Page 30 of The Run Home
“It’s puzzle night,” she said by way of welcome when she opened the door.
I shook the slim box in my hand that was currently wrapped. “I know. I brought a good one.”
We went inside and I took my usual seat on a wingback chair she’d had re-covered in dark red velvet. The girls were seated and imbibing in wine. Lydia poured me a glass and handed it to me.
“Okay. We’re all here. Shall we hand out the puzzle gifts?” Lydia went around the circle, exchanging gifts for all of us. We always drew out of a hat to decide who gifted who.
Hattie held up the box I’d brought. “I get to open first this time!” She ripped into the paper and then began to howl with laughter. “A giant peen?”
She held up the box so the rest of us could see. It was a jigsaw puzzle of a giant pink blowup penis floating in a pool. The bulbous head was wearing a pair of dark sunglasses. The girls all loved it, which I knew they would. We were all lusty single girls, after all.
Rosemary went next, her puzzle being a picture of a stripper on a pole, but Lydia had Photoshopped Rosemary’s face ontothe picture. It was hilarious and also scandalous. Rosemary said she’d have to hide it or some parent might see it and think she was unfit to be principal.
Lydia opened her puzzle to find a naked man draped across a coffin in a cemetery. He was alive, thank goodness, and had the stacks of muscle Boon carried. Not that I was thinking about Boon right then. Nope.
Fifi went next, opening her puzzle to see it was a screenshot of her first ever product description for the clothing company she worked for. It was the description that went viral online and made both her and the company she worked for quite successful.
I was last, eyeing the box with distrust. Hattie could have gifted me something completely cute like a furry puppy with a necktie or gone for rated-R shock factor. One never really knew with her. I ripped the paper off and froze.
Shock factor it was.
Except it wasn’t rated-R.
It was a giant replica of Boon Wolfe’s baseball card with the Texas Outlaws. His dimples mocked me as he stood there all casual, bat resting on his meaty shoulder. He looked like he knew what color underwear you were wearing. It was his flirty look.
“Whooee! That man is gorgeous!” Rosemary hollered, getting up from her chair for a closer look.
“And to think he lives right next door to you,” Fifi murmured, gaze fixated on Boon.
Hattie smiled smugly. “I had to do it. That exact expression is how he was looking at you when he had that goat in his arms.”
I scoffed. “No, he wasn’t. He just has resting flirt face. He looks atmewith hate and condescension.”
Lydia snorted. “Okay, keep telling yourself that.”
I spun around to glare at her. She was my best friend. She was supposed to be on my side. “It’s true! We’ve hated each other for years.”
“It’s a fine line between love and hate,” Fifi drawled.
Rosemary sat back down and fanned her face. “I don’t know. Those Wolfe brothers know how to flirt, that’s for sure. He might just flirt with every woman.” She looked over at me, concern spilling across her face. “Not that you aren’t special and amazing, Shae. I didn’t mean it the way that came out. I think maybe he’s just programmed by genetics to flirt with females.”
“If you say he’s a jerkface, then he’s a jerkface. We’ll toast to his dick shriveling up and his charming face turning hideous in his old age.” Hattie had my back, making me smile.
That was when Lydia piped in, her timing impeccable as usual. “Did you know the anonymous funding for the building of the gymnasium and weight room came from Boon?”
My jaw hit the floor. “Excuse me?”
Ten years ago I’d petitioned the board of education for a new gymnasium that didn’t have visible black mold on the ceiling. They’d been reluctant at first, even when I outlined the fundraising I would take on to make it happen. Then one day they got all excited about the project, approved the plans, and said it was funded. I was too happy to ask questions.
Lydia’s gaze held more meaning than her words. “I overheard Principal Joseph talking about it one day. It was definitely from Boon.”
Rosemary cringed. “Yeah, I actually already knew. Principal Joseph discussed it with me at a teacher training years ago. Said he thought Boon was crazy for investing in the gym and weight room and not a new baseball field, given his own sport. I even joked with him that I wished Boon would fund the elementary school gymnasium too.”
My mouth was getting dry from hanging open for so long. I felt like my neurons were reforming around this new information. Then I gasped, a memory hitting me sideways.
“What?” Hattie asked, concerned.
My hand fluttered upward, shutting my mouth for me. “I, uh, tried to kick Boon out of his own weight room his first day on campus.” I groaned, feeling like an ungrateful fool. “I could have really used this information a few years ago, ladies. Or even just a week ago.”
