Page 87 of Auctioned to the Devil

“Nothing.”

“You’re a terrible liar.”

“I am not.”

“You’ve checked your phone fourteen times.”

“Margie’s waiting for a delivery.”

“At nine at night?”

“She reads late.”

“That doesn’t even make sense.”

“Stop asking questions.”

I narrow my eyes. “Sally.”

Archer’s voice suddenly booms through the speakers.

“Emily Harper, get your ass on this stage.”

Sally beams. “Oh, look. You’re needed.”

“I swear to God.”

She shoves me toward the stage.

The bar is packed with the same ridiculous crowd that watched Caleb spend twenty thousand dollars to prevent Richard from taking me to dinner.

Archer stands center stage holding a microphone.

Knox and Jace flank him.

Caleb’s friends Rhett and Nora are near the bar.

And Caleb stands beneath the lights.

My heart stops. “No.”

Archer laughs into the microphone. “She figured it out.”

The crowd erupts.

I cover my mouth.

Caleb shakes his head at Archer. “Give me that.”

Archer hands him the microphone. “You sure? I wrote a speech.”

“Fuck off.”

Everyone laughs.

Caleb looks at me.

The noise fades.