“Alright, let’s get this auction started!” The audience cheers as she continues. “We’re here to raise some money for Kids Hope, so dig deep into your purses ladies! We’ve got some prime male meat here tonight, and you’re going to love it. Come on, let’s get our bachelors up on stage!”
The guys fall into line, and we stride out onto the stage, waving as we appear. The lights are blinding and the applause is overwhelming, but I remember to smile, even if it’s a grim one. Then, the bachelors stand with our hands behind our backs, facing the audience as Kristine starts her spiel. She asks the first guy to step forward, a man named Kross who I think works for the fire department. The ladies go crazy as Kristine reads off a card, describing his stats.
“Our first gentleman is six foot two and twenty-eight years old. A firefighter since the tender age of nineteen, Kross enjoys DMX racing, competing in endurance events, and of course, enjoying the company of the fairer sex. Do I have any bids?”
Kross is good-looking enough, even if I suspect he’s on steroids. But the ladies go wild, quite a few of them jumping to their feet while wildly waving their placards. My heart sinks when I see that most of the women in the room are middle-aged, with too much make-up and blonde bobs that look like helmets. Ugh. This is going to be awful.
But Kross works the crowd. He strides along the stage a few times, puffing up his chest and doing a few muscle man poses. The bidding is frenetic and he ends up being purchased for an impressive $700. Wow. Who would have guessed? Kross does a backflip off the stage to thunderous applause and stands next to the woman who bought him, who gazes at him with adoring eyes.
“Wow, what a stud!” The MC fans herself with her hand. “We’re off to a raging start!” Then Kristine moves on to the next bachelor as I watch in dismay. The auction is getting more and more raucous, with the women practically fighting each other to bid now. I literally see one middle-aged biddie strike another woman with her designer purse, and I grimace. This is turning into a battlefield, when it’s supposed to be a charity event.
The next two guys go for about $500 each, and then to my horror, suddenly, the spotlight’s on me. Kristine smirks as she talks into the mic.
“Next we have Tim! Tim is an EMT, known for his strong, silent personality and gorgeous blue eyes. Plus those pecs, ladies. Look at those pecs! Can I get a flex?”
Jesus. Who wrote these intros? If I find out it’s Sam, I’ll kill the man myself. But I force myself to smile, and flex my pecs just once, much to the rapturous delight of the crowd. Shrieks of joy ring out, and I swear one woman towards the back even faints. I force myself to smile brightly, although my face feels like it’s going to crack.
“Four hundred!” someone calls from the audience.
“Five hundred!” another woman shrieks.
“Six!” another adds.
But then, a voice from the back interrupts, low yet piercing, and the crowd falls into a hush.
“Two thousand,” she calls, her voice as clear as a bell.
The audience oohs and ahhs, turning to see who it is.
“What was that?” Kristine asks coyly. “Did I hear a two thousand?”
“Yes,” the woman says again. Then, she strides forward, stepping into the light, and suddenly the air whooshes from my lungs. Sure, she’s wearing a perfectly appropriate black cocktail dress today instead of a schoolgirl outfit, but I’d recognize that beautiful face anywhere. It’s Petal from the Krazy Kat.
What the hell is she doing here?
But it’s too late. “Sold!” Kristine caws. “To Paddle 20 for two thousand dollars! Tim, thank you for your service. Please exit on the right.”
I smile and wave, nodding my head as the audience cheers, but my heart’s pounding. What the fuck? What just happened? As I make my way off stage, I shake my head as if to clear it. But then, a small voice sounds in my brain. Isn’t this what you wanted? To see Petal again?
To my chagrin, the voice is right and a smile comes over my face as I anticipate confronting my curvy buyer.
5
Lina
* * *
I rush into my apartment, close the door, and press my back against it. I slowly slide down until I’m sitting on the ground, covering my face with my hands. My face and my ears are still bright red from seeing Tim again. Did that really happen? Was it just a weird dream? Or did I really just bid two thousand dollars—money I really don’t have—on a date with a man I met at the Krazy Kat?
I kick off my heels and pull off my pantyhose, then pick myself up off the floor and head to my bedroom. On the way, I wiggle out of my cocktail dress and my bra. I collapse on my bed in only my panties and huff out a long sigh of relief. At least it’s over, although I don’t know what to think. After all, I’m usually a shy girl so what got into me?