Page 40 of Auctioned To Be Mine

“Victoria.” Betty was trying very hard not to laugh. “Why are you hiding in his bathroom?”

“Because he kissed me. Or I kissed him. There was a kiss.”

The laugh she’d been suppressing burst out of her.

“Betty,” I whispered heatedly. “This is not funny.”

“He kissed you,” she repeated. “And you ran away and hid in his bathroom?”

I turned back to the mirror and tried to fix my lipstick with my finger. “I panicked. I just left him standing there on the terrace.”

“Okay. Walk me through this. How was dinner? Before the kiss.”

I thought about that. It was a valid question. “Betty, I hung on every word he said.”

Silence on her end.

“Every single word,” I whispered. “He talked about his family and the store they’re opening. He’s interesting. And I paid attention.” I stared at my own reflection. “Do you know the last time that happened to me on a date?”

“I’m going to say never,” Betty said quietly.

“Never,” I confirmed. “I’ve been on exactly four dates in the past two years and every single one of them I was disassociating by the appetizer course. They all talked about themselves. Their deals, their cars, their opinions about things nobody asked them to weigh in on. I always zone out but tonight was different.”

“Because he’s different,” Betty said simply.

“He’s annoying,” I said, but even I could hear how unconvincing it was. “He’s arrogant.”

“Victoria.”

“He made me laugh.”

“Listen to yourself,” Betty said. Her voice was gentle, the laughing gone. “You’re standing in that man’s bathroom listing reasons why he’s wrong for you, and every single reason you’re giving me is actually a reason you like him.”

I didn’t say anything.

“That’s everything. That’s the whole thing.”

“It was a charity dinner,” I said weakly. “It’s not even really a date.”

“Kissing seem pretty real.”

I groaned and pressed my forehead against the cool tile wall. “He’s so hot, Betty. I’ve seen attractive men before. I’ve dated attractive men before. But this is different.” I swallowed. “I haven’t felt like this ever. Not once in my entire life.”

Betty was quiet for a moment. When she spoke again, her voice was soft. “Then why are you hiding in a bathroom?”

“Because I don’t know what to do.”

“You go back out there and enjoy his company,” she said. “See what happens. Don’t think so hard about what you should or shouldn’t do. Just let it happen.”

I thanked her and ended the call. I felt ridiculous. It was time to face him.

I fixed my lipstick as best I could, smoothed my dress, and took one long breath.

Callum was still on the terrace where I’d left him. He didn’t say anything. He just looked at me with those green eyes and waited.

“I should go,” I said.

He nodded like he’d expected as much. I hadn’t. I thought I was going to return and be brave. But apparently I was a coward.