I pressed the buttons and let the machine do its thing, when I noticed that same guy from the elevator was sauntering through the aisles. I immediately turned my head, afraid he might’ve seen me stare.
After a few seconds I felt a strong hand on my shoulder. His warm breath was in my neck. “Are you enjoying yourself, Miss?” His husky voice was coaxing me to close my eyes and liquefy under his hand.
Am I enjoying myself? With your hand on me, definitely yes.
“Of course,” I said. I caught a whiff of his cologne, the scent arousing my senses.
He smiled and chuckled softly. “Good. You know, you’ll have more luck if you press them within a specific amount of time.”
He took his hand off my shoulder and leaned on the machine. “May I show you?”
His smile was cheeky and too tempting to say no. I wanted to keep him here for as long as possible. “Sure.”
He nodded and then placed his hand on top of mine, the mere sensation making my heart jump through hoops. My fingers were on each of the buttons to make the machine stop, but I couldn’t move them anymore, too focused on his touch.
He pulled the lever and waited. “Right at the exact time they…” he muttered. Then his fingers gently pushed down on mine.
Each of the rows stopped on the same icon.
“Voila!” he said. The coins came spilling out of the machine.
“How did you …” I began.
“Ah, secret of the trade,” he said, and he winked at me. “Have a great time.”
Then he walked off. My eyes still followed his every move. He stopped when an old lady dropped her chips and picked it up for her. A few feet away there was a boy sitting at the floor, running his finger in circles across the carpet, just beside the seat of a much older man who looked just like him.
Must be his father.
The guy walked over to the boy and sank through his knees. When the boy looked up at him, the guy fished a few chips from his pockets and placed them in the boy’s hand whose face lit up immediately. Then he ran off and the smirk on the guy’s face was the cutest thing I’d ever seen.
A voice called out through the speakers, saying it was time for the charity event. The guy looked at the watch around his wrist and walked away again, toward a large room filled with people.
I got off my seat and drifted toward the same room, interested in what was going on, attracted by his presence. His scent and allure was pulling me in like a bee to a flower’s honey. And oh boy, did I want his.
When I peeked around the corner, I noticed there was a stage in the back. A woman stood there with a microphone, a handsome man standing next to her, and she called out prices. Female guests held up their hands and the prices shot up, while the man made some funny poses.
They’re auctioning off guys?
“Two thousand, two thousand, anyone wants to bid higher? This piece of man-meat is well worth it, ladies,” the woman called out. When the last hand went up, it was a war between two women, with one eventually giving in after hitting three thousand.
“Alright, going once, going twice … sold!” the woman behind the microphone called.
The woman in the crowd shrieked. The guy stepped off the stage and went to greet her, while she smothered him with kisses.
“Wonderful, people, wonderful. And remember, all proceeds will go to the cancer funds. Please help our cause. Thank you for your support,” the woman continued. “Welcome our next bachelor!”
And then my jaw dropped. The man that had just left his imprint on me was stepping up the stage in his hot suit. He straightened his collar, whilst all the women were shouting and screaming like fan girls. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who appreciated him.
He rubbed his stubbly jaw and the squeals in the crowd increased. Snatching the microphone from the lady’s hand, he said, “Now, now, ladies. Settle down. Pour your hearts into bidding, because as you all know, only one may win the grand prize.” He ended his little speech with a wink and gave the microphone back to the woman in charge.
“Okay … remember ladies, you can only have him for one night. Now, let the bidding begin.”
Instantly, half the room was filled with hands, pointing up at the ceiling, waving about.
He laughed and soon I could barely hear anything else but prices rising to the limit. Three thousand. Four thousand. Six thousand. Ten thousand. Money was almost flung into the air.
When the last bid came, it was an old lady who shouted the words ‘fifteen thousand’ and who’d won a night with the handsome guy. The same old lady for who he’d picked up the chips she’d dropped. I chuckled when I saw her gloat, walking off with him on his arms, the rest of the women pouting behind her.