2. Pumped Up Kicks

~ Audrey ~

“Can you believe it? He’s basically auctioning me off like a horse!”

Audrey stomped her feet, making her way out of her walk-in closet. As soon as she stepped into the room, her two best friends, Mikey and Olivia, gasped in awe. 

“But still, a very pretty horse, wearing Oscar de la Renta!” Mikey exclaimed, he sashayed his way over to her and examined the dress further. He nodded approvingly at the way the silver dress hugged her slender curves, hollering, “Damn girl, you’re gonna be selling out like hotcakes,”

“Mikey, you’re not helping!” she hissed and slapped Mikey’s painted nails away from her ass.

“Mikey’s got a point, though. You look great in that dress,” Olivia shrugged. “And your dad’s not auctioning you off, Aud. Look on the bright side, he just wants you to pick a guy that he trusts,”

“If by trust you mean having a trust fund, then sure,” Audrey rolled her eyes.

Olivia and Mikey were Audrey’s two and only friends. They met in kindergarten and they were inseparable ever since. Olivia and Audrey attended the same all girls’ catholic school growing up, and Mikey attended the catholic school for boys across the street. Audrey found it ironic that Mikey was attending an all boys’ catholic school, especially that Mikey had openly declared himself gay ever since he was nine years old.

Audrey looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her friends were right, she did look amazing in that dress. It was a metallic pleated dress with an asymmetric hem. It showed off her perfect collarbone and hugged her ass perfectly. If only Ashton could see me in this, she thought to herself.

“Mm, girl, we need to get you some kicks,” Mikey commented and he disappeared into Audrey’s closet. Moments later, he was back with a pair of silver Manolo Blahnik heels. 

“Oh, you’re a life saver,” Audrey grabbed the pair of heels and tried it on. Of course, Mikey’s keen eye for fashion wouldn’t let her down. He was, after all, heir to the Rossi textile industry.

“I wish you two could come, at least I’ll be less miserable,” Audrey sighed into the mirror as she saw the reflection of her two best friends behind her.

“Unfortunately, I’m not a guy about to court you. So, I’m not on the list,” Olivia joked.

“I am a guy, but I’m not courting you either,” Mikey shook his head, “Also, I’m a little offended that I’m not on this list. Does your dad think I’m not good enough for his little girl or something?”

“Mikey, you’re gay,” Audrey pointed out the obvious.

“So? I still come from a good family. I’m Michael Christian Rossi for crying out loud,” he raised his hands up dramatically. 

“But you being gay means I’m not gonna conceive a child with you. He wants heirs,” Audrey replied.

“There are tube babies and shit like that nowadays,” he retorted. “We can do that,”

“Really? Will you do that? Will you marry me and have tube babies with me?” Audrey challenged him.

“On second thought…” Mikey pulled away, grimacing.

“My point exactly,” 

“But hey, if it’s any consolation, at least it’s only a birthday dinner, not a forced arranged marriage,” Olivia said, hoping it would cheer Audrey up somehow.

Audrey sighed. “Knowing my dad, it might as well be,” 

* KNOCK! * KNOCK! *

Audrey was about to complain some more when she suddenly heard a knock on the door. The door creaked opened and Linda the head housemaid entered, “Miss Audrey, they’re ready for you downstairs,”

Audrey turned to her friends with a dejected look on her face. 

“Guess that means we gotta leave,” Olivia smiled sadly.

Mikey kissed her cheek and gave her a supportive hug, saying, “Have fun at your auction, Aud. Give us the lowdown later,” 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Within hours of Audrey’s arrival, the house was now transformed into a banquet fancy enough for a small wedding. The dining hall was covered in flowers and crystal champagne glasses, and the family room was turned into an open area where people could dance and mingle. They even had a small orchestra and a singer at the ready.

By 7 PM, several guests had already arrived at the house. Audrey glided down the stairs in her long silver dress and heels. Her long brown hair was curled at the bottom and the light make up she used accentuated her bright blue eyes and plump pink lips. She was smiling politely at her guests, greeting them like a good host would. 

