Page 17 of Frat Around and Find Out (Peach State Fratbros #1)

Ty

“Y ou think we have time to hit up Burger King?” Ryan asks as he drives us to the auction.

“Considering you barely gave me ten minutes to get ready, I think we should just get over to the convention center.”

“Someone sounds pissed,” Keegan adds from the back seat.

I can’t disguise how annoyed I am with how quickly Ryan returned to my room. It might have been ten minutes—hell, he could have given us fifteen, and I wouldn’t have known because Lance and I were so lost in each other.

Given everything else we’ve done together, I should have known that Lance’s lips and tongue would feel as good as the rest of him, but the explosive blast took me by surprise, especially after the difficult things we’d been discussing up until that kiss.

I never could have guessed about the nightmarish loss in his past that’s been there through all our sparring and pranks, and it’s amazing to think that a guy could have been through so much and still find a way to get on with his life, find moments to smile and laugh and give a damn about stuff like TaskFrat challenges, which are such bullshit next to everything we’ve been through.

But maybe that’s why we’re so enthusiastic about having fun with the games…

because we know how precious life is. We don’t take a moment of it for granted .

“Lance has to be at the auction too,” Ryan adds. “I mean, it wasn’t the smartest time to plan to get together to discuss the TaskFrat Committee.”

I had to make up some excuse for why he was in my room, so Ryan wouldn’t know that really, I had my tongue down Lance’s throat right before I opened the door.

When we arrive at the convention center, we grab our tuxes from the back and head inside. An event coordinator escorts us to a dressing room with some of the other guys—I recognize a few from school, but several aren’t Peach State University guys.

Lance should be arriving too, though it’s gonna take him some time since he had to hurry back to Alpha Theta Mu to grab his stuff.

I’m finishing buttoning my shirt by the time Lance heads in, acting chill, not looking my way.

As he changes into his tux, I find myself watching him in my periphery so that Ryan and Keegan won’t notice.

Wondering if Lance is doing the same. If he’s thinking about the lingering buzz from our kiss.

At least, I hope he’s feeling this flurry of sensation too because if not, he’s missing out.

It’s more than what he’s stirred in my body, though. I enjoy spending time with him, talking to him. Especially now that I know we have this shared experience binding us together.

“Does this look stupid?” Ryan adjusts his bow tie in the mirror.

“I don’t think it’s the tie making you look stupid.”

“Ouch,” Ryan says. “I can tell you meant that one.”

I shake my head. “Sorry, man. I’m just annoyed about being in a rush.”

It’s not his fault, but part of me can’t help putting the blame on him for depriving me of time with Lance. And really, as much as I want to raise money for a good cause, I’d prefer to get back to that sooner rather than later.

If only we’d started this shit any other night.

Of course, life always has a way of being as inconvenient as goddamn possible.

I hate this awkwardness between Lance and me in the dressing room, both of us finishing up getting ready, not making eye contact, and I’m wondering if he also feels like if we did make eye contact, then suddenly Ryan will say, Oh my God, you guys were making out in your room, weren’t you?

Just act fucking cool , I tell myself.

Somehow, we manage to keep it together before the door opens and in walk Troy Locklear and Atlas McCallister, both having graduated from Peach State last year.

Atlas is the one who organizes this event, and Alpha Theta Mu alum Troy Locklear is his partner.

Well, partner and stepbrother, which is like a whole deal in and of itself, but stepbrothers-turned-boyfriends is an Alpha Theta Mu thing. See Colin and Ash for more info.

“Hey, guys,” Atlas says. “Just a quick heads-up about how it’ll go down.

Troy will introduce each of you. He’s put together something with the info you filled out online.

When the bidding takes place, you can flaunt it a bit.

Try to keep your shirts on and keep it PG, but no harm in being playful with the audience. ”

“Though, if you can raise money by taking your shirt off,” Troy says, “by all means.”

Atlas gives his man a playful glare as the room erupts in laughter.

Lance manages to finish getting dressed as they prep us some more, and then they lead us out.

As we follow them to the main stage, I wind up near Lance, not by coincidence, but because I’ve been inching my way closer and closer to him, even as I’ve tried to tell myself it’d be smart to keep my distance.

