Page 3 of Antagonist

The emcee makes the introductions to the captive audience, and before I can run, he calls my name.

“Welcome to the stage, Harrison Davis. Harrison is an attorney who specializes in family law. He's a single dad who enjoys running and talking until the late hours. Harrison is happy to receive bids from all genders, so let's begin.”

The lights make it challenging to see past the first few tables, which I’m not sure is a blessing or a curse.

Every time the old lady with the long bright-red nails lifts her paddle, I swear my balls retreat farther into my body. The woman is a level of scary I’m not sure I can handle.

“Come on, you lovely people, who’s going to give Mrs. Rosenbaum a run for her money?” Tom, the emcee, says, giving me a quick glance followed by a wink.

Like Tate, Tom lives in Chester Falls, and apart from owning a fashion store and designing his own clothes, he dabbles in anything that requires a creative brain. He was Tate’s wedding planner, and it seems tonight, he’s in charge of separating as many people from their money as possible.

The only reason I agreed to this bachelor auction is to help raise money for the Chester Falls animal shelter. Not that I volunteered per se, more that Tate volunteered me.

All because, like Stella, he thinks he knows what I need.

“Two thousand,” someone shouts from the back of the room.

Tom cranes his neck to see who placed the bid.

“Two thousand to the…oh dear god.” He fans himself. “It’s a good thing I’m already engaged and extreeemely happily in love—”

“Two and a half!” a woman shouts, raising her paddle. Tom glances at me and shrugs.

“At least she doesn’t look like a two-hundred-year-old dominatrix on steroids,” I say under my breath, low enough that only Tom can hear.

I wave at the lady and take a bow.

“Leave it with me, hunky bun,” Tom mutters before raising the microphone to his mouth again. “Three thousand, anyone? If you scan the QR code on your dinner menu, you’ll see a photo gallery of the pets you’ll be helping with your donation.”

The bids keep coming in until someone shouts, “Five thousand dollars!”

Tom pulls me closer, and it’s then I realize that, without the lights on my face, I can see exactly who’s been fighting the two women.

Anger bubbles inside me.

“Not him,” I say to Tom under my breath.

Tom turns to me, keeping the microphone away. He opens his mouth as if he’s going to say something but doesn’t.

A slow smile spreads across his mouth as he raises the mic again.

“Sold.”

2

FLETCHER

Shitballs,the guy looks pissed.

Okay, so my plan to apologize for my earlier mishap may be about to backfire.

“Sir?”

Reluctantly, I take my eyes away from the stage. Yes, because as annoyed as Harrison looks, he’s still quite handsome.

A woman holding a clipboard smiles at me.

“Thank you so much for your contribution. There will be a preopening gathering at the animal sanctuary and all donors are invited. We just need some contact information.”