Matching Mr. Right(18)
No, his dad hadn’t made any moves on her earlier. He was a complete gentleman. But either way, it’d be too uncomfortable to fathom.
Then a lady in the front bid forty-one hundred and Shelby’s heart rate slowed a bit.
Thank God.
Shelby’s aunt called out, “Going once, going twice—”
Nick’s father interrupted with, “Five thousand!”
Applause roared from the crowd as Shelby desperately searched the back of the room for Nick.
Her aunt said, “The bid is five thousand. Going once, going twice . . . sold! Congratulations Edward. Now what venue will you choose?”
Sweat slid down Shelby’s spine. From Nick’s description of his father, she feared she knew what a man like him would choose. The bed-and-breakfast. Yikes!
Nick finally reappeared holding his cell phone. He had a suspicious bulge in his suit coat that had to be her purse. Confusion creased his brow as he spoke to one of their tablemates. Then he turned and scowled at his father.
Nick’s father said, “You’ll have to ask Shelby’s date, my son, Nick. I bid on Shelby for him. I thought they’d enjoy an all-expenses-paid outing.”
Nick’s expression turned thunderous before he turned his back on his father and stormed out of the ballroom, leaving her standing up front like the last kid on the playground waiting to be picked for dodgeball. What had Nick’s father said to make him so angry? It didn’t make any sense.
Or was it because she wasn’t Nick’s usual type? Tall, blonde, and built like a Barbie. Humiliated to be left standing on the stage, all eyes on her, while her so-called date dumped her, her blood boiled with rage.
She was going to kill Nick Caldwell.
CHAPTER FIVE
“Throwing things while arguing is wrong. But it sure makes a mad monkey feel better.”
Chester’s Big Fight
Nick spotted Shelby walking toward the country club’s front doors, flanked by her aunt and uncle. Picking up the pace, he slipped his hand around her arm and stopped her. “There you are, Shelby. Ready to go?”
She sent him a deep scowl, but before she could let him have it, her aunt said, “She’s ready.”
When Shelby’s uncle opened his mouth to protest, Victoria sent him a pointed look and then grabbed his arm and tugged him toward the door. “We had no desire to add another hour to our drive, so thank you, Nick. Good night.”
Shelby huffed out a breath and crossed her arms as she stared at their retreating backs.
Figuring it best to remain silent, Nick walked beside her as they descended the front steps.
He greeted the attendant and slipped him a twenty along with his valet ticket. “Make it quick.”
The kid nodded and jogged away.
When he reached out to comfort Shelby, she stepped away.
After his Porsche arrived, he opened the door for her then rounded the car and slid behind the wheel. He grabbed her little purse from his coat pocket and laid it on her lap. “So what is so important in there that I had to guard it with my life?”
“Lipstick. And cab fare. It looked like I was going to need it for a moment there.” She huffed out a breath and stared straight ahead. “Not only did you say you wouldn’t ditch me, but then you did it in front of everyone, Nick!”
He hadn’t meant to abandon her up on stage like that. Before he could find the right place to start his apology, she said, “It’s no wonder your girlfriend dumped you last month. You’re mean. I realize I’m not your type, but you didn’t have to make it look like you’d rather take a bullet than go out with me!”
“I wanted to go out with you, but you said you don’t date clients. And Beth wasn’t really my girlfriend. She was a . . . sex partner. I didn’t date her I just . . .”
“Screwed her? Nice, Nick. Why would I have expected anything more from you?”
“Really? I don’t see you going on any dates either, miss I’m-waiting-for-my-fairytale-prince!”
Her tiny purse bounced off his shoulder. “Greg’s not a fairytale. He’ll be back in the country on Wednesday!”
“Who the hell is Greg?” He tucked her purse back into his pocket for safety purposes, and started the car. They were holding up the valet line, so he put the car in gear and peeled out toward the exit.
When she remained silent he debated letting her stew for a while, but his conscience got the better of him. “My father must’ve asked Emily, who isn’t old enough to see what a jerk he is and adores him, to call me away. That’s why I left, to talk to her. But there was no emergency, so I came back inside. That’s when I realized my dad had bid on you.”
Shelby cranked up the radio full blast and then turned her chin toward her window.