We crack at the same time, and his gaze meets mine, his lips curling into a smirk.

I hate that we have to get through this when all I want to do is attack that face again, but I take a breath, steadying myself.

“Okay, guys,” Troy says as he opens a door that leads backstage, “just wait in the wings until I call you out. And once the bidding ends, you’ll stay onstage with the rest of the guys until we get to the end.” He turns to Atlas. “Wish me luck, A.”

“As if you need any,” Atlas says before Troy plants a kiss on his man. It looks like he intended it to be a peck, but Atlas hooks his arm around him, keeping him close, his tongue slipping into his mouth.

It’s the sort of kiss that makes everyone quiet before Atlas pulls back and slaps Troy’s ass. “Get out there and sell some beef.”

Troy beams before heading out to the podium.

His opening speech is dynamic, playful, his charisma on full display as he cracks a few jokes that get the audience laughing.

While the bidding’s taking place for the first few guys, Lance and I glance at one another again, and he winks.

There’s this confidence to him now, like he can read my interest so easily, unlike before when he was cautious and apprehensive.

I like this side of him.

As his gaze settles on my lips, he licks his own.

“Stop that,” I say sternly, my tone taking him by surprise as his eyes widen. “I need to behave.”

I’m playing with fire by talking like this so close to my Sigma Alpha buddies, but maybe that’s part of the thrill.

“And next up, we have none other than the president of Sigma Alpha,” Troy announces from the podium.

“Looks like you’re up, Mr. Prez,” Ryan says, coming up from behind me. “Get out there and make Sigma Alpha proud.”

Lance rolls his eyes, simulating vomiting as I head out onto the stage.

Troy finishes his intro, and the whole thing is a bit wild—the bright lights, the sorority girls and frat guys losing it in the audience, and I can hardly think straight as numbers start getting called until I’m taken by a girl from Phi Kappa Lambda for two hundred dollars.

I join the other auctioned guys on the opposite side of the podium, watching as Keegan and then Ryan are given away next. They join me, and then a few more guys, before Troy says, “And last but certainly not least…”

Definitely not least.

“…my good friend and Alpha Theta Mu president, Lance Fehn.”

He’s got support from his fellow Alpha Theta Mus first, from the stage and in the audience as they lose their minds over him, but it’s not their support that’s grating on my nerves.

I can see how some of the girls and guys are looking at him, wanting a piece of that action.

Tension knots up in me at the thought of one of them winning his adorable ass.

He stands at the front of the stage, jokingly posing, but also having a bit of that bashful charm, like he’s flustered by the attention.

It’s that charm, no doubt, that won over Alpha Theta Mu when he became president his sophomore year.

There’s this aura about him, and it’s as though he doesn’t even realize the effect he has on people .

Like he’s oblivious about that sexy mug or those kissable lips.

Fuck, I can’t get those lips out of my goddamn head.

“Okay,” Troy says. “Let the bidding commence!”

“One hundred dollars!” I recognize Angie up front in a hoodie, waving to support her friend. I can’t help feeling she’s too eager, which is weird because I wasn’t thinking like that at all when they were bidding on me.

Another sorority girl shouts for a hundred twenty-five.

Then one hundred fifty.

I’m annoyed by the low bids. These kids don’t even know what they’re missing out on.

“One sixty,” comes another bid as they seem to be winding down.

One sixty? Are they fucking kidding right now? The hell?

“Two fifty!”

I look around for a sec, as though the words didn’t come from my own damn mouth.

Troy glances at me. “Um…”

“What the fuck is he doing?” Keegan mutters to Ryan.

Even with the bright lights in my eyes, I see people in the audience looking around. Everyone seems confused because this is definitely a first—a bachelor onstage bidding for another bachelor.

How the hell am I gonna get out of this one?

“Dude’s clearly letting that Alpha Theta Mu know who’s boss,” Ryan whispers to Keegan before nudging me. “Badass move, man.”

Troy’s looking around like he’s waiting for Atlas or one of the other event organizers to come out and put a stop to this, but then just shrugs.

