“See, we’re all good,” she told Dean. Turning back to the boys, she added, “Here’s money for the book fair. You both need to buy a book and not a comic.”
The assembled crew of little boys groaned as though she’d asked them to clean the garage or wash their faces.
“Not that Manga either, a book with words and no pictures.” Despite these instructions, she was sure they’d bring comic books home anyway.
She hugged and kissed both disgruntled children, and then Dean ushered them to the door. The bus was close. She could hear it rolling toward their stop.
Dean turned and kissed her, which she received much like the boys had. He also reached around and swatted her on the backside before he headed out the door.
“For crying out loud!” J.J. said as she scooted away. There was not a scenario they’d encountered where Dean refrained from swatting her backside when it was within reach of his wingspan.
“You’re sure about the teacher meeting?”
“Yes. Get the bid out. And don’t forget, lean in on how you’re available for all issues. On sight, SI Building is going to be the main competition and you know their foreman won’t be. You’re going to win on that if your bid is in the same wheelhouse price-wise.”
Dean nodded to let her know he’d forgotten about that point.
Ugh. Well, at least I reminded him.
Dean and the boys were finally out the door. J.J. watched as Dean walked to his truck, and the boys lollygagged over to the bus stop. They were all three slower than J.J. would like.
Why am I always in a hurry, and no one else in this house seems to be?
She locked up the house and started running through ways to avoid canceling Tina Cavanagh’s cut and color.
Tina was a good tipper and a regular. She was also a gossip with a ton of girlfriends to gossip with. J.J. needed Tina’s business. She didn’t want Tina to go elsewhere or, worse, complain about J.J. to all those girlfriends.
J.J. had to keep that appointment. She also couldn’t ditch the parent-teacher meeting.
J.J. would figure out something.This isn’t a manned space mission, for crying out loud. I’ll make it all work.
* * *
Twelve hours later, J.J. had a round brush around Tina Cavanagh’s perfect blond bob with recently refreshed blond roots. She was getting the right bend and assessing the way her hair fell.
Shelly shook the salon phone receiver at her.
“What? This is my last appointment. I can call them back.”
“It’s the school.”
“Crap.”
“I’ll finish.” Shelly took the blow dryer, and J.J. took the phone.
“Yeah, you need to get here,” said the voice on the other end of the line. “This woman, ugh…well, it’s that, or we call the cops.”
“Fine, no don’t do that. Where are my kids?”
“Library.”
J.J. made record time from her job at Hairdo or Dye to the school. She raced past the book sale table and the disapproving looks she knew she was getting.
She made her way to the office, and there it was, The Scene.
“Jackie. What the heck are you doing?”
“I told her that Austin failed his math assessment,” the math teacher explained, “and she didn’t take it well.”
