CHAPTER 13:
Where She Takes Part in an Auction
~~**~~
There was a sign placed beside the door reading-
'Café closed temporarily for Auction.
TEENAGERS ONLY.
School ID required for entry.'
Peyton and I showed the burly man, who looked surprisingly like a bouncer, our School IDs and he allowed us to enter.
I stepped into 'Antonio's Sweet Haven' and let out a soft gasp, the café had been completely transformed, the tables had been removed and the chairs had been placed so that they faced a makeshift stage, there was even a small podium and a gavel placed on the stage for the auction.
The café was already filled with high-school kids, most of whom I recognized from school. It seemed like Caroline's social media posts had paid off.
"Hey guys!" Sofia, the manager of the café greeted us.
"You actually hired a bouncer?" I asked her incredulously.
She gave me a pointed look, "I can't have creeps coming in and bidding on teenagers Fallon."
I bit the inside of my cheek. I hadn't really thought about it that way. "Thanks for looking out for us Sofia. I really owe you one for all of this."
She gave me a wink, "It's the other way around actually. In case you haven't noticed it's a full house, pretty much every kid that's come in has ordered something and they've been tagging this place on their socials like crazy, it's the best advertisement and it's free! So thanks for all the new business, Fallon. I hope you guys raise a shit ton of money. But you guys better hurry up because you guys have this place for two hours then we'll have to reopen. Your friends are in the changing room at the back by the way." She gave my shoulder a friendly pat before walking away.
"Damn, your manager really went all out for this auction." Peyton whistled as we made our way towards the changing room.
"Yes let-" I started to say as I pushed open the door, but the words died down in my throat.
"Fuck. Me." Peyton wheezed from beside me.
I could only nod in agreement.
Because in front of us stood the guys from the Swim Team.
And they were only wearing their swim trunks.
~~**~~
These guys looked like they'd just walked out of the cover of a men's fitness magazine. Everywhere I looked I saw toned legs and chiseled abs.
"Good, you guys are finally here." Colton approached us his expression bored. He was wearing a pair of navy blue swim trunks.
"W-why are you guys not dressed?" I managed to sputter.
Colton smirked and gestured toward the girls from the volleyball team standing behind us. "The girls thought that we'd raise more money if we went like this?"
As a response, there was a chorus of cheers and wolf whistles.
I cleared my throat. "And you guy guys are cool with this?" I mean you don't have to feel pressurized to do that if you feel uncomfortable."
The guys gave me reassuring thumbs-ups and winks.
"Wait, you guys are hot?" Peyton suddenly cut in, she still looked a little dazed.
"Swimming is a full-body workout," Colton said stiffly.
"Fallon" a familiar masculine voice suddenly called out.
I felt like all the air had been sucked out of my lungs with a straw when I caught sight of Archer.
His hair was deliciously tousled, and his abs looked like they'd been carved from marble. The black Swim Trunks he was wearing rode low on his hips showing his perfect V. He had a light spattering of dark hair there that disappeared into the waistband of his trunks.
My mouth went dry.
Something hot and heavy seemed to settle in the pit of my stomach, it seeped into my veins and heated my blood.
"Holy shit Fal," Peyton whispered. "Your Archer is a smoke show."
"He's not mine," I said finally, tearing my eyes away from his body.
I forced my lips into a smile, my heart was beating like I'd just run a marathon and my face felt like it was on fire. "Hi, Archer." My voice sounded embarrassingly breathy.
He seemed completely oblivious to the state he'd put me in.
His eyes slowly trailed over me from head to toe, "Nice outfit."
I looked down at the knee-length, bright red, fitted Rib-knit dress I had paired with my calf-length purple suede boots. I studied his expression to check whether he was being sarcastic but to my surprise, he looked sincere.
"My colorful sense of fashion finally growing on you Hastings?" I teased.
"It definitely is." His eyes seemed to grow darker when he said it.
"The Cheerleading squad still hasn't shown up." One of the girls, Pheobe, from the volleyball team suddenly spoke up pulling me out of my trance.
I'd been so preoccupied when I'd stepped into the changing room that I hadn't noticed that not a single one of the cheerleaders was there.
