Page 32 of Bid For Me

I head to the fitting room, slipping into the dress, which hugs my body in all the right places. As I step out to show Candy, she claps her hands together. “That’s it. The perfect mix of classy and sexy. Sebastian is going to have regrets,” she says with a wink.

“Regrets, maybe.” I smooth down the dress, admiring the cut. “But that’s assuming he actually cares enough to feel them.”

Candy arches an eyebrow, settling onto the fitting room bench. “So, do you actually like him?”

I look down, biting my lip. “Parts of him, I guess. When he’s being genuine, he can be…surprisingly thoughtful, you know? Like, I don’t know, it’s like he forgets to put on that whole billionaire-playboy act, and I get this glimpse of the real Seb.”

“Sounds like he’s more than just ‘some guy’ to you.”

“Maybe.” I hesitate. “But that doesn’t mean I trust him. His past is…well, it’s there, staring at me. I don’t know if he’s actually serious about me or if I’m just one more passing distraction.”

Candy sighs, tilting her head as she considers me. “Look, I’ve known you for years, and you’re not someone who’s easy to ‘pass over.’ I mean, if he can’t see what he’s got, he’s the one who’s clueless. But that doesn’t mean you need to wait around for him to figure it out.”

“Exactly.” I smirk, looking at myself in the mirror. “I think I’ll take this dress.”

“Good choice,” she says with a grin. “Now, grab a few accessories to go with it, and I’ll settle the bill.”

As we head toward the register, I realise I haven’t even asked where we’re going tonight. “By the way, where exactly are we heading?”

Candy gives me a mischievous look, one that makes me raise an eyebrow. She leans in, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “Oh, you’ll see soon enough. We’re going to ‘For Me’.”

My eyes widen. “Candy! Are you serious?”

“Of course. If we want to make a statement, we might as well do it somewhere we can control the room.”

I feel a thrill run through me. This is going to be a night Seb won’t forget. And whether he regrets his choices or not, tonight’s about me – proving to myself that I’m worth more than waiting around for him to decide what he wants.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Seb

A throbbingache pulses behind my eyes as I pry them open, wincing at the slant of sunlight slicing through the curtains.Great. The last thing I need is a hangover on top of everything else. I reach blindly for my phone, squinting at the screen as I see a flood of missed calls from my father. I groan, rubbing a hand over my face. Whatever he wants, it can’t be good.

What’s strange, though, is the total absence of messages from Elle. She’s usually the first to text me after a night out – either a string of emojis or some scathing critique of my life choices. But today, nothing. Just radio silence.

I start to type a quick message to her, thumb hovering over the screen, when my phone vibrates in my hand. Asher’s name flashes on the screen.Sullivan, I remind myself. He insists on Sullivan when he’s all business, which isn’t the best sign this early in the day.

“Sullivan,” I answer, my voice raspy.

“Are you alive?” Asher’s dark chuckle echoes down the line. “Thought you’d ghosted everyone permanently.”

“Funny.” I sit up, trying to push back the headache. “Why are you calling so early?”

“Early? It’s nearly five in the afternoon. Speaking of which, meet me at the club in a few hours. We’ve got business to discuss.”

I rub my temples, internally groaning. I’mnotup for business today. “Can’t this wait?”

“Not really. Couple of hours,” he insists in a tone that leaves no room for argument.

“Fine,” I sigh. “I’ll see you tonight.”

He laughs again, this time full and amused. “No, not tonight. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

The line goes dead before I can ask him what he’s talking about. Frowning, I look down at the time. And sure enough, it’s just after five. I mutter a curse under my breath. I’ve wasted the whole day sleeping after being up all night, and I still haven’t checked in with Elle.

Before I can open my texts, my phone vibrates again. I glance down, and this time it’s the last person I want to deal with right now: my father.

I pause, thumb hovering over the screen as I hesitate.