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Fawn burst into laughter. “You Slutty McSlutterson.”
“Yeah, yeah. I love you, too. I’ve gotta get off the phone so I can call an Uber. See you soon.”
I hit the ‘cancel call’ button, then quickly ordered my ride. Downstairs, I found my shoes and purse and a piece of paper. Not wanting to rifle through Boston’s kitchen drawers, I fished a pen from my bag and scrawled a note for Boston, telling him I’d had something come up and I’d meet him at the club later.
The Uber arrived quickly, and as we drove through the streets of Saint View, I frowned at the burgeoning darkness. Everyone at the club was used to sleeping for most of the day and eating late, but I was going to have to get a move on if I was going to have food ready for everyone. I probably should have told Fawn I couldn’t help her tonight, but I knew what she was like. The longer she stewed over something, the more she’d convince herself she couldn’t do it, and then I’d just have a bigger battle when we finally did sit down together to work it out.
No, it was better to just tackle it now, then zoom over to the club and throw together something quick and easy. At least the refrigerator was already full and just waiting for someone to put together a feast.
The Uber dropped me off at the familiar address. It was the very first place I’d bought for myself with my own money after I’d started working. It wasn’t anything flashy, and it wasn’t on the greatest of streets, but I’d put a bit of money into doing the little cottage-style house up, repairing broken steps and painting the walls a sunny yellow, that actually suited Fawn better than it had ever suited me. I’d bought a bigger, nicer place, still in Saint View but closer to the Providence border when my finances had allowed. This cottage had sat unused until Fawn had come along looking for a place to live. Her rent didn’t cover my mortgage, but I didn’t care. For Fawn, I was happy to make up the difference myself.
The doors flung open before I even got a foot up the steps.
“Oh, thank God.” Fawn reached an arm through the opening and yanked me inside. “I’m ready to throw this stupid thing through the window.”
“Let’s do it quick then, before any glass gets shattered. Your rent does not cover window repair.”
The two of us sat in the dim light of her little kitchen, the table beneath her textbooks covered by a smiley face emoji tablecloth that was just so typically Fawn. She pushed the first book toward me.
I peered at it. “Okay, I remember this. If you get the tax rate from this column…”
I droned on for a little bit, working through the first question with her, and then the second to make sure she really understood what we were doing. The sun outside grew lower and lower with every passing minute, and soon we were in near darkness. “You keep going, I’m getting the light.”
Now that Fawn understood the concept, she worked diligently, her tongue sticking out the corner of her mouth while she wrote figures onto a legal pad in precise handwriting.
A flash of pride rolled over me. She really did have this. She just needed somebody to remind her from time to time. Somebody who believed in her.
I flicked the light switch on, but nothing happened. I peered up at the naked bulb. “Is this light blown? Have you got more lightbulbs?”
Fawn darted a look over her shoulder. “Might be the circuit breaker. I only replaced the bulb in that one just the other day. Should be fine.”
I walked into the living room and tried the switch in there. Nothing happened either. “I’m going downstairs to check the breaker. You keep going.”
“I can go.”
I waved away her protests. “I used to live in this house, remember? I know how it plays up sometimes. I’ll be back in a minute. I want you up to question ten by the time I get back.”
She threw me a mock salute. “Aye, aye, Captain.”
I ran down the stairs to the basement, flicking open the flashlight on my phone to look at the fuses. I’d had to change them many a time. They blew regularly, being that the house was old and had stood unloved for a long time before I’d purchased it. But everything appeared intact right now.
My phone buzzed in my hand halfway back up the steps. I paused, leaning against the railing to check the message.
Augie
Just got to the club. It’s not pretty. There was more hate mail shoved under the door. I’d tell you what it says, but you’re a lady, and there’s some things ladies shouldn’t read.
Eve
No need, I can imagine. I heard the things Reed’s supporters were yelling when Boston and I left the club this morning. Just put it all in my office. Boston might want it for evidence or something.
Augie
You got it, boss. See you soon.
I tucked my phone away in my pocket. For people who claimed to be good Christians, there wasn’t much holy or giving about the way this group treated me and my family. My blood boiled thinking about it. I had an urge to find them and scream in their faces that I was William Reed’s daughter, illegitimate at that. Imagine the scandal.
Perhaps, if I hadn’t been a better woman than they were, I would have done it. But I didn’t want to be associated with William Reed any more than he wanted to be associated with me, so the lot of them could go to Hell.
