Unforeseen Circumstances: Day 4

Word Count: 24,042

Summary of Events:

Arriving at the auction, Weston looked around vigilantly for signs of Darryl or his family, but saw nothing until he and Andie went to look at the household wares, where he saw Darryl's mother. Because Andie found a vase she was sure her mother would like, she and Weston went to get a bidding number, and while they were waiting in line Andie expressed need for a bathroom. Mrs. Rutledge came to talk to someone else in line, so Weston asked where the bathrooms were and Mrs. Rutledge immediately took Andie inside. Once he'd gotten the bidding number, Weston headed for the farmhouse, only to be approached by Darryl, who erroneously supposed that Mrs. Rutledge's granddaughter Sheri was Weston's girlfriend. When the bidding got underway for the household goods, Weston noticed Sheri among the people watching the action, as he was…

Excerpt of the Day:

Motion behind her attracted Weston’s gaze and he saw that Darryl was easing through the crowd as the auctioneer started describing the items and then launched into his chatter as the bidding began. Weston, not interested in the items on offer, watched with growing tension as Darryl edged his way toward Sheri.

Finally Darryl got himself directly beside Sheri, who didn’t look in his direction, but was moving her gaze around the cluster of people as different people bid on the items on offer.

Darryl leaned over to Sheri and said something, but Weston, being on the fringes of the crowd and across from them, wasn’t able to hear what he’d said over the auctioneer’s chatter, as well as reasonably quiet commentary being made by others in the crowd who were just watching at this point.

Sheri turned and looked at Darryl with an expression of confusion that, as Darryl continued to speak, turned more and more disgusted, but she didn’t open her mouth to speak for some time. Eventually she did speak to Darryl, looking displeased.

Based on the body language he was observing, it appeared to Weston that Sheri was becoming increasingly annoyed and agitated by Darryl, while Darryl seemed almost as if he were pleased to be causing Sheri to be annoyed and agitated.

Someone stepped forward to take an item from the table, indicating the bidding had come to an end and an item on the table had been sold, momentarily blocking Weston’s view of Sheri and Darryl, but as the person stepped away Sheri shrieked above the chatter.

“Leave me alone Darryl Lockhart!”

Quite a few people turned to look at Sheri and Darryl, but Darryl didn’t seem to notice, as his face darkened into a scowl and he seized Sheri in a rough hold, saying something that the chatter of those in the crowd prevented Weston from hearing.

Darryl then let go of Sheri and shoved her backwards. Sheri stumbled, but a man behind her caught her before she could hit the ground, while another man seized Darryl by the arm in the same kind of rough fashion that Darryl had seized Sheri and looked like he was giving Darryl a stern talking-to. Kay appeared in moments and seized her son’s ear, towing him away into the crowd from whence he’d emerged, clearly having witnessed what had happened and not being any more pleased about it than anyone else looked to have been.

Looking toward Sheri, Weston saw that she looked shaken, but her father was by her side and had his arm protectively around her, his face set in a grim expression.

Weston felt badly, as he knew that his not denying that Sheri was his girlfriend was the whole reason that Darryl had harassed Sheri in the way he just had. Weston hoped that Kay would give her son the earful he deserved about what he’d done, but Weston had no idea if it would be effective, as he’d never gotten the impression that Darryl entirely respected his mother.