AllFreeNovel
Share Us
17
London
“Now, tonight isn’t just about the amazing food that’s been donated by Dee Anderson and her restaurant, Delish,” the Area Commander John Parsons announces from the stage at the front of the room.The same Uncle John that I’ve known since I was knee-high to an engine wheel and toddling around the firehouse, following my father.I’m as much a part of the department as dear old dad.“Tonight is about raising much-needed money for charity, and I can’t think of any other cause more near and dear to our hearts.”
The air fills with applause and I catch Skye topping up my champagne glass for the second time tonight.I wouldn’t normally be suspicious, since there have been more than a few nights where the girls would turn up at the clinic on a Friday night and we’d share a few drinks.
But Val has also been keeping my glass topped up.It’s like they think I need Dutch courage or something.Do they think I’m going to get my heart broken if I get outbid on Luca?
Thank God I’ve eaten a full meal though, because otherwise I’d be a slurring mess who needed rolling out the door.Like the last time I was wearing this dress and facing down Luc outside the restaurant.
Dammit, will I ever get the damn man out of my system?Do I really believe I want to?
“Now the fun begins,” Renee’s grandmother, or Grams, as she insisted we all call her, says.
“Grams ...”Renee warns under her breath but there’s humor in it.Val winks at me and that weird, uneasy, out-of-the-loop feeling comes back again.
“So without further ado, I’ll invite Captain Kelly of Firehouse 101 to the stage to start proceedings,” Uncle John announces.
More applause rings out as Dad walks on stage dressed in full formal uniform.Uncle John hands him the microphone and claps him on the shoulder before he heads down the stairs and returns to his table at the front.I look out for any of the guys or Luc but they’re all hidden side of stage.
“Right, ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to get your wallets out and your bidding paddles ready as we bring out the foolish—I mean,brave—men and women who’ve volunteered to be auctioned off tonight.The winning bidders will win the prize put up by the firefighter in question, with time and place up for negotiation.So with all of that out of the way, let’s raise some big money and bring out the first victim—I mean ...yeah.”Dad laughs “Victim might actually be right.We just don’t know if that victim’s gonna be Scotty Jones or whoever wins the bidding on him.”That earns a round of cheers.If nothing else, Scotty’s reputation definitely precedes him at these charity events.
Then “You Can Leave Your Hat On” by Joe Cocker blasts over the speakers as Scotty struts out wearing his turnouts and a huge grin.He walks back and forth along the front of the stage and dances in time to the beat.
“Take it off!”Grams yells, causing startled laughter to erupt from some of us and loud catcalls of encouragement from others.Even Dad can’t help but laugh at Scotty’s antics as he comes over to stand next to him.
“Right.Now let’s see what Scotty wants you to know,” Dad says, looking down at the card in his hand.“Scotty Jones is hot to trot and ready to fix whatever your heart desires.He does want you to know that he’s happily engaged to the best woman on earth, who unfortunately cannot be here tonight as she had to work, and for the winner to know that he’ll do anything for charity but he won’t dothat.”
Val and I groan before snickering and shaking our heads.
“That man is gonna get himself in trouble one day,” Dee says.
“Yeah, but at least that’s not our problem anymore.That’s all for his fiancée,” I say, lifting my glass in the air for a toast.“A drink to the brave woman who chose to take him on.”
“Cheers to that!”my friends all say with a laugh before taking a drink.
“Let’s start the bidding at one hundred,” Dad starts as he calls out the open bid.Five minutes later, a woman at the front bids six hundred dollars and Scotty grabs the microphone and yells, “Sold” to raucous laughter.
“Thanks, Mom,” he says.
“Oh God,” I say, unable to stop giggling.“He got hismomto buy him.That’s hilarious.”
“Is it any different from a certain brother of mine getting hisbest friendto bid on him?”
“Touché.”
Scotty walks down the stairs and over to where his parents are seated, hugging them both before waving to the rest of the crowd as Joe Cocker’s voice sings him back offstage.
“Now, this next auction is a little different.Lieutenant Marco Rossi and Lieutenant Rhodes Anderson are offering a package deal for a day of handyman and gardening services.Two for the price of one, people, so let’s see the bidding go sky-high on this one.C’mon out, firefighters.”
Our whole table stands and starts cheering as Marco and Rhodes walk out from opposite sides of the stage, both wearing full turnout gear, helmets and all.They meet with a high five in the middle and walk forward to where Dad is standing.
Then the bidding starts up again and despite Grams, Renee, Hayley, and even Val bidding, soon Dad is calling out “Going, going,goneto Commander Parsons for threethousanddollars.”
“Holy shit,” Skye says, shaking her head.“I hate to think what Commander Parsons is going to make them do.”
“Probably clean out his gutters and wash his walls,” I say.“Or else he’ll just send them out on a recruitment tour at colleges.”
