Finally satisfied with my look in the mirror I took a deep breath and left the room. When I opened the door I saw Jess standing over Xavier rambling about something and Xavier staring off at the wall behind her.

How could she not notice how sad he looked? To me it was obvious. I hadn't known him long, but any deviation from his happy go lucky personality was always an indication that something was incredibly wrong.

I fully stepped out of the restroom and their heads moved in my direction. They both stared at me wide-eyed and I felt exposed under their gazes. "What?" I asked lowly.

"You look amazing," Xavier said. I rolled my eyes and shook my head to cover my face from the blush creeping on my face and walked to a nearby mirror.

"Thanks," I muttered.

Jess came to my side and clapped proudly. "Wow."

I straightened the dress in the mirror and looked at myself. I thought I looked decent, but their reactions were getting me more nervous than confident.

The black satin dress clung loosely to my curves and pooled at my feet. The slit in the dress exposed my thigh, making it easier to walk and I sighed as I looked at myself in the mirror. I moved my straightened hair behind my shoulder, letting it flow down my back as I glanced at Xavier and Jess in the mirror. I found them still looking at me and I frowned.

"Are you guys falling in love with me or do I look ugly?" I asked as I adjusted the spaghetti straps on the dress.

"Syn is going to lose his shit tonight." Xavier laughed lowly, covering his mouth with his hand.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you." I looked at him. "Gen wants all the girls to arrive together, so I won't be going with the two of you. Can you tell Syn?"

"I'll tell him." He nodded.

"Well, I'll meet you in Gen's room, Queen," Jess said. "Bye, Xavier. See you there."

"Bye," he mumbled, not looking at her as she left the room.

"Umm," I started. "Weird question, but can you see my nipples?"

He squinted at my chest for a moment and kept moving closer until he was about an inch away. "Not really...oh only when I'm this close."

"Should I change?" I asked.

"No." He shook his head. "You look beautiful."

"Well, thank you. Now tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing." He smiled at me.

"You look sad," I said as I grabbed his arm.

"Jess and I are friends once again." He responded with a sigh as if that was an answer to my question.

"You're sad about that?"

"Yes. Now I have to listen to her rant about Nate and pretend to be happy for her," he said with a scoff.

"You don't have to listen to it, Xavier. I'm sure she'd understand."

He shrugged and took a long breath as he turned back to me. "Let's not think about it right now." Laying his hands on my shoulders he shook me gently with excitement. "It's your birthday and there is a long night ahead of us."

"Absolutely. Also, I get to meet your dates," I teased as I wiggled my brows. I watched as he tried to hold back a smile that appeared on his lips and I let out a small laugh.

"Shut up," he said in embarrassment.

"Are you in love Xavier?" I joked.

He rolled his eyes at me and stepped away from me. "Shut up before I push you. I doubt you'd be able to catch yourself in those heels."

"Shiver me timbers."

꧁꧂

I sat in one of the many chairs occupied by beautiful girls around me as Genesis walked around the room checking everyone's make-up and dresses. My eyes floated to Xyla who had been staring into her pocket-sized mirror for the past twenty minutes, and I sighed. I wanted to tell her she looked beautiful tonight, but she and I still hadn't spoken after what I said to her in her room.

Genesis moved in front of me eyeing me with a smile, and I tried not to laugh. "You smell good," she whispered.

"Thank you." I giggled.

"Happy birthday, my love." I smiled at her and she winked at me before moving on to the next person. After what felt like an hour of check-up and minimal makeup fixes, Gen tapped a fork against her glass to get all of our attention.

"Ladies, thank you so much for your sacrifice tonight," she said with a bright smile, making us all laugh softly. "I've been in your spots and I know you're thinking...what the hell did I get myself into?" She grimaced. "Truth is, tonight is going to suck. Men you never wished to look at you, will be staring and wondering how much. I know, it's gross, right?" She sighed. "Just keep in mind that this is for the children, and who knows? Maybe one of you will leave tonight with a rich husband." She raised a brow and tilted her glass, making an 'ooooh' sound throughout the room.

"Tonight isn't just about being beautiful," she said. "From the second you step into that room, you are the merchandise. Your value will be determined by the way you act, the way you speak, the way you look at them..." She wiggled her brows. "Let's be pricey, ladies," she finalized, raising her glass.

We all raised ours in return and slowly, the room emptied as the woman joined and entered the function. I hung back, still a bit nervous and unsure of what to do. Genesis walked over to me and smiled. "You'll be fine. Worst case scenario you get on stage and no one bids."

"You are no help." I laughed.

"But that's not happening with you," she assured me. "Even if you speak to no one at all, Syn will be taking you on that date."

I sighed, letting that ease my worries until I saw her but the inside of her cheek. "What?"

"You want my advice?"

"I do." I nodded.

"Show him how valuable you are." She shrugged one shoulder. "Make him work for it tonight. Make his pockets hurt!"

"For the children?" I held up my glass.

She laughed, clinking hers with mine. "For the children!"

I walked around the floor, aimlessly walking through the crowds in boredom. A live jazz band played on the stage, and the large floor was full of high tables scattered about, people flirting and talking at each one.

