other end of the spectrum were people dressed in faded jeans. I didn't see any tee-shirts, so at least it wasn't off the deep end of casual. Still, I was surprised.
Everyone was carrying a little magazine that I discovered was the program for the night. In the section for the bachelor auction, there were photos and bios of all the bachelors and bachelorettes. Sam had used a photo she already had of me and had written my bio.
Bonnie's attendant drew her in one direction, and she disappeared into a small crowd of people. Bernard drew me in the opposite direction, bringing me straight to the two old ladies who were dressed to the nines.
"Agnes," he said. "Jean. I'd like to present bachelorette number six, Pamela Henderson."
"Oh, aren't you ravishing," said Jean. "You're Sam's straight friend, aren't you?"
I thought that was an odd way to put it, but I said I was.
"You're going to be very popular," said Jean. "If I were a few years younger, I'd bid on you myself."
"Over my dead body," Agnes said. "Thank you for supporting our event this year."
We chatted briefly before Bernard pulled me away.
"Those two ladies were totally flirting with me," I told Bernard. He didn't say anything. Before he could pull me to another group I asked, "Could we look at some of the auction items? There might be something I want to bid on."
He frowned.
"Am I not allowed to bid on them?"
"Honey," he said. "You need to mingle. Please."
I sighed. "All right." I let him pull me to a small group of women where I met Victoria, Wendy, Shane and Veronica. All four of them were stunning. Victoria and Wendy looked to be in their fifties. Veronica appeared to be mid-thirties and Shane was younger than I was. We didn't stay for more than a minute.
Before we could reach the next group, we w ere intercepted by a stunningly dressed, forty-year-old woman. "I'm Tara," she said. "And you are?"
"Pamela Henderson," I told her. "Bachelorette number six."
"Sam's straight friend?" she asked me. I nodded. I guessed that people were keeping track of Bonnie as Sam's gay friend and me as Sam's straight friend. It seemed odd.
"It's so good of you to donate yourself for this," Tara said. "It's a wonderful charity." She paused. "You'll really give your date a good evening?"
"I'm not offering sex, if that's what you're asking," I said.
"No, no," she said. "Of course not. But a proper date, with, well, flirting?"
"And a good night kiss, assuming my date is a proper gentleman."
She smiled, looked me down once more, then made notes in her program. "It was good to meet you. Perhaps we'll meet again."
Bernard slowly had me work the room, traveling counterclockwise. Sometimes he pulled me to a group of people. Other times someone saw my corsage and introduced herself. He introduced me to woman after woman. I was often referred to as Sam's straight friend, and several women asked whether I would really be providing a proper date or if it were just a token date. I assured them I'd give it my all, but that I wasn't offering sex in the mix.
Finally w e had been there for forty minutes, and I still hadn't been introduced to a single man.
After having just talked to Cynthia, and a third Jean, I pulled Bernard to a stop. "When are you going to introduce me to potential bidders? Bernard, I do not want to go for an embarrassingly low price."
He looked at me in confusion. "Honey, you don't need to worry about that. And I have been. Haven't you been noticing? The ladies are all taking notes in their programs."
I stared at him, then looked around. I looked at the people. To my right I saw two women holding hands. Directly in front of me, four men were talking, all of them impeccably dressed, and one of the guys was leaning with his hand on the shoulder of the guy next to him.
I looked at Bernard. It was obvious he was gay. Sam, Suzanne and Bonnie were all gay. The first two women I'd been introduced to were obviously a couple.
"Bernard," I asked very quietly. "Is everyone
Everyone was carrying a little magazine that I discovered was the program for the night. In the section for the bachelor auction, there were photos and bios of all the bachelors and bachelorettes. Sam had used a photo she already had of me and had written my bio.
Bonnie's attendant drew her in one direction, and she disappeared into a small crowd of people. Bernard drew me in the opposite direction, bringing me straight to the two old ladies who were dressed to the nines.
"Agnes," he said. "Jean. I'd like to present bachelorette number six, Pamela Henderson."
"Oh, aren't you ravishing," said Jean. "You're Sam's straight friend, aren't you?"
I thought that was an odd way to put it, but I said I was.
"You're going to be very popular," said Jean. "If I were a few years younger, I'd bid on you myself."
"Over my dead body," Agnes said. "Thank you for supporting our event this year."
We chatted briefly before Bernard pulled me away.
"Those two ladies were totally flirting with me," I told Bernard. He didn't say anything. Before he could pull me to another group I asked, "Could we look at some of the auction items? There might be something I want to bid on."
He frowned.
"Am I not allowed to bid on them?"
"Honey," he said. "You need to mingle. Please."
I sighed. "All right." I let him pull me to a small group of women where I met Victoria, Wendy, Shane and Veronica. All four of them were stunning. Victoria and Wendy looked to be in their fifties. Veronica appeared to be mid-thirties and Shane was younger than I was. We didn't stay for more than a minute.
Before we could reach the next group, we w ere intercepted by a stunningly dressed, forty-year-old woman. "I'm Tara," she said. "And you are?"
"Pamela Henderson," I told her. "Bachelorette number six."
"Sam's straight friend?" she asked me. I nodded. I guessed that people were keeping track of Bonnie as Sam's gay friend and me as Sam's straight friend. It seemed odd.
"It's so good of you to donate yourself for this," Tara said. "It's a wonderful charity." She paused. "You'll really give your date a good evening?"
"I'm not offering sex, if that's what you're asking," I said.
"No, no," she said. "Of course not. But a proper date, with, well, flirting?"
"And a good night kiss, assuming my date is a proper gentleman."
She smiled, looked me down once more, then made notes in her program. "It was good to meet you. Perhaps we'll meet again."
Bernard slowly had me work the room, traveling counterclockwise. Sometimes he pulled me to a group of people. Other times someone saw my corsage and introduced herself. He introduced me to woman after woman. I was often referred to as Sam's straight friend, and several women asked whether I would really be providing a proper date or if it were just a token date. I assured them I'd give it my all, but that I wasn't offering sex in the mix.
Finally w e had been there for forty minutes, and I still hadn't been introduced to a single man.
After having just talked to Cynthia, and a third Jean, I pulled Bernard to a stop. "When are you going to introduce me to potential bidders? Bernard, I do not want to go for an embarrassingly low price."
He looked at me in confusion. "Honey, you don't need to worry about that. And I have been. Haven't you been noticing? The ladies are all taking notes in their programs."
I stared at him, then looked around. I looked at the people. To my right I saw two women holding hands. Directly in front of me, four men were talking, all of them impeccably dressed, and one of the guys was leaning with his hand on the shoulder of the guy next to him.
I looked at Bernard. It was obvious he was gay. Sam, Suzanne and Bonnie were all gay. The first two women I'd been introduced to were obviously a couple.
"Bernard," I asked very quietly. "Is everyone
Similar Books
Random
Tom Leveen
Poison Frog Mystery
Gertrude Chandler Warner
A Midsummer Night's Scream
Jill Churchill
Targets of Opportunity (1993)
Joe Weber
Coldstorm (Heart of a Vampire, Book 7)
Amber Kallyn
Ha'penny
Jo Walton
The Glass Slipper
Mignon G. Eberhart
Promise Me This
Christina Lee
Empire of the Moghul: Brothers at War
Alex Rutherford