Auction Antics

The room was overcrowded, but Quincy had managed to elbow his way toward the front row. Somehow, among the mass of humanity, an empty chair without any contents sat ready. It was as if this chair was waiting for Quincy. He took his seat and looked around, only to meet the eyes of his longtime rival, Janice, in the seat directly to his left. Now it became about the competition.
"Come to order! First item is up for bid!" the auctioneer bellowed. Quincy and Janice unlocked their competitive stare to glance at the delicate vase sitting on the first pedestal before both began leafing through the auction catalog. Quincy loved auctions and the increased excitement and anxiety they brought. If Janice was here, then he knew his hunch about the first mass produced electric guitar being available was correct.
Quincy spent the rest of the first three hours eyeing the stage, casually paying attention before a break in the action and a surge of disappointed auction-goers left. Quincy took the time to stretch and watch the still full room raise the bids on otherwise priceless pieces of art, decor, and memorabilia. These were his people, so much so that he gave Janice a sly smile as he sat back down and patiently waited.
Janice, too, was playing a game with Quincy in this room. She knew he had come for the guitar, but she was here for something else. She knew the electricity of the room would cloud Quincy's judgment, and his singular focus on an item would allow her to snatch up her own prize. But unlike Quincy, Janice was a bundle of nerves. For her plan to work, the auction had to proceed so that the guitar came before her cherished prize; otherwise, Quincy might abandon the guitar for it.
Luckily for Janice, the next item was Quincy's prized guitar. Quincy leaped back out of his seat and shouted, "I will start the bidding at $5,000!" The room fell into stunned silence, and aside from one fierce bidder in the back, Quincy ended up with his guitar at a great price. It wasn't until he won that he noticed Janice did not bid. His mind began to race when the first prototype of Quincy's newly bought guitar came onstage with the gasp of a surprised crowd. This was the guitar built before Quincy's, making it even more desirable!