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Carrie A
“I need to get laid.” Carrie A
Tommy and Tess’s mouths bowed south in sympathy.
“Sorry. Probably too much information.”
“And on that note I’m outta here.” Tom wrapped Carrie A
“Fine. Whatever. I’ll go.” Her head bobbled back and forth objectionably. “No need to worry about the extra VIP pass. I’ll be flying solo.”
“I’ll send two in case you decide to bring someone from the HAH Foundation. Either way, you’ll be sitting with us.”
Shayla clapped her hands together in in three rapid successions. “Yay! I’m so glad you’re coming.”
Tess clutched an arm around Carrie A
“No, not really.” She hem-hawed curling her lip. “Jason, the realtor I used to lease the mansion for the auction, is definitely interested.”
“I take it you’re still not interested?” Relief molded over Shayla’s petite features. She’d previously expressed concerns with Jason, a mysterious flaw of some sort that she’d been unable to put her finger on.
“Not really. I got no spark. Nada! Not a one. Jason’s a great realtor. He totally hooked me up with this amazing house in the Pacific Palisades. He’s handsome and charming. Plus, he’s going to show me some properties while I’m on vacation next week. He thinks he can find me a house for less than what I’m renting, but that’s where it ends for me. I mean, let’s face the facts, my father introduced us and keeps hinting around insisting that he’s the perfect man. Whatever the hell that means. That in itself is enough to scare any woman into near celibacy. Love and happiness aren’t exactly on my dad’s list of relationship requirements. Everything revolves around worth.”
Shayla agreed, “I’m sure he has a hidden agenda there somewhere.”
“Hmm,” Tess chimed, tapping an index finger to her chin. “I’ll have to give it some thought. Maybe I can think of a good guy to fix you up with.”
“Isn’t it terrible? We actually have to wrack our brains to conjure up a good man. Like it’s this huge unattainable task for single women.” Carrie A
“It’s great seeing you, Carrie A
Carrie A
“I get the keys to the mansion tomorrow, so I’m slammed with meetings all day, but di
*
The next morning, Carrie A
Entering the gym, her eyes were on keen alert, darting through the free weight section, hoping not to see any signs of Summer. After an hour of pummeling herself on the elliptical and spin bike, she headed for home, grateful she hadn’t run into him.
Buzz buzz buzz
A reminder alarm jingled her phone at five minutes to nine, pulling into the private compound. Carrie A
Stepping from the car, the scent of the ocean carried along a breeze from the canyon below. Carrie A
“Yeah, except you fill yours out so much better than I do.” Sara frowned, cupping her petite breasts.
Carrie A
Sara jingled the keys in her hand. “Morning.”
“Thanks for stopping by Jason’s office to pick up the keys.”
“No problem.” A discrete grin flourished beneath the dark lenses of her glasses. “I think he was hoping you’d be the one picking up the keys.”
She only smiled in return. Sara had worked diligently for Carrie A
“Let’s get inside and go over today’s line-up.”
“Our first meeting is at nine thirty, so we have plenty of time to walk the property.”
The sound of their heels clipped along the Versailles patterned travertine as they strolled through the twelve thousand square foot Spanish-style manse. Event Bible in hand, Sara took pics and notes on her iPad, jotting down any and all things pertaining to the event.
Quickly making their way through the hacienda, they concentrated on the outdoor entertainment space where the auction would take place. Large planters scattered throughout the pavilion. Each teemed with blueish-green agave and flowering lavender, snuggled to the trunks of the mature oak and pepper trees.
“Let’s make sure the trees get wrapped with extra lighting.” Carrie A
Passing beneath a large romantic archway, Sara halted her rush pausing to take in the gorgeous view of the Pacific. “This place seems very familiar. I think I’ve seen this house somewhere before.”
“I’m sure you have. They’ve filmed several reality shows here.”
“Really? This place is perfect.”
“When Jason first mentioned the possibility of using the Pacific Hills Villa, I totally dismissed hosting the auction here.”
“Why?”
“I didn’t think it would be a big enough venue. It took some convincing, but it turned out to be the ideal location. Plus when the owner realized it was for the HAH, she offered it to us at no cost. A donation of sorts. I couldn’t turn it down.”
“I can tell you that it was refreshing not to have to jump through hoops in order to get the correct permits. This place comes with plenty of parking and His and Hers restrooms.”
“It’s the little things that make you happy,” Carrie A
Sara snapped her fingers in recollection. “Hey, this is where they film Still Single!”
Carrie A