One of the ladies with a name tag on her indicating that she was one of my mother's girls walked up to me and laid a hand on my forearm. "Hi, I'm-"

I passed her the empty glass in my hand and walked past her. Circling the entire room twice, I walked back to the bar and ordered a drink. "Did you find her?" Xavier asked, checking his watch and looking towards the entrance of the hall.

"Nope." I sat down beside him. "Are your dates here?"

"Almost," he said as he sucked in a breath. "They'll be here in a few minutes."

"Just relax." I slapped his shoulder. "You're-...something."

"Wow. Thanks," he mumbled.

The bartender placed that glass of whiskey on the bar counter in front of me and I picked it up before looking out into the busy room. My eyes scanned all the men in suits with women draped on their arms, my jaw clenching when I saw the man who had been giving me problems lately.

Sebastian.

Two women were at the table speaking to him, and he gave them a cheesy smile as they fawned over the stupid watch on his wrist. I tried to calm myself down, remembering the conversation I had with Queen about him and I tore my eyes away from him. Fuck him. My sights landed on my mother who was greeting guests as she walked toward me with a bright smile. "I hope you guys are enjoying yourselves."

"You did a great job," Xavier told her.

"Thank you." She squeezed his hand and turned to me. "Are you having fun, Syn?"

"A blast," I whispered, making her roll her eyes at me.

"Are you already jealous?"

"What do you mean?"

"Of Queen socializing," she said, pointing toward the crowded floor. I followed her finger, my eyes spotting Queen in a sea of men as she laughed about something with them. Her radiant smile remained on her face with everyone she spoke to and I took a sip of the alcohol, just admiring her. As if feeling my eyes in her, she looked up in my direction. When our eyes locked, she looked away, slightly shaking her head as she tried to conceal a smile. That alone was enough for me to remain seated and not interrupt her flow. She didn't have that reaction to anyone else.

"Eww, I felt that." Xavier cringed.

"Felt what?"

"The sexual tension and its gross," he said. "You weirdos need to behave yourself." I looked to my side, hoping my mother didn't hear any of that and I saw her busy speaking to guests nearby. Good, after our trip to the mall and talking about Queen with her...I never wanted to do it again. She said 'Aww' to everything.

"Where are your dates?" I asked him.

"They're coming from Juva so traffic is horrible. They're going to meet us at the restaurant after this," he said.

"Oh, that sucks."

"No, that's great!" He said. "I have time to relax."

"Xavier!" My mother called, waving her hand in the air for him to go to her.

"I'll be right back," he mumbled. I turned back to the bar in the seat and laid my forearms on the table as I stared down into the drink. I felt someone take the seat beside me and I rolled my eyes, not bothering to look at them.

"Come here often?" She said. I lifted my head, my eyes connecting with Queen's as she chuckled softly.

My eyes trailed down her body and I groaned as I looked at her curves. I leaned closer to her and lowered my voice. "Is it bad that I want to kiss you here in front of everyone?"

Her heart raced at my words and she bit her lip. "Is it bad that I want you to?" I glanced around the room, seeing everyone preoccupied with everything else but us, and I grabbed her chin, quickly placing a kiss on hers. She grinned as I pulled away, and I loosened my tie, suddenly getting hot.

The older gentleman in the bar turned to Queen and gave her a large smile. "Can I get you anything, pretty lady?"

Queen smiled at the compliment and pointed toward my drink. "Can I have what he got?"

"Coming right up." The man quickly drummed the counter before grabbing the bottle and sliding a glass down in front of her. He used one arm to flip the bottle and began pouring as Queen watched him in awe.

Where did my show go? The man hardly spoke to me when he passed me my drink. I chalked his grand gesture up to her being beautiful beyond belief and I watched her pick up the drink. "You want your first taste of alcohol to be whiskey?" I asked her.

"Who said it's my first?" She raised a brow. She downed the glass in one swoop and set it down before walking away and smiling at me over her shoulder. "Bye, baby."

Baby?

I waited to cringe at the pet name, but when nothing came except for a warm in my chest, I relaxed into my seat dumbfounded. Nobody had ever called me that. Ever. Was it wrong of me to like it? I sat confused thinking about it until my thoughts were interrupted by my mother's voice through the speakers.

"The bidding will be starting in five minutes so ladies, please find your way onto the stage, and everyone else please find the table with your name card on it. Thank you."

Everyone began sorting themselves out in the room as the music stopped and I met with Xavier in the room. We looked for our names for a couple of minutes, finally finding them at a table with Felix and fucking Sebastian.

Great.

We took our seats, at the circular table and the small conversation between them ceased as they looked up at us. "How are you guys doing?" Sebastian asked, a grin on his face.

"I'm great. How are you?" Xavier chirped back, making me furrow my brows and send him a look.

"I'm perfect," Sebastian laughed. "Who are you all bidding on?"

"Xyla," Felix muttered, slightly hitting his bidding paddle on the table. "I don't really have much of a choice, you?"

