Page 77 of Restart & New Revenge
Dan was also here to be auctioned off, though he was excited about it.Peopleloved to talk sports and loved to ask him about all the famous athletes he had interviewed during his career.Danwas usually the one who got the highest bid because men and women alike wanted to have lunch with him.
The bidding had already begun and the first few people up were local celebrity chefs, authors, or artists.Theyeach netted several hundred dollars to even a few thousand, which was great.Therewere a few other localTVpersonalities and one radio host who were also up.Itwas my turn next, andIwas admittedly nervous.
“We’ll start the bidding at one hundred dollars,” the auctioneer began. “DoIhave one hundred dollars?”
A few paddles went up, andIscoped the room trying to see who had their bidding paddle up.Therewere two women and a couple of men, soIkept calm hoping all of them were normal people and not weirdos.
The auctioneer kept going, getting up to one thousand dollars rather quickly, beforeInoticed it was four main paddles vying for the lunch.
I squinted my eyes to see who they were.IrecognizedArchersince he was sitting in the fourth row on the far left.Butthere were two other men near the front whomIdid not recognize.Therewas also one man in the far back who kept sticking his paddle up but was also standing up every time.Itmade me chuckle because that was not necessary.Soeither he didn’t know that, or he was standing up to see in front of him since he was all the way in the back.
“Fourteen hundred.DoIhave fourteen hundred?” the auctioneer yelled. “Ihave fourteen.DoIhave fifteen hundred?Fifteenhundred.DoIhave sixteen hundred?”
I squinted, realizing it was betweenArcherand the man in the back.Whenhis paddle went down,Irealized it wasAxelwho was bidding from the back.
Why in the world wereArcherandAxelcompeting for this?
I only toldArcherto do it if he felt it was up against some creepy dudeIdidn’t know.
“Eighteen hundred.DoIhave eighteen hundred?” the auctioneer yelled again. “Eighteen.DoIhave nineteen hundred?”
Okay, this was getting out of hand.Itossed a look atArcher, hopefully telling him to stop.Hedidn’t.Hejust smiled back at me.
“Two thousand.Ihave two thousand.DoIhave twenty-one hundred?”
Finally, after giving him another look, he put his paddle down.
“Twenty-two hundred.DoIhave twenty-three hundred?Goingonce, going twice, sold for twenty-two hundred dollars.”Theauctioneer slammed the gavel on the podium, and people clapped.
I walked down to meet the winner—Axel—who was beaming.
“I winned,” he said, smiling from ear to ear.Axel’sEnglishwas getting better, but every now and then he still struggled with some slang terms, grammar, or linguistic structure.
I chuckled at his excitement. “Youdidn’t have to bid that much.Youboth could have stopped several hundred dollars before that when the other man dropped out.”
“Yes, but nowIget to have a good lunch, and hopefully you will feel obligated to go curling with me again sinceIhelp your charity,”Axelsaid, looking hopeful.
I laughed at his plan asArcherwalked up next to us. “Iwould have gone curling with you for free,”ItoldAxel.
“Yes, but this is for a good cause, so we are both winners,”Axelsaid.Grinningear to ear.
“I have an idea,”Itold him. “I’llmake you a deal.Inexchange for buying this lunch,I’lltake you curlingandtreat you to theSwedishbakeryItold you about.”
I’m not sure how his face could light up any further, but it did. “Iaccept this idea,” he responded.
“Good.I’mexcited,”Itold him, smiling.
“Yes, me also,” he replied.
He turned to go to the booth to make his payment, andArcherslid his arm around me as we stood behind the auction area.
“What doIget for second place?” he asked me, curling me into his body and wrapping me up in a hug.
“AnAfor effort,”Isaid, smiling at him.
“That’s it?” he scoffed, acting offended.
“What did you have in mind?”Iasked him.
