Elijah watched bored as the president of the charity foundation gave a speech thanking them for their generous donations and how it has kept the foundation running for so many years, in a bid to keep it lively though it wasn't working out well for him he mentioned how the location was a bit off which made a few people laugh, others that knew what they were there for didn't bother.
He went on about how many people were saved and lastly talked about the plans to expand and keep growing with their help, in short it was boring and then Richard who also had to say something gave a speech, still boring in his opinion. They made a toast to the success and what not, until finally what he'd been waiting for started.
She was similarly dressed like the first time he saw her, the blonde hair cascaded down her back in waves, beautiful golden locks you would think there was a bit of glitter in them. He took a deep breath when she started moving, slowly at first, picking up speed as the music got faster.
More words were said after that performance until finally, finally the auction started. He knew ninety nine percent of the people weren't auctioning for the charity, it was more for the women, and God, they had women, so much of them, beautiful women at that too.
Although none quite reached the angel but it was fine.
He almost laughed at the thought of his mother finding him in a brothel, modernized and called a club but they all know what happens in gentlemen's clubs.
"Elijah you can have any woman you want, why a stripper?" The question seemingly came out of nowhere.
He turned to Asher, one of their friends who was already looking at him expectantly. He wondered if his interest was so obvious, he didn't want her like that, just a taste, he didn't do long term, at least not anymore.
"Because they don't get attached," That must've been the right answer because he only nodded and turned to his date, his longtime girlfriend, Alisha. He was the only one in a committed relationship in their group. Elijah didn't know if to feel happy or sad for him.
"If I did women Ash, I'd do her, she is-" She waved her hands trying to find the perfect word to describe the woman. He understood her speechlessness, any word would be an understatement.
"We're all glad you don't," Asher replied giving her a short kiss. The other men rolled the eyes which made her giggle and wipe the sides of her mouth a bit.
They started with the other women, he drowned out the noises of old perverted men yelling thousands of dollars like their lives depended on it, when they got to the angel, like they called her, he could feel it, they could all feel it, something in the air changed.
She was wearing a different outfit, more modest this time, a red body hug dress, her hair was swept to one side and with the off the shoulder she was wearing, one beautiful shoulder was exposed, she was still wearing a mask, also a different one. He wanted to see her face, and what he wanted more than that was to see her eyes up close.
He couldn't tell the color from where he sat.
"The angel starting at ten thousand dollars," The auctioneer spoke. Elijah didn't spare him a glance, his eyes on the woman who was seated on a high chair, looking regal, like a queen on her throne and not at all a club dancer or stripper or whatever.
The red on her skin made him hot, he wanted to be burned by her. How she made something so sinful look so innocent? God he wanted to see that dress pool at her feet, with her standing before him, wearing nothing but the heels, with the mask off, no, with the mask on, he wanted to see her lips and only that as she screams his name or maybe with her eyes, he wanted to see them roll to back of her head.
"Twenty thousand," Someone from the back spoke loudly interrupting his thoughts. He felt hot all of a sudden, he couldn't wait for it to end already. He already knew who was taking her home tonight.
"Thirty,"
"Fifty,"
He drowned out all the voices, uninterested.
"Did I hear one hundred from the back?"
He glanced at his wristwatch, it was just a few minutes past ten. Too early but he felt like he has been there for hours and he just wanted to go home with his prize. She was already his, just for the night but it would suffice.
"Going for five hundred dollars," He looked up, the man hit the thing once, he repeated it twice, before he could speak for the third time, Elijah spoke.
"One million,"
The whole place went dead silent for a few beats before murmurs started, the auctioneer repeated, once, twice and thrice, no one stopped him.
"Sold at one million dollars."
The rest of what was being said was the last thing on his mind, his eyes on his prize. She was also looking at him, maybe not exactly at him but in the general direction he was sitting.
It had to be the mysteriousness of it all since he couldn't see her face but his whole body answered to her, reminding him of certain things he has deprived himself of. Certain needs he has forced himself to erase from his life, everything woke up just from a single he wasn't sure was directed at him.
She had a lot on her hands, his control was part of it. Entirely too much power for one woman but she was worth it, she had to be.
"You are insane," Jamie was the first to speak.
"You have completely lost your mind Elijah, what the fuck?!" That was Richard.
"Damn." Zedd only muttered running his tanned hand over his face.
He took a sip of the champagne, ignoring his companions' arguments or whatever it was they were doing or saying, he couldn't care less.
He might regret the decision in the morning, but all would be worth it to have her under him just for a night.
That was the only thing he felt like he needed, a night with her. Besides, it has been ages since he was with a woman last.