The bidding went on for quite a while, and then the auctioneer finally announced a winner. I broke out into a sweat, knowing I was up next.
Melanie gave me a sympathetic look as she straightened my collar. “Relax, you’ll be great.”
“I’m not one to strut my stuff. That’s just not me.”
“You don’t have to. All you have to do is stand there and smile.”
Smiling would be difficult, but I could probably keep from frowning. “All right.”
“You’re the last participant, so let’s hope the evening ends on a bang.”
“Great, no pressure or anything.”
There was loud cheering and then the master of ceremonies announced my name. “Good luck,” Melanie said, hands clasped together as if I were her pet project.
I strode out on the stage, my heart pounding so hard I felt it in my ribs. Turning, I faced the crowd and adrenaline pumped through my veins when I saw a sea of women, eyeing me like I was their next meal ticket. I’d always hated getting up in front of a classroom when I was in high school, and twenty-plus years later, nothing had changed.
There was more screaming and whistling, and it went on and on and on. My face heated, and I chuckled, embarrassed and not sure how to respond to the attention. I hadn’t expected that reaction from all those women.
“This is Clay Drover, ladies. From what I’ve been told, some of you may not recognize him because he recently cut his hair and shaved off his beard.”
The screaming escalated for three long seconds and then the bidding began. I scanned the room for Jazmin and finally found her in the back row staring at me in disbelief. I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not, but I decided it probably wasn’t bad.
A lady sitting in the front row, appearing in her mid-fifties, held up two fingers. “One hundred dollars.”
“Two hundred.” That came from Roberta, in the center of the crowd. She smiled, clearly pleased with herself.
I tried not to roll my eyes because it wouldn’t have been very gentlemanly of me, but she was the last person I wanted to end up with.
“Three hundred.” The voice belonged to Jazmin.
There was my girl. I smiled at her, and she grinned back at me. She wouldn’t let me down. The bidding continued to climb to my dismay, and I sucked in a breath.
I planned on reimbursing Jazmine for whatever money she had to dish out for this thing. I inwardly kicked myself for not mentioning that to her earlier, but I had seriously doubted anyone would bid that high. Almost all the men before me were young guys in their prime, and while I wasn’t exactly old and crusty, I was no spring chicken.
“Six hundred.”
“Seven hundred.”
“Seven hundred and fifty,” Roberta yelled.
My eyes widened as the bidding continued. Suddenly, I realized that most of the women in the room were forty and older, and I broke out into a cold sweat. What if Jazmin couldn’t afford to place the highest bid? I hated the idea of taking another woman out on a date.
“Eight hundred dollars,” Jazmin said. She winked at me and smiled, and I instantly relaxed. She hadn’t given up yet.
“Nine hundred,” Roberta said.
Nausea washed through me, and my back stiffened. I didn’t want to spend one-on-one time with her, but I would have to if she outbid Jazmin.
Jazmin held up two fingers, appearing concerned. “One thousand.”
Roberta stood to her feet, a look of victory on her face. “Two thousand dollars.”
There was an audible gasp in the room, and I had a feeling that was the highest bid of the evening. My lips tightened, and a sensation of dread washed over me. How did she have that kind of money to spend on a charity event? She worked as a cashier at a local grocery store, and I’d never seen her throw cash around. She had to be dipping into savings.
Jazmin frowned and shook her head, indicating she couldn’t afford to go above that. I mouthed, don’t worry, and kicked myself for the umpteenth time for not mentioning that I would pay her back.
“Two thousand going once…”
My stomach clenched at the thought of walking out of here with Roberta, the woman who didn’t understand boundaries. Lord, please help! Do something to get me out of this mess.
“Two thousand going twice…”
“Twenty-five hundred,” Jazmin yelled.
A smile broke over my face. She was back in the game.
Roberta stood to her feet again, her face as red as a lobster, and she lifted a trembling hand, clearly ticked off that her efforts were being challenged. “Three thousand dollars!” She glanced over her shoulder and glared at Jazmin.
Jazmin looked defeated, and I wanted to pull her into my arms and tell her it was okay. I didn’t want to go to dinner with Roberta, but I would find a way to get through it.
And then suddenly, a woman with graying hair pulled into a loose twist, stood to her feet. “Four thousand dollars.”
The room went deathly silent, and everyone turned to look at the woman. She had a regal air about her, and if I had to guess, I would say she was in her late sixties to early seventies.
The master of ceremonies looked as stunned as I felt. “Four thousand dollars going once… Four thousand dollars going twice…” He paused and when no one challenged that amount, he continued. “Sold. Come to the backstage at the end of the auction to collect your date.”
Chapter 8
Jazmin
The auction had just ended, and the winners were heading backstage
