Chapter 4 of Bidding On You (Updated 2/20/2025)

First True Meeting

Qi’s POV

What kind of fuckery is this? This whole day just blew up in my face. Part seething and part analyzing, trying to get my head back on straight, I tug on the hulking Tristan’s arm before he can pummel my friends. 

I get the rage; I’m pissed too. But they’re still my friends and fuck! I don’t even know whose side I’d be on right now if fists started flying. And not gonna lie, it’s kind of nice to have someone that mad on my behalf, like my comfort matters to someone other than myself, except for my sibling, of course. My friends would’ve never dared to pull a stunt like this if Qiang was here.

I lead Tristan towards an empty picnic table outside of the auditorium and sit. Imminent fight successfully prevented. Now it’s time to figure this shit show out. I should have known they’d pull some stupid stunt like this, and it’s not completely their fault. If I’d just open my mouth and tell them I’m not interested in dating or even sure if I’m interested in women, or men, or anyone for that matter, they’d probably stop pushing so hard and pulling these dumbass stunts. But I don’t. I keep it in and march my ass straight into their stupid meddling games. 

“You seem pensive,” Tristan’s quiet voice interrupts my thoughts. 

I look up and see the worry on his face. It’s obvious that he wanted to win these dates. The real question is why? We’re strangers, so why be so invested in dating me? Or rescuing me? Or whatever the fuck is happening here.

All it takes is one look at this guy to know he’s a jock. An intelligent, sweet jock, going by how he defended me to my friends, even if he did get a little hotheaded, but he can’t really be blamed for that either. 

He has a commanding presence and holds himself confidently enough to assume he’s probably just as popular as he is athletic. His hazel eyes are inquisitive and hesitant, and the random flecks of amber that’s swimming in his eyes are almost hypnotic. It’s obvious this means something to him, but I’m having a hard time fathoming what. 

I’m just that token Asian kid everyone wants in their friend group, but no one actually gives a fuck about. I mean, I’m good-looking enough in my own right, I know that, but nothing that would explain how I caught this locker-room centerfold’s attention. Not that it matters. Recognizing that he’s attractive doesn’t stir a single thing inside me. No thoughts of touching him or wanting to touch him, no inklings of desires or heat in my gut. He’s simply just a handsome guy, and that’s it. 

The longer I take to answer, the more he fidgets and I let out a sigh. “I’m just trying to catch up. I had everything under perfect control and it feels like the rug suddenly got ripped out from under me. I was not supposed to be auctioned off, and to be honest, I’m a little pissed about it. And that’s not even getting started on the ridiculous amount of money you just dropped to win the dates. It’s absolutely amazing for the cause, but I don’t even know you, and I’m just kind of reeling from all of it.”

Tristan looks down and nods, his shoulders stiffening as if he’s bracing himself, before he looks back up at me. “We don’t have to go on the dates if you don’t want to. Don’t get me wrong. I really want to. But if this is too much, then I won’t make you,” he says. 

But I can see by the look on his face that he’s hoping I won’t take the offer. For some unfathomable reason, he wants these dates, and that hope is in every facet of his face. He’s looking at me like I’m some sort of prize or deity. No one has ever looked at me so adoringly before and I’m not sure what to make of it, or him at all, really. 

I put my elbows on the table and tuck my hands under my chin. “Why did you bid on me?” I ask, leaning into the table and trying to ferret out answers. 

He looks at me and seems to weigh his words. “I already told you. What better way to donate to the cause than by bidding for three dates with a beautiful guy?” he says, but I can tell by his expression there’s more to it. 

I raise an eyebrow. “That’s a lot of money to spend on someone you’ve never met before,” I point out skeptically. 

A crooked smile spreads across his face and this little dimple pops up in one of his cheeks that gives his expression a sweet shyness to it. He holds up his hand. “One, it’s a worthy cause, and I was going to donate, anyway. Two, I have met you before. And three, there’s no amount within my capabilities that I wouldn’t spend to earn a moment of your time,” he says, ticking a finger down for each point he makes. “But I also don’t want to force my company on you, either,” he adds.

I frown at that because he’s the kind of handsome that people remember. He’s not a face someone would forget, and I know this is the first time I’ve seen him. 

I shake my head at him. “We’ve never met before. There’s no way I would forget your face.”

His smile wavers for just a moment, something uneasy crossing his face before he shakes it off and raises his eyebrow at me. “As in a good way or a bad way?”

I laugh because the answer is obvious. “I think it’s impossible for you to be unaware of how attractive you are,” I point out. 

He lets out a sardonic huff of amusement. The look in his eyes tells me he’s fully aware of how aesthetically easy on the eyes he is, but there’s also an uneasiness in him that seems like it’s not something he’s thrilled by. It strikes me as odd because who wouldn’t want to be considered handsome? He looks thoughtful for a moment while tapping his fingers on the table before looking up at me. 