“I guess a bid’s a bid, right? So we’re at two fifty for Alpha Theta Mu’s president from my former frat’s rival Sigma Alpha.

Anyone want to save this guy from being tortured by the enemy? ”

Troy’s comment earns some laughs, which is a relief because hell if I knew how I was gonna explain this to the guys without straight up lying about whatever the hell is happening between Lance and me.

Of course, given our history, people would assume this is just another way of sticking it to Alpha Theta Mu.

Lance is obviously just as confused, his brows shifting as his eyes narrow.

Everything’s happening so fast, I wonder if he even gets what’s going on, but I’m just relieved my dumbass mouth didn’t out us.

“Two sixty!” Ash calls out from the crowd as he glares at me, like he won’t let his friend be owned by some Sigma Alpha bastard.

“Come on, get him,” Ryan whispers to me.

Even though the first one was not on purpose, I roll with it. “Two eighty!”

Troy side-eyes me. “Um…this really isn’t how…”

“Two eight-five,” Lance’s buddy Marty follows, then whispers something to Payton.

“Three hundred,” I add, really stirring the pot on what’s clearly become an Alpha Theta Mu–vs.–Sigma Alpha battle.

“Fuck,” Ash mutters in the front, so I know they must be stressing about cash, but after a quick consult with his friends, he calls out, “Three fifty.”

And now I’m shifting finances around in my head.

“I can spot you a hundred,” Ryan says, so I call out for four.

Now things are really getting spicy. The tension is locked in, Troy not getting in the middle of it, I’m sure because despite how unconventional the bidding has become, he can’t argue with the money that’ll be going to the cause.

“Four fifty,” Ash calls.

Fuck. I’m really cutting it close on what I can manage. I should just let it go. If I let the Alpha Theta Mus win, then I’m not out of cash, and it’s not like I’m not gonna see Lance again.

As I’m working through the logic, Troy starts counting down to seal the bid when a loud, “Five hundred!” comes from the audience. My gaze shifts around before it settles on a raised hand.

One of Sigma Alpha’s own: Dax.

Ryan nudges me with his elbow. “Fuck, yeah,” he says. “Looks like we got that Alpha Theta Mu’s ass after all.”

“Right,” I say, though despite my best interests, I’m tempted to outbid him. I can’t, though, since that would definitely make even less sense to everyone. Hell, it barely makes sense to me.

As the Sigma Alphas start high-fiving and hugging it out in the audience, I realize I need to let this one go, even though a part of me wants to go feral and let all the guys know, especially Dax, that Lance is fucking mine.

No, not mine.

Just…fuck, he’s gotten into my head with that goddamn kissing.

When the auction ends, we join our house friends on the main stage, Sigma Alphas giving Alpha Theta Mus hell, as though this was all part of some elaborate prank to pull on Lance, which normally would have amused me, but is now pissing me the fuck off.

“Guys, just act cool,” I say. “This is a respectable charity.”

Dax approaches me, grinning, and just like that, I’m back to being on edge. “Hey, man,” he says. “Hope I was helping. Seemed like you were done bidding.”

“Oh, yeah. Thanks for that,” I say with clenched fists.

“No problem. I had the spare cash, and Lance is adorable as fuck, so you know…two birds, one stone. Although…I didn’t know if you needed to take the date.”

“No, no,” I say, almost hating myself as the words come out. “It’s your money. You won fair and square. And the Sigma Alphas seem content our house won his ass.”

I shouldn’t enjoy how good it feels to talk about owning Lance’s ass, but I can’t help myself.

Dax’s grin expands. “In that case, I guess I can just enjoy myself.”

I stifle a growl.

Rumor has it, Dax’s got this keen ability to tell when guys are questioning or curious.

I don’t know that I believe in gaydar, but I can’t help wondering if the guy has some intuition about Lance and now he’s planning to make some moves, or if that’s just my fear because Dax is apparently this amazing, epic lover who definitely understands how a man’s body works and could show Lance things I couldn’t. Not yet, at least.

And suddenly I find myself having particularly ragey thoughts toward one of my own Sigma Alphas.