The Date Auction by Wren Mingua Read Free Book Online Page B

Alaina grabbed his hand and swung it as they walked. It was the beginning of autumn, when the leaves were just beginning to change color. They strolled under a canopy of sunset-colored leaves: red, orange and yellow.
    They wandered to one of the park's benches, where Alaina decided it was an appropriate time to sit on William's lap. It was an invasion of space that he more than welcomed.
    “Soooo...” Alaina sifted her fingers through his blonde hair as she spoke. “I remember your character from that cop show. You were kind of a badass.”
    “Oh?”
    “Mm hmm.” She nodded her head most adorably. “But now that I've met you in person, you are so not a bad boy. How did you pull that off?”
    “Good acting?” he suggested with a chuckle. Alaina was right about him: he was too soft. He wished he was more like Ty Brockland than William Thierry.
    “You seem like a nice guy, Will Will,” Alaina said, throwing out a pet name like it was the most natural thing in the world. “I like nice guys. I'm so sick of dating jerks.”
    “Well, I'd certainly love to see you again, Alaina. I'd love a second date with you.”
    “Second date second schmate,” she mocked him. “I want more than that! We should skip all that and go right to--” She spotted something in the distance that made her voice trail off. Several feet away, there was a man walking through Central Park in a pirate costume. “Whoa, look at that! He looks like Johnny Depp from Pirates of the Caribbean! That is so awesome!”
    “Have you ever noticed that all pirates now look like Johnny Depp from Pirates of the Caribbean? I highly doubt that every pirate had stringy black hair and guyliner.”
    Alaina rose from William's lap and took a step in the pirate's direction. “I want to talk to him!”
    “Alaina, no!” William seized her wrist. “If you see a guy walking around in a costume in New York City, it's always a good idea to leave him alone. He's probably a nutcase. Or a drunk.”
    “No he's not! He's Jack Sparrow!” To the pirate, she shouted, “Jack Sparrow! JACK SPARROW!”
    The pirate swaggered toward her a bit flamboyantly, likely attempting an impersonation of Johnny Depp. “Yes, my dear?” he slurred.
    William clapped his hands over his face and groaned.
    Alaina raked her gaze over the pirate's entire body. “I like your costume.”
    “It's not a costume, dear. I'm a pirate.”
    The “pirate's” terrible attempt at a British accent had William snickering into his hands.
    With a bow to Alaina, the pirate said, “My tremendous intuitive sense of the female creature tells me you require something of me.”
    “A hug,” Alaina said. “I want a hug.”
    “Of course, my dear. Of course.”
    “Jack Sparrow” seized the opportunity to capture Alaina in a bear hug. He even lifted her off her feet and grunted into her hair. When he put her on her feet, he was grinning. “It's been lovely, love. You smell delightful. We'll have to do this again sometime. Savvy?”
    William wanted to crawl under the bench and disappear. In the race for Alaina's affection, the wannabe Jack Sparrow was winning. When Alaina returned to him, he felt ignored. Betrayed.
    Until she asked, “Do you want to come back to my place?”
    If she meant what he hoped she meant, there could only be one possible answer. “Of course.”
    “Good. I live in the Upper East Side, so my apartment's within walking distance from here.”
    Alaina took his hand and headed in the direction of her place. Along the way, she talked about her favorite animals, her least favorite animals, her favorite Disney characters, the fact that she was a Buddhist, and her love of all things pink. He prayed she wouldn't quiz him later, as he only paid attention to fifty percent of it. There was only so much he could stand to hear about pink ribbons and Sebastian the Crab.
    As soon as they entered her apartment, they were greeted by a soft mew and a pair of shiny yellow eyes. Alaina scooped the friendly