“You name the outdoor sport and she’ll beat your time. And she’ll do it more gracefully,” While my father wants to keep the “advertising” of each of us about our business expertise and the outdoor sports we play, most of the bidders want a date and dibs on the all-inclusive resort stay that comes with our twenty-four hours together. “As always, Riggs Outdoor will match each of the final bids.”
I look back around the room. I’m not seeing Jack and Jin in the space I left them, and now I’m anxious that they took whatever was brewing between them outside.
“Let's start the bidding at one-hundred dollars. I’ve got one in the back. Can I see two, two-hundred up front.” My father carries on the bidding while the crowd builds the dollar amount. Within a few minutes, and a four-way volley, the bidding hits five thousand.
“Ten-thousand,” a deep, familiar voice yells out. The crowd makes an exaggerated gasp, and everyone draws their attention to Jack in the far corner of the bar.
“Fifteen,” Jin responds with a raise of his left hand.
What is he fucking doing?
My father shifts uncomfortably and looks at me quickly, almost asking silently what the hell is going on.
Dad, if I knew, I’d tell you.
“That’s fifteen thousand from Mr. Jin Cormick. Do I hear fifteen-five?” my father croons through the room.
Standing no more than a few strides apart, both men are squared off to one another, and I’m feeling a wave of disgust work its way through me. They both know what they’re doing. A public pissing match at my expense, and I don’t like it. The room sees it as friendly banter by two men with deep pockets for one of Strutt’s most eligible, but the way I see it, it’s something else entirely. This is about them, and now I’m just along for the ride.
Jack yells out, “Twenty-five.”
“Fifty,” Jin responds.
Jack kicks back the rest of the vodka in his glass and yells back, “Seventy-five.”
My father looks at me, asking if he should call it right here or let them keep going. Instead of responding with a nod or shrug, I raise my arm and shout, loud enough to pull everyone’s attention away from the battling douchebag behavior in the back.
“One-Hundred thousand.”
“Accepted. Miss Everly Riggs wins her own bid at one-hundred thousand dollars.”
The room is quiet. My brothers peer over to me, not understanding what’s going on. And before I can think twice about any of it, I watch as Jack and Jin rush out of the tent with the sheriff.
I just gave Lenny McKenna enough gossip for the next three months.