“A free table after a million dollar donation?” she repeated.
I shrugged. “People get the tables for about two grand a pop, so it’s considered a courtesy that we don’t pay anything.”
“Right.” She looked around the room and I gestured toward our table.
“Table five is us. Where do you want to sit?”
“Here is fine.” She grabbed the first chair she saw and I nodded once before pulling it out for her.
I sat after she was seated.
There were already bingo cards in front of each of our chairs and Jiselle immediately picked hers up, inspected it, then swapped it with the one next to hers. I watched her examine that one as well before nodding, obviously happy.
I offered her my auction paddle.
“What’s that for?”
“If you decide you want something,” I said simply.
She lifted an eyebrow. “Getting me gifts already?”
“It’s actually a little late, don’t you think?” I looked at one of the women walking toward us and gave her a small smile as she leaned forward between us, showing a little tray of diamond earrings in different sizes.
Jiselle’s eyebrows knitted as she looked from the tray to me.
“Uhm…”
“Do you want anything?” I asked.
“No. Thank you.”
The woman smiled, nodded, and stood to walk to the next table.
“The people in the white and black uniforms will be giving us food. The people in navy and white will be showing donated jewelry also available for purchase.”
“So they just walk around with trays of diamonds?”
“Not all of them. Some of them are carrying gold, silver, or other stones if diamonds aren’t your thing.”
Jiselle whistled and shook her head before grabbing her glass of water and taking a slow sip.
“What do they usually auction?”
“Art, jewelry, shit like that.”
“And you guys do this every year?”
“At least.”
She nodded and looked at the other six seats at our table.
“Do you know who else is going to be sitting with us?”
“My parents for sure and I don’t know who they split the table with. I didn’t ask. It may be investors and their spouses though.”
“You don’t think it’s a little early for me to be meeting the parents?” Jiselle smirked as she leaned into me and set her hand on my leg.
“Nah. I already know you’re going to be my wife, so it’s better to have you meeting your in-laws now rather than later.”