The Professor and The Fledgling

Drabble Nine

Auction

A large stage was propped on the function room of the Sheridan Plaza; crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling and long tables that held numerous flute glasses filled with the finest champagne.

At the back of the stage, numerous young adults were alight with excitement and nerves as they watched the growing crowd to fill the enormous hall. Aria Sheridan sauntered to the scene with a twinkle in her eyes and a cheery smile played on her lips.

"Everyone!" the hotel heiress announced, garnering the attention to her "I would just love to thank you all again for participating in the first ever Hollywood U Dating Auction!"

Several students whooped and cheered in response as Aria began to hand out pins shaped like seashells to the students, "I promise you guys will have tons of fun and you'll be given an all expenses-paid date in all the most romantic parts of the city!" she assured before she went to one of the changing stall and knocked on the door.

"Everything okay in there?"

Addison poked her head out, her long golden hair tied in a stylish bun, and gave Aria an apologetic grin, Yeah just have to work up some nerves"

Aria nodded in understanding before calling out to the small space, "Get ready Fia, we're on in 15 minutes!"

Addison gave her a grin before she closed the door and sighed. She turned to look at Fia who was fumbling with the black cocktail dress the fashionista had graciously lent her for the event. Unlike the rest of the people outside, the female director was less than enthusiastic about the auction. And why would she? She was roped into this by a certain pink-haired singer who will be smothered by her sleep about five hours from now and the guy she was not allowed to date- let alone be in a relationship with, is absent in this event.

"I don't think I can do this" she muttered as she slipped on the fabric over her shoulder.

Addison frowned as she helped zip her up before she forced the director to turn around and looked at her squarely in the eye, "You can! Think of it as a challenge for the both of you. Maybe he will even make a bid and carry you off the stage~"

Fia raised a brow at Addison's words before she sighed deeply and went to her hanged clothes to fetch her phone. Still no messages or calls. It made her feel a bit abandoned. No words of reassurance? No 'I won't let another guy touch you' schtick?

Then she remembered it's Thomas Hunt she was actually talking about and this is the real world, not some twisted fantasy.

A persistent knock on the door and a voice reminded them that they will be on in five minutes. Fia tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before she felt a warm hand on her shoulder to see Addison with an encouraging smile on her pretty face. The blonde gave her a hug and squeezed her hands with her own, "It will be fine, I promise!"

The event was... actually fun, honestly speaking. She watched her classmates being bid on and even Addi had raked a generous amount only to be surprised that it was Ethan who took the winning bid, making the blonde blush a bright red hue on her cheeks. Aria squealed happily at the turn out of the event so far and finally, Aria began to introduce her to the crowd.

"It's my honor to introduce the youngest producer and the director of 'Clash at the Sunset', 'Permanent Wound' and the producer of 'Centaurus Lost' among other films and the hit TV drama, Kingdom Come. Ladies and gentlemen, one of the star students of Hollywood U, and owner of the Rising Stars Studio - Fia Harting!"

Being on stage with the spotlight focused entirely to her was a different feeling. She was used to being the one who was in the back stage, making sure everything's going perfectly while giving orders at everyone to hustle up.

Beads of sweat started to form on her skin and it felt disgusting. Her eyes squinted under the harsh lights as she stood in the middle of the stage.

Wolf-whistles and applause met her as she stood in the middle. Her brown eyes scanned the crowded room and immediately spotted Ethan and Lisa on the front table. He gave her a wink while the pop star gave her a rather wicked smirk which Fia can't help but think that the pink-haired woman had something sinister planned.

"I will now open the bid for 15!" Aria announced, her eyes shone happily at the thought.

A paddle with a number shot up on the air from the third row.

"15 from number 23! Do I hear a 20?"

A stranger made the bid. He was a huge guy with a shaved head wearing a pin-stripped suit; like the ones Ethan wore every time they attended an important event where he can land the best connections. She can't help but feel dejected when she didn't see Hunt among the ocean of faces; though it's pretty much obvious that he can't actually make a bid since it'll blow up the entire 'secretly dating' play.

Plus, he didn't like this sort of thing.

"Ooh, 20 from number 50!"

Fia squinted through the crowd and recognized Elijah, her Special FX classmate who was dressed in a nice tux. He was sitting in one of the tables near Ethan and Lisa and even gave her a short wave which she mindlessly returned, earning her a cheeky grin from Aria.

"Do I hear a 25?"

"I bid a 100!"

