The Auction: Young Adult Romance, New Adult Romance, Forbidden Love (Magnolia Grove Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

deep and smooth. “You were told to memorize your last four numbers of your receipt prior to the auction. I assume you did that, right?”
    Glancing at Charity on my left, then at Amie on my right, I mutter, “Uh huh.”
    “Yep,” Amie says, as her hand makes contact with my back, gently rubbing her hand in circles. The hairs all over my body spike, the beating of my heart slows, and my breathing becomes more even with each rotation. Amie is the type of friend that everyone wants to have. She rarely talks about herself, instead always listening to me. When I went through breakups in high school, she was the one who showed up with popcorn, Diet Dr. Pepper, bridal magazines, and chick flicks. We’d talk ourselves to sleep about our weddings, our ideal prince charming, and I’d fall asleep knowing that I’d been blessed to have the rare experience of having a friend like her.
    We don’t usually keep secrets.
    It’s not like I’ve had time to tell her I cheated on my fiancé, that I haven’t been able to think about anything else, about how much I liked it. I’m going to have to pull her aside as soon as I have the chance to do that later. Maybe she can help me make sense of all this.
    I glance at Harry, and he turns his head slightly. We’ve known each other for a long time. His grandson, Brody, was one of my best guy friends. Many nights were spent hanging out at their house. Brody’s mother has never been able to love anyone or anything more than drugs. She’s bipolar. She can be so fun, yet so scary. Mother told me Harry took over custody after his birth as soon as the hospital got all the drugs out of his system. They said it’s a miracle he didn’t have more lasting damage. But Brody is just an average guy.
    Harry’s eyes bore a hole in me. Did I miss my number? I shrug, then swallow and give him a nod. I’m not sure what I’m nodding for. I guess at the last question I remember him asking me. Surely if I’d missed something, Amie or Charity would be nudging me.
    He smiles. “Good, we’re going to announce the number for the packages now.” I kind of wish now I’d missed all this. Missed him announcing my package. “You’ll step forward when yours is called. Likewise, we ask the man with the winning bid to also come forward. Once we have everyone paired for the evening, each of the winning couples will christen that shiny wooden dance floor for this evening’s inaugural dance.”
    My head continues to bob to its own volition. My body jumps, and my heart pounds in sync with a snare drum roll that’s vibrating the stage. “Without further ado, our first date of this round is titled ‘Sports Adventure’. It includes an evening of tennis, a game of hoops, finished with a round of pool, and dinner at the That Pizza Joint.”
    My eyes are fixed on Oliver’s. If they’re announcing the winners in the same order the guys bid on them then I’m in trouble. If only there were some kind of superpower that could enable me the ability to extract an answer, hell, some kind of emotion from Oliver. I put my hands together in front of me, holding them as if letting go would trigger the collapse of my entire world.
    Please don’t let this be the one you bid on, Oliver.
    Please don’t let this be the one you bid on.
    Because that is not my idea of a dream date. I do not find exercising romantic.
    “And the package belongs to…”
    Oliver’s lips are straight. His eyes are empty. He’s driving me fucking crazy.
    “Would the lady step forward whose number ends in sixteen seventy-nine.”
    The years of coaching on how to await the final results at pageants instinctively rush into my mind. I barely bend my knees, slowly drag in a breath, and watch Amie step forward. Of course it’s Amie’s. I let out a small laugh.
    The applause is so loud it’s like it’s been magnified by the microphone. My palms are so wet, and the timing of my breaths come closer and closer together. Everything’s been building up