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ricochets2011-12-25 03:58 pm
quirkyandquiet) wrote in ricochets2011-12-25 03:58 pm
fanfic » at the auction (scarecrow and mrs. king, 3b/4)
Lee was one of the first to arrive. All bidders received a small wooden paddle with a number on it. Lee's paddle read eight. Lee eased himself into a seat in the front row, and watched as the other bidders arrived. He recognized the next four people that came into the room and realized that they would be his competition for Amanda. It didn't surprise him that Joe King was here. Since Joe's return from overseas, Lee had a feeling that Joe would try to reconcile with Amanda. What better way to get to spend time with Amanda, than to bid on her? He was a little surprised that Allen Chamberlain was here. 'How did he find out about this?' Lee wondered.
Lee was even more surprised to find Connie Barnhill, Amanda's high school admirer. The fourth person was the most surprising. "What the hell is he doing here?" Lee growled, lowly.
Lee was startled even further by the man who quietly slipped into the seat beside him. "Stetson, what a surprise."
"Why are you here?" snarled Lee.
"To bid on Amanda, of course."
"How did you find out about this?" Lee needed to know. He ran his hand nervously through his hair; this was getting out of hand.
"I heard about it on the radio this morning," the man beamed. I even know which box belongs to Amanda. I called her mother and told her that I was a coworker who was interested in her daughter. She was more than happy to oblige." The smile on his face was unmistakable.
"Beaman, when did you decide to get interested in Amanda? You always pester Francine at the Christmas party." Lee planned on doing everything in his power to dissuade Beaman.
"Lee, Amanda is one of the nicest people at the Agency and I've become fond of her. I see that I'm not the only one." Beaman sat up straighter in his chair.
"Beaman, I'm only here to make sure Amanda doesn't end up with the wrong person," Lee lied. "You know she's not my type."
"Whatever, let the best man win." With that Beaman stood and strode to the back of the room.
'Okay this is getting strange. Not only do I have Joe and Allen to worry about, I have to worry about Conrad and Beaman, as well. The next thing I know that Dan guy Amanda was dating when we met will show up.'
As soon as Lee had that thought, Dean entered the room. Lee shook his head, he couldn't believe it. Then, it occurred to him, 'there's at least one bright side to this. If, for some strange reason, I have the wrong box in mind, at least I'll know the right one when Joe, Allen, Darren, Conrad, and Beaman start bidding.'
Within minutes the room was packed and the auction began. The first three boxes went up for bid without any of Amanda's suitors raising their paddles.
"This box's contains a park picnic with fried chicken, potato salad, biscuits, and strawberry pie," Jean Kearsley said as she pointed to the neatly decorated package. "The bidding will start at twenty dollars."
Beaman waved his paddle first.
"I have a bid for twenty dollars." Jean called out. "How about twenty-five dollars?"
Joe held up his paddle next.
"We have a bid for twenty-five dollars. Do I hear thirty dollars?" Jean asked the crowd.
Conrad waved his paddle after Joe, a sheepish grin on his face.
"We have a bid for thirty dollars. Now, what about thirty-five dollars?"
Allen held his paddle up high, this time.
"We have a bid for thirty-five dollars. Any takers for forty dollars?"
Dean wildly waved his paddle.
Lee was surprised. The box being bid on wasn't the box Lee thought was Amanda's, but the other box, the red plaid one. He decided to let Beaman, Joe, Conrad, Allen, and Dean fight it out for a while before he started bidding. After $50 Conrad's paddle remained still. Several more minutes went by, and then Beaman stopped at $200. Even more time passed until Allen stopped his bidding at $500. Then, to everyone's surprise, Joe and Dean started an aggressive bidding war until Dean dropped out at a thousand dollars. Lee smiled to himself.
"I have a thousand dollars going once, going twice . . . "
Before Jean was able to say, "sold for a thousand dollars," Lee raised his paddle ever so nonchalantly. The audience gasped in surprise.
"We have a bid for two thousand dollars. Three thousand?"
Everyone except Lee turned and looked at Joe. Joe shook his head; he couldn't go any higher.
Jean's voice broke out in true auctioneer's style, "I have two thousand dollars. Going once… going twice… sold, for two thousand dollars. Paddle number eight go to the cashier's table to pay and meet your date."
Lee rose and quickly made his way to the cashier's table where he wrote out a check. As soon as the check was in Mrs. Courtney's hands, Amanda came out.
