Page 1 of Highest Bidder

Chapter One

Vivian

I fidgeted with the pink silk ribbon around my left wrist as Kit and I made our way further inside the club. I’d decided to wear it on my left, to avoid drawing attention to the phoenix tattoo on the inside of my right wrist.

I was glad my friend knew exactly where to go and what to do because I felt like a fish out of water.

Even when Kit told me she worked at an “upscale” sex club, I’d envisioned something like the strip club I worked in: neon lights, sticky floors, a couple of disco balls, red vinyl booths with slits down the center that exposed the foam underneath. That was not the case at Velvet Underground.

I’d never seen anything like it. Even the air smelled expensive, like spiced rum and cedarwood.

Everything dripped luxury, from the soft lighting to the dark wood and gold trim. The purple velvet seating seemed so plush, I was afraid if I sat in a booth, I’d sink in and disappear. Gold velvet curtains framed private booths, and the bar looked like it belonged in a five-star hotel.

I think everyone wearing fancy masks while elegantly dressed in black tie and evening gowns added to the glamor of the night. I half-expected to see Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway drinking martinis at the bar.

“Wow. So, this is where you work.”

Kit grinned under her pink feathered and jeweled mask that matched her dress and lipstick perfectly.

“It’s pretty over the top, I know.”

I made a point of surveying our surroundings. “It’s beautiful, though.”

She glanced around, too.

“Yeah, seeing it through your eyes makes me appreciate it again. I think being here four nights a week has made me blind to the sheer opulence of the place.”

I looked down at the sequined white dress I’d found at Goodwill to match the white Venetian mask with rhinestones that Kit had bought for me. It covered the upper half of my face, but even hiding behind a mask, one thing was clear—I didn’t belong here.

We’d barely stepped up to the bar when a tall, dark-haired man wearing the hell out of a tux appeared at my side. He had on a black domino mask, which seemed to be the mask of choice tonight for the men. A few were sportingPhantom of the Opera-style half-masks, and a couple had ornately decorated Venetian masks, but they were in the minority by far.

It was almost as if the club had handed out domino masks at the door to any guy who’d arrived without one and wouldn’t let them in unless they put it on. (A theory Kit later confirmed.)

“Well, hello. Aren’t you a breath of fresh air.”

I smiled at the handsome stranger. “And aren’t you the charmer.”

“Can I buy you a drink, maybe get to know you a little better?”

Before I had a chance to accept his offer, Kit interjected. “We just got here, so we’re going to mingle for a while before we ‘get to know’ anyone.”

He chuckled, undeterred.

“Fair enough. But still, let me buy you both a drink.”

I was pretty sure with Kit working here, her fellow bartenders would hook us up with free booze, but she smiled and said, “That’s very kind, thank you,” then ordered us two glasses of champagne as he told the bartender, “Put those on my tab.”

While we waited for our drinks, the stranger asked, “So, will I have the pleasure of bidding on a date with either of you ladies next week?”

Again, Kit answered for me. “No, we’re just here for the party tonight.”

He raked his gaze up and down my body, then rested it on my tits when he replied, “What a pity. Then I definitely hope we can chat later.”

“I look forward to it.”

He walked away, and Kit leaned over and told me, “You will not be “chatting” with Grayson DeLuca later. That man would eat you up and spit you out!”

“Isn’t that the point of why we’re here?”

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