All eyes trailed to a young man wearing a smirk dressed in a black suit. Fia's eyebrow quirked upwards; confused as to why Chris Winters would even make a bid on her. Her eyes suddenly lined with Lisa's own pair and the wicked grin got even wider. The need to strangle the singer was almost too great but she managed to suppress it and gave a grateful look to Chris' direction. He wasn't the worst one who bid on her and Chris is a friend so a platonic "date" would be a good thing.

But the large man from before, number 23- from what Fia could recall, raised his paddle and announced "400 up front!"

Shock rippled among the crowd; even Ethan looked surprised at the amount. Aria's eyes widened at his words and cleared her throat, "Wow! I mean- ahem, 400 to number 23!"

The heiress looked around the audience with a slight bounce in her voice; "Any counter-bids? No? Going once, going twice- and sold to number 23!"

For a moment, Fia had imagined that the man would rip his face off and reveal Hunt's face and whisk her away- but that's all for wishful thinking. And the guy wasn't that bad... even if he looks like a bouncer in a suit. So she just gave a tight-lipped grin as a round of applause erupted (albeit much less enthusiastic due to the lingering shock) before she gave a curt nod and headed backstage.

She quickly changed out of the dress and into her regular clothes; her heart quickened at the numerous possibilities on how this night might turn out to be. She sneaked a glance on the corner of the stage to find Ethan talking to Addi with an apologetic grin on his face. True, Fia did feel a bit betrayed by Ethan's lack of help during the bidding but he had used up all his money to bid on Addi. She can't help but support her best friends' somewhat vague relationship even if it means having to date someone.

Heavy footfalls shuffled behind her and she turned to see the man talking to Aria while nodding as he slipped a large folder. He then turned to her and gave an acknowledging nod.

'Not exactly a talker is he?' she thought to herself. She turned to say her goodbyes to her friends but found that they were in the middle of a heated discussion so she decided to just text them later.

Aria gave her a bright grin which she hesitantly returned before it slightly fell when Lisa came into the scene with an apologetic expression on her face, "Sorry Fi. I thought Chris was going to win you for sure."

"Lisa..." she said in a growling tone before the man cleared his throat and offered his arm. She tucked her shoulder bag under her arm and took the pre-offered arm with a small smile for courtesy.

They walked out of the hotel, past the lobby where she saw Lance talking to a brunette fashionista, making Fia wonder where the hell Bianca was but it vanished quickly when she saw the male model kept smiling in a genuine manner; maybe this was a good thing. But the girl might get into hot water if Bianca would ever catch wind of this.

Finally, they exited the establishment and he led her to a black limousine. He opened the door for her and she slid in, surprised that he didn't follow and closed the door behind her. Memories of the Silver Circle began to swirl into her mind and she was about to haul her ass out of the vehicle when something or rather- someone, stopped her.

"Fia"

A new voice caused her to look around and found Hunt, sitting on the cushioned seat with a flute glass on hand and in a grey suit. He was smirking... and that almost made her smile.

Almost.

"What the hell?! Wha- what just happened?" she gasped.

"I believe I just won the bid on you" he confidently said and took a sip of the light amber liquid from his glass.

Heat flushed on her cheeks as embarrassment and anger covered her. She pursed her lips and crossed her arms to show defiance- now was not the time to act so smitten, especially when she thought he didn't give a damn about the auction.

"Would it kill you to tell me things?" she huffed, earning her a raised brow.

"If I told you then you wouldn't be nervous" he simply answered "Sometimes fear is a good teacher."

Fia bit back a growl and blew a strand of hair from her eye "I'd rather be stuck in a room full of zombies than spend another second with you right now."

Of course she didn't mean that, but the man has to learn that he can't always use theatrics to get his way. She still haven't forgiven him for the zombie prank and the vampire charades (although the one with the Mad Muse ring was certainly no hoax) and right now, all she wants was to go back to her dorm, take a nice warm bath and make him grovel at her feet for forgiveness.

Hunt snorted as he slowly swerve his glass, the champagne glisten under the lights as the car began to move.

"Are you going to sulk all evening because I just spent a lot of money on you" he drawled, although there was a speck of amusement in his voice.

The young woman resisted the urge to poke out her tongue but she just contented herself by giving him cold shoulder. Her eyes drank in the sight of the LA nightlife through the tinted window- The flashing lights, the thrum of the speakers from the clubs and the never ending lines and flashes of the paparazzi's cameras.

