It’s probably wrong of me to be this amused watching Drew trudge onto the stage. He puts on a good show, smiling and waving at the audience, but I can tell, he’s supremely embarrassed.

Finally, I’m not the only one making an ass of myself in this relationship.

As applause fills the room, I give him a whoop and McKenna cheers. Lulu lets out a wolf whistle. He glowers in our direction, while Charlie bounds around, waving and hyping up the crowd.

“So . . . things look cozy with Drew,” my sister says.

“Hmmm?” I act vague.

“Oh, come on. His eyes have been glued to you the entire night. Whatever you two have been getting up to, you’ve got him hooked.” She smirks. “Better not get too PDA in front of the fans. Looks like there are a lot of people here who’d tear your hair out to trade places.”

“How are people still so crazy over them after all this time?” I say, jumping onto that change of subject. “It’s been, what, ten years since they split up?”

On the stage, Drew and Charlie have launched into a stripped down acoustic version of “Got It Bad,” one of their first big hits. Charlie is swaggering all along the edge of the stage while he croons into the mic. Drew is sticking to the safety of his stool, strumming a guitar with an adorably embarrassed flush coloring his cheeks. Not that the fans seem to mind if he’s feeling self-conscious. The shrieks and hollers echoing through the room could rival a stadium show.

“I think my brother’s right,” McKenna remarks. “Everyone wants to feel like a teenager again.”

“And Charlie, at least, is single, right?” Lulu motions toward him as he tips back his head as if pouring his entire soul into the chorus. The guy definitely knows how to turn on the dramatics. “And as far as most people know, Drew is too. They probably think they’ve got a real chance.”

“Hmm,” McKenna says. “From what I’ve heard, Charlie gives out chances by the handful. Not hard to get one, but they’re not likely to stick very long.”

“I’m not sure anyone here cares how long a fling they get.” Half the crowd, including the women Charlie brought to our table, are on their feet now. The cheers are nearly drowning out the sound system. But no one here is getting their hands on Drew, at least not in the auction. I promised him that much.

The song winds down. After another blast of applause, the emcee motions Drew and Charlie to the front of the stage. “What a wonderful performance!” she says. “But I’m sure you’re all eager to get to this evening’s main event. Both of these generous men are offering their company for the rest of the night to the highest bidder. And remember, ladies, all the money raised will go toward advanced treatments for children in need, so let’s all be generous too!”

I pick up the numbered paddle sitting beside my plate, ready for action. Lulu fiddles with hers as if she’s considering joining in. “Seriously?” I say to her.

“Hey, every extra person bidding means more money for the charity, right?” She winks, and throws in a few bids for Charlie, but stops when the numbers climb into four figures.

“Going once, going twice . . . sold for five thousand dollars!”

“And worth every penny,” Charlie adds with a wink. A blonde babe in a designer pantsuit hustles over to claim him. The women waiting for him back at our table, whose pockets must not have been deep enough, appear less enthusiastic.

“Now, how about Drew? Let’s start the bidding at five hundred dollars!”

I raise my paddle automatically.

“Six hundred!”

“Seven!”

“A thousand!”

The bids come in so fast, it’s hard to keep up. There’s got to be thirty other women shoving their paddles into the air each time the price rises, yelling for more.

It’s a good thing Drew has deep pockets. He’s going to be paying a lot for this date.

“Two thousand dollars!” A scream comes from the back.

I blink, but McKenna just laughs. “Oh man, look at him. I would feel sorry for the guy if it wasn’t so much fun watching him squirm.”

“Three thousand dollars!”

I put my paddle up again quickly, and Drew shoots me a grateful smile. But the other bidders aren’t slowing down yet. I notice one woman just a couple tables over still jerking her paddle into the air with full enthusiasm. She looks like she’s about my age, but she’s dressed like it’s still fifteen years ago: faded Category 5 T-shirt with several kitty-cat fan-club pins dappling it, ripped jeans, neon highlights that I’m pretty sure are clipped on streaking her mousy hair. Her eyes light up with an eager glow each time she puts in a bid, like this is the most important night of her life.

And she clearly wants this date really badly. As the bidding tops seven thousand, her mouth tightens with determination. “Eight thousand dollars!”

“Eight thousand five hundred.” I call back.

“Nine thousand!”

Wow, she’s really not giving up without a fight. Unlike some of the other women here, she doesn’t look like she has the cash just lying around. It’s probably her life savings she’s offering up, and for what? An awkward dinner with Drew, followed by a kiss on the cheek—before he comes back to bed with me.

This really means something to her.

“Nine thousand five hundred,” I offer, less enthusiastic this time. The woman takes a deep breath, looking torn, then raises her paddle again.

“Ten thousand dollars!”

There’s silence.

The emcee looks around. “Going once, going twice . . .”

Drew gives me an urgent nod, begging me to bid, but I can’t do it. Not when I see the other woman glow with desperate hope, her chance within reach.

I sink down in my seat, and shake my head at the emcee.

“Sold! To the lovely lady in the back!” She brings down her toy gavel, and the room erupts in cheers as the eager fan rushes to the stage in tears.

“Oh my God, I won! I can’t believe it!”

