Page 157 of Whistle

“Oh, no, she did not,” Landry muttered.

“Ten thousand going once…” Dean Cardinal called into the mic.

“Twelve thousand,” Madison called.

“Thirteen,” pink dress girl snapped.

“This girl is worse than a pizza burn on the roof of your mouth.” Landry decided.

I nodded because she was right.

“Fourteen thousand,” Madison said.

“Fifteen.”

“Seventeen.”

“Eighteen!”

The girls just lobbied bids back and forth like this was a tennis match, their bidding paddles getting more of a workout than me as of late.

“Bro, it’s kinda sad this girl has to pay so much for a date,” Kruger broadcasted.

“Well, her personality clearly isn’t doing her any favors,” Win added.

“Nineteen!” Pink dress girl yelled.

Madison sprang to her feet, cheeks flushed and eyes narrowed as she spun to glare at the girl trying to buy her man.

Pink dress girl smirked and then glanced at Jamie and waved.

Madison let out a noise and raised her paddle, ready to fire out another number. But her bid was interrupted by another.

“Two hundred thousand dollars.”

A hush fell over the entire auditorium, a spontaneous moment of silence because…. two hundred thousand dollars?

I mean, these girls were waging a war, right? But this newcomer… decimated it.

On stage, Jamie’s mouth fell open.

Hell, I think everyone’s did.

Dean Cardinal cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. Could you repeat that?”

Some rustling and movement came from a few rows behind us, and I turned as an older woman in a gold gown was helped to her feet. She lifted her paddle. “I said two hundred thousand dollars.”

Madison let out a squeak.

“Broooo. He is going to be insufferable after this,” Kruger bemoaned.

“Two hundred thousand, going once…”

I glanced at Madison, wondering if she was prepared to outbid that.

Her wide eyes were on Jamie, so I looked too. He was shaking his head at Madison, telling her not to bid.

“Going twice…”

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