Page 26 of The Marriage Auction 2: Part 1

“You’ve been completely vetted and all background checks cleared as I suspected they would. Though I am rather surprised to see you show up at this auction and want in at the last minute. May I ask what drove you to come to Las Vegas and join my event?”

“Honestly, I’ve been kicked by another man I’d let in. Used up and spat out.” I gritted my teeth.

“I can’t imagine someone of your caliber would be left in the lurch,” Madam Alana tutted.

“Here’s the thing. I haven’t told anyone I’ve dated recently how wealthy I am. Just that I work in the business of designing jewelry. Most men assume it is something I do as a side hustle. I simply never correct them.”

“And this approach failed,” Alana surmised accurately.

“Brutally. Painfully.” I shook my head and sighed, the memories of my many failed attempts at finding a true partner destroyed repeatedly.

“I see. I’m sorry to hear of your unfortunate experiences. I can assure you that if you choose a husband tonight, you will have a man devoted to you and you alone. He will be your husband in all things. Travel with you as desired. Be faithful only to you. But I cannot promise love. That is something that you will have to nurture with the man you choose. If it is meant to be, it will be. Do you understand?”

I thought of Memphis and how I knew from one night together that I could fall so deeply in love with him that I’d never see the sun again. Hell, I’d live in the darkness to have a man like that call me his own.

“I need a partner. A man who I can bounce ideas off of. A person who works out and knows the value of keeping healthy. An active person who enjoys the outdoors. Someone protective and a little alpha in nature to help keep the creepers off me when I’m in public. I need to be his priority, but I won’t take that for granted. I will listen to his interests and support his needs. I will be faithful and kind.”

“And would you be interested in getting to know his family?” Alana surprised me with such a question though it made sense. If two strangers were to combine their lives as one, their familieswould be involved. My family would be an absolute nightmare to whomever I chose.

“I would be happy to engage with my future husband’s family. I usually am well-liked by my significant other’s family members. Unfortunately, the person I choose will not have the same experience. You know about my father.” I lowered my face and stared intently into the Madam’s eyes.

“I do. He is beloved by the players within his circle.”

“Mmm-hmm,” I chuffed. “There is a fine line between love and hate. Usually that line meets right in the center at fear.”

The Madam’s lips pressed together, but she kept perfectly poised. I expected nothing less. This was a woman who walked in every circle. I’d done my research on Alana Toussaint. Everyone seemed to know of her, but no one would say a single word about what she did. It took me digging into my friend Joel Castellanos’s sudden marriage to a woman no one knew in order to learn about The Marriage Auction. And he’d been drunk when he’d provided the information, handing me a slim black card with her name and a phone number on the back. It had been very hush-hush and had intrigued me to no end.

“Do you think you have a candidate who would suit my expectations?” I asked.

Alana sat back in her chair and smirked. “I do.”

I waited a full ten seconds while Alana stared me down. “I’m all ears,” I stated.

Jade snickered and I turned my head sharply, gaze narrowed.

Her cheeks reddened. “I apologize,” Jade said and then looked at Alana who cocked a single brow.

Madam Alana was everything I wanted to be in business. She gave very little away in her expressions and vocal intonation. A master at communication who always had the upper hand. Jade would learn a lot from a magnate like her.

“Darling, I do not matchmake, per se. I research and find willing candidates of marriageable age and circumstance. Every person is different. Each agree to the terms as set forth in the contracts I sent you a couple months ago. Did you read them?”

I had. They were lengthy and far more detailed than I’d expected. Even though the buyer was bidding and paying a hefty fee, the contracts protected the candidates as first priority. I actually found this appealing because it meant there were guidelines both were expected to follow.

“I found no flaws in the parameters set forth in both contracts,” I agreed.

“Then you also read that every bidder has the same opportunity. It wouldn’t be fair for me to give any of you a leg up on your competition.” It was a statement, not a question. It needed no response because it was a fact.

Damn, she was a savvy businesswoman.

“I see. Then what does this phase of the auction entail?” I asked, feeling a bit eager.

“You will attend the event at the hour specified detailed in the invitation Ms. Lee sent you via email. The audience space will darken and each of you will have a lighted paddle displaying a number. The candidates will be brought out one at a time for bidding. When you want to bid on a particular candidate, you may press the button on the paddle and hold it aloft. I will call it out.”

“So very similar to an art auction.”

Madam Alana smiled, her face lighting up so beautifully I was taken aback by her splendor.

“I like the visual of my candidates being precious art.” Something shifted behind her eyes as though she was reliving a memory of her own.

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