“All right everyone,” Amanda says into the microphone. The music has been turned all the way off now. “What is the first bid amount, and what would you like Miss Jade to do for it?”
“Fifty thousand dollars,” someone shouts from the audience.
It’s a girl’s voice, and I look down to see Celeste smiling up at me. “I’ll take her to the skating rink for that amount.”
“Fifty thousand dollars to take her to the skating rink, okay,” says Amanda, with an approving nod. “Going once, going twice…”
“Wait!” shouts Veronica, joining in on the fun. “One hundred thousand dollars. To listen to her play the guitar.”
“I can’t play the guitar,” I say, into the microphone.
“She can’t play the guitar,” Amanda repeats.
“That’s why I want to pay so much to see her try!” Veronica shouts back.
Everyone laughs and then Isaac calls out, “Two hundred thousand dollars to take her to the humane society and force her to adopt three dogs.”
“I’d do that for free,” I reply, and the crowd says a collective “awwww.”
But I really would. I love animals.
“Okay, two hundred thousand dollars to become a doggy mommy,” Amanda says.
There’s silence, and so she continues.
“Going once, going twice…”
“Ha ha!” Gavin laughs loudly. “How funny would it be if I left my new bud hanging like that? Like congrats, dude, you get to spend lots of money to make my girlfriend adopt some dogs.”
Everyone else laughs too. My heart pounds as Gavin says, “Just kidding, man. You know I’d never do that. Not to my fucking business partner.”
This is it, I think, just like right before he took my virginity. This is the moment that’s going to change my life forever…
And just then Maxim calls out, “We need to get this bidding up higher! Five hundred thousand dollars for her to clean my house.”
“Oh my God,” Veronica yells. “Don’t accept that offer. He’s such a slob. It’s worth at least a million!”
“Fine!” Maxim says. “A million to clean up after me. She’s right, I’m a real pig.”
“A million and a half to join the circus,” someone in the crowd calls out.
They’re a stranger to me, but they’re just joining in on the fun. This is so much different than the first time I was on stage being bid on.
“Two million!” Veronica calls out. “To babysit for us! Flannery’s in that biting stage, so watch out. She’s teething bad.”
Now it’s my turn to say, “Awww.”
Gavin had told me that Veronica and Isaac have a little girl and that she’s coming with them on the trip but obviously not to this party. I can’t wait to meet her.
“That’s so cute,” I tell her. “I’ll do it. I don’t even mind about the bite marks. That’s what make up is for.”
Everyone gets in on the act, calling out crazier and crazier things for more and more money.
Finally, so many people are yelling that no one can be heard above each other. Amanda bangs on the microphone again.
“Okay,” she says, restoring the order. “Calm down. I can’t even keep track of what the bidding is up to now, or for what.”
“I’ll make it easy on you,” Gavin says, approaching the stage.
He’s still smiling his big, handsome smile and all I want to do is hug him. He nods at me and then climbs up to my side.
Kneeling down, he takes out a tiny blue box from his pocket.
Tiffani’s.
He opens the box, revealing a large, shiny ring.
“I bid all the money I’ll ever have for the rest of my life,” he says. “On your hand in marriage.”
“Oh, my God,” I say, starting to cry. “Wow. Gavin.”
“Jade, will you marry me?”
“Yes!” I say, as he gets up to hug me, finally. “Yes, yes, yes, of course.”
“Woo hoo!” shouts Veronica— or maybe it’s Celeste— and everyone starts clapping.
“Looks like she’s accepted the bid,” Amanda says.
Gavin spins me around on stage, and the DJ starts playing music again.
“Okay everyone,” Amanda announces, as Gavin puts me down and slips the ring on my finger.
“It’s perfect,” I tell him. “It fits me just right.”
“I know,” he says. “I stole one of your other rings and took it to Tiffani’s with me so they would get the size right.”
“Ha ha.”
I kiss my clever, handsome fiancée while Amanda continues to get everything under control.
“We’re going back to the party now,” Amanda says. “But we’ll have something a little extra special for you in a bit.”
What could be more special than this? I wonder.
I’ve just gotten engaged, and I’m the happiest girl on the planet.