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enough.
     
    “So, just like with the others, we’ll start the bidding at $5. Do I hear five? Five, to the young man in the back.”
     
    “Do I hear ten? Ten to the gentleman here in the front. Fifteen. Do I hear fifteen?”
     
    Already Kelly was surprised. She expected a bid eventually, when it was clear no one else was going to. A pity bid.
     
    Instead, four men drove her price up to $25 rather quickly, and by $50 it became a bidding war between two of them.
     
    Her eyes had adjusted to the spotlight a bit. Her friends were nowhere to be seen, but she could at least make out the two so desperate for a date with her.
     
    One was a 50 something near the back of the room. Gray hair, male-patterned baldness, and looking freshly divorced. That had “super fun time” written all over it.
     
    The second was a young man, much closer to her age, who wore the clean-cut look quite nicely.
     
    When Mr. Old-Guy in the back drove the price up to $100, the young man looked at her and raised his brows, as if to ask, “Should I?”
     
    What did she say to that? An attractive man asking if he should spend money on her? That was virgin territory.
    Kelly gave a small shrug and smiled. The man gave a knowing smile and winked.
     
    “Five-hundred dollars,” he said.
     
    The crowd gasped. That was more than twice what the prettiest girl had gone for!
     
    “Well!” Chuck the host said.
     
    “I’m not sure we can top that. Sir in the back, did you have a bid?”
     
    Mr. Old-Guy was looking rather put out, and after a moment’s grumbling, finally shook his head.
     
    “Very good, I believe that’s SOLD to the young man in the front here. You two have fun now!”
     
    Kelly made her way to the stairs, and Young-and-Handsome was there to greet her. The spotlight followed her down the stairs, making it hard to see as she descended.
     
    He held his hand out to her.
     
    “Hello.”
     
    “Hi,” she said, trying to not be too obvious about the fact she couldn’t make out much detail.
     
    “So, the charitable type, huh?”
     
    “I did this for me,” he said.
     
    Bright as the light was, she knew a charming smile when she saw one.
     
    “The fact that it feeds kids is just a bonus.”
     
    “Aren’t you just all heart?” she said with a smile.
    He laughed, and held his elbow out to escort her.
     
    The crowd applauded as she took his arm and they walked out of the crowd.
     
    “Hungry?” he asked.
     
    “You want to do our date now?”
     
    “No time like the present. Would you rather we put it off?”
     
    “Well I’d sort of come with friends. I don’t feel right just ditching them.”
     
    “We can go ask, if you’d like. Where are they?”
     
    Kelly looked around, standing on her tiptoes. “You know, I’m not sure. I don’t see them.”
     
    “I’m sure they’d understand. Come on, I’d love for us to have a chance to talk.”
     
    Kelly gave the room one last look, feeling a bit anxious about where her friends had gone. Why would they have just shoved her onstage and then left?
     
    It was kind of rude, actually. Her anxiety turned to indignation. If they were just going to leave while she was up there, then she’d leave without telling them.
     
    “You know something, you’re right,” she said, looking back to him. “There is no time like the present. I’d love to have dinner.”
     
    “Do you like Italian?”
     
    “It’s my favorite.”
     
    “Wonderful,” he said, smiling widely. “I’m Daniel.”
     
    “I’m very pleased to meet you, Daniel. I’m Kelly.”
    “I know,” he said, and though Kelly smiled, there was something in the way he’d said that made her hope dinner went quickly. And not in the good way.
     
    As they walked out to the parking lot, he offered to give her a ride to the restaurant. Seeing how her friends had given her a ride to the auction in the first place, she had no choice but to accept.
     
    Daniel was all smiles as he climbed into the driver seat