“It’s called a job, Mom. They pay me and everything.”
Her mother seemed oblivious to the sarcasm, but judging by the frown on her father’s face, it hadn’t escaped his attention. Her mother turned her attention back to Seth saying, “I wanted to thank you again for donating the use of your ballroom for our charity bachelor auction tonight. I think it’s wonderful that you have decided to participate as well. I know we are going to raise a lot of money tonight for the new children’s hospital.”
Mia looked at Seth in surprise. “You’re going to be auctioned off tonight?”
“Um . . . yeah. It’s for a good cause and it’s only one evening out of my life so it’s really not a big deal.” Luckily, Mia’s parents spotted some friends a few tables away and after bestowing some air kisses on their daughter, they were off. He couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. They might run in the same social circles, but he had always found them a little too reserved for his taste.
Beside him, Mia also seemed to expel a breath as well. “Sorry about that. My parents aren’t exactly the life of the party. I’m sure you noticed that they don’t think much of my career. If they had their way, I would be with them right now making the rounds.”
“I’ve known them for years. How is it that we’ve never crossed paths?”
“On the occasions that I’ve been with them, I usually spent the evening with friends. They were never the type to bring out the baby pictures and brag about their only child either so it’s easy to see why most people other than very close friends don’t know I exist. So . . . a bachelor auction. I have to admit, I find that surprising. Have you done that before?”
Grimacing, he said, “No, this will be a first for me. How bad could it be, right?”
Mia chuckled. “Oh, it could be bad all right. You will probably be purchased by some old cougar who will feel you up all the way through dinner and then try to bribe you into the sack at the end of the night.”
“Oh, God, I hope you’re wrong. I was picturing some shy, homely girl who would be happy with a good meal and some nice conversation.”
“Good luck with that,” Mia laughed. “I know most of the crowd who will attend tonight and there isn’t a wallflower in the bunch. I may actually enjoy myself at one of these things for once.”
Seth raised a brow. “You’re going to be there tonight?”
“Unfortunately, yes. I have to put in an appearance at a few events just to keep my parents happy. Since this is one of my mother’s favorite charities, she expects me to attend. Madeline Gentry isn’t a woman you want to disappoint on a regular basis.”
He wasn’t sure how he felt about her being in attendance to watch him go on the auction block. She would probably laugh her ass off if no one bid on him or, God forbid, the cougar she described bought him. But, at the same time, the evening seemed a lot more interesting than it had earlier. He was almost looking forward to it.
When they had finished eating, he was surprised to find that he had enjoyed their lunch together. She was intelligent, funny, and the conversation had never waned. Unfortunately, neither had his attraction to her. It would probably be a good idea to plan many of his meetings for offsite in the coming weeks. He wasn’t sure he could handle her being that close to him without losing it. It had been a while since he had felt the need for a lunchtime mast***ation session, but today just might be the day.
Chapter Four
Mia pulled on the strapless red cocktail dress and spent several moments struggling with the zipper before finally managing to get it zipped. There were times when it was a real pain in the ass not having a man around. She surveyed her reflection in the mirror and knew that even though her mother would hate the short, mid-thigh length, she absolutely loved it. The dress had a pleated bodice and the narrow skirt contained side pockets. She settled on a large pair of gold hoop earrings and a matching cuff bracelet. Impossibly high-heeled strappy sandals completed the look.