“This isn’t really how I envisioned getting to meet you for the first time. Well, the first time for you. The second time for me. But I guess full disclosure is probably the best way to get back on track, right? But just hear me out all the way before you think I’m a weirdo, okay?” he says hesitantly. 

“You just dropped five grand to date someone you barely know. I already think you’re a weirdo,” I tease a bit, which helps put him at ease as the tension noticeably drops off of him and he lets out an amused huff. “Not to be awkward about it, but this is my first time meeting you, so I’m assuming you’re around my age, at least, right? I mean, you look my age, and I had Owen put an age cap on the bidding, but looks can be deceiving right?” I ramble out a bit awkwardly. 

His face curls into a full smile that brings out dimples on both cheeks, adding to the sweet innocence of this huge man’s face. “I wondered what you were hissing at him about after he announced the dates. I thought you were trying to talk him out of it. I’m a senior at Rolling Hills Prep on the other side of the city. I turned eighteen two months ago,” he says, before reaching back to scratch the back of his neck. 

Nervous energy is rolling off of him in waves and the awkward shyness shows he’s way out of his element right now. His earlier intensity evaporates and this cute, fumbling jock, full of shy smiles and blushes, is endearing. “So, I guess we start at the start, right? Do you remember the local community college’s enrollment event six months back?”

I knit my eyebrows. “Yeah, but I didn’t meet you there. Or are you some sort of stalker?” I ask him in a voice that’s half teasing and half suspicious. 

I’m still trying to get him to loosen up a bit because I don’t really see this guy as a threat. Don’t know why I don’t see him as one since he looks like he could crush me without even trying, but he seems… genuine. Sweet, even. 

He snorts at the tease. “That’s why I said to hear me out before you judge me first. I was at the event with some friends when you and your friends walked by us. I don’t know how, and I don’t really know why, but I was completely drawn to you. And it’s obviously not a fluke because I’m just as drawn to you now as I was then, actually probably more so now, but that’s not really the point.

“I did stalk you a bit through that event. I kept trying to come up with ways to approach you and say hello, but there was so much going through my head all at once that I didn’t know how or what to say. I was just as confused by the power your presence had over me as I was by what that means for me as far as who I am and what my preferences for a partner are. There was just a lot going on inside my head. Not just you, but what being so drawn in by you means for me and my sexuality. 

“Here,” he says, pulling up his phone. He touches the screen a couple of times before passing it towards me. It’s a picture of me standing just off to the side of my group of friends. I’m running my hands through my hair and smiling widely. It was a fun day and happiness is radiating off of me in the picture. “I took this picture of you because I knew I wasn’t gonna have the guts to talk to you. I was overwhelmed and thought I could just keep the entire thing as a happy memory. But then I went home and couldn’t let it go. Your face kept popping into my head all the time.

“So I went to more events in the area, hoping to find you at another event, and that’s what led me here. After six months of searching, I finally found you. I was trying to figure out what to say to you when your friend announced the three dates. There was no way I was gonna pass up the chance to get to know you,” he says with an elated smile before huffing out a puff of air and tucking his hands under his chin. The smile dissipates, and he looks over at me with a somber expression. “If you don’t want to go on the dates, then I’ll understand. No hard feelings and I won’t retract my donation either. But, if you’re willing, I’d really love the chance to know you,” he says sincerely. 

The truth of his tale is written clearly across his face, and I’m just trying to take it all in. It’s a lot. A lot for him to have gone through, but also a lot in realizing how deep everything must have been for him to have put so much effort in for someone he’d never met and knew nothing about beyond a face. 

And I’m also wrapping my head around the concept that someone as plain and boring as me would have the ability to spark that much feeling into anyone to go this far just to meet me. And especially in someone who looks like he just walked off a photo shoot. He’s gorgeous personified, could have anyone he wants, and I’m just… meh.

His eyes are on me, and he looks nervous. Of course he looks nervous, and I don’t want to drag this out or be too hasty either, so I hold my hands up to let him know I’m chewing on everything so he’ll relax a bit. “I believe you. I’m just trying to grasp it. I find it surprising that anyone would be taken in enough by me to track me down like this,” I tell him honestly. 

“Why is that surprising? If even half the stuff your friend rambled off about you during the auction was true, then you must have people lined up that are hoping for a chance with you,” he points out. 

I snort at that. “I really don’t, for the record. And that reasoning doesn’t really apply to this situation anyway because you didn’t know any of that until after six months of searching,” I point out. 

Tristan looks at me before letting out another sigh. “It’s fine if you don’t want to go through with the dates. I was just taking advantage of a golden opportunity, but I also get that this isn’t an ideal situation and I don’t want to make you uncomfortable,” he says, and I hate that I made him feel bad because I really didn’t mean to. 

“It feels rather assholish to just blow you off after you’ve put so much time in,” I tell him. He’s right about not being a fan of the turn of events, but things could have worked out so much worse than they have.

