Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 83192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
I turned to look at her. “I don’t have that kind of money!”
Hailey lifted her chin at Landon. “He does.”
When I looked at him, Landon subtly nodded.
Claire stood and gave Gus a look that told him to declare her the winner.
“Twenty once, going twice…”
I opened my mouth—and what came out not only shocked the entire room, but I was positive would land me in jail when it came time to pay up.
“Thirty-thousand dollars!”
Hailey lost it laughing next to me, and Landon’s face went so white, I was positive he was going to pass out. Or was that me who was on the verge of hitting the ground? Everything seemed to be going black.
I looked at Gus and lifted my brows in a silent plea for him to end this.
“Thirty thousand it is to the lady in the front, Ms. Emmerson Wallace,” Gus quickly declared.
That was when I knew I’d made the first mistake of the night. The second would come only a few minutes later.
Emmerson
THE ROOM FELT like it grew smaller by the second. I felt someone take my elbow and lead me away from the stage. No, not someone, it was Landon. And he looked furious.
As we walked past, men slapped him on the back, and women looked at him as if a million dollars had just slipped through their fingers. I knew where he was taking me—to the kitchen area, most likely to strangle me and cut me into little pieces to make it easier to dispose of the evidence. How in the world was I going to come up with thirty-thousand dollars?
Before we made it to the door to the kitchen, Jason stepped in front of us, his date by his side.
“Running off so fast before we can catch up?” He looked from me to Landon, and then back to me.
“Jason,” I said as I tried to even out my voice. I hadn’t been able to breathe since this whole damn auction started, and Landon practically dragging me across the room didn’t help.
Jason gave a slight head nod as he said, “Hello there, Emmerson. Landon.”
Landon gave Jason a tight smile. “Jason. You’re a little far from home, aren’t you?”
He laughed and wrapped his arm around the blonde who stood next to him. “My folks are large supporters of the hospital, and they asked me to be here tonight on their behalf.”
I knew it was a lie the moment it came out of his mouth, but I could not have cared less. All I could currently think about was what I could sell off to pay the large debt I had just gotten myself saddled with.
“Well, thank you for your support,” I said, noticing that Landon had moved his hand from my elbow and that he was now holding my hand.
Jason nodded and then said, “Where are my manners? Emmerson Wallace, Landon Lewis, this is my fiancée, Lillian Russel.”
His…fiancée? That poor girl.
“Lillian, this is an old friend of mine. We dated for a while, but things didn’t work out between us. Third party in the relationship,” Jason said as he shot Landon a smirk.
I was positive my mouth dropped open some. I chanced a look at Landon, who now seemed more confused than angry.
Lillian looked at me with something like satisfaction in her eyes before she turned and eye-fucked the hell out of Landon. I stepped closer and wrapped my arm around him. He didn’t even flinch, as if the action was something I did often.
“Congratulations,” I said with a wide smile. “When’s the big day?”
Lillian looked up at Jason and giggled. “We’re thinking a Halloween wedding! I’ve always wanted one.”
I wanted to groan internally. Good Lord, a themed wedding. I should have known.
“I heard you were a wedding planner, one of the best,” Lillian said. If she asked me to plan their wedding, I was going to laugh in her face. I didn’t care that Jason was getting married, but planning his wedding would just be plain weird.
“She is indeed the best,” Landon said as he pulled me closer.
“Oh stop,” I said, hitting him playfully on the chest.
Jason looked between us and shook his head. “I thought the two of you were simply friends. Wasn’t that what you always told me, Emmerson?”
I gave him a fake smile as I said, “Sometimes feelings change, Jason. You should know that better than anyone.”
He raised a brow. “Well, it worked out for the best. If not, I wouldn’t be marrying my best friend this October. I truly understand what love is now, and what it feels like to be loved.”
Lillian glanced down at her ring and then beamed up at Jason before she looked at me and Landon. “Like you bidding for Landon!”
“Well, can’t let anyone else take my guy out on a date!” I said as Landon stiffened next to me. Shit. Shit. Shit. First I’d spent thirty-thousand dollars—twenty of it his—and now I’d just invented a fake relationship for us.