"Lee, what are you doing here?" She asked in shock. "I never told you when or where."
"Amanda," he flashed her a crooked smile, "I have my ways."
Lee and Amanda sat at the nearest table. Jenny, the volunteer, came by and handed them each a cup of champagne punch and a plate of French pastries.
"You wouldn't believe who was out there bidding for you," Lee said as he took a sip of his champagne punch.
"Really?" Amanda asked. "Who?"
"Let's see," Lee replied slowly, "there was Joe and Allen Chamberlain, Conrad Barnhill, Don..."
Amanda interrupted, "Dean." She shot him a look. "Oh, my gosh! That many! Mother told me she was going to get someone to bid on me. I didn't think she would contact so many."
"Beaman was here to bid on you as well," Lee blithely let slip.
Amanda's eyebrows arched in surprise. "Beaman was here to bid on me? He doesn't even like me."
"Scary thought, isn't it" he chuckled.
Amanda demanded, "Tell me what happened."
"I let them fight it out for a while. Conrad dropped out first, followed by Beaman, then Allen. Donald and Joe started a bidding war until it got to a thousand dollars, then Dick stopped bidding." He stopped for a moment to study the expression on Amanda's face, then he looked down at the table, his fingers playing with his paper plate. "I made the winning bid of two thousand dollars just before Jean said sold."
"Oh, my gosh!" Amanda's eyes popped open wide. 'I can't believe he spent two thousand dollars to have a picnic with me,' she thought in shock.
"I should be grateful that they were there," Lee smiled. Otherwise, I would have had a date with someone else. I was convinced that your box was the flowered one, not the red plaid one. Do you know who I would have ended up with?"
"You would have had a French picnic with Jean Kearsley" Amanda said trying to keep from laughing. "She told me she decided to enter at the last minute."
Lee took a deep breath. "Listen, Amanda, I want to talk before our picnic tomorrow, over dinner tonight. I do want to say one thing, right now, Amanda . . . ." Lee began, not knowing what to say. He ran his fingers through his hair. He knew he had to say something now or he would never say it. He fixed his eyes on hers and plunged ahead, "Amanda, I want to advance our relationship further."
"What do you mean by that, Lee?" Amanda wanted to know, unsure of what he was thinking, hoping he wouldn't say his usual speech.
"I mean, I want to be more than just friends," Lee replied.
'Oh, my gosh, I never thought this would ever happen.' Amanda happily thought. She smiled warmly, reached for his hand, and said, "Lee, you don't know how long I've waited to hear that."
Lee smiled back. Harry was right; this was going to work out just fine.
next
Lee was even more surprised to find Connie Barnhill, Amanda's high school admirer. The fourth person was the most surprising. "What the hell is he doing here?" Lee growled, lowly.
Lee was startled even further by the man who quietly slipped into the seat beside him. "Stetson, what a surprise."
"Why are you here?" snarled Lee.
"To bid on Amanda, of course."
"How did you find out about this?" Lee needed to know. He ran his hand nervously through his hair; this was getting out of hand.
"I heard about it on the radio this morning," the man beamed. I even know which box belongs to Amanda. I called her mother and told her that I was a coworker who was interested in her daughter. She was more than happy to oblige." The smile on his face was unmistakable.
"Beaman, when did you decide to get interested in Amanda? You always pester Francine at the Christmas party." Lee planned on doing everything in his power to dissuade Beaman.
"Lee, Amanda is one of the nicest people at the Agency and I've become fond of her. I see that I'm not the only one." Beaman sat up straighter in his chair.
"Beaman, I'm only here to make sure Amanda doesn't end up with the wrong person," Lee lied. "You know she's not my type."
"Whatever, let the best man win." With that Beaman stood and strode to the back of the room.
'Okay this is getting strange. Not only do I have Joe and Allen to worry about, I have to worry about Conrad and Beaman, as well. The next thing I know that Dan guy Amanda was dating when we met will show up.'
As soon as Lee had that thought, Dean entered the room. Lee shook his head, he couldn't believe it. Then, it occurred to him, 'there's at least one bright side to this. If, for some strange reason, I have the wrong box in mind, at least I'll know the right one when Joe, Allen, Darren, Conrad, and Beaman start bidding.'
Within minutes the room was packed and the auction began. The first three boxes went up for bid without any of Amanda's suitors raising their paddles.
