about the situation that thrilled me to the core, in spite of my nerves. For the first time in my adult life, I wasn’t jealous of my sister—I was exhilarated to be her.

  The car continued for another fifteen minutes before it pulled off the main road and onto a smaller drive. It was too dark to make out many of the details in the area, though I could see that there were a lot of trees lining the road. There weren’t any other cars around us, and the soft hum of the tires rolling along the paved road was audible in the silence.

  We continued up another short, winding road, then suddenly, a large house appeared in front of us. I was amazed that I hadn’t been able to see it before that moment—a house that size looked like it ought to be visible from space.

  There
were cars in front of us driving slowly up the hill, each stopping in front of the house and letting passengers slip out. When my turn came, my heart thudded in my chest as the man opened my door for me and motioned with his arm for me to step out…onto a red carpet.

  My strappy stilettos sank into the carpet ever so slightly, and at the same time, I felt a shiver of excitement rush down my spine. The nerves were quickly leaving my stomach, and I was beginning to feel a surge of confidence like I had never felt before in my life. I held my clutch in front of me the same way I saw the other women carrying theirs, and I walked with soft deliberation toward the door.

  I could feel heads turn as I walked past, but I didn’t have the guts to make eye contact with any of them. Men and women alike took notice of me, and there was a part of me that wanted to blurt out my mistake and turn around to go home.

  Once at the door, I was surprised to be stopped by a man standing with arms crossed—a bouncer, I guessed. He wore sunglasses in spite of it being nighttime, as well as a headset. He was tall and muscular, with a no-nonsense look about him.

  The bouncer held his hand up, motioning for me to stop, and I flung my hair over my shoulder, doing my best impression of a movie star.

  I then noticed a second doorman on the other side, dressed completely identically to the first man. They both stood with their arms crossed and the same serious expressions on their faces, each looking as though they would have no problem at all telling anyone to leave—and to make sure that they actually did.

  “Miss Shadows. Em—Maddy. Maddy Shadows,” I stuttered, realizing a fraction too late that I should use my sister’s name.

  The man looked at me for a moment, lowering his sunglasses and clearly studying me. I felt uncomfortable—as though he was looking inside my very soul. I didn’t know how well these people knew Maddy, but I silently prayed that he would let me in anyway.

  My stomach sank as he turned to the other bouncer and gave him a look. I didn’t know how these men communicated, or what their glances were saying to each other. I maintained the confidence I had so shakily built up, hoping they wouldn’t see through me.