man, the better. It was bad enough they
would have to work together on the banquet. She would need all of her powers of
resistance for the upcoming weeks.
Monica took a deep breath. “We need to talk,” she stated, proud that her
voice didn’t shake.
He gestured to a chair, and she took a seat. He perched on the edge of
the rich desktop and crossed his foot at the ankles.
“So, you still think the center can be saved?”
“As a matter of fact, I do,” Monica replied. He started to speak, but she
stopped him. “I know in the past the banquet hasn’t been much of a money maker,
but this year will be different. There’s too much riding on it.”
He held his hands up. “Dr. Gardner, I doubt there is another person at
this hospital who wants to save the Parenting Center more than I do, but the
state has backed us up against a wall.”
“Would you just hear me out?” God, but he was stubborn. One way or
another, she was going to get this man to listen. “In the past, people paid a
certain amount for a ticket to attend the banquet, right?”
“Twenty-five dollars per couple, fifteen for singles.” Eli pushed himself
off the desk and walked around it, settling into his chair.
“Was that the sole source of revenue?” she asked.
“Some of the local businesses act as sponsors. We’ve done raffles a few
times, and there’s a cash bar at the banquet.”
Just as she suspected, no real moneymakers.
“Well, this year, I proposed we do things a little differently.” Monica
stalled, not sure what his reaction to her next words would be.
Eli raised his eyebrows. “Care to elaborate?”
“I was thinking... Well, I thought we could put on a bachelors’ auction.”
There, she said it.
Eli’s brow etched higher. “Excuse me?”
“A bachelors auction. You know, women can bid for dates with single men.
Single doctors to be exact. This is a
hospital benefit, after all.”
“And where do you suppose we find these single doctors?”
Did he really expect an answer, especially when it was so obvious? Monica
answered anyway. “I figured we’ve got more than enough single doctors on staff
and we don’t have to peddle one dollar raffle tickets to our friends and family
or waste valuable time soliciting donations from surrounding businesses, which
are having a hard enough time these days as it is.”
“You’ll solicit human beings instead,” Elijah stated.
“We’ll seek volunteers,” she
clarified. “My best friend Nia has a brother who’s a firefighter. His squadron
held an auction with some of the firefighters from their company, and they
raised an obscene amount of money. Granted they are firemen, but I know the doctors here can do just as well, if
not better.”
“And exactly how will you convince the single doctors of Methodist
Memorial to take part in this auction?”
“Well...that’s where you come in.”
He stared at her. “You’re serious, aren’t you?” he asked after some time
had lapsed.
“I am very serious.”
“What makes you think the single docs will agree to something like this?”
“Because everyone at the hospital knows how important the Parenting
Center is to this community. I have no doubt the doctors here will be willing
to do all they can to keep the center open.”
“I have an aversion to being paraded around like cattle.”
“You don’t have to,” she said, frustrated. “Just get the rest of them to
participate.”
Eli picked up a ballpoint pen and tapped it against his well-shaped lips.
He gazed at her with shrewd, piercing eyes.
“What is this really about, Dr. Gardner?” Eli tossed the pen
back onto the desk and sat up in his chair, folding his hands in front of him. “Why
are you so determined to make something of the banquet? You just moved here.
You have nothing invested in the Parenting Center.”
“Someone needs to rally around it. If it were up to you, whom I believe
has the most stake in it, the state could just as well close the doors
would have to work together on the banquet. She would need all of her powers of
resistance for the upcoming weeks.
Monica took a deep breath. “We need to talk,” she stated, proud that her
voice didn’t shake.
He gestured to a chair, and she took a seat. He perched on the edge of
the rich desktop and crossed his foot at the ankles.
“So, you still think the center can be saved?”
“As a matter of fact, I do,” Monica replied. He started to speak, but she
stopped him. “I know in the past the banquet hasn’t been much of a money maker,
but this year will be different. There’s too much riding on it.”
He held his hands up. “Dr. Gardner, I doubt there is another person at
this hospital who wants to save the Parenting Center more than I do, but the
state has backed us up against a wall.”
“Would you just hear me out?” God, but he was stubborn. One way or
another, she was going to get this man to listen. “In the past, people paid a
certain amount for a ticket to attend the banquet, right?”
“Twenty-five dollars per couple, fifteen for singles.” Eli pushed himself
off the desk and walked around it, settling into his chair.
“Was that the sole source of revenue?” she asked.
“Some of the local businesses act as sponsors. We’ve done raffles a few
times, and there’s a cash bar at the banquet.”
Just as she suspected, no real moneymakers.
“Well, this year, I proposed we do things a little differently.” Monica
stalled, not sure what his reaction to her next words would be.
Eli raised his eyebrows. “Care to elaborate?”
“I was thinking... Well, I thought we could put on a bachelors’ auction.”
There, she said it.
Eli’s brow etched higher. “Excuse me?”
“A bachelors auction. You know, women can bid for dates with single men.
Single doctors to be exact. This is a
hospital benefit, after all.”
“And where do you suppose we find these single doctors?”
Did he really expect an answer, especially when it was so obvious? Monica
answered anyway. “I figured we’ve got more than enough single doctors on staff
and we don’t have to peddle one dollar raffle tickets to our friends and family
or waste valuable time soliciting donations from surrounding businesses, which
are having a hard enough time these days as it is.”
“You’ll solicit human beings instead,” Elijah stated.
“We’ll seek volunteers,” she
clarified. “My best friend Nia has a brother who’s a firefighter. His squadron
held an auction with some of the firefighters from their company, and they
raised an obscene amount of money. Granted they are firemen, but I know the doctors here can do just as well, if
not better.”
“And exactly how will you convince the single doctors of Methodist
Memorial to take part in this auction?”
“Well...that’s where you come in.”
He stared at her. “You’re serious, aren’t you?” he asked after some time
had lapsed.
“I am very serious.”
“What makes you think the single docs will agree to something like this?”
“Because everyone at the hospital knows how important the Parenting
Center is to this community. I have no doubt the doctors here will be willing
to do all they can to keep the center open.”
“I have an aversion to being paraded around like cattle.”
“You don’t have to,” she said, frustrated. “Just get the rest of them to
participate.”
Eli picked up a ballpoint pen and tapped it against his well-shaped lips.
He gazed at her with shrewd, piercing eyes.
“What is this really about, Dr. Gardner?” Eli tossed the pen
back onto the desk and sat up in his chair, folding his hands in front of him. “Why
are you so determined to make something of the banquet? You just moved here.
You have nothing invested in the Parenting Center.”
“Someone needs to rally around it. If it were up to you, whom I believe
has the most stake in it, the state could just as well close the doors
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