The Hourglass (21 page)

“We’d like to start the bidding at one thousand dollars,” Monica roared through the loud speakers. Paddles took off into the air; women were going crazy for Luke. Within a minute he was already up to ten thousand dollars. Peering down at me his eyes were huge, wondering why I’d yet to bid, but I just sat there, smiling.

“Fifteen thousand dollars!” a loud voice said from the other side of the runway. Luke’s head whipped to the left and he locked eyes with Brooke, whose paddle was proudly high in the air.

Glancing back at me, a look of horror on his face, I stood and lifted my paddle higher. “Sixteen thousand.”

Luke’s face paled white as Brooke and I glared up at him. “Seventeen thousand dollars,” another voice from somewhere behind me yelled and I glanced over to Brooke. There was no way she was going to let anyone other than one of us win this bidding war.

Brooke

“Bitch!” The curse slipped out before I could stop it as I turned to look at the new bidder trying to step in on my bidding war with Savannah. Meanwhile, Lucas was standing up on the stage, sweating bullets. Honestly, it was kind of grossing me out at this point. I’m really not even sure how women were finding him attractive. He looked anxious and nervous as he wrung his hands together, his confidence completely faltering as he resisted the urge to flee the train wreck he was bearing witness to in front of him. This was all unfolding perfectly.

The woman, who had just wagered the seventeen thousand dollar bet, cleared her throat, regaining my attention as she gave me a heinous glare. Narrowing my eyes at her as she spoke. “Looks like Luke Wellington is going to be in my bed tonight,” she taunted causing the crowd to chuckle at her bold statement.

“Twenty-five thousand!” I screamed aloud, daring her to challenge me further. Currently feeling the intense need to smack her across her over botoxed face.

“Twenty-seven thousand,” her confident voice goaded, her dress swishing and her heels clicking as she sashayed toward me. Her eyebrow went up in defiance.

Pulling in a deep breath, I slowly released it. Reminding myself that the plan was to humiliate him, not make him seem like this hot commodity worth fighting over. Turning to look at Lucas he gave me a puzzled expression.

“Well it seems the delicious Mr. Wellington is in high demand this evening, would anyone else like to jump in on this?” Monica’s charismatic voice cheered through the speakers.

“Thirty thousand,” I bid again forcing all eyes to find their way back to me standing nose to nose with the intruder. “Trust me honey, you don’t want this one, he’s got a lot of baggage.” Looking back at Lucas I saw his adam’s apple bob as he forcibly swallowed.

“Fine, you can have him, there are five other men I can take home drama-free,” she snapped.

“Thirty-Five thousand,” a feminine voice called from beside me. Turning, I spotted Savannah standing a bit closer than she was before, flashing her smile at me to get me back on track. Twisting my head to look back at the stage Lucas was getting whiplash looking between Savannah and I standing way too close for his comfort. Deciding to test his strength that seemed to be stretched taut like a rubber band at this point, I inched closer to Savannah in a challenging gesture. “Forty thousand,” I growled at her. “After all he is
my
boyfriend.”

Savannah

“
Your
boyfriend?” I seethed, doing my best to shoot daggers from my eyes at my best friend. “That’s not what he said last night when he was in my bed.” Flipping back to Luke I raised my paddle even higher. “Forty five thousand dollars!”

Luke lifted his trembling hand toward his neck and loosened his tie, undoing the top button of his shirt, while using his other hand to wipe the perspiration off of his terrified face. My stomach fluttered in excitement. Luke was withering away right before my eyes and it was apparent to everyone in the room.

The room was buzzing with chatter and I could hear some of the women behind me. “I’m not sure what this guy has done to the two of these girls,” said one of them. “But they are out for blood.” My lips tugged upward at the sides and I knew our plan was working.
Keep it together Savannah, it's working, we just need a few more minutes and this prick will be ruined for any other woman as long as he lives in Denver.

Before Brooke could counter bid, Monica lifted the microphone back to her lips. “Ladies and gentlemen, forty-five thousand dollars for Lucas Wellington. You sir, have officially become the highest bid in Hourglass auction history.” I can only assume Monica’s intention was to take the attention off Brooke and me and our evil plan. She continued, “With forty-five thousand dollars, can you imagine how many children will be blessed with new clothes? This is just wonderful. I am so elated right now.” The room erupted in loud cheers followed by a thundering round of applause; but we were far from over.

Stepping even closer to Brooke I leaned in and whispered, “Okay, this is all you. Give him your highest bid.” Smiling at each other we both glanced up to Luke one final time before humiliating him completely. Luke’s stare was locked on to the two of us, his eyes filled with rage. Slipping an arm through Brooke’s I gave Luke one last wink before Brooke brought all of his indiscretions crumbling down on top of his head in front of our entire social circle.

