Page 21 of Highest Bidder
“So—” James begins after swallowing another large bite. “Now that you’ve been through a week at the car auctions, do you feel more at home?”
I finish my bite of pizza and wipe my mouth with my napkin. “Um. Yeah. I mean, it’s still difficult sometimes, but I love it so far. I’m hoping to find a few more auctions to work at, and then I’ll be good. I’m actually going for an interview tomorrow at a cattle auction.” Sadly, the only thing we can talk about is work. I’ve tried talking to him about his hobbies and interests outside of work in passing at the sales, but he always brings the conversations back to cars. I’d like more out of a relationship than just shop talk.
I’m excited about my interview. Cattle auctions are in my blood. They feel more like home to me than the house I grew up in. It’s such a different atmosphere than the car auctions. There’s something about the dealers all sitting down around a pen with a cow running around that puts you more at ease.
He looks surprised. “A cattle auction? Why?” he asks and gives a disgusted face.
Well, alrighty then.
I turn to face him and cock my head. “James, I grew up around them. What do you mean, why?” It can’t be that crazy. Of course, I would want to work at a cattle auction. I just had to get in at car auctions since there are many more withindriving distance. I couldn’t afford to only work at two cattle auctions.
“Well, yeah, but I figured you came here to get away from that.” He waves his hand around in a circle in front of him. “Now, you’reinat car auctions, and that’s a better type of auction to work at.” He says it like it’s a fact.
Excuse me?This conversation keeps getting worse. My ears burn listening to the shit coming out of his mouth.
“Why would it be better?” I cross my arms, not hiding how annoyed I am from my tone. “I guess that’syouropinion, but that’s not true for everyone. I love cattle auctions. I was raised in them. It’s where I learned to be a great auctioneer. It’s more exciting too.” I tuck some stray hair behind my ear before continuing. “You sound like a person who has never been to one and is judging it based on something you have no clue about. Or you can’t look past the cow shit in the ring.”
I turn my body completely forward, resting my cheek on my hand, so I don’t catch even a glimpse of him and watch the screen as the lights lower. I’m done with this conversation. James doesn’t try to say anything back. I’m pretty sure I stunned him.
He leans over, causing my body to tense, before he whispers, “Hey, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.” Sadness and embarrassment lace his voice.
I’m too far over this whole thing to care.
I look at him. “No, you shouldn’t have.” If he had taken a second to try and understand where I was coming from, it would have been different. But I refuse to give a chance to someone who bashes anything they have no knowledge about. I want to go home and not watch this movie. Maybe Jess was right. Maybe he is a dick.
13
MYLES
“Dude, I hate this store.”I look at JT as he pulls in front of Target.
“You’ll get over it.” He opens his door and climbs out, not taking a single glance my way.
JT loves this store. I swear he’s such a girl sometimes. I shake my head and get out of the truck. Whatever, as long as it has the groceries I need to make dinner, I’ll let him be easily entertained.
I grab a cart once inside, and he says he’ll meet me after I grab the groceries. He always bails on me in stores, probably to look at sheets or something. I shake my head as I walk to the right side where the produce is. I roam the aisles, grabbing different ingredients. We are making smash burgers with a fried egg inside. My mouth waters just thinking about the melted cheese and over easy egg oozing into the meat on the bun.
I grab lettuce, tossing it into the cart when I hear a slap next to me. I look over and a woman is bending over a watermelon, leaning her ear closer. My eyes narrow as I realizewhois spanking the watermelons. She’s wearing a loose T-shirt and jean shorts, and her brown hair is cascading around her face over top of the produce.
“You do realize that’s not how you pick a watermelon, right?”
Hunter’s body goes ramrod straight and whips around to face me. Her mouth parts as her eyes meet mine then looks at my cart, appraising the contents. Fucking hell, she’s a Yankee fan. I stare at her navy blue with white lettering shirt. If I didn’t like her before, I sure as hell do now.
“Yeah, not sure I want to take the advice of a guy who obviously mixes ketchup with his scrambled eggs.”
I look into my basket and see the carton of eggs, ketchup, cheese, and bread buns. “Oh, I’d love to show you exactly what I’m cooking tonight.” A smile plays at the corner of my lips.
“Maybe someday.” She goes to walk away, picking up a watermelon as she passes.
My mouth is open before I can stop it. “Hunter?”
She turns to look at me after placing the melon in her cart. “Yeah?” Her face a picture of ease.
“I gotta know…”
Her eyebrows furrow, leaning her weight on her right leg. “Know what?”
I rub the back of my neck before I finally blurt out, “Did you go out with James?”
