Lethal Lasagna by Rhonda Gibson Read Free Book Online

room. The coach waited, gave the look, and then continued.
    “Please remember, all sales are final, and you can pay for and pick up your items just outside this door.” She pointed to the back door and then motioned for a young man to come forward.
    The action began. Soon I was in the spirit of bidding. In no time at all, I’d purchased a make-over from Salon and More, a new pair of beige winter gloves, and an antique chest that I thought Megan would enjoy. I should leave, I told myself. But, I wanted to see who would bid their way into a date with Brandon.
    Telling myself I was being all kinds of silly, I stayed and watched as the good Banker was auctioned off. He exited the stage, pink faced but worth a hundred dollars.
    “Our next gentleman up for grabs is Professor Brandon Harvest. He enjoys picnics, old movies, and jogging in the park. Let’s start the bid with twenty-five dollars.”
    Paddles flew into the air.
    I stood on my tiptoes to see the bidders. Several of his students filled the room, and numerous other ladies I’d never seen before continued to bid on the pleasure of his company.
    “I have three hundred. Do I have three fifty?”
    My stars!
    I continued to stand on my tiptoes to get a better look at the nut that would pay that much for a man. My legs began to wobble. I used one hand to hold me up on the back wall as I gasped in amazement.
    “Five hundred! Do I have five-fifty?”
    A woman must be desperate to bid five hundred dollars on a man! The thought exploded in my brain as the auctioneer announced. “Five hundred dollars. Going once, going twice,” his voice rang out. “Sold to number seventy-two!! For five hundred dollars!”
    What? Number seventy-two! That’s my number. My gaze moved to the paddle I had slapped up over my head against the wall. I groaned.
    I’d just bought Brandon Harvest for five hundred dollars.
    TITLE

Lethal Lasagna

Chapter 6
    If I hurried, I might be able to get my stuff paid for and be out of here before anyone discovered I’d bought him. I pushed to get to the door. All the while, thinking, I bought a man. Me. I bought a man.
    A long line trailed down the hallway in front of the desk. Just my luck. I guess I’m not the only one who wants to get the heck out of here.
    “Hey, Claire.”
    I turned to see Sara standing off to the side and smiling like the cat who ate the canary. She wore the same coveralls I’d seen her in yesterday, only today her shirt was florescent orange. Maybe if I acted natural she wouldn’t ask about my purchases. “Hi Sara.”
    She pushed away from the wall and moved to stand beside me. “How are you enjoying the auction? My mother loves these things.”
    The desire to lie and say it was great fun tempted me, but knowing the Lord like I do, I knew He’d disapprove of the blatant fib. So I told the truth. “It’s a little more than I bargained for.”
    A soft laugh issued from her lips. “I’ll say! I bet you had no idea Brandon Harvest was so expensive.”
    I tried to imitate the coach’s hard stare. It didn’t work.
    She continued. “Mom had her sights set on Mr. Childs. He runs the bakery down town. Mom’s sweet on him.” She smiled broadly at her own pun.
    “I’ve never met your mother.” I thought if I focused on her mom, Sara would change the subject.
    We moved up.
    “I’ll have to introduce you sometime. She’s already left or I would today. After she won her date with Mr. Childs, she rushed off to spruce up and left me to pay.”
    Our turn came up. I motioned for Sara to step forward, which thankfully she did. After Sara paid for her mother’s items, Mr. Childs came forward, and Sara moved off to the side to make arrangements with him to meet her mother. I breathed a sigh of relief.
    I wrote out my check as fast as I could and then waited semi-patiently for my receipt and items. My main goal was to get out of there without further embarrassing myself.
    “Thank you for being so supportive.” The woman said, with