Soon the bidding began in earnest as trips, paintings, and other high-ticket items all went for double or triple their value. Finally, the biggest item came up—a golf trip to St. Andrews in Scotland. Blaire sat back and watched in amusement as Selby and an older gentleman went at it. When Selby upped the bid another $500, he looked ready to quit but raised his number one more time and shouted, “Sixteen thousand.”

Selby didn’t have the good grace to pause. Her hand flew up, and she yelled, “Seventeen!”

The man cocked an eyebrow and shook his head in resignation.

Now it was Blaire’s moment. She winked at Elise and raised her paddle. “Twenty thousand.”

There was a collective murmur of surprise, and then the room went quiet.

Selby’s lips disappeared into a thin line, and she threw her arm up again. “Twenty-one.”

Blaire could play this game all day. “Twenty-five.”

Selby shook her head and gave Blaire a murderous look. “Thirty!”

Blaire stood. Time to end this. “Fifty thousand dollars.”

A ripple of shock went through the room. Carter put his hand on Selby’s arm and whispered something to her. She yanked it away and placed her bid paddle back on the table.

The auctioneer looked back and forth between Selby and Blaire, cleared his throat, and then called out, “Fifty thousand going once . . . going twice . . . sold.”

Damn, that felt good. Blaire remembered back to those times in high school when they’d be back from spring break and tell each other about where they’d gone—Gstaad or Tokyo or St. Barts. Blaire’s father would have taken them to Florida or some other equally boring destination, while her friends were jet-setting all over the world.

Elise put a hand on Blaire’s arm and laughed. “You’re going to pay a lot more than fifty thousand for that little stunt.”

“I’m not worried,” Blaire told her. No matter what she did, Selby would take issue with her, so why not have a little fun?

“Does Daniel even play golf?”

Blaire cocked an eyebrow and grinned. “He can always learn.”