I held up my hand to wave them over, but Alexander quickly clutched it.
"I want us to be alone on this."
Mr. and Mrs. Sterling eventually sat next to Jameson and crew.
Finally, Mrs. Mitchell stepped up to the podium. "Welcome to our annual auction. In a moment, I'll bring out your auctioneer. We'll be presenting art in many of its forms- pottery, paintings, sculptures, and wood designs. Thank you all for coming tonight. Good luck and good bidding."
The auctioneer, an elderly gentleman dressed in a suit, came out to the podium. A volunteer placed a glass-blown vase be jeweled with sparkling gems on a table. Its image was enlarged on a video screen behind the podium.
I was on the edge of my folding chair.
Mrs. Mitchell read a brief description of the vase. "The bidding starts at five hundreddollars "
"Five hundred dollars.That's a lot ofmoola !" I whispered.
"Shh."
"Whatever you do, don't raise your hand," I said, teasing. "No matter how much you want to buy it for me."
Alexander wasn't laughing. "I didn't price my work very high. Maybe I should have."
"Your paintings are much more valuable than a dumb vase."
Signs began to wave and the bidding price immediately soared. Within minutes the vase sold for over a thousand dollars.
"I wish I had something fancy to sell," I said, seeing dollar signs before my eyes. "I could make millions."
Even though I wasn't bidding, I got caught up in the frenzy. I could see whyDullsvillians waited all year for this event. It was like high-priced bingo, everyone waiting on the edge of their seats, wanting the glamorous prize, or hoping their item might make them millions-more than they already had, anyway.
A covered painting was brought to the easel. They unveiled it to a few gasps and whispers. It was a landscape of the country club itself.By Alexander. I was soproud, his artwork was displayed for all to see. No one even knew Alexander had painted it.
"This is a painting from a rising European artist," Mrs. Mitchell said. "There was little information about the artist, but as you can see, the work speaks for itself.A one-of-a-kind original painting. The artist states, 'The inspiration was the beauty that unfolds when I open my eyes in this town/ "
The audience whispered and sat up as if they were eyeing a museum piece,
"Bidding starts at five hundred/' the auctioneer began.
"Five hundred?"I heard someone say in front of us.
"I can't believe we're doing this. This whole thing is going to blow up in my face. I can kiss the Mansion and you good-bye," Alexander said in my ear.
"Five hundred is a steal," the person in front of me continued."I bid seven hundred."
I turned to Alexander in amazement.
"Eight hundred," another said, holding up their sign.
"Nine hundred,"' still another shouted.
"Do I hear nine-fifty?" the auctioneer asked.
"A thousand," the first bidder answered.
"Eleven hundred?Do I hear eleven hundred?"
The second bidder held up her sign,
"Fifteen hundred-"