As the night wore on, more and more guests filled the room. After a while, all of their faces blended together and Audrey couldn’t tell one from the other. They were all guys around her age, all wearing suits, and some even came with their parents. The parents were mostly there to get a better look at their son’s potential future wife, and also to keep Maxwell Huntington’s company.

Audrey was exhausted and hungry. It was two hours into her birthday dinner and she couldn’t even eat. She was too busy having to entertain people that wouldn’t stop coming up to her and talk to her. She didn’t find the event at all interesting and all the guys that chatted her up were one-dimensional, narcissistic, obnoxious snobs.

None of these guys were remotely her type. Not saying that they weren’t handsome, some were pretty decent looking. But unlike the typical girls in her position, Audrey never cared about looks or money, and status. She longed for something deeper, a connection, maybe a spark. She longed for passion and heart, but that never seemed to exist in the world of the fabulously wealthy. Those people were always so straightforward, they looked at you as an investment, according to your dollars worth.

Enough is enough, Audrey thought to herself. She had given this a chance, she couldn’t take any more of this. Smiling politely at the guy talking in front of her, she made an excuse to go to the ladies’ room and slipped past the door. 

Audrey was on a mission. She wanted to find a way out of the house without any of the maids, bodyguards, or guests noticing. 

The back door! 

She smiled victoriously at the thought. Sneaking past the guards, Audrey’s heart was racing and she was holding her breath as she looked from side to side, running towards her freedom. She was just about to make it — when suddenly, her head hit something hard in front of her and she fell butt first to the ground.

“Ouw!” she yelped.

“Sorry sweetheart, my bad,” that something hard had a voice.

Audrey looked up to see a guy, no, two guys standing towering over her. The first thing she noticed about the guy in front of her was his deep blue eyes. It was hauntingly beautiful, she thought.

Blue Eyes lent his hand out to her and she took it instinctively. He pulled her back up with ease and she stood back on her feet. 

“Well, hey there. You must be Audrey,” Blue Eyes smiled at her. His smile was just as captivating as his eyes. At this point, Audrey realized that he was still holding her hand. She pulled away instantly, somewhat awkwardly.

“Yeah…” she muttered.

“Audrey Huntington, huh?” The guy behind Blue Eyes spoke. His voice was deep and his chuckle was menacing. “I’ve heard you’re the belle of the ball,”

Audrey turned to the second guy. He looked a lot like Blue Eyes, but also a little older. His eyes were also blue, but they weren’t as bright, they were hooded with a sense of mystery. His dirty blonde hair was messy, unlike Blue Eyes that kept his hair slicked back neatly. Audrey’s eyes darted to the guy’s neck and she noticed the tattoos that were peaking out of his collar.

“You like what you see?” he smirked as he caught her gawking.

Audrey, fully embarrassed, shook her head quickly and said, “Who are you two again?”

Blue Eyes spoke first, saying, “I’m Killian and this is my brother—“

“Caspian,” Tattoo Guy cut him off. He took a step closer and said, “Caspian Vanderbilt,”

Audrey immediately registered the names. The Vanderbilt family was one of the oldest, most prominent families in the country. She often read about them in books and newspapers. Their large empire spanned from shipping to railroad, to steel, and even the tech industry. She heard that the Vanderbilt had two sons around her age, but she never met any of them before. Heck, she was never allowed to meet any guys before this party. 

“Thank you for inviting us to your party. We’re very honored,” Killian took Audrey’s hand and brought it up to his face. He leaned down slightly and kissed the top of her hand, sending shivers up and down her spine.

“…Sure, it’s our pleasure,” she stammered.

“Oh, trust me, the pleasure’s ours, princess,” Caspian grinned and he took Audrey’s hand from his brother. He leaned down and planted another kiss on her skin, right on the same exact spot.

*

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- - - - - To Be Continued - - - - -