Working It Out (2 page)

For now.

G
race Warren
waved
goodbye to her last patient of the day and walked into the break
room to get her things. It had been a long and emotionally exhausting day. One
of her patients became frustrated with the slow progress of rehab and had
ignored her advice, went to the gym on his own, and reinjured his shoulder
lifting too much weight. Now they were back to where they’d started—possibly
worse.

Typically, Grace loved her job as a physical therapist. There
was no greater reward than seeing someone who came to her broken walk away
fixed. But every now and then she’d get patients who thought they knew better,
like her patient today. Or worse, those who didn’t have the desire or willpower
to put forth the necessary effort—sort of like her brother, Alec.

But Grace didn’t want to think about Alec or her other
patients right now. She wanted to go home, take a soothing hot shower, put on
her favorite yoga pants, and curl up on the couch to watch her favorite TV
series. A new episode had aired two days before, and she wanted to catch up. Tonight
was all hers.

“Oh good, you haven’t left yet.” Cameron, another
therapist in the clinic, poked his head through the door and gave it a shake,
forcing his dark hair away from his eyes. If he’d just trim it a little
shorter, he wouldn’t have to shake his head all the time, but Cameron preferred
his hair slightly longer, the way he’d worn it throughout high school and
college based on all the pictures he had scattered around his office. Sometimes
Grace wondered if that was his way of trying to stay connected with the past—a
feeling Grace completely understood. How often had she wished she could rewind
time and go back to the day when things were easier, simpler, happier.

“I’m heading out now,” Grace said, slinging her bag over
her shoulder. “You caught me just in time. Was there something you needed?”
Cameron often picked Grace’s brain when it came to some of his patients. She
spent a lot of her spare time researching, attending seminars, and learning the
newest techniques. Over time, she’d gained the reputation of being one of the
best in her field—something Cameron used to his advantage.

“No, I, uh, actually need a favor.” His expression turned
sheepish. “A big favor.”

Grace raised an eyebrow. It was Friday night, and if
Cameron needed a big favor, it probably meant something non-work related. Which
also meant the comfy couch and TV show would likely get pushed back yet again. But
Cameron was a friend, and if he needed a favor, she couldn’t say no. “Sure,
what’s up?”

Cameron let out a breath as he turned a chair around and
sat on it backwards, resting his arms on the back of it and allowing his hair
to fall forward once again. Another head shake came, making Grace draw her lips
into her mouth so she wouldn’t smile. His head shake, combined with his crooked
nose, always made her want to laugh—especially considering his name literally meant
“crooked nose.” Grace wondered if his parents named him that because he was
born with a crooked nose, or if his nose was destined to become crooked
because
of the name Cameron.

Some might think it crazy that Grace—a scientist—would
even care what a person’s name meant, but it had all started as a high-school
science experiment. Grace had set out to prove that the meaning behind a name
didn’t actually
mean
anything, but she’d been surprised by the results.
Most people actually epitomized their names, and over the years, she’d used
that knowledge as a sort of personality test—especially when it came to the
guys she’d dated or the people she worked with. One quick internet search, and
Grace knew a little something about someone.

It’s a long story,” Cameron said, bringing Grace back to
the present. “But the gist of it is that I’ve agreed to be a contestant in a
bachelor auction and—”

“Wait—what ? Did you just say ‘bachelor auction?’ But what
about Talia?” Grace said, naming his girlfriend of four months now. “Or did you
two . . . ?” She let the sentence hang there, too scared of the answer. Talia
was sweet and smart—the best girl Cameron had ever dated. Grace didn’t want to
hear that he’d done something stupid like break up with her.

Cameron held up a hand. “We’re still together, so don’t
worry. This is more of a favor to an old college friend who’s trying to
raise money for some afterschool tutoring program for underprivileged kids.”

“Oh.” Grace sank down on the seat opposite him, wishing
she could kick off her sneakers and put up her feet. They ached so badly. “What
do you need my help for?”

“I need you to bid on me.”

“Excuse me?” A laugh escaped, mostly because Cameron had
never looked quite so vulnerable. It didn’t jibe with his normally semi-cocky
attitude.

“Talia was going to come and bid on me, but something
came up, and she can’t make it. Please, Grace? I don’t want to get stuck going
out with some random, desperate, and probably weird girl. And Talia doesn’t
want me going out with anyone else, period. You can spend whatever you need,
and I’ll pay you back.”

 Grace sighed, mentally saying so long to a much needed
night of relaxation. If only she had it in her to just say no. “Okay, fine,
I’ll go. Just tell me when and where, and I’ll be there.”

“Eight o’clock at the Bellevue Hotel.”

Her eyes widened. “Wow, that’s, uh, pretty posh.”

Cameron nodded then stood and walked to the door, stopping
with his hand on the frame. “Oh, and it’s a black tie thing, so make sure you
wear a nice dress.”

With that, he was gone, leaving Grace blinking after him
with her mouth hanging slightly open. Did he really just say “nice”? Because
black tie was not
nice.
Black tie was
fancy
. How did Cameron not
know that? What’s more, how did he not understand that most girls don’t have
that kind of dress hanging in the back of their closets on the off chance
they’d need it one day?