"Queen, of course. I don't want her stuck with some asshole," he said, looking around the room. "What about you, Xavier?"

"I'll be bidding on the women that don't get any bids," he said. "I can only imagine how difficult it must be to have to stand up there. Getting no bids would kill me."

"What a noble demon," I muttered.

"And you, Syn?" Sebastian asked. "Who will you be going for?"

"My girl."

"Oh." He nodded. "Congratulations. I wasn't aware you were in a relationship."

Mhmm.

I sat in boredom through the multiple bids. I expected some of them to be lively, or people to fight over the women on stage, but there was none of that. Most of the women on stage had men picked out before the bidding even started. The highest price of the night so far was $9,999.99. The old man refused to add the penny and make it ten grand.

"Next we have Xyla McCalistar, Princess of Eden," the man on the mic said. "Who would like to start the bidding?"

"One hundred dollars!" Someone in the crowd yelled, making Xyla's mouth drop.

"One-fifty," Felix raised his paddle.

"Fifty thousand," a man leaning against the wall in the room said as he raised his white paddle. The room broke out into a gasp and Xyla bit her lip as she eyed him.

"Fifty thousand," the announcer mumbled. "Can we get a Fifty-one-"

"Sixty!" Felix yelled.

The man leaning against the wall chuckled, shaking his head before looking up at the stage. "Sixty-one thousand."

Felix shrugged tossing down his paddle with a shrug as the announcer called the number. "Going once...going twice...sold! To the gentleman-"

"Wait!" The man leaned off the wall. "I don't have that money!"

"Sir, you held up your sign."

"No! Xyla tell him!" The man yelled up at her from the floor. "I wasn't supposed to win!" Murmurs broke off into the crowd and Xavier burst out into laughter beside me.

"I don't know who that man is." Xyla smiled. "Can we get security?"

"You told me that I would lose!" He screamed as large men came to the floor and scooped him up. "I'll be calling my lawyers! Sixty-one thousand dollars...get the hell out of here!"

Xyla walked to the mic and cleared her throat before bumping the announcer to the side. "Okay well, excuse that minor inconvenience. We're going to try that again, okay? Think about the damn children. Thank you!"

The suites man on stage she had knocked to the side adjusted his suit and grabbed the mic back from Xyla. "From the top, folks!" The bidding for the date with Xyla started over again, and after her little stunt, she was able to make it to one hundred-thousand dollars from an older gentleman closer to the stage. Felix sat out of the second bid, clearly embarrassed by her behavior."

I distracted myself on my phone, the bids still going on in the background as I waited for Queen's name to be called. After almost an hour, I heard it and paid attention to the stage, eyeing Sebastian who seemed to be on high alert. Oh, fuck this dude.

"Who would like to start-"

"Five thousand!" someone in the distance yelled.

"Seven thousand!"

"Twenty-thousand!"

"Twenty-thousand and one!"

"One hundred-thousand," Sebastian spoke up, making everyone's mouths drop as scattered gasps filled the room.

"One hundred-thousand going once, one hundred-thousand going-"

"Five hundred-thousand dollars," I said, sending Sebastian a challenging glance. He looked at me in confusion momentarily before scoffing and raising his paddle.

"Five hundred and fifty thousand!"

"Six-hundred," I stated.

"Seven!" He argued.

"Eight hundred thousand dollars!" Xavier yelled, holding his padded high up in the air. I hit him on top of his head with mine and he laughed before looking at me. "I just wanted to join the fun."

"Eight hundred and ten," Sebastian spoke, still not backing down and I shook my head.

"One million dollars," I said, silencing all the chatter in the room. I looked at Queen who was in just as much shock as everyone else and I relaxed into my seat. People would have questions after tonight, but I'd be damned if I let anyone take my girl on a date.

"Annnnd sold to the gentleman in the black!" The man said.

"Whooo!" My mother screamed. "For the children!"

꧁꧂

The event came to an end as everyone went to their dates and I waited in the ballroom floor for Queen. Sebastian had made an early exit directly after losing and my chest swelled in victory. If he didn't know she was mine by now, she was an idiot.

Queen emerged from the corridor, giving an awkward smile to the people who clapped for her, and she walked toward me. My eyes drifted down the length of the new dress she had on, and my cock hardened, making me clear my throat and take a deep breath. Her rose gold mini dress hugged her every curve leaving little to the imagination-well, at least my imagination since I knew every inch of her.

She crossed her arms as she got closer to me and I furrowed my brows at her expression. It wasn't happiness or sadness...she was pissed. "Why the hell would you spend one million dollars, Syn?!" She whispered, looking around to make sure no one was listening to us.

"Because I wanted to."

"That's a lot of money! It's too much."

I gasped, holding a hand over my chest. "Are you saying that I gave the struggling children in the realms too much money?"

"That's not what I-"

"Are you seriously upset at me for giving a sizable donation to this organization?!" I said louder, making Queen's eyes widen.

"Okay, okay, thank you for donating, Syn. I'm not mad" She insisted, grabbing my arm. "Can we go eat? I'm hungry."

"I think my mom is already at the restaurant with everyone. We just need to head over."