Trivial Pursuits Ch. 10

"Ms. Allen, it is very nice to meet you. My name is Jacob." He stretched out his hand to assist her from the low stage.

"It is nice to meet you. Thank you-" but she was interrupted by a squealing Lou who nearly bowled her over in her zeal to hug her in congratulations.

"What did I tell you! They'd have paid a million dollars for you if they'd had it," she boasted, nearly squeezing the life out of Alessa.

"I thought they were millionaires," Alessa mumbled as she tried to extricate herself, but Lou squeezed on.

"You looked so gorgeous. You did amazing! Fantastic! I think that was the highest bid anyone's received. Like. Ever!" she finally released her to smile brightly and then get introduced to the man who paid such an extravagant amount for a single date. "And who are you, then?" she asked, sticking her hand out to shake. "I'm Lou. I work with Alessa."

"Nice to meet you," he greeted politely, if not a little stiff. "I was just about to ask Ms. Allen if she would like to accompany me now so we can get ourselves checked out."

Alessa was a little surprised at how quickly he wanted to leave, but nodded her head at any rate. "You already have a date in mind? I mean, something you want to do?"

"Actually, yes, if you don't mind. We can discuss it in the car. I believe it is waiting out front," he explained as they pushed their way through the crowd. Everyone was clamoring to speak with her, and he had to gently, but firmly place a hand on her arm. She heard a few comments about how eager he was to make good on his date, followed by chuckling.

Though he was polite, he didn't seem too interested in her, and considering how much he had just paid, she was beginning to think his behavior odd. "And what do you do, Mr-?" she asked as they stood in line.

"Anderson, Ms. Allen. And I am involved in the supply side of the market."

Alessa's smile tightened as her eyes narrowed. "That is a little vague, isn't it?"

"Generalization allows for a greater variance in what I do."

Alessa chuckled. "Sounds as ambiguous as working for the mob."

But Jacob Anderson only looked at her with a rather bland expression.

Somehow, this date for mingling was suddenly careening out beyond the parameters she could control. And so she kept trying to uncover the root of her suspicions. "I was quite surprised the bidding got as high as it did. Tell me, why me? I mean, had you planned on bidding on a me specifically, or was I just the last one and you didn't want to leave the party alone?" she tried to ask with a teasing laugh.

"You specifically, Ms. Allen."

Her forced laughter faded easily in the sobriety of his answer. They were at last to the table to check out. Alessa no longer felt safe with this man. He pulled a silver credit card from his wallet and handed it to the blonde sitting there to take his payment. Alessa opened her mouth to speak to the woman smiling in congratulations at both Mr. Anderson's high bid and Alessa's honor at such a price, but nothing came out as she immediately remembered she would be responsible for covering the cost of the bid should she choose to not fulfill her end of the agreement. And after all, she had nothing concrete to object to, no rules he had broken.

Suddenly she was searching around for Lou. "Excuse me," she said to Jacob when she spied her friend, cutting off the blonde who was asking what fun they were going to have that night, and then dashed to Lou before he could stop her.

"I know it's silly," Alessa explained immediately without allowing Lou any chance to speak, "but I really don't know this guy from Adam. I want you to text me every thirty minutes, so for a three hour date that should be six times by the time I get back to my home. I'll just text you back a name of each of the shops we went to, how does that sound? So if I don't answer or don't text back only the names, then can you do something?"

Lou's brow was furrowed. "Sure thing, but you really don't think anything will happen, do you?"

"No, of course not, it's only-"

"Ms. Allen, are you ready?" Jacob spoke from behind her.

She had been leaning down to whisper in Lou's ear, and when she heard his voice, she straightened up, with a resigned look.

Lou smiled at her. "You're just imaging things," she whispered. "You're trying to get out of it because you're a stick in the mud. Now, go have fun!"

"Promise?" Alessa demanded undeterred.

"Yes, I promise," Lou swore with an indulging shake of her head and smile.

Alessa tried to tell herself she was being dramatic as she turned with a tight-lip smile to Jacob. He held his arm out to her, and she slowly slipped her hand onto it. She was silent as they departed the main hall and walked back through the large, sunken lobby. Her eyes drifted over the many booths people were once again standing around discussing the various projects.

"It was very kind of you to pay such a large amount. The money will hopefully go to one of these good causes," she mused.

"I didn't pay anything." They were outside, once again heading down the red carpet stairs to a line of black limos parked along the curb.

He stopped at one of them and opened the back door.

"What did you say?"

"I paid for nothing."

"I don't understand, how could you not-"

"It wasn't my money, Ms. Allen. It was his."

And then Alessa saw the hand reaching out from the dark of the car through the open door, waiting for her to accept.