This was the moment. Elias could "bid confident and clear" to signal his intent. Or he could walk away, knowing that "another perfect piece will come along". He raised his hand. "Three-seventy-five." "Four hundred in the back!"
Elias stopped. With the premium and taxes, four hundred was already over his limit. He took a breath and sat on his hands, a habit he'd kept since childhood to avoid accidental bids. Going once. Going twice. bid or buy furniture
He didn't win Lot 42, but he didn't lose his rent money either. As the next lot—a "solid wood dining table"—started at a mere forty bucks, Elias opened his catalog to a fresh page. The "treasure hunt" wasn't over yet. This was the moment