Page 171 of Santa Daddies

He grabs my arm but I shirk free. One of the doormen approaches, looking between the two of us, his brow furrowed in concern.

“We’re fine.” I walk past, adding a little strut to my step, and leave Loren to make a big decision.

Molly shows up and I give her the survival kit I made for myself. There’s not much time to get her ready so we all go to work primping and preening her for this last-minute change of plans.

Before long, Jolene takes the stage and I’m a little relieved that she’s the one to break the auction when she’s won by her brother’s best friend and no one else. It’s all good, but I know she was looking forward to having at least two guys win her. No one can be upset at the one-point-five-million-dollar win, though.

The second Starla takes the stage, the bidding starts at six hundred thousand. Molly and I peek around the curtain and I’m only somewhat surprised to see who’s so excited about Starla. It’s her dad’s best friend, Cullen, continuing to top anyone who ups the bid.

And once again, we have a sole winner topping a million dollars. Molly and I share a moment of excitement with her before I step past the curtain. The spotlight hits me, the crowd cheers, and I realize I forgot the goodie bag for Jefferson.

Coming to an abrupt halt, I turn and run back to the dressing room. Through the building’s sound system, I hear Jefferson saying, “Did Bellamie get cold feet? We better give her a warm welcome and get her back out here or you’ll lose your chance to bid on her.”

The bidders go so crazy that I can hear them all the way in the dressing room even when the microphone cuts out. That’s reassuring.

I hurry back to the stage, extending the bag to Jefferson. “Sorry, I forgot this little gift I put together for you.”

Everyone laughs and he takes it gratefully. “This one’s a keeper, for sure.”

The crowd erupts into applause and catcalls again.

“Got any other surprises, Bellamie?” Jefferson asks.

I turn my palms up and shrug. If I do, the surprise will be on me as well. Afraid to look into the audience, I focus on the auctioneer as he starts the bidding, and for the first time ever, really listen to how an auction is called. They don’t just count sequentially.

Then it hits me… I’m getting bid on. I’m not breaking this part of the auction. It remains to be seen if I’ll get my happily ever after, but so far, so good.

“We’ve got some eager bidders, Bellamie. Want to strut around and keep these numbers going sky-high?”

Mechanically, I move my legs and listen as the bids top eight hundred thousand. I’m doing it. The confidence I’ve been practicing takes hold.

And just like Jolene rehearsed with Starla and me, I lift my gaze to make eye contact with the bidders.

A paddle shooting up for nine hundred thousand is the first thing to catch my attention. The second thing is the bright-red mass at the back of the room.

Loren, dressed as Santa–raising his paddle for an even million.

My heart stops. This is real. Was I wrong about why he ignored me and my tiny bikinis and other attempts to get his attention? Why he interfered with Krampus? Flipping everything I thought I knew about him on its head, I’m shocked in the best of ways.

A memory of the time I pretended to accidentally walk in on him while he was showering sends a shiver through me. I was trying to tease him, but he wasn’t just showering. He was stroking his big, fat cock. And that brief moment we made eye contact through the glass shower wall… I wasn’t wrong thinking he wanted me.

I also wasn’t wrong to wonder how I could take something that big.

Tonight could be my answer. The room sways a little, but I keep myself in check. I can’t make too many assumptions. It’s still possible he’s just stopping anyone else from winning.

Making my way back to Jefferson, I channel the part of me I’d learned to doubt. I lean toward Jefferson, and say, “Could you please make sure the bidders understand what they have to do if they win?”

He asks the auctioneer to pause the bidding then says, “I invite all bidders to remember that by winning, they are making a commitment, not only to fund a worthy set of charities, but also to have sex with the woman they win, right here at the club, ensuring that she comes hard and she comes first.”

I blush. That works.

The auctioneer resumes and Loren’s paddle goes straight back into the air. A few more exchanges go past in a blur until the other bidder drops out.

The auctioneer pimps for bids. “Gentlemen, unless someone else is jumping in at the last minute, we have a winner. Going… going… gone!”

The second Loren's declared the winner, I rush from the stage to the payment room. He’s already at the table talking to the woman accepting the money. I’m not sure how they do that for such large amounts, but that’s not my concern.

“Do you realize what you’re doing?” I ask, ready to cut off any chance of his bossy bravado.