"This box's contains a park picnic with fried chicken, potato salad, biscuits, and strawberry pie," Jean Kearsley said as she pointed to the neatly decorated package. "The bidding will start at twenty dollars."
Beaman waved his paddle first.
"I have a bid for twenty dollars." Jean called out. "How about twenty-five dollars?"
Joe held up his paddle next.
"We have a bid for twenty-five dollars. Do I hear thirty dollars?" Jean asked the crowd.
Conrad waved his paddle after Joe, a sheepish grin on his face.
"We have a bid for thirty dollars. Now, what about thirty-five dollars?"
Allen held his paddle up high, this time.
"We have a bid for thirty-five dollars. Any takers for forty dollars?"
Dean wildly waved his paddle.
Lee was surprised. The box being bid on wasn't the box Lee thought was Amanda's, but the other box, the red plaid one. He decided to let Beaman, Joe, Conrad, Allen, and Dean fight it out for a while before he started bidding. After $50 Conrad's paddle remained still. Several more minutes went by, and then Beaman stopped at $200. Even more time passed until Allen stopped his bidding at $500. Then, to everyone's surprise, Joe and Dean started an aggressive bidding war until Dean dropped out at a thousand dollars. Lee smiled to himself.
"I have a thousand dollars going once, going twice . . . "
Before Jean was able to say, "sold for a thousand dollars," Lee raised his paddle ever so nonchalantly. The audience gasped in surprise.
"We have a bid for two thousand dollars. Three thousand?"
Everyone except Lee turned and looked at Joe. Joe shook his head; he couldn't go any higher.
Jean's voice broke out in true auctioneer's style, "I have two thousand dollars. Going once… going twice… sold, for two thousand dollars. Paddle number eight go to the cashier's table to pay and meet your date."
Lee rose and quickly made his way to the cashier's table where he wrote out a check. As soon as the check was in Mrs. Courtney's hands, Amanda came out.
"Lee, what are you doing here?" She asked in shock. "I never told you when or where."
"Amanda," he flashed her a crooked smile, "I have my ways."
Lee and Amanda sat at the nearest table. Jenny, the volunteer, came by and handed them each a cup of champagne punch and a plate of French pastries.
"You wouldn't believe who was out there bidding for you," Lee said as he took a sip of his champagne punch.
"Really?" Amanda asked. "Who?"
"Let's see," Lee replied slowly, "there was Joe and Allen Chamberlain, Conrad Barnhill, Don..."
Amanda interrupted, "Dean." She shot him a look. "Oh, my gosh! That many! Mother told me she was going to get someone to bid on me. I didn't think she would contact so many."
"Beaman was here to bid on you as well," Lee blithely let slip.
Amanda's eyebrows arched in surprise. "Beaman was here to bid on me? He doesn't even like me."
"Scary thought, isn't it" he chuckled.
Amanda demanded, "Tell me what happened."
"I let them fight it out for a while. Conrad dropped out first, followed by Beaman, then Allen. Donald and Joe started a bidding war until it got to a thousand dollars, then Dick stopped bidding." He stopped for a moment to study the expression on Amanda's face, then he looked down at the table, his fingers playing with his paper plate. "I made the winning bid of two thousand dollars just before Jean said sold."
"Oh, my gosh!" Amanda's eyes popped open wide. 'I can't believe he spent two thousand dollars to have a picnic with me,' she thought in shock.
"I should be grateful that they were there," Lee smiled. Otherwise, I would have had a date with someone else. I was convinced that your box was the flowered one, not the red plaid one. Do you know who I would have ended up with?"
"You would have had a French picnic with Jean Kearsley" Amanda said trying to keep from laughing. "She told me she decided to enter at the last minute."
Lee took a deep breath. "Listen, Amanda, I want to talk before our picnic tomorrow, over dinner tonight. I do want to say one thing, right now, Amanda . . . ." Lee began, not knowing what to say. He ran his fingers through his hair. He knew he had to say something now or he would never say it. He fixed his eyes on hers and plunged ahead, "Amanda, I want to advance our relationship further."
"What do you mean by that, Lee?" Amanda wanted to know, unsure of what he was thinking, hoping he wouldn't say his usual speech.
"I mean, I want to be more than just friends," Lee replied.
'Oh, my gosh, I never thought this would ever happen.' Amanda happily thought. She smiled warmly, reached for his hand, and said, "Lee, you don't know how long I've waited to hear that."
Lee smiled back. Harry was right; this was going to work out just fine.
next