Bachelor Auction, Part IV

I choked back the urge to throw up in my mouth, muttered “Slow down, Speedy,” and took a seat next to my mother. Pretending to be absorbed in the program, I watched “Speedy” practice his hair over-the-eyes, low-voiced “buy me” spiel with a couple of other twittering fools who would no doubt duke it out over him in the auction.

In need of something to do so I wouldn’t be tempted to watch Speedy work the room, I buried my nose in the program. The Navy guy was kind of cute as was the football dude. I flipped to the next page, and my heart literally staggered in my chest. Carpenter guy—oh my God! David Delany, my mad high school crush, the one who had occupied every single one of my schoolgirl fantasies, the one I had given myself to in the back of his father’s Dodge junior year, my first—and only—love...

“Mother.”

Apparently startled by the rough tone of my voice, she turned. “What? Why are you pale and pasty all of a sudden?”

“David Delany?” I croaked.

All innocence, she said, “Oh, did I forget to tell you he’s back in town?”

“Yes!”

“Gee, he’s been back three, maybe four months now. I saw his mother the other day, and she said his sister had roped him into this auction deal.” She leaned in for a better look at my program. “He’s aged well, huh?”

That was putting it mildly. His dark hair fell over his forehead in sexy dishevelment that Speedy could only hope to one day achieve. Piercing golden brown eyes captivated me, the same way they had all those years ago. Realizing my conniving mother was at it again, I somehow managed to nod while fighting the sudden urge to be very, very sick.