Brooke

With my arm hooked through Savannah’s, we both stared Lucas down. He looked ready to hit the deck. I flashed a glance over to a scowling Monica, thinking she might very well kill us before this night was out.

“Going once. Twice,” Monica kept her eyes locked on mine, waiting for me to bet, to commit career suicide. With a swallow of my fear, I unlinked our arms and stepped forward, Lucas despite being several feet away and on a stage, took a retreating step back.

“Well, Savannah,” I crooned loudly so that my voice carried through the ballroom. “I’m not sure I can afford fifty, but hey, he’s been having us unknowingly share him for the last few months. Should we split this too?”

The audible gasp heard throughout the room brought an enormous smile to my face. Lucas’s head hanging in shame as his shoulders slumped; well that was just the icing on my delicious cake.

“Egh, I am not sure he is worth a dollar, but I guess we can take him. I’ve always wanted a dog,” Savannah stepped up beside me with an equally large smile on her face.

“Fifty thousand dollars to help the children of America. Why Mr. Luke Wellington, we are indebted to you. The amount of children we will be able to clothe, well, I am just
speechless
!” Monica forced a cheery voice as she shot daggers at Savannah and me. “Ladies get your pocketbooks ready, because next up is one man so hot that he melts the snow, Mr. Joshua Worthington, the co-CEO of Worthington Squared.

Meanwhile, Lisa stepped out on stage to grab Lucas and usher him off again, as he watched Savannah approach me. Looking around, I noted that all eyes were on us as the women began to gossip and point at a disappearing Lucas Wellington. Yet, both Savannah and I turned our heads to meet eyes with the woman who held our lives in her hand as she stared us down with a murderous look.
Crap.

Savannah pulled her lips back in a snarl before leaning in close to my ear, “Forget her for now, let’s go drive that final nail in the coffin.” Pulling out my phone I sent Lisa a text asking her to escort Lucas to the hotel room Savannah and I had reserved.

As soon as I opened the door, I could see the spot in the carpet where Lucas had been pacing. His back was to the door as his stiff frame stared out the window.

“Oh Lucas, would you care to offer up some excuses?” I asked, acid lacing my voice, finally allowed to let all my disgust and anger be directed at him.

Twisting around Lucas came face to face with both the women he had been toying with over the last few months. His face went pale as his mouth tried to form a coherent thought, instead just gaping open and closed.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Savannah

“OH WHAT, CAT
got your tongue?” Brooke yelled across the room. Her stature was rigid, but her hands were trembling.
I knew this was so much harder on her, she had given him almost all of herself and he’d used her for everything she was worth. Luke hung his head,
apparently
unable to form a word as Brooke walked directly up to him, poking him in his chest. “Say something you worthless son of a bitch!” she screamed.

Luke tried to form a sentence, but all that came from his mouth was,
“Brooke, I’m...
I’m so—”

I watched Brooke’s palm come into contact with Luke’s cheek.
The
loud pop rang through the hotel room.
She had
tears in her
eyes
as the next words flew off of her lips. “Do
not
say you’re sorry.”

I moved
behind Brooke
and
placed my hand on her shoulder.
Her body
slumped, but
she turned
to me
and
gave a quick reassuring smile
before she
looked back to Luke. “I fell in love with you.
You
made me fall in love with you. You even told me you were in love with me. The entire time it was nothing but a lie!
You are a coward,
Lucas Wellington,
and I’ll be damned if I’ll
ever pass another woman in the greater Denver area without letting her know what a slimy piece of shit you are.”

Luke
tried to take
her hand. “Brooke, please, just let me explain.”

But before he could touch her,
I cocked my arm back and
rammed
my fist into his nose, making a crunching sound under my knuckles.

Luke
made a gurgling sound and then
screamed
at me. “Shit Savannah, have you lost your damned mind?”

Thick red blood poured from his nose and I didn’t even think to offer him a towel to stop the bleeding. Stepping closer to him,
I felt the anger radiating off of his body.
His
chest heaved
up and down rapidly. “Don’t you dare touch her; you have no right even being in the same room with her. Do you see what you’ve done to my best friend?” Rubbing my throbbing knuckles I continued in on Luke. “It’s one thing to pull that shit on me, but to do that to Brooke.—”

I stopped, shaking my head back and forth. “No, you know what, screw that, it is unacceptable to treat both of us like that. You and I may have started off as a weekly booty call, but when I told you I wanted more,
you agreed. You made me believe that you wanted more too. I just didn’t know that your version of more meant having both me and my best friend.”