Chapter 6

Alarm: Leave on Time!

Alex flicked through his closet with a frown on his face, the hangers clinking as they banged into each other echoing in the small space. One shirt after another, he tried on only to peel them off with increasing frustration. Nothing seemed to fit right. The fabric either swallowed his lean frame or it was too tight.

Why had he said yes to this? It was for charity, sure, but the worry gnawing at his insides suggested he might pay more in frayed nerves than he'd help raise in funds.

He finally settled on a simple blue button-up and a pair of dark jeans that struck a balance between casual and presentable. This was Foggy Basin, not New York, and a tuxedo would probably be overkill.

The community center buzzed with anticipation, laughter and music mingling like a heady perfume in the air. Alex's hands were clutched, his palms damp as he wound his way through clusters of attendees. He spotted Indigo across the room, her dress a vibrant pink and orange that somehow matched the orange curls piled on her head. She had to be wearing a wig.

"Indigo." He waved as he approached.

The other people participating in the auction were dressed a little nicer than he was, other than one guy who was wearing shorts.

"Are you excited?" Indigo asked.

He shook his head. "I shouldn't have signed up for this."

Her smile didn't waver, but she reached out and squeezed his arm. "It'll be okay," she assured him, her confidence way brighter than his.

Alex managed a nod, though his throat tightened. He couldn't find the words to tell her about the knot of fear that centered not on the auction but on who might place a bid. His truth wasn't a secret, per se, but it also wasn't advertised in bold letters on the auction flyer. No stipulation had been made for bids from men, and that omission sat heavy in his chest. He didn't want to lead anyone on, but he felt he would be if a woman bid for him.

Backstage, Alex was a bundle of nerves. He thought about leaving as the echo of applause for the previous participant reverberated through the room. He swallowed hard when the sound of his name sliced through the buzz of noise.

He cleared his throat and stepped out from behind the curtain, the stage beneath his feet seeming to shift, but he knew it wasn't moving. Each step was an act of defiance against the quiver in his knees, a rebellion of muscles that screamed for him to flee. He felt more nervous than a dog who hated visiting the doctor. Instead of running, he stood tall, the lights harsh above him, washing out reality for a moment since he could only see was the few feet in front of him.

The runway stretched before him, a narrow path flanked by expectant faces. As he stepped forward, the glare of the lights decreased and he saw a sea of faces, all of them staring right up at him. His stomach pitched, threatening to rebel. Luckily, he hadn't eaten much. Couldn't stomach anything.

"Alex Engle is our next bachelor. He moved to Foggy Basin a few months ago and took over at the animal clinic. I'm sure all of your puppies and kitties love him!" A cheer erupted from a group on the right, their enthusiasm infectious enough to coax a wave from him.

Laughter and clinking glasses underscored the murmurs of the crowd, a cacophony that couldn't drown out the whisper in his mind questioning his place on this stage. The fear, sharp and insidious, taunted him with visions of silence as paddles were left resting on laps because people refused to bid on him and his special date. He pushed away the painful imaginations as he reached the end of the runway and turned back toward Indigo.

"Alex plans on taking his date bowling, on a picnic with gourmet foods, and dancing under the stars. Alex's favorite friend is a cute boxer, but he also likes cats, too. If you fancy a date with an animal lover, you can bid on Alex starting now."

The food and idea had come from Indigo, which he was thankful for. He'd heard a few of the other date ideas, one a trip to the local fish fry, and was thankful Indigo had helped him come up with something fun. A paddle soared into the air, the black number emblazoned boldly against the white background. Alex's gaze snapped to the person, heat filling him. The woman was someone he'd met at the clinic, he thought. If he was correct, she'd brought in her aging Labrador.

Another paddle was raised, increasing the bid which was still low. He didn't want to be a total washout, but he also didn't want the person to bid too much for him.

"Thank you, bidder number twelve," Indigo beamed, scanning the room for another challenger.

The sea of faces blurred in Alex's vision, his pulse quickening. Another paddle lifted, this time a few rows back.

"Ah, and number twenty-seven joins the fray!" Indigo yelled excitedly. "Come on, folks! Who will give me more for this brave young man who got up here for charity?"

His bid was still low compared to other people. He was late in the night. Only one person still had a date package offered up.

"Number thirty-three, thank you!" Indigo cheered.

Alex couldn't see who had placed the bid. It didn't really matter. That was a lie, it mattered. He would have to spend hours with the person. Talk about pressure. He did well with dogs and cats, even birds were cool with him, but humans were another matter. Again, he wondered why he'd agreed to do this.

The price kept climbing as more and more people bid. No longer was his bid the lowest. He thought the winning bid was going to be a woman who owned an orange cat who'd come to his office twice, but then someone, he couldn't see who, placed a huge bid. That shut out everyone else.

"Going once!" The words rang out, echoing across the room. Indigo shot him a wide smile, and Alex tried for a smile through the panic. "Going twice."

Alex looked out over the crowd, trying to make out who had placed the winning bid. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad. He could end up making a new friend. Dating was out of the question. For one thing, he was busy. And he was gay.

"Sold to number thirty-three for an incredible amount!" Indigo called out as she slammed the gavel down on the desk they'd given her to stand behind.

A spotlight swung to shine on the winner of the auction, number thirty-three. Shock filled Alex and he stood frozen, the world blurring around the edges. The man who had lit into him not once but twice had placed a high bid on him. What in the world was going on?

Alex tried to keep smiling as he left the stage. Why had this man bid on him? They'd not had any good interactions. This had to be a mistake.

He grabbed a bottle of water and took a swig, choking as the man who'd bid on him entered the backstage area.

Concern shown in the man's eyes as he approached and moved to pat Alex on the back. "Are you okay?"

Alex nodded as he tried to gain control. Some days, he wondered how he survived. "Um, yeah, I'm good."

The guy stuck out his hand. "I'm Ryan Harrington. Sorry about earlier today. I wanted to make it up to you and bid."

"Oh, um, yeah, thank you." A weird sensation slid through him, and he wanted to shake it off, but stood frozen as he took in the way too good looking man who had no idea what he was getting into. Would he be angry to find out later that Alex was gay?

Out front, the last bid of the night was happening. He knew they'd raised a lot of money for the charity, and he guessed that was good, but since the person who bid on him was a man, he felt like the town would look at him differently.

Concern shown on Ryan's face. "I hope you don't mind me bidding on a date with you."

He barked out a laugh that was more nervous than real laughter. "Oh gosh, no. I mean, I usually date men. Actually, except for seventh grade, when my parents set me up with Alina down the street because her parents thought she was gay—spoiler alert; she was, and her going out with me did nothing to stop that. But yeah, no, I don't mind. And I'm talking way too much. I do that when I'm nervous."

Ryan chuckled. "There's no reason to be nervous."

Alex snorted, like actually snorted. He wanted to crawl under a rock. "You're probably regretting bidding on the date with me barely being able to speak and then I snort like a pig."

Laughter from Ryan made butterflies erupt in his belly. When Ryan reached out and squeezed his shoulder, he almost dropped to the ground.

"Not at all. I think we'll have fun."

"Yeah. I hope so. I've written everything in the card. If the dates don't fit, we can reschedule. My number is in here. And thank you again for supporting the charity. I really appreciate it, and I know Indigo appreciates it."

Ryan nodded, his gaze so intense Alex wanted to shrink a little. But he held his head high and shook Ryan's hand before saying goodbye as the last bachelor entered the backstage area.

The auction was done, and now he could relax, kind of. Except now he had to think about the date and make sure everything went off without a hitch.