THIRTEEN

 

ALICE

 

 

I didn't see him go. I had seen him sitting over at the table in the far corner but then a group appeared in front of me and I had to start serving. By the time I'd got their order sorted, there was no one at the far table. Where was he?

I looked around the room but he wasn't anywhere. Gone to the toilet maybe? Forgotten something in his car?

But what had they been talking about? And why did I suddenly feel so nervous?

One of the men who'd been sat at the table appeared in front of the bar, smiling warmly at me. It was the man who'd bid and lost. What was his name? Jason, that was it. Jason Fry.

"So," he began, his eyes running down my body. "You're Alice."

"I am," I said. "What can I get you?"

"How about you?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well, you went in for the auction, you're clearly the straight talking type so I thought I'd come straight to the point. I'd like your company for the evening."

"Oh, right. No, thank you, I'm spoken for."

It felt good to be able to say that. I was spoken for.

"Are you sure? Only Ethan just told me you were only a one night stand."

"What?"

I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach. I physically staggered backwards, fighting for breath.

"You saw the conversation just now right? Only I've paid handsomely for another auction to be run tonight and I wondered if you wanted to be in it. Thought it would be nice to ask Ethan first seeing as I wasn't sure if he was done with you yet. He said go for it."

"He didn't say that, did he?"

"As God is my witness, Alice, those were his exact words."

"He said he was done with me?"

"Yep, so what do you say? Fancy going into the auction again? Stick it to him where it hurts?"

"Yes, fine, whatever."

I wasn't really listening. I just said whatever I thought would shut him up. I was still reeling from finding out what Ethan had said. I couldn't believe it.

"Don't get too down," Jason was saying from far away. "It's what he does with all the girls here. No doubt he did the 'you're so special, I don't want anyone else' routine? They all fall for it, that's why he does it. Works every time."

I nodded slowly. I'd been taken for a ride. I had fallen for it. I had believed him. How had I been so stupid?

"You know how you can get back at him?"

I shook my head slowly, listening to him as if he was on the other side of the country. I had to concentrate to hear the words, my brain screaming at me to start crying, to hit something, to run off and find Ethan and kick him as hard as I could. I couldn't believe it but the truth was right there in front of me. Where was he? He'd clearly just turned up to mock me and then left me dangling. Damn him.

"You should fuck whoever wins the auction, show him you aren't even bothered. There's nothing that would annoy him more, trust me, I should know."

"You should know?"

"He stole my wife. That's why he hates me. He stole my wife and slept with her, just because he wanted to see if he could, if she would fall for his routine. Then when I found out, he acted like it was no big deal, said he didn't see why it should affect the marriage. He knew about the auction, he knew it was my first attempt to try and speak to another woman since the divorce and what did he do? Outbid me just to rub salt into the wound."

"He stole your wife? I can't believe he'd do that."

I managed not to cry. It wasn't easy, my heart feeling like it was breaking in two. I had no right to be this upset really, I'd only known the guy for a couple of days. But I felt as if I'd been betrayed by someone I trusted, someone I had truly believed in.

Jason helped. He sat at the bar in the run up to the auction, keeping me company, making small talk. I barely listened, too lost in my own thoughts.

The auction master came over for his drink just before the name calling. "She's in tonight," Jason said, nodding in my direction.

"Is that true?" Tony asked, frowning at me. "Do you wish to participate?"

"I do," I said, although I instantly regretted saying it. Sure, spending the evening with someone else would prove to Ethan that I didn't care about what he'd done, that he hadn't hurt me as much as he wanted. But was that what I wanted to prove? If he wasn't even here to see it, what was the point?

The minutes ticked by and I regretted it more and more. This was stupid. This wasn't the way to get my own back. I should just stay behind the bar where I belonged. The world on the other side wasn't for me. That had been proven beyond doubt.

I looked for the auction master. I wanted to back out but it was too late. He was already on stage, calling my name out before anyone else. I felt a deep sinking feeling inside me, like I'd swallowed a load of lead weights. All I wanted was to turn and walk away but it was too late.

I had a horrible sense of deja vu. It was do this or lose my job. I had to climb up onto the stage and be auctioned off again. Was it so I could get my heart broken again?

I got onto the stage and stood next to the auction master. There was Jason sitting right at the front. What if he won? He wanted the evening with me but I couldn't sleep with him, not even to spite Ethan.

But Ethan had stolen his wife. That was such a cruel thing to do. I was so conflicted, I had no idea what to do.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Tony said. "This is a very unusual auction, the second in two days, done at the special request of one of our members. We begin as we ended last night, with Alice Lawson in front of you. I am happy to announce that the bid tokens have been received and the winner decided. With a bid of one hundred thousand, Jason Fry, please step forwards.

I looked down. Jason was stood at the foot of the stage. He was smiling. I was not.

"Come on," he said, helping me down. "Let's both get revenge on Ethan."

I was in a daze. I let him lead me out to the car park and it was only in the cold night air that I came to myself. "This is wrong," I said, snatching my hand away from his.

"What? What's wrong?"

"This, all of this. I'm sorry, Jason. I can't do this."

"The hell you can't. I won you. You're mine. You can't just walk away."

"I can."

He grabbed me by the wrist. "No, you can't."

"Let go of me."

"I paid a hundred thousand for your company for this evening. If you think you get away with just walking me to my car, you're very much mistaken."

"Ow, you're hurting me." I tried to twist my arm free but he was gripping it too tightly. "Let go."

"Just get in the car and we'll talk about it."

"No, I'm not going anyway with you. I've changed my mind."

"Why? Because of him? You think he cares about you? Where is he if he cares so much?"

"Here."

I jumped at the sound and so did Jason. From the darkness in the corner of the car park, Ethan stepped forwards. "Let go of her hand, Jason."

"You know the rules, Ethan. I won her fair and square. She spends the evening with me. You can't stop me taking her."

Ethan didn't reply. His arm swung through the air so fast I only realised what had happened when Jason was moaning on the floor, holding his bleeding nose in his hand. "You broke it," he cried. "You broke my nose."

"I'll break a lot more if you touch her again."

I turned to look at Ethan. "But you left me."

"Is that what he told you? What other lies have you told her, Jason?"

"I told her the truth. Call me an ambulance, I'm going to bleed to death."

"Oh, stop whining. It's only a broken nose." Ethan turned to me. "What did he tell you?"

"That I was just a one night stand. That you stole his wife."

Ethan turned to look down at Jason who was still holding his nose. "I ought to sock you again for that."

"Go ahead, I'll see you in court. I'm going to take you for everything you've got."

"Come on," Ethan said, taking my hand. "We need to talk."

"Was it true? What he said?"

"About the wife stealing? It was true."

"How could you?"

"Hold on. It was true but it was the other way around. He stole my wife."

"Oh."

A long silence passed, punctuated only by Jason moaning on the floor, acting as if he was dying.

"So was I just a one night stand?"

"I'm about to take you back to my house. Does that answer your question?"

"So I'm a two night stand?"

"I'm going to regret this."

"A three night stand?"

He held open his car door. "Get in before I change my mind."

"Four night stand? Five?"