Page 5 of Flame
But it was harmless. It was simply a war inside me that I was winning.
And then one night changed everything. That’s the night six months ago that I asked for an immediate transfer … and I haven’t seen her privately since.
“Sold! A date with Colin to Mrs. Breckenridge for one thousand one hundred dollars.” Gloria peeks around the others and smiles at me. “I’m starting the bid on our final bachelor with a bid of my own at five hundred dollars. Do I have six hundred for Foxx?”
All eyes land on me. I’m not sure where to look. I don’t want to see my family laughing; I want to like them tomorrow. I can’t look at Banks because I’ll be tempted to leap off the stage and beat his ass right here. I don’t want to look at anyone bidding, lest they think I want them to spend their hard-earned dollars on a date with me. And I sure as hell don’t want to make eye contact with Bianca.
“Six hundred from Marla in the front,” Gloria says. “Do I have seven?”
Various paddles shoot to the ceiling.And they stay there.
Gloria laughs. “I see. Let’s go to eight hundred?” The paddles remain in the air. “Nine? One thousand? One thousand one hundred?”
What the hell is happening?
“Fifteen hundred!” Marla grabs her walker to brace herself. “I bid fifteen hundred.”
“Okay. Sixteen hundred, anyone?” Gloria asks. “Yes! I have sixteen hundred from the lady in the back.”
Heads turn to the back of the room. Bianca sits tall in her seat, proudly waving her paddle.
I look at Jason in surprise. He shrugs as if there’s nothing he can do. I send him a silent message to stop her. But instead of intervening like I’ve seen him do countless times in both private and combat situations, he defers.
He’s helpless and at the mercy of his baby sister.
“Seventeen hundred!” Marla shouts, her voice wavering from the force of her words.
“Eighteen hundred,” Bianca fires back.
“Two thousand,” Marla says, her hands shaking. She narrows her eyes at Bianca.
Out of my periphery, I notice Banks snickering.
“Two thousand, two hundred.” Bianca’s voice is edgier than before as she stares Marla down. “I bid two thousand, two hundred dollars.”
Jason gets up and stands behind her, holding his forehead.
“Two thousand, three hundred,” Marla says.
“Twenty-five hundred.”
Heads swing from one side of the room to the other as bids volley back and forth.
Marla scoots her walker around so she’s face-to-face with Bianca. “Twenty-seven hundred.”
“Twenty-eight,” Bianca says easily.
Marla’s finger shakes as she points at her adversary. “Respect your elders, missy!” Her gaze whips to Gloria. “Three thousand.”
“Someone stop this,” I mumble.
Bianca stands, holding her paddle in the air, and levels her gaze at Marla. “Ten thousand dollars.”
What did she just say?
Gasps echo through the room.
“I’m sorry, hon,” Gloria says, the microphone squealing. “Did you just bidten thousand dollars?”
