Despite the sweet moment, though, I couldn’t stop worrying about Ethan. Was there a fire that kept all of them away today? As the mayor finished raffling the last basket and called the firemen to the stage, I pulled out my phone and began typing out a message. “No way,” Sylvia muttered. Still concerned with my phone, it took me a moment to notice the silence of the crowd around me. I looked up, and low and behold, Ethan stood shirtless at the end of his four best friends.
Even without my biased opinion, it was obvious that Ethan was the most attractive man standing on stage. They oiled all the men in something that made every ridge of their bodies shine. “I promised you a child friendly night, but we needed some entertainments for you adults, too. Here are our five volunteer firefighters, and we’re auctioning off a date with each of them. Beware, ladies. Some of them are married, but you have a fair shot at one all-expenses paid date. How does that sound?”
Various ladies whistled at the proposition and Benji, in his typical way, turned and shook his behind for the entire audience to see. Scott punched his arm and turned him back around, whispering something in his ear. Despite the scene on the right side of the stage, my eyes were fixed on Ethan. I knew a dozen other women in the crowd had similar interests. He was undoubtedly the most perfect specimen any of the women—me included—had ever seen.
And he was about to see exactly how attractive he was.
The mayor started with Garrett, who stood tall as he flexed his considerable muscles for the entire audience to see. Sylvia snorted. “He’s laying it on extra thick. He’s got ten bucks on being auctioned for the most.”
“Who’s his competition?”
“I put ten on Ethan beating everyone.” Her smile told me that she saw how attractive he was just like everyone else.
A few people bided on him, but in the end, an elderly lady won, and Sylvia didn’t bother bidding once for her husband. We erupted in hysterics as he waltzed over to the woman in question and sat at her side. Her smile lit up the entire stage as Garrett held her hand and they began making small talk.
They worked through the auction, and Nehemiah went for double the price of everyone else. His dark skin coated in oil made him shine in the sun, and the crowd went crazy over his bid. A half dozen young girls kept upping the stakes until only one remained, and Nehemiah was thrilled about the outcome. The girl who won a date with him was just as stunning as him, and I knew something would come of it when she smiled shyly at his approach.
Benji went for the least money, but he thoroughly enjoyed himself as he flexed and posed for a crowd that deemed him worth thirty-five dollars. Scott, at least, was sold to his wife for one-hundred and twenty dollars, which I had no doubt he’d be paying.
When Ethan came up for bidding, last on stage, I held my breath and prayed that everyone else saw him in the same light as me. “Mommy,” Derrick said. He looked at the stage for the first time. “He’s an extra superhero.”
I squinted down at him as the bidding started. “What do you mean?”
“He has more of a superhero mark than anyone. He could even win against you.” Derrick’s excited eyes jumped from Ethan to me. Then, they went down to his own arm. The burn was healing nicely, but it would leave a nasty scar for the rest of his life. He looked thrilled about it. “I know so many superheroes.”
His excitement was so pure and undiluted that I didn’t bother correcting him. I refocused on the bidding, which was quickly escalating. A few women throughout the crowd continued bidding, laughing with their friends as their checkbooks grew emptier. It finally began deescalating once the price rose above four hundred dollars. I noticed Nehemiah leaning closer to the stage. He sold for four hundred and sixty dollars, and Ethan was progressively getting closer to the number.
I couldn’t imagine how anyone would be willing to spend that much money on a single date. There were no guarantees that the date would go anywhere, especially for people who were already in relationships.
Ethan’s posture progressively loosened as the price grew. I knew he needed to be part of the auction, but I didn’t realize so many people would have such an interest in him. “Four hundred and eighty dollars, can I get a four-ninety?” For a moment, nobody spoke or stood. “Going once.” Everything remained still. “Going twice.”
Someone stood from the other side of the crowd, and my jaw dropped. “Is that…” I started.
“Oh no she didn’t,” Sylvia said, standing and placing her bid above Taylor’s. “That bitch will not come back into his life and ruin him again.”
The mayor acknowledged Sylvia’s bid, and I met Ethan’s eyes. He looked infuriated by the situation. He was tracking each bid carefully, but somehow, we both missed the biggest threat. Taylor, without hesitation, stood and raised her hand again. Sylvia moved to stand, but I pushed her back into her seat and stood, taking her place. Maybe I did understand why people were willing to bid a lot to win a date.
Ethan saw me standing and his eyes lit. I knew, no matter what, I would not allow her to come back into his life and destroy what we have rebuilt together. He was finally willing to remove his shirt in front of a crowd of people and face a house fire.
For him, I’d continue standing until she wouldn’t anymore.
So that’s what I did. All
