I fist pumped and Molly gave me a death stare.
My heart swelled with relief when I got my first bidder—some guy probably around sixty-five years old who looked about as enthusiastic to be there as I was. He had his whole body leaned against the back of his chair like he didn’t have the strength or wanting to use his muscles to hold himself up. That, or he was some kind of mobster in a rocking chair. I swear he had some kind of breathing tank sitting beside him at the table, too.
Then there was another bidder, and hey, he wasn’t bad to look at. Lanky, brown hair, some kind of detective mustache—from a distance, he was almost hot. You know, in a real person kind of way.
My third bidder took me by a surprise. Owen poked his hand up and did one simple gesture to Molly to let him know he was putting out a bid. As soon as I saw him, my eyes enlarged with relief, and it must have been pretty notable because Owen shyly smiled and chuckled and looked to the ground to hide it. There was some heavy favoritism on Molly’s part, because as soon as she saw Owen bid on me, she pointed him out in the crowd and yelled, “Sold!” That was the end of me. Of course, I wasn’t going to act too disappointed about it. It’s not like the men were lining up to take me out on a date, and the sooner I got off that stage, the better. My nervous pee dance was making me actually have to pee.
I hopped down the steps from the stage and made my way back to Owen in the crowd, who beamed at me the whole time. “You,” I said and placed my hands on my hips.
“Me,” he responded with a big smile.
“You’re so sneaky. Was that your plan all along?”
“I thought about it, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go through with it or not. But then I saw you standing up there all self-conscious and then that really old guy bid on you...”
“So, you took pity on me.”
“Precisely,” he responded with a big chuckle. “You can’t get out of this date now. I know where you live.”
“Is that a threat?” I teased.
Another girl was brought up on stage, but I didn’t recognize her.
“I’m so glad that’s over,” I admitted to Owen with a sigh. “The dang lights up there are so bright, I felt like I was going to melt.”
“They didn’t seem too bright from here.”
Several men started bidding and I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “I didn’t get that many bidders. What’s up with that?”
“Molly put an end to it. You would have gotten more.”
“Let’s face it, you saved me from being showcased as the cheapest girl here.”
“I heard a couple guys talking about you.”
“You’re so full of it. Thanks.”
Molly’s other friend, Tiffany, got up there next. Before Molly could really sell her, Tiffany grabbed the mic and started rambling. “Before we begin, I just want to say how great of a cause this all is. Molly really is incredible, isn’t she, y'all?” She was rallying the audience up, trying to get applause, but it wasn't quite taking.
I didn’t know where Priscilla was, but I could hear her fake retching.
“Remember to spend your hard earned cash in Jesus’ name! And more importantly... I love you, Freddy!”
Some guy started howling and screaming from the crowd, who I could only assume was her boyfriend, Freddy.
“I love you so much!” Tiffany exclaimed, and then Molly promptly ripped the microphone away from her, smiling like that wasn’t the least bit awkward or weird. The bidding began and Tiffany got a decent amount of guys interested, but something tells me she would have gotten more, had she not opened her mouth. She was pretty and southern and, apparently, a good Christian girl, but hearing her speak was a bit like nails on a chalkboard.
Tiffany’s doppelganger, Dana, followed right after Tiffany was bought by some blond surfer guy in his forties; the kind of guy that probably was really good looking back in the day, but spent too many days on the beach getting dark that he actually looked ten years older.
Dana acted pretty much like I did on stage; awkward as hell. We must have attracted the same kind of guys, because the old man immediately bid on Dana, and poor girl, it was the only bid she got. Suddenly, I felt like a jackass for complaining about my three. She looked about as thrilled with the idea that I was, and he crawled his way toward the stage to take her by the hand back to his table. Under the bright lights, his wrinkles and crows’ feet became a little clearer. He no longer looked like he was in his sixties, but his seventies. Either my sight was poor when I first saw him or the guy was legitimately getting older as the night progressed.
“What time is it?” I whispered to Owen.
He glanced at his watch and slowly said, “It’s getting late.” That’s not what I wanted to hear. I wanted to hear him say the full moon was perfectly positioned for the werewolf transformations to begin. I wanted him to know the location of every single wolf and if they would be coming for us tonight or not. I wanted to know everything, or at least enough to untie the knots in my stomach. Thankfully, the chaos of the auction proved a great distraction.
Finally, it was Priscilla’s turn. She sashayed up on that stage like she owned it, popping out one hip while placing her hand on it, winking at some of the boys in the crowd that were closest to the stage and essentially, acting like she was a big deal. I did my best to contain my laughter, but it was hilarious seeing her work the stage like a Victoria’s Secret runway model.
Molly was unimpressed, standing off to the side of the stage in front of the microphone stand, tightly clasping onto cards in her hand that had all of Priscilla’s information on it. Just as Molly was about to speak I saw her tuck the cards away into her bra, like she didn't need them. Not a good sign.
“Up next is Priscilla Devereux,” she began and the audience clapped. “Priscilla is twenty-eight years old, a Gemini, a great chef, and her hobbies include bathing in the blood of children and being an all around tramp ass bitch.”
