They were a pretty ragtag team.
“Should the rookie be taking minutes?” Vasquez asked, and Linc exhaled in relief.
“This won’t take long.” Brian shook the page again. “My brother’s charity group. They have a bachelor auction coming up and still need some bachelors.”
Linc and Vasquez both took a step back.
“What?” Brian asked.
“I’m not doing that,” Linc said.
“Me neither,” Vasquez said.
“Why not?”
Linc scrounged around for an excuse. “It’s sexist.” The truth was, he sucked in front of crowds. He could storm into a burning building, but getting up in front of people who expected him to be interesting sounded like hell.
“It’s not sexist.”
“It’s totally sexist. Bachelor auction?” Vasquez scoffed. “Where are the bachelorettes?”
“So, you want to volunteer?” Brian asked.
“Hell no.”
“Why not? Come on, Martin’s in a tough spot. They need at least two more people if they have a chance of hitting their fundraising goals.”
“It’s demeaning. Buying people is demeaning.”
“Yeah,” Linc said, grateful that she could put it into words better than he could.
Brian wasn’t giving up, though. “Come on, guys. Martin really needs the help. I bet they’d even take Vasquez and overlook she’s not a bachelor.”
“Why can’t you do it?” Linc said.
Brian scuffed his shoes on the concrete. “It’s Jess’s due date.”
Linc and Vasquez had a silent argument using only their eyes. He begged her to step up, and she fuck no’d him until they both sighed and turned back to Brian.
“Couldn’t we, like, just give them money?” Linc asked.
“Give them money?” Vasquez laughed. “What money? The county won’t even pay for the groceries in the station kitchen.”
More throat-clearing and gazes that bounced off anything but one another’s faces followed the question.
“What if—” Linc scratched his chin. “What if we all went and chipped in some money and bid on someone? We could get them to help around here for a day. Wash the trucks. Do the food run.”
“Is that—” Brian said slowly. “Is that less demeaning than getting Vasquez to auction herself off?”
Vasquez sighed. “We’ll go bid on someone. But I’m bringing a date. And so is Scott.”
Linc’s stomach bottomed out, but Brian smiled widely. “You got a girlfriend? Someone from town? How did you meet?”
“Jesus, Brian. You’ve got two babies on the way. You don’t need to baby me.” He glared at Vasquez and then at Brian. His team seriously sucked.
“Aw, rookie.” Vasquez pinched his cheek until he pulled his head away. “You’re everyone’s baby. Better find someone to sit beside you. Don’t want you getting lonely.”
But the only person Linc wanted to sit beside him was the one person he couldn’t ask.
