Bachelorette for Sale Read Free

leggy, blond, and stacked. Damn, she probably could have funded their entire entertainment system or someone’s salary for a month. “We’ve got some big shots here tonight. Maybe we can talk one of them into volunteering?”
    “I’ve been asking. No one is willing or else they’re not available. Cherry, we really need the money. Those kids need the center.” She gave Cherry her big, brown-eyed puppy stare. Slowly a smile spread across her face, sort of like the Grinch as he plotted his evil plan to steal all the presents from Whoville.
    A hard rock drumbeat broke out in Cherry’s chest, her palms started to sweat, and cold spread throughout her veins. “Whatever you’re thinking, Tawny Maria-Isabella Torres, you can forget it. Every time you get that look on your face, I regret it.” Cherry stood up and backed away from her friend until her back was against the wall.
    Advancing on her like a panther, Tawny got up in her space, grabbed her hands, and begged. “You can take her place.” Cherry started shaking her head before all of the words had left Tawny’s mouth. Her friend had lost it. The stress of planning tonight had apparently zapped all of her brain cells. “Please, we have no other options.”
    “No one is going to bid on me. I’m a nobody.” How much humiliation could a person take?
    “What? You’re a local celebrity. There are tons of men here who would kill to go out with you.”
    “Being on a reality show does not make me a celebrity. It’s been a year and twenty pounds. My fifteen minutes of fame are over. No one remembers me. Besides, if I’m a celebrity, then so are you, because you were on Finding Mr. Right too.” Panic gripped her and she eyed the distance to the front doors. If she took off the heels, she could outrun Tawny.
    “First, I left during the third week, so not the same thing. Second, people remember you. Especially since Ari’s second release tanked and he hinted it was because of you. Plus, there’s the recent rumor about him sleeping with his producer’s wife.”
    Yes, Ari Johanson, her ex-fiancé of five seconds, thrived on scandals. Especially if he got free publicity from it. At least this time it didn’t look like he’d come out smelling like a rose. His career tanking after he’d used her to jump-start it was karma slapping him back.
    “Come on, Cher, think of this as a way to show the world he’s a liar. Think of the kids.”
    That’s the problem, she was thinking of the kids and all the programs, equipment, and plans they had for them. Xboxes, computers, books, and so much more, none of which came cheap. Outside they needed rubber ground cover for the playground, and the tennis and basketball courts needed work, as did the soccer and baseball fields. All of it took some serious money, way more than the dinner alone would bring in. They really needed every dollar they could round up.
    And yeah, it’d be nice to expose her ex-fiancé for what he truly was. Help rip the Dr. Jekyll mask off and let the world see where Mr. Hyde had been hiding.
    “Okay, I’ll do it. But I’m not letting you dress me up.”

Chapter Two
    “I look like a hooker ready to crash a high school prom.” She shifted to check out the black strapless dress Tawny had produced for her to wear during the auction. A funhouse mirror reflection couldn’t look worse. Her boobs squished out the top, and breathing was mission impossible. Thankfully the dress had a slit in the back, so Cherry’s not-so-skinny thighs wouldn’t show, but she’d still have to take baby steps as she made the walk of shame down the runway. “Where’d the dress come from? It’s not one of yours.”
    “It’s Heather’s. She sent over a spare earlier because she’s notorious for dropping food down the front of her dresses and wanted to have a backup. Kind of like someone else I know.”
    Guilty as charged, which was another reason why Cherry hadn’t wanted to eat earlier while wearing white. It was like