Not a senator? Darkness crept into the edges of my vision as I turned to face her. She was joking. Of course, she was joking. “Ha ha.” I barely managed.
Her smug grin couldn’t have held more pride if he were the president of the united states. “Oh, no, dear. Hunter is one of the pitchers for the Colorado Rangers. They nearly made it to the world series this year.”
I studied Star’s instruction. Number five? Or number six?
The auctioneer was announcing the next bachelor. “And we’re so lucky to have Senator Flint with us tonight as bachelor number six. Senator Flint is walking Fido, a sweet little boxer we found abandoned on Interstate seventy near Idaho Springs…”
Either I was gonna throw up or my head was going to explode.
I needed to get out of there but my legs were as paralyzed as my tongue. I’m not making this up, I literally couldn’t push myself up to stand, let alone walk. I’d just spent ten thousand dollars on the wrong bachelor!
“But,” I barely mumbled. “I thought…”
“Here he comes now!” I turned my head to see who Gert was pointing at and then nearly moaned out loud when I saw my bachelor, Mister Key West, sauntering toward our table. Except his name wasn’t Mister Key West and he wasn’t really my bachelor. He was Star’s.
And most unfortunately, he wasn’t a senator.
Butterflies, no, I’ve got to be honest, grasshoppers took flight in my stomach as I watched him approach. Because not only was I coping with this crazy attraction I had to him, but my mind was trying to wrap itself around the fact that I’d just thrown away ten thousand dollars on a freaking baseball player!
Star was going to scalp me!
“Hunter!” Gert reached out and squeezed his hand as he pulled a nearby chair up beside us. “What a lucky coincidence. Do you know Holly already? She’s been listening to me brag about you.”
That same masculine scent I’d relished earlier hit me again when he drew his chair closer, between his grandmother and me.
I could hardly look at him but my girly parts sang. Testosterone in a tuxedo would lead to my final downfall.
Maybe I could explain this to Star and she’d understand how such a mistake could happen.
I wish.
He was speaking softly to his grandparents… something about next year, going all the way… I could barely process the English language at this point.
Meanwhile, bidding was under way for the bachelor I’d been sent to win.
“Five thousand eight hundred!” The auctioneer spoke gleefully. How much was in my bank account? Nine hundred? Did I have enough credit on my MasterCard? “Anyone willing to bid six thousand?” I maybe had two thousand five hundred that I could get my hands on.
A lady in back bid six thousand dollars on Senator Flint.
A hand touched the back of my arm. I didn’t have to look to know it was him. Awareness zipped to my toes, and I lost my train of thought. “I would have bought you a drink earlier Andretti. Could have saved you ten grand.” I shivered when his breath skimmed behind my ear, where my hair was pinned up. My brain turned to mush. I wanted to say something clever, something flirty even, but my mind was going in circles and I was vaguely listening to the bids for bachelor number six.
I’d pretty much just thrown my job away.
“Sold for seven thousand five hundred dollars to the lady in back!”
Senator Flint had been purchased by somebody else.
A whimper made it past my lips. I turned my head and met those amazing eyes of his. “Gert says you play baseball?” Maybe this was all one big mistake. Maybe…
He shrugged. “My Gran thinks I invented baseball.” One side of his mouth lifted in a lopsided grin.
“She said Ralph wouldn’t let her bid.” I laughed. For all of a second I forgot about my ten thousand dollar blunder.
“Gramps is old fashioned that way.” Good looking and sweet to his grandparents? I didn’t stand a chance.
I glanced down at the paper in my hand and the horror of my blunder rolled through me all over again. “I’m in so much trouble,” I mumbled.
He looked as though he hadn’t heard me right at first, but whatever he saw on my face must have quickly convinced him that he had. His brows dropped in concern and he leaned toward Gert. “I’m gonna get Holly here some coffee, gram. I’ll see you guys at lunch on Sunday.”
