Second First Kiss

Jasher spun around and faced the stage. Inchy beckoned him. A few people clapped. Not many. They looked like a school of dead fish, mouths agape, eyes a-bulge.

The Heckler surged to his feet. “You’ve got to be joshing us, Inchy. That piece of mange did not just garner an all-time high bid. The only all-time high in that guy’s life is his reputation for being a loser.”

Awesome. Jasher found himself at the front again, feet plodding back up the steps to where Inchy stood.

“Well, how-d’ee,” she said. “This is a surprise.”

“Shock is more like it.” Jasher had to speak. It’d be rude not to. “I’m not convinced this wasn’t an error.”

“No, no errors allowed. Bidder number four-five-six can come on down, if she’s here. We did have a few bids coming in by proxy, of course. We’re modernizing.” Inchy went on to describe several of her out-of-town friends, widows and divorcees with loads of money living on the coast, who had phoned in bids and sent funds via modern means. “Mrs. Babbage? Who is our bidder four-five-six, if you please?”

Mrs. Babbage scrambled up to the stage with a check in her hand, but she concealed the name and signature with her thumbs. Inchy broke into a grin that could melt plastic.

“Well, well. Aren’t you the lucky one.” Giggle-snort. “Now, since she’s not coming forward to present herself, you’ll just get to meet her on your first date. Leave it to us!”

Mrs. Babbage echoed the giggle-snort. “We’ll set it all up.”

There was more hiss-whispered discussion between the Auxiliary Ladies. Then Mrs. Ince took the microphone again, bowing to Jasher.

“Thank you for your creativity and generosity. Ladies and gentlemen, let’s hear it for Dr. Jasher Hotchkiss!”

The lukewarm response told him all he needed to know, as did Cade Calhoun’s clenched fist rising up in front of his pink-shirted chest.

Jasher’s poor, unfortunate date. No wonder the woman hadn’t come forward after the win. She wouldn’t like to be accosted by the Heckler or the bull-rider for her lame decision.

This whole thing was sickening. And he couldn’t blow it off since until he sold the clinic, he wouldn’t have anything like ten times ten thousand dollars to buy his way out of this disaster.

Worse, he couldn’t stand having Sage around him and thinking he was the jerk everyone else believed.

I have to convince her of who I really am.

But how?