Abby stared at him with surprise. “I might be forced to take it all back. Apparently you do have a sensitive bone in your body. Decent insight, too.”
Seth laughed. “Thank you for that high, if grudging praise.”
“I always give credit where credit’s due,” she said, then decided a change of subject was definitely in order, since this one was going nowhere. “Now let’s talk about you. Anything new from your sisters?”
His expression immediately turned sour. “Still warring,” he said tersely.
“Oh, Seth, I’m sorry. What about the deposition? Did Laura withdraw that request?”
He shook his head. “Looks as if I’ll have to do it, though I’ve told the attorney it will have to be done down here. With my job, I can’t get away to go there. He seems perfectly happy to spend my sister’s money flying down to Florida for a couple of days far away from the cold weather, even though I was very clear that it was unlikely I’d say anything that might be helpful to Laura’s case.”
“Shouldn’t that tell Laura something?”
“It should, but it hasn’t,” he said with a sigh of regret. “Let’s talk about something else. How about the fish fry? How’s that coming?”
Abby smiled for the first time since they’d sat down. There was lots of good news to impart on that front.
“Between Jenny and Ella Mae and this competitive thing they have going, tickets are almost sold out and it’s not even December.”
Seth whistled. “Amazing.”
“Isn’t it? And the fish fry’s not till January. Lesley Ann and Jack suggested we might want to hold a second one, since tourists haven’t even had a crack at the tickets yet. The fishermen are apparently agreeable.”
“You going to go for it?”
“Are we going to go for it?” she corrected. “You’re part of the decision-making team.”
“One with absolutely no opinion about this,” he replied. “You’re the expert.”
“I think we should do it,” she said. “There’s almost no overhead since the fishermen are donating their catches and a couple of the women’s groups from churches on the island are supplying the rest of the food at no cost. The printer on the mainland donated the flyers, too, so everything we make is pure profit.”
“How’d you talk the printer into that?”
She grinned. “Turned on my Southern charm.”
“So he didn’t stand a chance,” Seth concluded.
“I’d like to think it was more about his compassionate nature and recognition of what a worthy cause this is.” She grinned. “And the bonus that he grew up out here.”
“Aha! The secret weapon,” Seth said. “How’d you know that?”
“His mom tipped me off,” she admitted.
He lifted a brow. “And that silent auction thing? Has the same technique worked for that?”
“As a matter of fact, donations have been pouring in,” she said happily.
“No arm-twisting involved?”
“Oh, maybe a little here and there,” she confessed. “Some of the fancier shops on the mainland expect that.”
“Fancy, as in expensive?”
She nodded. “I was able to persuade a jewelry store in Naples to donate a watch and a few boutiques to give us gift certificates.”
He regarded her with suspicion. “I don’t suppose you were giving your own credit card a workout at the same time, were you?”
“Only for things I’d have bought anyway,” she admitted. “That’s how it works. As soon as they see the upside business potential, they tend to hand over whatever I’ve asked for.” She frowned at his expression. “This isn’t the same as Laura, Seth. It’s all for a good cause.”
“It just seems like another way that you’re subsidizing all this without actually writing another big check,” he said.
“No, it’s leveraging relationships. If I’m a valued customer, then the store owners want me to be happy. And, again, don’t lose sight of the goal. This boat could be the difference between life and death for residents out here.”
He sat back, his expression resigned. “True, but it seems you’ve been doing most of the work. Where do I fit in?”
“When we start doing media for the second fish fry and the silent auction,” she said at once. “I want Hannah to make sure all the newspapers and TV stations talk to you about the importance of acquiring this rescue boat.”
She chuckled when he cringed. “Camera shy? Don’t be. You’re articulate and gorgeous. Every single woman on the mainland will flock out here just to get a glimpse of you.” She paused as another idea struck. “Maybe we should include a bachelor auction, too. By combining that, the second fish fry and the silent auction into one big, easily promoted event, we’ll come awfully close to making our goal.”
“Bachelor auction?” he asked warily. “Are you thinking I’ll parade down some runway and let women bid on me?”
Abby nodded. “You and a few other men.”
He was shaking his head before she had the words out. “Not a chance,” he said.
“Oh, come on. It could be fun.”
His gaze narrowed. “You wouldn’t mind a bunch of women ogling me and throwing their money around to get a date with me?”
She hesitated. “Would I be jealous? Is that what you’re asking?”
He nodded, an annoying smirk on his face.
Abby thought about the scenario he’d described. She’d actually hate it, but then she reminded herself it was for a good cause. Besides, speaking of leverage and relationships, Seth didn’t need to know how much it would bother her.
“No reason to be jealous,” she told him. “We’re friends. No benefits. Those were the rules.”
He looked taken aback by the reminder. That smirk turned to a frown. “Okay, then, if it won’t bother you, I’m in.”
Check and checkmate, Abby thought, regretting her impulsive idea. Too late to change her mind now. She’d just have to suck it up and pretend she didn’t care if some beautiful, sexy young honey won a date with him.
“This is going to be great,” she said with feigned enthusiasm.
“And you think it will put us over our goal? You’re