Grace let out a breath and rubbed her temples, feeling a
headache coming on. Cameron was going to pay for this—literally. Not only would
she wait until the last second to bid on him, but she would double the highest
bid.

G
race
stepped from
her car into the chilly late January air and lifted her
skirt, careful to keep it clear of the asphalt as she walked toward the
impressive entrance of the Bellevue Hotel in downtown Seattle. Thank goodness
she’d been able to locate a dress-rental place that agreed to stay open a little
later for her. Located on the other side of town, Grace had made it there with
only minutes to spare and had tried on a couple of dresses—one of which
happened to be the light blue, almost aqua, floor-length gown she now wore. Although
suited more for spring than January with its capped sleeves, it fit the best,
and Grace wasn’t in a position to be picky.

She’d handed over her credit card, bit back a wince at
the exorbitant rental fee, and quickly decided to triple the highest bid for
Cameron.

Head held high, Grace handed her wool coat over to a
porter then followed the signs to the Olympic room. A short line of elegantly
dressed women waited to give their name at the door, making Grace hesitate.
Clearly this was an invitation-only event, and—thanks to Cameron—she’d arrived
empty handed.

Well, if she couldn’t get in, that was that. At least she
could tell Cameron she’d tried and there would still be time for that bath and
her favorite show.

Grace moved to the front of the line and smiled at a petite
woman wearing a red evening gown, with her light-brown hair pulled back into a
twist.

“I’m here as a guest of one of the bachelors,” Grace
said. “Cameron Williams?”

“Oh, you must be Talia.” The woman gave an answering
smile as she held out her hand. “I’m Lanna Carver, Cameron’s friend from
college. Thank you so much for coming.”

Grace took Lanna’s hand and gave it a quick shake. “Actually,
Talia couldn’t make it tonight, so Cameron asked me to come in her place. I
hope that’s okay. My name is Grace Warren.”

“Oh, of course,” said Lanna. “Any friend of Cameron’s is
always welcome.” Lanna handed her a white paddle, along with a brochure. “This
is your number for the auction and a brochure with a listing of all the
bachelors. I hope you find one who piques your interest.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem,” said Lanna. “Be sure to sample all the
desserts while you’re here. The food is to die for.”

“Will do.” Grace smiled again and walked into a beautiful
room. Elegant tray ceilings complimented the large rectangular chandeliers,
under which dozens of women mingled. Even with her silk gown and simple up-do,
Grace felt underdressed in comparison to the rest. She clung to her skirt as
she made her way to the dessert table, her stomach grumbling since she’d
skipped dinner—also thanks to Cameron. The list kept adding up. If the desserts
didn’t look so appetizing, she probably would have considered quadrupling her
bid.

Grace loaded up the small plate with a few tarts, a
macadamia cookie, and a mint brownie. It was her reward, she rationalized, for
agreeing to do this.

As she munched on the goodies, Grace took a moment to look
over the crowd, noting the array of dresses—everything from the cliché mini
black dress to long, flowing evening gowns. One woman even went all out, with a
short chiffon train trailing behind. The room was filled with blondes,
brunettes, and red-heads all dressed their best to impress men like Cameron Williams—a
man with a crooked nose who perpetually shook his head to keep the hair out of
his eyes and enjoyed talking about himself a little too much.

As Grace continued to people watch, a tall, willowy woman
mounted the stairs to a platform at the front of the room and introduced
herself as Milly Lebaron. As she spoke, the rest of the women moved closer,
their dresses combining to form colorful patterns that sparkled beneath the dim
lighting. Milly welcomed everyone and gave a short presentation on the
afterschool program, explaining what the money would be used for. She thanked
several benefactors, including the owner of the hotel, then explained how the
auction would work.

Finally, Milly gestured for the first bachelor to join
her on the platform. A handsome man of average height stepped next to her,
turning slightly to the side with his thumb hooked into the pocket of his tux
jacket. He was introduced as Ty McPherson, and Grace immediately sized him up
by his name alone. She’d once dated a Ty and knew the meaning of his name well.
Stubborn—as in a pain in the neck.

Don’t do it, girls,
Grace thought
. If his
personality fits his name, you’ll be wasting your money.

“We’ll start the bidding off at one hundred,” Milly
announced. A woman immediately raised her paddle.

Grace bit her lip, lingering at the back of the crowd,
away from the others. Exhaustion seeped through her body, making her wish the
auction were over already. Her gaze travelled longingly to the side of the room
where several chairs stood against one wall. Empty chairs. Did she dare take a
seat while she waited, or would that be rude?

“Going once, going twice, sold to the woman wearing the
lovely emerald dress!”

Grace’s gaze snapped back to Milly. How much had the
stubborn Ty been sold for? And how many bachelors would be auctioned off that
night?

Grace opened the brochure Lanna had given her and started
flipping through the pages. Each bachelor had a quarter page dedicated to them,
along with a picture, brief bio, and what kind of date a woman could expect
from him. Grace flipped to the end, where Cameron’s face stared at her from the
last page. Since Ty’s bio had appeared at the front of the brochure, Grace
assumed the bachelors would appear in the order listed, which meant Grace would
be here for a while.