Priscilla’s jaw practically dropped to the ground, and all these teenage boys in the crowd starting snickering and laughing. Once the initial shock of her words wore off, I had to do my best not to join in on the laughter. It sounded terrible, but I couldn’t help myself.
“Shall we start the bidding at one dollar?” Molly called. One dollar? Now that was harsh.
Priscilla went into a rage, throwing her hands to her hips and scowled at Molly. I actually expected daggers to come flying out of her pupils and kill Molly.
“You stupid bitch,” she seethed. Molly innocently shrugged, but I could see she was pretty proud of herself.
“God, Molly,” Owen said, disapproving.
Because the initial bid was so low, all these teenage boys were throwing money at Priscilla like she was on a stripper pole. Priscilla wanted attention, but I never imagined she wanted it this way. I wanted the madness to end and get her at least a respectable twenty dollars, so I nudged Henry who immediately bid fifty. That got the kids to calm down. Heck, I swear I saw an almost relieved expression on Priscilla’s face when he called out louder than all the young boys. After that, there were a couple back and forth bids, but just as I expected, Henry won out in the end, bidding one-hundred and fifty dollars. I teased Owen that that was twice the amount he bid on me. He joked back that I was cheap.
When the auction was over, I had to calm a seething Priscilla. “I’m going to kill her,” she puffed, leaned against the beverage table, and sipping a drink of the punch.
“You kind of had to see that coming.”
“Is she not supposed to be professional? Stupid bitch. I should have grabbed that mic and let everyone know the doorway to hell is between her legs.”
“But you didn’t, because you’re better than that.”
She scoffed. “Please. I am not above revenge. I was almost forced into a date with a high schooler, and instead, I was bought by an overgrown baby with a sweat gland problem. I can’t believe Henry bought me. If you could come up with a list of things as bad as nuclear war, this
would be right at the top of the list.”
“You don’t suppose that’s a tad bit dramatic?”
“No,” she responded seriously.
I rolled my eyes. “Priscilla, give him a try. I’m sure he’s not that bad.”
“He keeps his scabs in a jar.”
I decided to ignore that. “Hey, it’s a hobby. And they say idles hands are the devil’s workshop.”
“He better keep his damn hands to himself. Just because he bought a date with me doesn’t mean I owe him a kiss. I’d rather lose a limb.”
“Priscilla, you sit all day with him at work. A change of scenery and fine dining isn’t going to kill you.”
Her mouth dropped open in a cartoonish manner. “Oh, God, I never thought about the eating part. I think I’m going to throw up.”
I laughed and said, “Relax.”
“Easy for you. You got Owen. He's dull, but at least he's human.”
“Kind of a relief. I saw some creepy guy eyeing me earlier.”
“You were probably standing in front of the buffet.”
“Go figure, I can’t even draw in the creepers. Regardless, I suck at blind dates. At least with Owen, I know what to expect. We’ll probably just sit outside drinking,” I said and smiled.
“So typical that you get someone like Owen, while I get a giant walking fetus. I know Molly wants us to raise money for God or some shit like that,” she said very condescending, “but I may have to pull out of this date.”
“You can’t do that.”
“So, I’ve been sold into slavery? Haven’t we moved passed that?”
“You signed up for it, sweetie.”
“This is bullshit. I’m going to go talk to Molly. She will change her mind.”
“Where is Molly, anyway?” I asked and looked around the room for sight of her. The last I saw her, she was talking to a group of people about the party, and then seemingly vanished.
“A strand of hair was probably out of place and she’s hiding in the bathroom.”
“Look who’s talking.”
“What does that mean?”
“You know you take forever with your appearance. How else can you explain the burglar style of eye makeup you have going?”
“It’s important to emphasize the eyes. They are a window to the soul,” Priscilla said defensively.
“Well, I think your windows need a little Windex.”
She folded her arms and gave me a sour look. “At least I put effort into the way I look. Molly goes up there looking like a toddler and she gets to go home with a cop. A cop. Where is the justice in the world?”
“It’s not like you wanted to go out with a cop, anyway.”
“In comparison to what I have, yeah.”
“Henry just bailed you out of being showcased on To Catch A Predator, okay? He may not be your Prince Charming, but at least, he’s a nice guy. Sure, he’s a little sweaty and snotty, but he’ll probably treat you real good.”
“Says the person bought by Owen.”
“Who has also disappeared.”
“Maybe he’s having second thoughts,” she teased.
“Oh, thanks.”
“Maybe the run in your pantyhose did it.”
My face turned beat red and I spun around to see the back of my leg. “Oh, man, you could see that?”
“Everybody could see that.”
“So, now I’m pantyhose girl. Wonderful.”
“Better than being tramp ass bitch girl.”
I stifled a smile and said, “You have a point,” and then proceeded to laugh anyway, while nudging her in the arm. Priscilla shook her head with the tiniest smile creeping from the corner of her lips.
“Owen and Molly need to reappear real quick because I’m supposed to take pictures of all the couples and they make up half of them.”
“I’m sure they’re around here somewhere,” she responded with disinterest.
