Then came her turn. Gosh, she felt so nervous. The MC urged her forward and suddenly she couldn’t hear anything. Noise faded. It was as if things were unfolding around her and she could see the man waving to the audience for higher bids, but couldn’t hear anything. She was as scared as hell that Lance would abandon her. Finally a sound broke through her embarrassment and fear.
“Forty thousand.”
That, she heard. Her head turned toward the left where she knew her table was, but it wasn’t Lance’s voice. It was Doctor Anderson’s. That was twice as much as Marianne’s bid. Her face went red. Suddenly she realized that Marianne got her up here to auction her off and get her away from Lance. Her heart started thrumming in her ears.
The place went completely quiet after that call. She could hear whispers among the crowd, and she just wanted to crawl off the stage and hide.
“Forty five!” a voice from the right this time.What?
“Fifty!” countered Doctor Anderson.
Oh my God!
Over the next few minutes the numbers kept climbing. More male voices joined the frenzy—except one. What was wrong with these people?
Then she heard a stretch of silence before the MC announced that the final bid was going once. She would just cry. It wasn’t from her table. It was near the back of the banquet room. Oh, why did she have to challenge him? Was he going to let her go to the highest bidder and not intervene?
Going twice…
“Two hundred and fifty thousand!”
She could have wept. Lance.
“Sold!” It was as if the MC was waiting for that bid alone to end the sale.
Applause erupted. People stood in their seats still clapping.
She covered her face in her hands and smiled. She should have never lost faith.
Lance came up on stage then, and applause increased.
“For those of you that don’t know him, may I introduce one of your major benefactors,” the MC announced. “Retired ADA, Lance Hartley.”
More applause.
He approached her with his long confident stride. One of his hands was elegantly tucked into the pocket of his pants. There was a sudden barrage of flashes on top of the ear splitting noise of applause. His expression was unreadable but there was amusement in his eyes. He bent and kissed her cheek. “Do you honestly think I’d let you go?”
She beamed at him. “I was getting worried. I thought I might have pushed you too far earlier.”
“Tsk tsk darling. Have faith.”
He moved his arm around her waist and led her off the stage.
“Well Tamara, you’re fiancé certainly knows how to put on a show,” Elizabeth said as they took their seats across from her. “Shame on you for putting her on display like that.” she further chastised Lance.
“I’d frame her and hang her on the wall if I could,” he answered casually. “She’d put my Renoir to shame.”
Her father laughed. “Lance, I’m so happy you are becoming part of my family.”
Marianne just gasped, then lifted her napkin to feign a slight cough.
Tammy couldn’t help but be impressed at the way Lance stood up to her mother, and it was done with finesse so she couldn’t possibly be insulted. She stared at her. Now there was definite approval in her eyes as she watched Lance. Yes, now she could see how prestigious Lance was, and rich obviously. Oh, how she hoped that it was genuine just because she was her daughter and not because of who Lance was.
“Here! Here!” shouted the mayor raising his glass in a toast “Congratulations you two.”
“I’m reluctant to celebrate that, but it’s for a good cause,” the doctor said with a grin.
“Sore loser.” Lance murmured getting laughter from those within earshot.
