Page 49 of Frat Around and Find Out

“…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’srival 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.

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