Page 100 of Decidedly Off Limits

“A thousand dollars,” Miss Eager yelled out. “I bid a thousand dollars.” She gave a smug look, expecting no one to outbid her.

Murmurs from the neighboring tables filled the space, along with groans from the women who had planned to bid. A thousand dollars was already higher than they wanted to go.

“I have a bid of one thousand dollars,” the auctioneer said. “Do we have one thousand and ten dollars?”

Silence sat heavy in the room, and I willed someone, anyone, to meet the bid. If there had been enough time to run out and throw all my coins into the fountain, I would have.

“Do we have one thousand and ten dollars?…Going once. Going twice.”

Before I realized what I was doing, I raised my hand.

“We have one thousand and ten dollars.” He indicated toward our table—and everyone sitting at it looked at me with wide eyes.Brilliant going, Kels. How was I going to explain this to them when I was supposed to be engaged to Owen? “Do we have one thousand and twenty dollars?”

Miss Eager’s hand shot up. I groaned.

“We have one thousand and twenty dollars. Do we have one thousand and thirty dollars?”

Who needed to eat anyway?

Besides the money was going to a great cause. I raised my hand, and almost fell off my chair at the vicious glare Miss Eager leveled at me.

“We have one thousand and thirty dollars. Do we have one thousand and forty dollars?”

“That man,” Alice said to me, her voice easily heard by everyone at our table, “he’s in love with you…and you’re in love with him, am I right?”

I bit the inside of my mouth, keeping the truth from tumbling out.

Was Trent in love with me?

Everything inside me screamed an emphatic “Yes!”

“We have one thousand and forty dollars,” the auctioneer continued, which meant Miss Eager had bid again. “Do we have one thousand and fifty dollars?”

A thousand and thirty dollars had been beyond what I could reasonably manage. The new bid was enough to sink the Titanic—if it hadn’t already been sunk.

“Do we have one thousand and fifty dollars?” the auctioneer repeated. “Going once. Going twice.”

My heart stopped as I waited for him to yell “gone” and slam the gavel down.

“We have a bid for a thousand and fifty dollars.” The auctioneer indicated at our table. Huh?

I peered down at my lap. Yep, my hands were still there.

Everyone at our table was gaping at Owen. I looked at him, confusion no doubt plastered on my face.

He gave a quick shrug of his shoulders. “The money goes to a good cause.”

“Wait, did you just bid on him?” I said, loud enough that everyone at the table heard me.

“You love him, don’t you?” he asked. Everyone at the table continued watching us, their interest at the new turn of events unmistakable.

“I’ve loved him since high school, but things were too complicated and I didn’t think he felt that way about me. But just so you know, I did love you when we were together. At least I did until we grew apart.”

Owen smiled. “I know.” To the rest of the table, he said, “Kelsey and I were engaged, but she broke up with me last year when she realized we weren’t right for each other. I was too much of an idiot to admit the truth to you, and I didn’t want you to think I was unable to adequately perform my job because of the breakup.”

No one had a chance to respond to his confession. “Sir,” the auctioneer said to Owen, “you do understand that Mr. Salway is straight, right?”

Trent looked ready to scratch his head in bewilderment, knowing that Owen was here with me and that he wasn’t gay. I nibbled on my lip to keep from laughing at his reaction.