Sold!

By Erin Dawn McInnis (emcinnis@pris.bc.ca)

Summary: It's Clark's turn on the runway at the Metropolis Bachelor Auction, but Lois is content to let someone else claim him -- after all, she's been saving her money to bid on Superman. What's that? *Mayson Drake* is bidding on Clark?! :-)

Replies, comments, and vows of undying love and devotion can be sent to: emcinnis@pris.bc.ca

Notes:

a) This story is set before Mayson's death.

b) I wrote this BEFORE I saw the Chicago Hope premiere :)

Sold! (The Metropolis Bachelor Auction Incident)

***

The banquet hall was lit by candles on the tables, which were occupied by Metropolis' finest. At the front of the hall, a banner proudly proclaimed the event as 'Metropolis Children's Hospital Annual Charity Bachelor Auction'. The auctioneer stood at a podium, going about a mile a minute, taking bids and calling them out loud. A single spotlight illuminated the handsome bachelor walking down the runway.

Lois entered the banquet hall only an half-hour late. She made her way over to the Daily Planet's table and took her seat beside Perry. "Sorry I'm late. What did I miss?" Lois whispered.

"Nothing much. Only a few men have been auctioned off so far." Perry answered.

"When's Superman going to be auctioned?" Lois asked, just a little too eagerly.

Perry suppressed a grimace. "Oh, he won't be until last. Clark will be auctioned soon."

Lois surveyed the crowd, missing Perry's remark about Clark. There were many beautiful, rich women in the audience, and most would probably make a bid for the man in tights. But Lois knew she had them all beat. Ever since she had heard that Superman was to be auctioned off, including a night-time flight over Metropolis, Lois had been saving up for this night.

"Sold to the lady in the second row!" The bachelor on the runway had just been bought for $300, and escorted his bidder to her table. The auctioneer introduced the next bachelor, "Ladies, get ready to bid your hearts good-bye. Next we have one of Metropolis most well-known and eligible bachelors..."

Lois perched on the edge of her seat in anticipation...

"...a dashing journalist from the Daily Planet..."

She slumped back in her seat, obviously disappointed.

"...Please welcome, Clark Kent."

Clark came walking out from behind the curtain. He was wearing a tuxedo and carrying a single red rose. A round of applause and catcalls came from the women in the audience. Clark smiled sheepishly, his face turning as red as the rose.

"Let's start the bidding at one hundred dollars." A dozen hands immediately went up. "Okay, let's try two hundred," the auctioneer said, chuckling. Again many ladies made their bid.

One voice called out above the rest, "One thousand dollars."

Lois recognized that annoying voice. She turned and saw a familiar dishwater-blond stand up. The entire room was silent. Even Clark was surprised.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a bid of one thousand dollars from our own assistant District Attorney, Ms. Mayson Drake. Going once, going twice, going..."

"Two thousand!" Lois shouted out above the crowd. Before she had even realized what she was doing, Lois had jumped to her feet. Clark's head snapped up, and he stared at her with amazement. Mayson turned to her and gave Lois a look that could kill.

"I have two thousand! Will anyone go to three?" the auctioneer called out. A redhead in the back of the room raised her hand. "I have three. Do we have four?" the auctioneer asked. Before Lois could even open her mouth, Mayson said, "Ten thousand dollars."

Everyone in the room was stunned. Lois did some quick calculating. If she upped her bid, it was bye-bye Superman. Her mind told her to proceed with caution, but then she looked up at Clark, looking so endearing, with that irresistible shy smile and his twinkling chocolate-brown eyes, and her heart told her to go for it. Besides, she couldn't let Mayson sink her claws into Clark. Lois snapped out of her reverie just in time to hear the auctioneer say, "...going twice..."

"Twenty thousand!"

Mayson's mouth dropped open. "Do we have any other bids?" he asked Mayson. She shook her head sadly, sitting down.

"Going once, going twice. Sold to the little lady in the long black dress for twenty thousand dollars!"

The crowd erupted into applause. Clark stepped down off the runway, and walked over to Lois. He handed her the rose, looking her in the eye with such intensity that she blushed.

"Twenty thousand dollars? Lois, are you feeling okay?" Clark asked.

"Well, Clark, I've always been an impulsive buyer, and I saw something I just had to have." Almost hesitantly, Lois kissed Clark on the cheek, then sat down. Clark was still standing there in a shocked silence when the auctioneer announced, "After this short intermission, we will be auctioning off the one, the only, Superman!"

"Ah, Lois...I...ah...I have to...ah...put more change in the meter. Be right back." Before Lois could reply, he was gone in a flash.

"Twenty thousand dollars," Lois muttered to herself, shaking her head. "And he runs off. Again."

THE END

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