"Six-fifty," I said immediately, not breaking eye contact.
Evelyn's smile widened like she was watching the best show in town. "Six-fifty! Do I hear seven hundred?"
Silence stretched. That couldn't be it. Not yet.
"Seven hundred!" Stacie's voice rang out.
Relief and dread twisted together in my chest. Good - now I knew I hadn't scared everyone off. But could I go higher than my limit? No. $847 was all I had.
"Seven-fifty," I countered, my voice carrying across the pavilion.
"Eight hundred!" Another bid from somewhere in the crowd.
My heart hammered. So close to my ceiling.
"Eight twenty-five," I said.
The words hung in the air. Silence. Had I actually won?
"Eight forty!" Stacie stood up, swaying slightly. Her friends tried to pull her back down.
No. Not yet—
I had $847. Seven dollars left. If she went any higher, I was done. Six months of planning, destroyed by seven dollars.
"Eight forty-seven."
It came out flat. Final. Every cent I had in the world.
Evelyn's perfectly penciled eyebrows rose. "Eight hundred and forty-seven dollars. Going once... going twice..."
No one else spoke. Even Stacie had gone quiet.
"Sold!" Evelyn's voice rang out triumphantly. "Bachelor Number Two—our Sizzling Silver Fox—goes to Ruby for eight hundred and forty-seven dollars!"
The crowd erupted.
My stomach dropped. I'd actually done it. Spent everything. There was no going back now.
I sat frozen while dozens of eyes watched. Some women appeared envious. Others seemed sympathetic, perhaps sensing I'd just bid everything I had. A few watched with curiosity, probably wondering why I'd wanted him so badly.
What had I just done?
The remaining men were auctioned quickly. I heard Evelyn's voice, heard more applause, but none of it registered. My entirebody felt numb, my mind circling the same thought: I'd just spent everything for a revenge plan that might not even work.
"Congratulations to all our winners!" Evelyn was back at center stage, beaming at everyone gathered. "Now, here are the rules. You have your bachelor from now until Sunday afternoon. The weekend is yours to spend wherever—and however—you'd like with your bachelor. But—" She wagged a finger playfully. "—you must appear together at the festival finale on Sunday evening. We want to see how much fun you've had."
Perfect. Public humiliation at the festival finale. That had been the plan all along, and hearing it confirmed only sharpened my resolve.
People were standing now, winners making their way toward their dates. The space buzzed with excitement and laughter.
And then Gil was in front of me.
He'd approached while I was still processing, and suddenly he was there, close enough that I had to tilt my head back to meet his gaze. When he smiled down at me, slow and devastating, my stomach flipped.
He extended his hand, and when I took it, he didn't shake—he lifted it smoothly to his lips, pressing a kiss to my knuckles. The gesture should have felt outdated, performative. Instead, it sent heat straight through me.
"I have to admit," he said, those steel-gray eyes holding mine with a glint of amusement, "I wasn't expecting someone like you to spend that much on a weekend with me. Though I'm certainly not complaining."
