“Sold to that guy in the back!”
Ethan looks confused for a minute, but he finally catches on and a grin spreads across his face. He politely pushes his way through the crowd, offering Emma his hand and helping her off the stage. She throws me a confused but gleeful look over her shoulder and I flash her a thumbs-up in return. Yeah, I’ll have to throw in the cash myself, but what difference does it make when the money isn’t real? The happiness on Emma’s faceisreal, and that’s worth every penny.
The rest of the dates aren’t quite as exciting, but we continue to make a ton of money and maybe even a love connection or two.
Finally, we’re down to our last two biddees—me and Ben. I’m about to call Ben up to the stage when Emma takes the mic from my hand and nudges me off to the side. “I’ll take it from here,” she whispers to me with a wink.
I don’t like the look of that wink.
“Before we get to our final two daters of the evening, Iwanted to take a minute to tell all of you how thankful I am for all of your love and support.” Emma’s barely begun her impromptu speech and tears are already gathering in her eyes. “The last several weeks have been tough, but the care you all have shown me, throughout that time, but especially tonight, has truly made me feel like there’s nothing I can’t do.”
Aw fuck. Now tears are also gathering in my eyes.
Emma turns toward me and I know instinctively there’s no hope for my mascara. “And Cam. To say that none of this would have been possible without you is the understatement of the century. When I needed help, you were there for me, without question. You’ve put aside your own personal business”—her eyes flit in the direction of Noah, but don’t linger there—“to make sure my business has a chance to be saved. I can never thank you enough for the sacrifices you have made for me.” She tucks the microphone under her arm and leads the crowd in a round of applause.
And something weird happens in my stomach as I watch this room of people, most of whom have hated me at some point in time, cheer for me like I’m a homegrown hero.
“I hope you’re proud of yourself, sweetheart,” Ben says, his lips an inch from brushing the shell of my ear. He said something similar to me once before, but without the ring of sincerity.
I let myself take in the room at large, and for one single moment, let myself feel proud. Because I did this. Not for me, or to suck up to my grandmother, or to piss off the rest of my family. I did this for Emma. For someone who truly deserves it.
If this is what it feels like to do good, I may have been going about some things all wrong.
But before I have the chance to introspect too far, Emma is calling Ben up to the stage. His hand squeezes mine as he makes his way past me and up the stairs, and there’s that fucking shiver again.
My eyes dart to our table, the one I have yet to sit at. Noah and Lindsay are chatting, but once Ben takes the stage, she has eyes only for him. She does a little fake stretch, like she’s going to need to be in top condition to win this auction. Ben sees her and a smile tugs on his lips.
My empty stomach roils at the sight, and I probably should have eaten something before this moment, but it’s too late now. I tried to cloak this whole thing in competition vibes, like watching Ben rake in the money was going to somehow be fun and silly.
Now I realize what I’m watching is Lindsay staking her claim.
Which is fine, I tell myself. Ben is a good person and maybe my first real friend ever and I want him to be happy because I’m not a total and complete asshole. At least, not anymore. And as much as I want to get out of Heart Springs, as much as we both want to go home, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t want a chance to find his person. He deserves that chance.
And yet.
When Emma opens the bids and Lindsay raises her hand, some force greater than my well-honed logic completely takes over my brain.
“A thousand dollars!” I shout from the side of the stage.
The silence lasts only a second, but fuck, is it deafening.
Emma recovers first. “A thousand dollars! Do I hear eleven hundred?”
“Eleven hundred!” Lindsay echoes. Of course she does and she should and I should shut the fuck up right now and let her win.
“Twelve hundred!” I call before Emma can even ask for it.
She shoots me a look, but Emma’s not dumb and higher bids means more money for the bakery, so she keeps going.
Every person in the room is staring at me.
Well, every person but one.
Ben hasn’t looked at me once since the auction for his date started.
Were my attention where it’s supposed to be, I would also notice that Noah is avoiding looking at me, his gaze buried in a glass of whiskey.
Finally the tension becomes too much for me. “Five thousand dollars!”
