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jerking her
     head toward the back and I realize it’s my brother-in-law who’s back there bidding.
     Yes! I grin back at Greer because how cool is he? Then I make the mistake of looking
     over at Brody who’s practically glaring at me as he calls out his bid which floors
     me when I hear him offer one-hundred dollars. Yikes.
    The bidding continues and the murmur from the crowd gets louder with each amount shouted
     as do the gasps and the multiple “Oohs!” which blows my mind that Clay’s willing to
     do this for me. Well, I’m sure Greer’s put him up to it, probably threatening to withhold
     sex or something if he didn’t , but it’s awesome nonetheless. As the bids continue, everyone’s heads are going back
     and forth at each call, from the front of the auditorium to the back as they await
     the next offer.
    “Three hundred! Can it get three-fifty?”
    “Five hundred!” Brody yells and there’s a huge gasp and not a little buzzing throughout
     the crowd and I think everyone’s eyes (mine included) are now on the back of the hall
     waiting excitedly to see if Clay will beat it.
    “Come on…” I mumble waiting for Clay to shout out a higher number, but he doesn’t,
     and before I know it, I hear Mr. A shout, “Five hundred it is! Sold to the fine, fetching
     fireman at the front!”
    I see Mr. A likes alliteration too. Jeez.
    The whole place breaks out in applause and I stand there in a semi state of shock,
     mouth hanging open. Mr. Axelrod puts a hand to my shoulder and squeezes. “Highest
     bid we’ve ever had,” he reports with a wink. “Make him pay, honey.”
    Oh, I’ll make him pay all right. I nod somberly then leave the stage, but not after
     giving Brody a look who smirks in answer.
     

Chapter 4
     
    I duck out the back of the hall and stomp down the alley, muttering about how stupid
     everything and everyone is. At my store, I unlock the back door and go inside, slamming
     the door and once inside my office, plop down in my chair and lean back to stare at
     the ceiling.
    God, I’m so mad. How the hell did this happen? Better yet, what the hell was Brody
     thinking? Like, all of a sudden he’s decided we’re supposed to be together again and
     I have no say in it? He practically just made a fool out of me in front of the entire
     town… again. An angry tear rolls down the side of my face as I’m still glaring at
     the decorative antique ceiling tiles when my phone rings and I sit up to see it’s
     Ryan.
    “Yeah?” I clip out, not concealing my anger at what’s just happened.
    “You okay?”
    “Sure. I’m fabulous. Just peachy keen, Ry. Not like Brody didn’t just make me look
     like an idiot in front of everyone, embarrassing the shit out of me.”
    “Aw, Pipe, it wasn’t that bad…”
    “No? Everyone’s gonna think we’re together again now! I heard what people were saying.
     ‘How cute!’ and ‘Oh, he loves her so much!’” I put my elbow on the desk and my forehead
     in my hand.
    I hear her take a breath and let it out. “He does love you, Pipe,” she says quietly.
    I sit up quickly. “Yeah, he loves me so much that he broke up with me because of a
     fucking lame reason! And then he doesn’t talk to me for a year! Yep! That’s true love
     for you, right there!”
    “I still say something happened that he’s not telling you.”
    “Ya think?” That comes out hateful but I don’t care. I’m so tired of it all. And it’s
     not that I’m being egotistical in thinking that he couldn’t have just broken up with
     me, but I know him too well and I’ve almost broken my brain trying to figure out what
     the reason was but tonight I find I just don’t give a shit.
    “Where are you?”
    “My office.”
    “I’ll be there in a few. You got cups ‘cause I don’t really wanna share a bottle.”
    “You know I do.”
    “See you in a sec,” she says and hangs up.
    ~~~
    “I so thought Mr. Batchelder was going to win me,” Ryan says, filling my teacup