While she loved a party or two, she doesn't like to attend social functions three nights in a row, unlike Lisa who has a calendar filled with club appearances, ragers and birthday parties of other celebs. Fia would rather hole herself in the dorm room, watching movies and playing with her camera. Something tells her that her high school friend and fellow Prep, Payton, would be disappointed that she wasn't as much of a social butterfly as she was before.

'College drained the social animal in me' she japed mentally as she leaned against her seat. Her eyebrows rose when the car rushed past the Hollywood U campus and took a familiar route to his neighborhood. She turned to him after 20 minutes of pure silence with suspicion in her eyes-

"What are you up to?"

A smug smirk made its way to his lips, they both knew that he had turned the tables on her with her curiosity and the need to know everything that's going on around her.

"I just spent 400 diamonds, do you really think I would take you to someplace exclusive?"

"Yes" she truthfully answered.

"That would be predictable" he drawled as the limo parked by the driveway of his home.

The chime of her cellphone caught her attention and she retrieved it to see Addison's name flash on the screen. She bit her lip before answering, all too aware that their professor was watching her, scrutinizing every word that she will utter.

"Hey, what's up?" she asked in a nonchalant tone.

There was something playing on Addi's end and all Fia could imagine was her two best friends sitting in a restaurant with candlelight and a bottle of the best wine being chilled in the ice bucket.

'No more romantic comedies for me' she snorted before the fashionista answered her question with a whisper-

"Just checking to see if you're okay. I know Hunt's a no-show but the guy seems... nice" she carefully added, not too sure on how to describe someone who looked so intimidating.

"Errr, yeah. How's your date with Ethan going?"

"It's not a date! It's just dinner with a friend"

"Hmmm, dinner where he coughed up 250 diamonds to take you out. I want a friend like that too" she teased, making Addi sputter on the phone before the blonde huffed-

"Believe what you want, I'll just stuff myself with lobster and caviar while you sulk about 'him'."

"Say hi to our agent-slash-your future boyfriend for me" Fia laughed before Addi hung up. Fia looked up to her phone to see Hunt staring at her impatiently,

"Can we get out of the car now, or do I have to sit through another 'teenage gushing' of yours?"

Fia rolled her eyes as she opened the car and slid out; intending to resume her cold shoulder move on him when a tiny detail nagged her brain-

"Wait a minute- I signed a contract with Aria about dating the highest bidder! What if she found out I breached the contract?" she asked as he followed her suit and exited the car.

Hunt turned to the driver and handed him a small envelope, what it contained- she probably didn't even want to know, and turned to her with an annoyed look, "The contract specifically stated 'To the highest bidder'. Since the money came from me, that would automatically make me your date. Mr. Jones is merely my representative."

"... Is he part of the mob? Cuz I think you just made a shady deal right in front of me" she commented as the limousine drove off into the night.

The older man shook his head and he led her into his house, punching in the numbers in his new security alarm (something he had installed after Bianca broke in and- without his knowledge, so did she) and opened the door. "He hardly fits the description. He just wants to submit his head shot to a certain producer and while I normally don't do favors, this time-"

"You needed one for yourself" she concluded. "Who's the producer?"

"You" he simply said before grabbing a folder from his table and gave it to her.

Fia glared as she snatched the folder from him and skimmed through his resume. Not really noteworthy but Hunt does owe the guy a favor and he did play as an extra in Prohibition so he has some merits.

"I don't know why I'm dating you" she lamented audibly although the teasing tone echoed in her voice.

"Believe me, I'm asking myself the same thing" he responded in kind.

A/N: Sorry for the late updates guys, I had a lot of things in my plate but after the holiday bru-haha, I swear, I'm gonna update weekly

Next up… The moment you've all been waiting for… introducing Ezra (aka HSS) to the entourage!... and to Hunt

For my lovely reviewers who supports me by leaving comments and suggestions because without you, this wouldn't have existed out of my cluttered brain:

bothergirl99: I hope you'll forgive me for the lack of updates.

Lana (guest): Thanks! I thought I made him OOC but I figured Hunt's also human so he MUST have a soft side… somewhere xD And get ready for the next installment!

Kimi-Kil-Heart: I think I just heard your wish echoing in my brain xD

Courtney (guest): coming right up :) Until then, you can just visit my tumblr page for more stories

fioreariadne1: Don't worry, this will have at least five more chapters til the finale xD

Anonymous Guest from Latin America: Thank you for reading it, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well :D

Teaser for the next chapter

'Fi?'

'Ez?!'

'The name's Ezra. Fia and I were schoolmates… and uh'

'My ex'

'That's Professor Thomas Hunt. He's…'

'Her professor'