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Gwen appeared at my shoulder. "Ready for me to round up the bachelors?"
I nodded. "Please."
I pulled the mic from the shelf in the podium on stage, and Izzy dialed down the music as I welcomed everyone.
"Good evening, and welcome to the Winter Warmth Auction. On behalf of the Campfire Council, I'd like to say we're thrilled to have you here for our first-ever bachelor auction. I'm going to announce the winners from the silent auction, then we'll get to the part of the evening you've all been waiting for."
I called out winners, congratulating each one and encouraging the crowd to cheer as we announced each high bid.
Cole was the high bidder on a Pinkney Brewery private tour, and Ivan heckled him about going to the dark side, making the group laugh. Everyone seemed in high spirits, setting the stage perfectly for the rest of the auction.
Clearing my throat, I grinned out over the crowd, letting the anticipation build.
"And now, I'd like to welcome our bachelors to the stage. I'll introduce each, then start the bidding. First up: Lewis Ma, our esteemed veterinarian. His date package is a sleigh ride on the trails outside of town, followed by hot chocolate under the stars. When asked why he was on Santa’s naughty list, Lewis admitted that he'd been secretly training Santa’s reindeer to do loop-de-loops."
The crowd chuckled, and Lewis bowed from the waist. He cut a fine figure in his tux, his shiny black hair and broad smile inviting everyone to join him in the laugh.
"Can I start the bidding at fifty dollars?"
"Fifty dollars," a paddle went up, and I nodded, acknowledging the bid. Two women I recognized from town battled it out for him, until the blonde tapped out at three-hundred dollars, leaving Alicia Torres with the winning bid. She grinned at Lewis, who bowed to her with a flourish, seeming pleased that he'd fetched a good donation.
"Next up, I have Alex Martinez, our beloved town librarian. His date will be treated to an afternoon of antiquing and rare book shopping in Spokane. When asked what landed him on the naughty list, Mr. Martinez admitted that he checked out one too many romance novels this year. As in,all of them."
The crowd laughed, good natured snickers accompanying Mr. Martinez as the elderly man winked at them. He looked dapper in his tux, the salt in his salt-and-pepper hair shining under the stage lights.
Bidding moved quickly, and I auctioned off Mr. Martinez to Marsha Wise, before Chris Farmer, Brady's office manager, was won by Ray Hearon.
My friends and I had debated which of our bachelor friends should go next in the lineup, finally settling on Cole.
"Please welcome Cole Fenwick to the auction block," I said ushering him forward. "Most of you know Cole as the assistant coach for the Grizzlies, but he's also the winemaker at Gentle Flight Vineyards. His auction package includes a winery tour and private tasting. When asked why he made it on the naughty list, Cole said that he set out red wine for Santa. He should have known that Santa prefers awhiteChristmas."
Predictably, the audience groaned over the terrible pun. Cole held up his hands, silently apologetic. Luckily, no one seemed deterred by his corny sense of humor, and he brought in a respectable amount from Becca, who worked with Izzy at Slice.
"Our next bachelor needs no introduction. Davis Pruitt and his sister Jo make most of the beer we drink in Campfire. He's a wonderful hops farmer, but did you know he also runs a kitten rescue? He's graciously donated an afternoon cuddling with his kittens. When asked why he was on the naughty list, Davis just scowled, like it was answer enough. And really, it was. After all, grumpy is the new naughty, right?"
Davis frowned severely, as if he could scare away bidders with his bad attitude. The crowd loved it, chuckling.
"Two hundred dollars!" a familiar voice hollered.
I laughed. Sophie hadn't even let me open the bidding. She smiled, an edge of challenge in her broad grin. She sparkled like a disco ball in her silver sequined dress. Her satisfied expression dared anyone to bid against her. I scanned the crowd, but Sophie's strategy seemed to have the desired effect – no one wanted to compete with her aggressive start. Gwen glared at our friend, and a beat later I remembered why: we weren't supposed to bid at all.
While I could sympathize with Gwen's position, you could argue that Sophie was saving Davis's feelings. Assuming he had any. Not totally fair and not true, but the man did an excellent job of hiding any softer emotions under frowns. Had Sophie opened with a bid so high to ensure he had a respectable showing? Or just because she was dying to play with his kittens?
"Sold," Davis boomed. He turned on his heel, beating a hasty retreat, and I shrugged.
"What can I say, folks? Clearly the woman loves her kittens.” The crowd clapped, and I continued as their applause tapered off. “Next up, I have the youngest of the Nemitz men, Ivan Nemitz."
Ivan flashed his trademark grin and strutted to the front of the stage, pausing to pose, bodybuilder style.
"Ivan is offering a romantic evening sure to wow any woman. Ivan will be taking the winning bidder on a moonlight snow shoeing adventure, complete with stargazing and a picnic dinner at one of the luxury geodesic domes on Dominion Mountain. Oh, and Ivan's reason for being on the naughty list? You guessed it: he smiled and Mrs. Claus’s panties fell off. Can I open the bidding at fifty dollars?"
Silence followed my question, and it only took me a moment to realize why. For all his preening in front the crowd, Ivan kept his gaze focused on his wife, almost pleading for her to bid. Izzy, ever the rule-follower, looked helplessly between her husband and Gwen before frantically searching the crowd.
"Seventy-five dollars," a voice piped up from the very back, and I smiled at Silvia Nemitz, who waved her paddle in the air.
A good-natured bidding war started between Silvia and Rachel Lee, and I watched as Izzy grew increasingly agitated, worried her mother-in-law would lose. It took everything I had to hold back my laugh when Izzy shoved her palms under her thighs, literally sitting on her hands. Thankfully, Silvia didn't give up, and eventually outbid her rival.
"Sold, to Mrs. Nemitz for three hundred, fifty dollars!"