I decided to go looking for Owen and made my way through the crowd. Luckily, a good chunk of people had already left and an even bigger portion was sitting down having dinner. I looked all through the main hall, the kitchen, and even poked my head into the men’s bathroom, but no Owen. I never even came across Molly in my search. They were both just gone.
I glanced at the clock, saw it was past eight, and my heart dropped into my stomach. Those things would be out there ready to attack and my friend was missing. I figured they must have left, but why leave without telling anyone? I would expect Owen to at least say goodbye, and I definitely expected Molly to make a big production of her exit. Why slink away in the night?
Deputy Wilson had been patrolling the entrance so if anyone knew they had left, it would be him. I burrowed my way through the crowd of men and women flirting and pushed open the heavy front doors. Deputy Wilson was right where I last saw him, standing on the porch and leaning against the outside building’s brick wall.
“Deputy,” I said, slightly out of breath. I didn’t realize I had been running around so much. “Have you seen Owen or Molly?”
“Not that I recall. Why?”
“I’m looking for them and they don’t seem to be inside. I figured you had seen one of them leave.”
“Afraid not.” He leaned off of the brick wall and walked to me. “Your friends really shouldn’t be out there by themselves.”
“I know, believe me, that’s why I’m looking.”
“I definitely didn’t see anything, but there is a backdoor in the kitchen. Maybe that’s where they went.”
I shivered to think of myself going through the dark kitchen and out the door where the darkness and full moon awaited me. But of course, I was going to do it anyway. “Thank you,” I said with a smile and then turned around and went back inside.
I wasn’t more than ten steps into the main area before Henry leapt out from the shadows and grabbed me by the wrists. “Did you see it? I finally did it! She finally has to go on a date with me!” He was actually sweating more than usual.
“Make sure you use your time wisely. You only have one date to make her change her mind about you.”
“She will, she will,” he responded confidently.
“You know where you’re going to take her?”
“I was thinking a movie and then swing by the KFC.”
I very subtly face palmed. “Take my word for it when I say that’s the last thing you want to do. She’ll just ignore you at the movies. And you never want to take a girl to a restaurant where you have to hold greasy drumsticks and then cram them in your face. I don’t think anyone could make that look good.”
Henry nodded like he was internally taking notes. “Okay, okay. Then where do I take her?”
“Any other restaurant would suffice. Just somewhere with flattering lighting and a small table where you can use forks and talk.”
“So, pizza doesn’t work?”
“Heck, I like pizza, but I don’t think Priscilla will be impressed.”
“All right, I can do this.”
I slapped my hand down on his shoulder and squeezed. “May the force be with you, my young padawan learner.”
“Thanks.”
“Hey, have you, by any chance, seen Owen or Molly anywhere?”
“No.”
“Well, if you could, could you get as many of the couples as possible rounded up while I go look for them? Everybody needs their picture.”
“Okay,” he responded very nonchalantly and then crammed a doughnut in his mouth and wandered away. Funny, I don’t recall seeing him carrying it. It’s like he pulled it out of his pocket. Interesting.
I finally got across the hall and to the kitchen area, which was completely secluded from the rest of the party. I could hear the chatter quiet as I crept into the dark room, peeking my head around the corner of the entrance to see if anyone was there. It was empty, and everything looked completely untouched. The silver counters and sink were unused, and completely spotless, so much so that I could see the reflection of the full moon from
the open window. The moon was so large and bright that the kitchen was lit up in its glow, creating a grayish blue hue against the silver layout. It made the room cold and eerie, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood upright.
I stepped to the window to get a look at the parking lot, to see if that’s where Molly and Owen had gone, but I was so paralyzed by the massiveness of the moon looming in the sky that I lost my breath. It hung there in the sky, several streams of gray clouds passing in front of it, as though it were taunting me with its power.
At any other point in my life, I would have found this beautiful and snapped a shot with my camera, but now, it mostly filled me with dread and utter fear. This magnificent rock was going to cause a lot of chaos somewhere, and I didn’t want to be around to witness it.
“Cora,” a voice called. It was Henry popping his head in. “Everybody is ready.”
“And Owen and Molly?”
“I don’t know where they are.”
I couldn’t believe they would just disappear like this. I should have warned them about tonight, I should have done something to keep them inside. What was I thinking keeping them in the dark like that?
“Okay, Henry, I’ll be right out.”
As soon as I got out there, all the couples were lined up, including the seventy-year-old man and Dana. I wasn’t quite sure how Molly wanted everything done, so I had each couple stand in front of an archway tangled up in red, white, and yellow flowers, and then I’d snap a couple pictures till I got one where both of their eyes were open.
“Sir, you may want to open your eyes,” I told the seventy-year-old.
“They are open,” he retorted with swelled eyelids that made seeing his actual eyeballs impossible. He went back into a pose of a smile and wrapping his hands around Dana’s waist. She looked like she wanted to off herself right there, sadly trying to force out a smile. I didn’t know the girl at all, but felt a kindred spirit in her.
Priscilla and Henry came up next and right away, Henry tried to mimic the previous couple’s pose, but Priscilla slapped his hand away. “Touch me and you’re losing a limb.” I took their picture, but there may as well been an ocean between the two.
Lunar Rampage (Lunar Rampage Series Book 1) Page 23