Martina’s voice. I hugged her and kissed the top of her head in gratitude. “You’re such a loving and generous person, honey,” I told her with a sigh. “Thank you for understanding. I just need a little space to myself in the meantime. It’s all been a bit sudden.”
Martina stood up, captured both my hands in hers and pressed them together. “I’m here for you, Kim, anytime you want. Just whistle and I’ll come running.”
“I know that, honey,” I informed her, “and that’s why I have to be so very careful about this. I don’t want to take advantage of you.” A loving smile lit up her face and she gave my hands a final squeeze and then left me alone with my chaotic thoughts.
Chapter 14 .
- Well done, although hardly ‘classic’. I often wondered how you and Martina finally got together.
- Yes, love is a mystery, that’s for sure. I’m still not quite sure how it happened. One minute I wasn’t in love, and the next minute I was . Weird.
- That describes you in a nutshell.
- Careful. I don’t suffer fools gladly.
- Really? You must hate your own company then.
- Enough ! Tell me about you and Bella. I’ve told you about me and Martina.
- All in good time, my sweet. All in good time . A tale like ours has to be savoured like a fine wine – slowly and delicately.
- Spare me.
- Quiet, you!
The next morning, we readied ourselves to attend the auction. Bella insisted on coming, claiming that her injury wouldn’t be a problem. I couldn't help noticing that Kim and Martina were giving each other sharp, conspiratorial glances and then looking away again just as quickly. Obviously, something momentous had happened in their relationship, but I didn't have the time to speculate about it right then. We drove to the auction in plenty of time and looked eagerly at the catalogue for what Lot Fifteen was supposed to be. It turned out to be a spice rack.
“A spice rack?” Bella asked in astonishment. “Are you sure this is right?”
Kim scratched her head. “I'll admit sounds a bit bizarre,” she admitted. “But it's the only lead we have. Let's bid on it anyway. How much money can we scrape together?”
We pooled our individual financial assets and came up with a hundred and twenty dollars between us all.
“That should be enough,” Kim assured us. “I can't imagine that a spice rack would sell for very much.”
“Probably not,” I commented, “ if we’re the only people bidding on it. Just remember that someone else might have read that message as well.”
“Yes, I didn't think of that,” Kim mused. “We'll have to play it by ear. Anyway, this could be a wild goose chase.”
“We'll find out soon enough,” Martina interjected.
“How so?” Bella asked.
“Well, if someone starts a serious bidding war, then we know we're on the right track,” Martina replied. “Nobody in their right mind would spend a lot of money on a second-hand spice rack.”
“Well done, young Jedi,” Kim said admiringly, giving Martina a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. “Okay, troops, let's stick together and see what unfolds.”
The auction proceeded in a boring fashion as amateur auctions often do. There was no jumping up and screaming with frantic bids as you see in the movies. The whole thing ambled along with sedate calmness with nobody getting very excited about anything. I was scrutinising the catalogue when the bidding started for item number twelve. I heard an excited voice nearby raising the bid time after time until the auctioneer cried “ Sold !” Lot Twelve was listed as a ‘unique clock’ and I wondered what sort of weirdo could become so enraptured over a mere clock . I looked up from the catalogue to find Kim proudly clutching the said timepiece. It was a huge, ugly wooden thing. Whoever had made it hadn't been able to decide on a manufacturing period because it was part Victorian, part Grecian, part Rococo and had been frescoed to a ridiculous degree.
“What on
Martina stood up, captured both my hands in hers and pressed them together. “I’m here for you, Kim, anytime you want. Just whistle and I’ll come running.”
“I know that, honey,” I informed her, “and that’s why I have to be so very careful about this. I don’t want to take advantage of you.” A loving smile lit up her face and she gave my hands a final squeeze and then left me alone with my chaotic thoughts.
Chapter 14 .
- Well done, although hardly ‘classic’. I often wondered how you and Martina finally got together.
- Yes, love is a mystery, that’s for sure. I’m still not quite sure how it happened. One minute I wasn’t in love, and the next minute I was . Weird.
- That describes you in a nutshell.
- Careful. I don’t suffer fools gladly.
- Really? You must hate your own company then.
- Enough ! Tell me about you and Bella. I’ve told you about me and Martina.
- All in good time, my sweet. All in good time . A tale like ours has to be savoured like a fine wine – slowly and delicately.
- Spare me.
- Quiet, you!
The next morning, we readied ourselves to attend the auction. Bella insisted on coming, claiming that her injury wouldn’t be a problem. I couldn't help noticing that Kim and Martina were giving each other sharp, conspiratorial glances and then looking away again just as quickly. Obviously, something momentous had happened in their relationship, but I didn't have the time to speculate about it right then. We drove to the auction in plenty of time and looked eagerly at the catalogue for what Lot Fifteen was supposed to be. It turned out to be a spice rack.
“A spice rack?” Bella asked in astonishment. “Are you sure this is right?”
Kim scratched her head. “I'll admit sounds a bit bizarre,” she admitted. “But it's the only lead we have. Let's bid on it anyway. How much money can we scrape together?”
We pooled our individual financial assets and came up with a hundred and twenty dollars between us all.
“That should be enough,” Kim assured us. “I can't imagine that a spice rack would sell for very much.”
“Probably not,” I commented, “ if we’re the only people bidding on it. Just remember that someone else might have read that message as well.”
“Yes, I didn't think of that,” Kim mused. “We'll have to play it by ear. Anyway, this could be a wild goose chase.”
“We'll find out soon enough,” Martina interjected.
“How so?” Bella asked.
“Well, if someone starts a serious bidding war, then we know we're on the right track,” Martina replied. “Nobody in their right mind would spend a lot of money on a second-hand spice rack.”
“Well done, young Jedi,” Kim said admiringly, giving Martina a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. “Okay, troops, let's stick together and see what unfolds.”
The auction proceeded in a boring fashion as amateur auctions often do. There was no jumping up and screaming with frantic bids as you see in the movies. The whole thing ambled along with sedate calmness with nobody getting very excited about anything. I was scrutinising the catalogue when the bidding started for item number twelve. I heard an excited voice nearby raising the bid time after time until the auctioneer cried “ Sold !” Lot Twelve was listed as a ‘unique clock’ and I wondered what sort of weirdo could become so enraptured over a mere clock . I looked up from the catalogue to find Kim proudly clutching the said timepiece. It was a huge, ugly wooden thing. Whoever had made it hadn't been able to decide on a manufacturing period because it was part Victorian, part Grecian, part Rococo and had been frescoed to a ridiculous degree.
“What on
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