“Me either,” Drew says, but he gives her a hug, and poses with a smile for the photos.

He escorts her down from the stage by the hand, gentlemanly enough, but the look he’s giving me is definitely a glower now. And not a totally playful one either.

Whoops?

“Oh my God,” the woman is still gushing when they reach our table. She pats Drew’s arm and shoulder again, practically bouncing on her feet. “This is AMAZING. I’m Teri. I’m like, your biggest fan.”

“That’s great, Teri,” Drew says evenly. “We appreciate your support.” He sends me a silent “help,” and I hit on the perfect brainstorm. Or as close to perfect as I can get now that I’ve already shirked on my word.

“Why don’t we make it a group date?” I suggest loudly. “All of us together. The more the merrier, right? You’ll both get two band members for the price of one!” I wave my hand toward Charlie.

Blonde babe hesitates, but Drew leaps at the lifeline I’ve thrown him. “That’s a brilliant idea,” he says, and flashes a quick smile. “We’re much more entertaining as a group, right Charlie?”

He nods and claps Drew on the back. “Absolutely. So, where are we off to, ladies?”

Teri is twisting one of her clip-on highlights around her index finger, suddenly shy. “I was thinking . . . It would be so cool to do the date like in your music video for ‘It’s the Night.’ You know, grab some burgers and shakes, go to the bowling alley . . .”

Blonde babe isn’t really dressed for fast food, but she grins. “Hey, that would be kind of cool. We can always take off somewhere swankier afterward.” She tugs Charlie’s elbow, and he gives her a thumbs-up.

“Okay.” Drew claps his hands together, looking as if he’s recovered his equilibrium. “If we’re doing burgers and shakes, you know we have to head to Shake Shack. You know, they filmed some of that video at the one right here in town.”

“Seriously?” Teri squeals, and just like that, it’s settled.

* * *

By the time we’ve grabbed our burgers, Teri finally eases off on the need to paw Drew every few seconds. And she turns out to be as sweet as I thought.

“So I guess you’re, like, his girlfriend?” she says to me with a nervous twitch as we find our seats while the guys go to order.

Drew called me that earlier, but I’m not sure how seriously he meant it. “We’ve been seeing each other,” I say cautiously. “If it bothers you that I’m tagging along for this—”

“No! No, not at all.” She rubs her mouth. “I was just worried it bothers you. I mean, not that I think this is a real date or whatever. I know it’s just playing around. But it is so cool just to spend a little time with him, like a real person.”

I give her an honest smile. “That’s OK, I get it. Let’s make it a blast!”

When Drew and Charlie come back with the food, we all dig right in. The auction dinner was pretty light on substance—and who am I to turn down a premium burger?

“I never got to see you guys in concert when you were together,” Teri says to Drew breathlessly between French fries. “My parents were kind of strict. But I watched all your videos and interviews, and I had all your albums! I love the version of ‘Got It Bad’ you did tonight.”

“Well, thanks,” Drew says, sounding like he honestly appreciates the compliment. Although, when Teri runs off to use the ladies’ room, he tips his head toward me at his other side and mutters, “You were supposed to win that auction.”

I shrug. “Oh, come on. I could see how much it was going to mean to her. Is it really so bad to be fawned over for a few hours?”

He makes a non-committal sound, but he’s smiling. “As long as I get some fawning from you when this is done.”

“Oh, you can count on that.” I squeeze his knee.

At the bowling alley, we split up into teams for the battle of the boyband. By the time we’re done, even Teri has relaxed, so we all hang out drinking beers, munching on nachos, and swapping goofy on-the-job stories between turns. Teri works at a record shop.

“You would not believe some people’s taste in music. Marilyn Manson? Who still listens to that? Forty-year-old goths, that’s who. When you’re dying your hair black and painting your face white at that age, you really need to reconsider your life choices.”

“Anyone still buy Category 5 stuff?” McKenna asks.

Teri grins. “I recommend it all the time. Better than the music they call ‘pop’ these days.”

Suddenly the original version of “Got It Bad” starts playing on the sound system. Lulu slinks back to our group with a smug expression. “Care for an encore?” she teases.

Drew rolls his eyes, but he twirls Teri around a few times. It is kind of hard to ignore that beat.

“This song!” McKenna groans. “I swear, I heard it a billion times, all those rehearsals I had to watch. I need another drink.” She gets up to head to the bar, and I join her.

“You two are really good together, you know,” McKenna says, as we wait for service. “You said it’s not serious, but . . . it looks to me like it could be.”

“Hey,” I protest, “don’t you get all serious on me. We’re on an auction date with his number-one fan. This is about as far from the real thing as we can get.”

McKenna shakes her head at me. “I’m just saying.”

I glance back at the others as we wait for the drinks. Drew is goofing around with Teri a bit, but he notices my gaze almost instantly. Just like that, his smile widens. He winks at me before turning his attention back to her, and my pulse skips a beat.

Goddamn.

Nope, I tell myself firmly. Not going to happen. These are hormones talking—all the crazy sex chemicals spinning through my body. It would be crazy to think this is anything more than a temporary diversion, a quick pick-up in the middle of the disaster that is my life. I’m definitely not falling for Mr. Right-Now himself.

Not at all.