Page 57 of The Fake Play

Keke

Ithought I’d have enough courage to tell Luke before the auction but I couldn’t do it.

There’s no way I could tell him like that. Not right before getting on stage in front of a bunch of horny women. Telling him then would have been terrible for the bids. The animals need as much money as we can raise, so I’m glad I didn’t tell him beforehand.

Okay, the truth is, I chickened out.

But how do you tell someone something like that right before an event like this? I couldn’t even get the words out. I’m a coward. How in the hell can I be a mom if I can’t even find the courage to tell the father he’s going to be a father?

The question drums against my skull with every hoot and holler that comes from the audience. My head throbs as the night wears on. It gets worse when I realize that Luke is up after Lucas. Shit. I still can’t believe he did this just because Lucas goaded him into it. The male ego never ceases to amaze me.

I clear my throat, trying not to scream, cry, or throw up. “Next up, we have Atlanta’s Golden Boy, our very own Luke Smith!” I freeze, feeling the floor tip beneath my feet. Just sayinghis name is enough to send me reeling and I have to grip the podium for balance.

He throws the curtain back, looking gorgeous and confident. But I know him well enough now to know that he hates when people watch him. It reminds him of his family’s life in Hollywood yet for the stupidest of reasons he signed up for this.

I hate the way the women are looking at him, like he’s nothing more than a spectacle, something to be devoured. It’s all fun and games when it comes to the others, but jealousy slithers it’s ugly head through me, and I want to scratch their eyes out.

The room is packed with lustful women, eyes brimming with excitement. I saw the way they reacted to the others, and their paddles wave in anticipation, Luke being their next big thrill. He’s merely entertainment to them. Or, in this case, a piece of meat for them to sink their teeth and claws into.

I set my jaw, square my shoulders, and take a deep breath to clear my mind. If I say anything that puts the audience off, his bids will plummet.

This is for the shelter, for the animals who trusted Luke when the rest of the world didn’t. For my career, to make management see that Luke is not only a team player, but that he has good ideas for the community. Even if it means facing the horny eyes of a hundred and fifty women, my judgment, or Lucas’s gloating later, he’s going out there and giving it his all. He’s brave, I have to give him that.

The audience erupts into cheers as he dances down the catwalk, and for a moment, I’m no longer mad. I don’t even feel that scared about being pregnant anymore. Seeing him cut up out there… I’m in awe of him. This is his moment, and despite his stage fright, he’s killing it.

These women are here because of me and Luke. We put this together, and it is still our time to shine. I try to play it cool, my grin broadening as I embrace the moment.

“Ooh, I like this one,” a lady calls from the crowd. “He’s so hot!”

I can’t help but laugh, feeling a bit of pride as my confidence swells a little more. They like my boyfriend. If he’s still that by the end of the night.

The noise swirls around me like a wild current as the music turns raunchy, making me wonder if Luke had picked it or if this song is just a coincidence. Women are standing, waving their paddles like flags, as he does his level best to earn their attention.

Lucas raised their excitement, and Luke is using that to his advantage.

As he makes his way down the catwalk, he dances to the music like he does at Smokey’s, shaking his ass to draw attention. He spots me at the podium off to the side, doing a little shimmy at me before continuing down the catwalk. The women eat it up, and I can’t help but laugh.

Is this what it’s like to have a partner in crime? Someone who will do anything to see you smile, even if that means embarrassing himself or doing something that terrifies him? Someone who cares enough to put themselves out there for your benefit?

Could he be a real partner instead of just a fake boyfriend?

He reaches the end of the catwalk, striking a pose for the audience, which sends them into another frenzy. The cheers are deafening, but I can still hear the nagging doubt in the back of my mind. He flashes me a grin, trying to reassure me, but I still don’t know what to think about any of this.

Slowly, he loosens his bowtie and dangles it over the audience. The women reach up for it, and he takes the oldest one’s hand, kisses the back of it, and presses the tie into her palm. She giggles and fans herself with her bidding paddle, as the women nearby wave their own paddles frantically at me.

Time to do this.

“Okay, ladies!” I say into the microphone, my voice steady despite the tension in my chest. “You all know the rules. Luke here is up for grabs for one unforgettable evening. Who’s ready to bid?”

The paddles were already swinging in the air before I said that, but now, they’re waving wildly, women shouting numbers over the din. A woman in the front row shouts at him, “I’ll give you five hundred, if you lose the top button!”

Laughter ripples through the crowd, and my cheeks heat up as my jaw clenches. This could end up getting crazy but if it boosts the numbers, I have to go with it. My job is more than likely already toast, if I’m being realistic with myself, so I need to at least save Luke’s career. And if turning him into a human trophy does that, I have to roll with it.

I point at his top button and tease, “Those are thousand-dollar buttons, ladies.”

He gawks at me but she laughs. “Consider it done!”

He helplessly holds his hands up and grins as he unbuttons the top button. Partner in crime, indeed. The enthusiasm in the room is infectious, and it’s hard to resist joining in. Soon, others get in on the action, each offering a thousand dollars for the next button on his shirt.

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