Page 82 of Home to Me

Karina laughed. “I think James might be able to scare something up for us. No worries.”

As it happened, the auction didn’t even need to delay its start, so skilled and efficient were the beauty technicians James sent up. The four of them took their seats at their otherwise empty table and watched as the parade of men took the stage.

Amanda was actually appalled at the barbarism of the whole thing. “They just... They just...put themselves out there like pieces of meat for women to ogle and fight over...”

Karina snorted. “Please. You just described, like, their wet dream.”

With every man who walked out and wasn't Ben, Lauren grew more and more fidgety.

Karina said, “You better sit still, or you're gonna accidentally buy another bachelor.”

Finally, the emcee announced that Ben was next. He was the celebrity guest, so he was saved for the grand finale.

Before Ben had taken two steps down the runway, Lauren's hand shot into the air, displaying her paddle and its number clearly.

The auctioneer called out her number and she lowered her paddle, heart pounding.

Karina looked at her, shaking her head. “Maybe that was a tad bit eager, love.”

Lauren nodded with chagrin, her hopes of being the winning bidder evaporating as she saw the bids climbing higher and higher. She hung her head, defeated.

“Well, I didn't mean give up altogether,” Karina said urgently.

The bidding seemed to be leveling off at about $40,000 and would most likely end soon.

“Going once...” the auctioneer said.

Lauren intoned miserably, “I don't have that kind of money.”

“Going twice...” the auctioneer continued, a note of finality in his voice.

Karina snatched Lauren's paddle away from her, shooting it into the air and shouting, “Fifty thousand dollars!”

A gasp arose in the ballroom, and Lauren saw Ben strain to see who made the outlandish bid. However, because of their late purchase of a table, they were nestled way in the back corner, in the shadows where they couldn't be clearly seen from the front of the room.

“Sold! To #174, the generous lady in the back of the room!” the auctioneer cried gleefully, banging his gavel.

Karina turned to Lauren, who was staring at her, openmouthed.

“Good thing I do have that kind of money,” Karina said, handing her back the paddle. “Now you go collect your man.”

“Why did you do that?” Lauren said, stunned.

Karina shrugged. “You know how you said Ben basically devoted his whole life to taking care of his mother and sister? Well, so do I. I have my grandmother, I have Ryan and Sue Ann, and I have you three. You're my sister, Laur. There's nothing I wouldn't do to see you happy.”

Lauren teared up, but Karina admonished her, “Time for mushiness later. Don't mess up your makeup right before you go knock the socks off the most expensive man in San Francisco.”

Lauren nodded, recognizing the wisdom in this statement, and gave all three girls a hug before rushing off to the backstage area where the bachelors and their dates were meeting up.

She took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.

Or everything.

--- ~ ---

Ben was exhausted and, frankly, in no mood for this awkward and forced 'date' he was about to go arrange. He didn't think he was in any shape to give someone even fifty dollars’ worth of attention and fun, let alone fifty thousand worth. Damn. What had he gotten himself into?

He hadn’t slept at all last night. He’d been able to do nothing but replay his catastrophic conversation with Lauren in his mind over and over again until the words tattooed themselves onto his brain.

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