Christmas Belles (Gillies Ridge)

Chapter 1

R IKA looked around the room with a satisfied smile.

The Belle Corporation Gala Christmas Charity Auction was in full swing and for the first time that night nobody needed her.

If only she could kick off her heels and sink into the nearest comfortable chair and take in the view of two hundred of Brisbane’s elite doing what they did best. Giving away their money to a good cause and claiming it on their tax as a charitable donation while drinking five hundred buck champagne and working the room for their next big deal.

It was the same every year and she was proud the Belle Foundation made it happen.

But the heel flinging would have to wait.

There was still the auction and then she could discreetly disappear and leave the rest of the evening to her daughters.

Her oldest daughter, Pom, strode to the stage and took the mic.

The room fell silent.

Pom looked over to her mother and they exchanged a look.

Ready?

Sure .

They didn’t need to say the words aloud. They had worked together long enough that words weren’t necessary.

“Let’s get this show on the road,” Pom said into the mic, and everyone laughed appreciatively. The show was about to empty their pockets of several million. “First item,” she paused as she opened an envelope. “Two weeks in Paris, all expenses paid.”

The bidding was furious among the younger philanthropists. “The next envelope,” she paused again. “Dinner with moi .”

Every male in the room, married or not, raised his hand. Pom always put herself forward for a worthy cause, as did her two sisters. Grace offered street art for businesses, and Ali donated brand makeovers. Rika’s donation was an all-inclusive week in her condo in Port Douglas.

As the auction began to wind up and everyone’s pockets were satisfyingly empty, Rika’s mind wandered to something to eat, a long hot bath, and bed.

In that order.

Lost in reverie it took her a moment to notice Pom shoot her a glance before reading the final item for auction. “It seems we’ve saved to best till last, folks. A bottle of fine whiskey. Let the bidding begin.”

Rika didn’t need to hear the opening bid of twenty thousand or see Pom’s quizzical expression as the bidding hit a hundred thousand. The buzz in the room as the whiskey in question was brought onto the stage, the people shooting her covert looks, and the ever-rising bids, all spoke volumes.

“The Erika Whiskey from Queensland’s premier distillery, Belle’s Distillery,” Pom continued, but Rika had already turned towards the exit.

Except she was too late.

“Hello Freddy,” a voice in front of her said softly as a hand slipped into hers and turned her back towards the stage. “Shall we? It’s for a good cause.”

Rika found herself being escorted onto the stage on the arm of the one man she vowed never to see again.

“Sold for one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.” Pom’s voice shook slightly as she closed the bidding and handed the mic to her mother.

They were now officially off script and Pom had no trouble fleeing the stage to the safety of her sisters, leaving Rika, the bottle of whiskey and the debonair man she thought she’d never see again smiling down at her.

He took the mic from Rika’s unresisting hand. “This whiskey and I go back a long way,” he began. “You could almost call it a love story.”