Page 1 of Buy Me, Love
1
Kit
I pullmy shoulders back while drying my hands, take a good, long look in the mirror, and give the plush white hand towel back to the bathroom attendant with a smile. I have no money on me to tip her, but I take note of what’s on her name tag so I can ask my father’s payroll manager to slip something extra into her nextpaycheck.
I take another look in the mirror, grab my lipstick from my purse, and carefully apply a fresh swipe. Then I take a long, deep breath and blow it out, rolling my neck from side to side and trying to get my headtogether.
It’s time for my first date, and I don’t know who it’s withyet.
I’ve been thirsty for a date since forever ago, but my father is overprotective. He also has an odd sense of humor. He thinks this is all very funny, to let me go on a date as long as I don’t leave the premises. He chuckled when I threw up my hands in surrender and told him I’d go along for the ride onthis.
Still. The concerning part is that I have no money on me. Not only no money, but also no wallet, no spare change, not even a Metrocard to get me out of here should I decide I want tobail.
That’s not to say I want to leave, or anything. Maybe the man who wins me will be my PrinceCharming.
Yes. I’m happy to be here despite the nerves. Maybe the nerves are part of what I like about this whole thing. I put a smile on my face, cheeks tingling the way they do when I’m excited but don’t know what to expect. Drawing my shoulders back, I make my way out of the ladies’ room and through the wide hallway to one of the ballrooms on the second level of thehotel.
I take a chance to peer over the banister at the love-birds checking in at the front desk for Valentine’s Day. This day has always been my favorite of any holiday. Saint Valentine married young people who weren’t allowed to be wed. A chill runs up myspine.
As my favorite TV chef always says:how can that bebad?
I take a deep, refreshing breath and walk over to the entrance to the ballroom, where my father’s right-hand isstanding.
“You ready?” The reserved but warm older woman, Ms. Steele, opens the door forme.
I give her a nod and walk through the big, heavy door to find the event space drenched in cool blue moonlight. Eyes turn to me, and I give the room a small wave tight to my hip before I spot my father in the corner. I walk over to him as quickly as I can in these thousand-dollar heels someone convinced me to dip my toes into at somepoint.
All it took was a dip of my toe to make me want to jump in. Since that first time, I’ve been a high-heel girl. The designer doesn’t matter, and I don’t care what they cost; all I care about is how deep the archis.
“Kit,” my father says, putting his arm around me. “How nice of you to behere.”
“As if you gave me much of a choice, father.” I smile up at him through my teeth and put my elbow against his ribs gently. He winces in mock-pain and puts his hand at his side. We like to tease each other. We havefun.
My father and I are all the other has, and his overprotective nature is completely understandable. The hotel he owns has been in the family for four generations including me, and it’s natural for folks with as much money as he has to employ personal bodyguards for themselves and their family. Add to his wealth the fact that he’s an Army man, and I have a hard time being cross at him for wanting to keep an eye on meconstantly.
So this was the perfect compromise: he would let me go on a date if I stayed at the hotel and my date could be vetted beforehand. The cherry on top of this sundae is the fact that the date would be awarded to the highest bidder, with the money going tocharity.
I have to admit, there’s something about selling myself off to the highest bidder that’s alluring. Sure, most of the old men here are not exactly my type, but there’s something in the air that’s giving me a little thrill. Apresence.
A…smell? Maybe it’s a smell. Someone in here is wearing a cologne that’s doing something to my hormones, making them dance. I think they’re about to start spinning around like tops. There’s definitely something in the air sending a chill up and down myspine.
“Thank you all for coming,” Dad says to our guests. I look up at him as my smile turns to something more confident. “If you will all follow me into the next room, we maybegin.”
Anticipation rolls through my body, sending a delicious thrill throughme.
Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea, afterall.
2
Maxwell
I didn’t come herefor fun, and I’m not havingany.
I came here for business. For the last six months, I’ve been tailing Ms. Kit Kensington and serving as her secondary security detail in the employ of herfather.
Ms. Kensington likes to evade her official security guards any chance shegets.
That’s where I comein.