Tristan looks up at me with a torn expression. “Yeah, but I also don’t want there to be a level of obligation here, either.”

I huff out a laugh and decide he deserves to know the truth of what he’s agreeing to. I don’t want him to walk in with a hope that may never happen. “Taking you seriously for three dates so you can shoot your shot doesn’t really feel like that much of an obligation. But if we’re going for full-disclosure, then I’ll tell you I’ve never really been interested in a guy before. But then again, I’ve honestly never been really interested in anyone before. I’m kind of on a self-proclaimed hiatus from dating because I realized I was just dating who my friends thought I should date as opposed to dating because I really liked the person. 

“I love the abstract concept of romance and relationships and all that stuff, but I don’t seem to feel it myself, so maybe you’ll make a difference. I don’t know. But no one else has, so I don’t want you to put too much hope into something that might not happen for me. But since you’ve put in the effort to chase me this far, then I’ll put in the effort to slow down enough to see if I want to get caught or not. I’ll give you an honest shot, and I won’t play with your feelings or lead you on. I’ll tell you if I’m feeling it or not. And after the three dates, if I’m still on the fence, then we can figure out where to go from there. 

“And to be fair, you don’t really know me past my face, so you may find I’m not all you’ve built me up to be inside your head, you know. I’m kind of boring, to be honest, so you may end up wanting to call this off, anyway,” I point out with a shrug. 

Tristan’s face breaks out into a huge smile. “I’m in,” he says without hesitation. 

I raise an eyebrow. “You heard everything I said,” I want to clarify. 

Tristan nods. “You’re questioning your ability to have feelings for people, but you’re willing to test drive the dates to see if it sparks anything. If it does, then great and if it doesn’t, then we’ll figure out what happens next. And I intend to try and make you fall for me, but not in a way that’s going to push you out of your comfort zone. I want a real chance with you; causing harm right out the gate seems harmful to you and self-defeating to me,” he says. 

I swallow hard at that because he listened. Most people don’t. To be fair, I haven’t really talked about this much, but a large part of that is because I’m used to being ignored. Most of what I say goes over Owen and Paxton’s heads. Fei can be a good listener at times, but even he gets that glazed look in his eyes when I’m talking that tells me he’s in front of me, but he’s checked out of the building and isn’t listening. 

I still have his phone in my hand, so I reach over for him to unlock it again. “Here, I’ll give you my number so you can text me. What socials do you use?”

Tristan unlocks his phone. “I’m not on social media,” he says. 

My eyes widen. “Not at all?”

He shakes his head. “Not the type to update it, and I’ve never really been interested in following anyone until today. Most of the time I keep in touch with text, but I’ll create one and follow you if you text me your username,” he says. 

I smile and shake my head at him. “You don’t have to go through all the trouble. Just text me when you want to make plans for the dates,” I tell him, handing him his phone back. 

He takes his phone and sends me a text, so I have his number as well. “How about now? We could go to dinner?” he asks.

I laugh at his eagerness and I feel kinda bad because I can’t right now. I still have to get this event cleaned up and lecture the shit out of my so-called dumbass friends, but before I can respond, he shakes his head at me. 

“No, wait. Not now. I want to plan them out and make them special.”

I can’t help but laugh again. “I’m really not that hard to impress.”

He shakes his head and gazes at me with a serious expression on his face. “Maybe not, but it feels like there’s a lot of momentum that got me here. Now that I have a chance to shoot my shot, I want to make it count,” he prods. 

And I can’t stop the smile from spreading across my face because he’s sweet. I wish that could translate to something deeper than just a simple fact in my head, something that would flutter in my chest, but still the effort he’s making is more than anyone else has ever shown me, and I’ve been completely honest so it’s not like I’m leading him on. 

“Okay then,” I say before standing up and pointing behind me towards the area the auction was being held in. “I’d better head back over there and make sure my dumbass friends are as capable of cleaning up as three near adult males should be,” I tell him.

Tristan stands up too and gives me a smile. “Okay, I’ll text you later. Can I text just to set dates up, or can I text just to text?”

Wow. How is this guy for real? And why is it that I’m probably the luckiest guy on the planet to attract such heartfelt sincerity and my stupid heart still lays dormant? Or maybe dead is a better word. I don’t know. It’s not fair, a crime that we’ll both suffer for and a part of me wants to curse. 

I swallow all that down and look up into those expressive hazel eyes of his. “You can text me whenever you want, Tristan. For dates or just to say ‘hey’.”

His mouth widens into a smile that has his adorable dimples popping out and it’s so fucking bright I’m surprised the sun didn’t go cry at being outshone. “Okay, thanks. I’ll see you soon,” he says. 

I nod and smile one last time before heading over to where my friends are. If my experience up to this point is anything to go by, then this is just gonna hurt once everything is said and done, but I can’t help but hope.