They Gave My Cousin a Car, I Built an Empire novel · Chapter 15 of 24
Chapter 15: The Auction
The auction was held in the parking lot of the Wilmington Pike plaza, on a gray Saturday in April.
The lender had set up folding chairs in rows, a podium, and a table of paddles with numbers on them.
Behind the podium, the PupPalace sign stood over the first store, with its pink paw print.
Forty people had registered.
Most of them were other store owners, and a few were just there to watch.
I picked up paddle number nineteen.
"Are you sure about this?" Ben asked, in my ear.
"The credit union said yes on Thursday."
"I know. I'm asking if you're sure."
"No," I said. "Sit down."
Tyler came across the lot with his hands in his jacket pockets.
He had a new job at a feed store and a haircut he hadn't paid for, and he hadn't looked at his phone in my presence for two weeks.
"Where's your uncle?" Ben asked.
Tyler pointed with his chin.
Dad stood alone at the edge of the lot in his PupPalace polo, by the plaza office.
He had not shaved, and nobody was standing near him.
"Lot one," said the auctioneer. "All six PupPalace leases, assigned, with fixtures, shelving, registers and remaining stock. Opening bid, ninety thousand dollars."
A man in a good gray suit raised his paddle at once.
I raised mine.
"Ninety-five," said the auctioneer.
"A hundred," said the man in the suit.
"A hundred and ten," I said.
It went on for a while.
The man in the suit never looked at me, only at his phone, and every time I raised my paddle he nodded.
Keep reading free with an account. Start They Gave My Cousin a Car, I Built an Empire from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.
← Chapter 14 · All chapters · Chapter 16 →
Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend