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“Wow. One thousand dollars going once. Going twice. Sold to the brunette in the red dress! I don’t have a gavel…” Parisa then taps the top of the mic sending a thud sound through the speakers. The crowd erupts in clapping and cheering.
Parisa and Trey step off the stage and walk their way through the crowd. I make my way toward them along with Charlie and Bennett. We all meet toward the back between the stage and the bar. I run into Parisa first. Not knowing what to say, I offer her a hi. Then I mentally slap myself.
She looks up at me. “Hi.” Her voice is quiet and breathy.
“Maybe we can—”
Trey comes up behind me and clasps my shoulder. “Well, look at that. Someone paid one thousand dollars for a date with me.” We all burst out laughing.
“Trey, you were right. You brought in a lot of money with your donation,” Parisa says.
“Let’s meet the lucky lady.” Trey rubs his hands together in anticipation.
Parisa finds the girl with the winning bid and brings her to Trey. She’s an attractive girl. Brown, curly hair that hangs past her shoulders. Petite frame. “Trey this is Jenna. Jenna this is Trey.”
Trey holds out his hand and she places hers in his. He brings her hand up and presses a kiss to the top of her hand. “Jenna, you’re a wise woman, you bid on the right item tonight. Should we go and get this date started right now?”
Jenna giggles before she pulls her hand from his. “Actually, the bid wasn’t for me.”
“Oh, you have a friend.” Trey scans the room with hopes in finding who the friend is.
“The bid was for my Nana.” Jenna turns around and grabs an older lady with short, curly white hair and brings her into our small circle. “Her senior living facility is having a Seniors Prom and Nana didn’t have a date, so we thought this would be perfect. She’ll be all everyone talks about if she brings a strapping young man like yourself.”
All of us try to bite back our laughter. Charlie coughs from her drink and I turn my head hoping to hide my grin. Trey narrows his eyes as he stares down each and every one of us.
Trey wraps his arm around Nana. “Well Nana, it would be my pleasure to take you to prom. But get your dancing shoes ready because it will be a night you’ll never forget.”
Nana beams up at Trey, some of her red lipstick smeared on her too white to be real teeth and we can’t help but cheer and clap for Nana. While everyone is preoccupied, I grasp Parisa’s elbow to get her attention.
“Do you have a min—”
“Parisa, we need your help in the kitchen,” a waitress interrupts.
“Of course. I’ll be right there.” Parisa sends the waitress on her way and turns back to me. “Can you give me a minute?”
“Certainly.” I nod and watch her every step as she follows the waitress’ path through the steel double doors into the kitchen.
Once our small crowd disperses, Trey comes and stands next to me. “You know she still wants to wrap herself up in your bow ties and offer herself as a present to you.”
“How do you know?”
“A girl would never go to these lengths for a guy she just tolerates.” I ponder his words for a few seconds. “Plus, her eyes scream ‘fuck me, Seth, fuck me.’”
When I turn toward him, a wide grin covers his face. I can’t help but shake my head, while a smile of my own tugs at my lips. “I thought maybe you’d grown up a little bit until that last comment.”
Trey clasps me on my shoulder. “Gotta keep you on your toes. I’m going to go find Jenna to make sure I can’t convince her to take that date with me.” On that note, he’s off meandering through the crowd. The music quiets down and I look up as Parisa takes the stage.
Twenty-Nine
You picked me
Parisa
As soon as my heels hit the stage the music dies down. The sound of whispers and murmurs carry around the large, open space along with the thumping of my heartbeat. As soon as I grab the microphone, a spotlight shines down on me. Raising my hand, I shield my eyes as they adjust to the blinding light. I’ve spent so much time thinking about myself and after everything that happened with Seth and The Lilith House, I knew all of this was bigger than me. And Seth deserves more than what I’ve given him. And now is my time to show him.
I lift the microphone up to my lips. “I-I would like to thank everyone who came out tonight and supported this fundraiser.” I shift my weight back and forth. “A big thank you to The Blue Stone Group for their generosity in helping The Lilith House and everyone who donated items for the auction. Of course, thank you to Jake for allowing us to use his bar to host the event and The Sweet Spot for providing desserts.” I pause to take a deep breath while everyone claps. “The Lilith House is such an important staple in our community. They do so much for other people, so I’m grateful we could all come together to help them. And I know all the money raised tonight will go on to help so many individuals and families.”
My eyes scan the room. I spot Bennett and Charlie standing with Trey and Olivia. Then my sister. My breath hitches when I see Seth. My heart hammers in my chest, but I continue. “When something goes wrong, everyone deserves a second chance. The Lilith House deserves a second chance. But also, people deserve a second chance. Like me. I messed up a great opportunity with an amazing guy because I was scared. And let me tell you, nothing sucks more than losing the one thing you care about most. I let my own fears and insecurities get in the way of something I know would be magical. Because he is the one person who always makes me feel special. Like I was the only one in a room.” My feet carry me from one side of the stage to the other. “And now I’m rambling.”
