Page 17 of Auctioned To Be Mine

I nodded, not trusting myself to say anything else. Whatever that comment was about didn’t concern me.

“I’ll have Lauren coordinate with you once I hear back from them. But they’ll say yes.”

“Thank you,” I managed. “Really. This means everything to us.”

“Happy to help.” He stood, and I took that as my cue to do the same.

We shook hands again, and somehow, I managed to make my shaky legs carry me all the way back to my car.

7

CALLUM

Istood in the center of what would soon be the main showroom of Blackwell Couture’s flagship store and watched the crew shine the floors. The white marble elevated the space. It cost a small fortune but the shine from the lights above was stunning.

The space had tall ceilings, with an open second story about half the size of the first floor. The store had enough room to host an entire runway show with a decent amount of guests. And that was by design. My cousins had grand visions for the place once the construction was finally finished.

“Mr. Blackwell?” One of the foremen approached, holding a tablet. “We’ve got a question about the lighting fixtures in the back.”

I followed him to the rear of the store where the fitting rooms would be. The electricians had run into an issue with the placement of the fixtures.

I looked at the plans, then at the ceiling, then back at the plans. “Move them eighteen inches to the left. Both of them. Keep them symmetrical.” I handed the tablet back. “Get it done today if you can. We’re on a tight schedule.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll see what we can do.”

I moved through the space, checking on different areas. The walls in the wedding section were being painted a soft champagne color that Cleo had spent three weeks selecting. To me it looked beige, but I quickly learned there were about fifty shades of beige and it had to be perfect. Everything was coming together exactly as we’d envisioned.

My phone buzzed. I pulled it out and saw a text from Adrian, CEO of Blackwell Couture, eldest brother of the New York Blackwells, and my cousin. How’s it looking?

Me: Like a million bucks. Literally.

Adrian: Good. That’s about what we paid for it.

I smiled and pocketed my phone. A painter flagged me down to confirm the trim color. A delivery guy needed a signature for the shelves that would display the accessories. Furniture delivery men were carrying in crushed velvet couches and chairs. People needed to be comfortable when they were spending thousands of dollars. That was also why the store would be featuring a side area for coffee and cocktails. We wanted to provide our patrons with as much pampering as we could.

I handled it all. This was what I was good at. I loved managing chaos and making decisions while keeping everything moving forward. I’d been doing it my whole life. Being the oldest in a large family meant there was always chaos somewhere. This was family legacy meeting new opportunity, and I wanted it to be perfect.

I glanced around just in time to see my parents walk in. As always, everything froze for a brief second. My parents always made an entrance whether they were trying to or not. Dad surveyed the space with a critical eye. Mom was smiling as she took it all in.

“Callum!” She threw her arms around me and planted a kiss on my cheek. “Oh my God, this is gorgeous. Look at this place!”

“Hey, Mom.” I hugged her back, breathing in her familiar perfume.

She pulled back and looked around with genuine excitement. “This is incredible. Your uncle would have been so proud.”

Dad had made his way over, hands in his pockets, still taking everything in. “It’s coming along,” he said, which for him was practically gushing praise.

“What about you, Dad? Are you proud of me?” I asked before I could stop myself.

Dad’s eyes met mine. “We’ll see how the opening goes.”

“Max,” Mom said sharply, swatting his arm. “Don’t listen to him, sweetheart. We’re both so proud of you.” She squeezed my hand. “Now show us around. I want to see everything.”

I led them through the different areas, explaining what each section would be. Blackwell sold mostly dresses but one section was for formal eveningwear while another had more casual looks. Then there were all the accessories, like purses, belts, and even some jewelry. I also showed them the wedding area, which would feature things from my company, driving sales and sending potential clients our way.

When we got to the back corner, I gestured to what was currently just an empty space with some framing up. “This is going to be the lounge area. Coffee and cocktails. Adrian and his brothers wanted it to feel like a destination, not just a store. Somewhere people could spend the afternoon.”

Dad frowned. “Cocktails? Around all that expensive fabric?”