Page 29 of Love in Bloom

“Yes! Nine hundred fifty from the pretty blond in the front row.” Miller continued his scan and sure enough, there were Michelle and her mom. Maybe the rum would have helped to dull his pain and embarrassment.

“Do I have nine hundred seventy-five?” The MC scanned the crowd.

“Yes! Nine hundred seventy-five from the lady in the back.” Miller turned to look in the direction the MC had pointed to, but it was too far away and the lights were too strong. The MC looked at Michelle.

“Do I hear one thousand? One thousand dollars?” Miller saw Michelle and Diane deep in conversation. Diane grabbed the paddle and thrust it up. Michelle pulled it down, but she was too late. “We have one thousand dollars, ladies and gentlemen. I’ve been with you folks several years now at this event, and I can never remember any man going for so much. I hope the other bachelors are paying attention for next year. The ladies of Haven like a man who knows how to cook,” he teased.

“And clean!” reminded the woman from the back.

“And clean,” agreed the MC. “I’ll remind you the current bid is one thousand dollars from the pretty blond in the front row. Do I have one thousand twenty-five? One thousand twenty-five?” He scanned the crowd and pointed at the lady in the back. “Are you in or out?”

“Out,” she said with a sigh.

“Final call. One thousand twenty-five? Going once, going twice —”

“Two thousand dollars,” said a mature voice behind Michelle and Diane.It’s down to a co-worker or a geriatric? What the hell did I do wrong in a previous life?Miller asked himself.

He should have given Wren money to bid on him. If she hadn’t sidetracked him with her long legs in that short dress or the way her golden-brown eyes had sparkled in the bar, he would have thought of that. But she probably wouldn’t have done it. She thought Michelle would make a great Mrs. Lynch. Miller frowned at that thought.

“Two thousand dollars from the classy dame,” the MC announced. He looked at Michelle. “Do I hear two thousand twenty-five?” Michelle hesitated. “Going once.” Diane grabbed for the paddle, and in the struggle, it fell to the floor.

“Going twice.” Mrs. Hart stepped on the fallen paddle and pushed it behind her.

“Sold, to the classy dame!” announced the MC. “An all-time record. Two thousand dollars for Miller Lynch!” Miller stayed and waved to the crowd. He wanted to see if he could figure out the theatrics in front of him.

“You dropped the paddle!” Diane screeched.

“You pulled it away,” Michelle defended.

“You weren’t raising your hand,” Diane scolded.

“Two thousand dollars is a lot of money when I can eat lunch with Miller for free,” Michelle justified. Her tone was calm and reasonable, unlike her mother’s.

“Lunch is not the same as dinner at his house, and you know it,” Diane hissed. “You are hopeless! And, you!” Diane spun toward the winner.

“That was fun!” the winner exclaimed. Miller still couldn’t see past the front row, but he could hear her. “Maybe I should buy another man? I wonder who’s left?”

“You weren’t even bidding until the end. You hijacked it,” Diane accused.

“I did, didn’t I? But my feet hurt and I was bored. It seemed the quickest way to get what I wanted: home and bed. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go pay for my man.” She walked away and Diane started to berate Michelle again.

“It’s not a successful bachelor auction until a cat fight breaks out,” the MC said to Miller out of the side of his mouth. “Congratulations, and see you next year.”

“Not if I can help it,” Miller grumbled and went to the check-in station to see who owned him.

“Mrs. Hart?”

“Good evening, Miller. Don’t you look handsome tonight?” Mrs. Hart reached up and straightened his already straight tie.

“Thanks, I think.” He waited for Mrs. Hart to explain, because there had to be a good reason why his best friend’s grandmother had just paid two thousand dollars to spend an evening with him.

“About that date, we’ll need to modify it,” she said.

“Sure, just let me know what you have in mind. And, Mrs. Hart, thank you.”

“For what?”

“For bailing me out of a tough situation.”

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