I felt a wave of panic.
What if they'd decided to ditch at the very last moment?
What if Caroline hadn't been able to convince her team?
"Calm down everyone." Archer's smooth voice cut in, "I just got a text from Caroline, they had a small mishap but they're on their way right now."
"That's a relief," Peyton spoke up. "We need to get the show started, Sofia said that we only had this place booked for the auction for the next two hours."
I nodded in agreement. "Yes let's get this show started, the cheerleaders were supposed to go in the end anyway, by the time we get there they'll have reached. Let's not waste any more time."
"Everyone knows what they have to do right?" I questioned. "You guys will leave the changing room and come up on stage as soon as you hear me calling out your name, then I'll introduce you and tell the audience about the day you have planned, we'll wait thirty seconds before making a bid final."
~~**~~
I was a little nervous when I walked up on stage and went to stand behind the podium.
"Hey, everyone," I spoke into the mic placed in front of me. There seemed to be over two hundred people in the audience. They all stopped talking amongst themselves and turned their attention to me. I smiled. "I hope you're all having a nice time." As a response, the audience cheered. I felt my confidence boost a little. "Firstly, I want to thank you all for showing up today. The money you guys spend will really help the school's Volleyball and Swim Team." More cheers followed.
I clapped my hands together excitedly. "We have thirty perfect dates lined up for you guys today. So without further ado let's begin the auction!"
I waved the gavel in the air dramatically before continuing, "Date number one is Peyton West. She's a senior, Captain of the Volleyball team, her favorite color is blue, she's obsessed with Harry Potter- the books, not the movies, her favorite food is Indian and the date she has planned includes going on a hike, enjoying the view together from the top of the trail and then finally having 'Chicken Tikka' at her favorite Indian restaurant 'Mircheeli'. We're starting the bid at twenty dollar-"
"Twenty Dollars." A cute guy with a crew cut shouted before I'd even finished the sentence.
"Twenty Dollars going once. . ."
"Fifty!" This time it was a girl.
"A hundred!" The guy with the crew cut raised his auction paddle once again.
"One thirty." This time it was a blonde dude I faintly recognized from Science class.
"Two Hundred dollars!" Crew cut raised his paddle yet again.
There was silence.
"Going once . . . going twice. . ." I paused before finally slamming down the gavel. "Congratulations to the gentlemen with the crew cut! You just won a date with Peyton!"
The whole crowd applauded. Peyton laughed and Crew Cut looked like someone who'd just been told that he'd won a million-dollar lottery instead of one date.
The auction continued smoothly.
The girls in the audience just about lost it when the guys started walking out in their swim trunks. Not that I could blame them. The girl who won a date with Colton ended up bidding five hundred dollars.
Finally, it was time for a small intermission.
"Keep your bidding paddles warm folks, we'll be back after a small break!" I announced before walking off stage.
To my relief, I saw Caroline and the other Cheerleaders in the changing room when I entered.
"Thank God you guys are here, I was so scared that you wouldn't make it on time." But some of the relief I felt died down when I saw the serious looks on their faces.
"What's wrong?" I asked immediately.
Caroline swallowed. "Our pyramid didn't hold during practice today, Bianca was at the top, we couldn't catch her when she fell."
I gasped, "Is she okay?" I asked, concerned.
"She had to get stitches on her arm and her right ankle is badly sprained. That's why we got here so late, we had to rush her to the ER." Caroline gave me a small smile, "She's okay though, she's the one who insisted we come here."
"That's a relief." I exhaled.
"But we still have a problem, Bianca was part of the auction since she can't come now, we're down one person," Archer added. "We've already told the audience that there will be thirty dates to bid on."
I pursed my lips and contemplated, "I guess I'll just have to go up there and tell the audience that the list of dates is down to twenty-nine instead of thirty, we'll lose a little money but that's okay, I'm pretty sure we'll cross our target anyway."
"Or you could go in place of Bianca." Colton's voice suddenly interrupted. "That way we could give the audience what we promised and not lose any money."
"That's actually a great idea!" Caroline beamed.
I felt the color drain from my face, "But I'm supposed to be the auctioneer. . ." I started to argue.
"I could do that, no problem. I've had my turn anyway." Peyton shrugged and gave me a wink "C'mon Fal, this was your idea to begin with, don't chicken out on us."
I looked at everyone's expectant faces. My eyes settled on Archer who gave me a reassuring smile.
I squared my shoulders. "Okay, I'll do it."
~~
Peyton went up on stage, took the position behind the podium, and resumed the auction.
When Archer's name was about to be called I pulled Caroline aside.
There was a strange hollowness in my chest as I registered what I was going to do but I knew it was the right thing. I'd made a promise and I had to keep it.
"I know you're already doing me a huge favor by participating in this auction but I'm going to have to ask you for another one."
Caroline looked at me expectantly.
"I want you to go and bid on Archer." I spoke through the lump that had suddenly lodged itself in my throat."
Caroline reared back in shock. "On Archer? Why?"
I cleared my throat, "Look I'm going to be straight with you Caroline, you seem like an amazing person and you deserve someone better than some asshole like Chase Michelson." My gaze locked on Archer standing a few feet away getting ready to go on stage completely oblivious to our conversation. "Archer is. . . he's perfect. He's kind and thoughtful and he would never do anything to hurt you. I think you should give him a chance." I swallowed, hoping my face didn't show my misery.
"Wow." Caroline finally breathed, "I guess I'm a little surprised because I thought you and Archer. . ." she trailed off. I watched as her eyes locked on Archer, I couldn't stop the hot pang of jealousy that pierced my chest when I saw her eyes run appreciatively over his muscled frame, her lips suddenly broke into a determined smile,
"Okay, you've convinced me, Fallon." She murmured just as Peyton called Archer up on stage. He looked like a Greek God under the spotlight. He shifted his weight from one foot to another nervously, something I found endearing.
"Now we have Archer Hastings," Peyton began "He joined our school this year. In his free time, Archer likes to fix cars, read mangas', and swimming of course! The date he has planned includes going Go-karting, then taking a long walk on the beach and then finally having a nice picnic watching the sunset."
The girls in the audience cheered.
"We're starting the bid at twenty dollars," Peyton announced.
"Fifty dollars!" A pretty brunette sitting in the front row raised her paddle.
"Eighty." A second girl called out excitedly.
"One hundred!" A third one countered.
The bidding war went on for some time until finally, Caroline's voice boomed. "Eight Hundred Dollars."
Someone gasped in shock.
There was silence.
Finally, Peyton spoke "Eight Hundred Dollars going once. . .
Going twice. . ."
The sound of the gavel colliding with wood resonated.
"Congratulations Caroline you just won a date with Archer!" Peyton announced.
Everyone in the audience cheered.
I felt like throwing up.
I had no idea how long I'd stood there in a daze but suddenly Peyton was calling my name onstage and someone was pushing me forward.
I shakily climbed up on stage and stood there as Peyton started to introduce me.
"Okay so now we have Fallon Chambers," I was hyperaware of the fact that everyone in the audience was staring at me. I heard someone snicker. I noticed how people eyed the outfit I was wearing with distaste.
"The date she's planned includes . . ." I zoned out as Peyton told the audience about the date I'd half-heartedly come up with in the past ten minutes.
There was silence.
I could feel my cheeks heating up in embarrassment.
Well, this is humiliating.
Not that I expected anything less.
"Seventy bucks."
I inhaled sharply.
Colton?
My eyes locked with his and his lips twisted into a sly smirk. He winked.
I found my own lips turning up in an involuntary smile.
This is interesting. Despite what he wants everyone to believe, it looks like Colton Miller has a heart after all.
My happiness was short-lived.
"Four Hundred Dollars." A familiar voice suddenly cut in.
No
Please no
This cannot be happening.
I wanted to run away and hide but I was paralyzed.
I watched as he stepped out from the shadows swinging a paddle leisurely in one hand. His lips twisted into a sardonic smirk
"I think I just won a date with you Fallon." Chase Michelson's familiar cold voice reached my ears.