Three Christmas Wishes - Krista Wolf Page 0,18

me three times a day, when she should’ve been snorkeling and parasailing and screwing her boyfriend — correction, her fiancé — somewhere beautiful and majestic, like under a waterfall.

“My new piece,” I lied, wincing as I did it. “I can’t wait for you to see it. It turned out amazing.”

“I’m sure it did,” Lynne said encouragingly. “Send me a photo of it. Or better yet, I’ll come see it this weekend. Maybe Friday night, if you and Drake aren’t doing anything, that is.”

Friday night…

My stomach lurched, as a familiar warmth crept over me. I was taking the boys out Friday night. All three of them at once…

“I’ll give you a call,” I said, “and we’ll see what happens. No matter what, we’re getting together soon. There have been some changes in my life,” I teased. “I have a lot to tell you.”

My best friend perked up almost instantly. “Really?”

“Uh huh.”

“What kind of changes?”

“The kind that require a face-to-face meeting,” I told her. “And good coffee.”

“Really good coffee,” Lynne corrected me. “That’s what you promised.”

I laughed. “You got it.”

Hanging up, I realized I still didn’t have anyone to come to the foundry with me tonight. Not that I needed someone, mind you. Everything I needed to do I could accomplish by myself.

I’ll have an assistant.

My promise to Mr. Drumm came back to haunt me, echoing in my mind.

Every pour.

“Shit.”

I thumbed through my contacts, considering my options. I could call Mark, of course. He’d already offered to help. But Mark had his own unique ways of doing things at the foundry, and those ways weren’t anything like mine. He’d only mire every step of the process with unnecessary procedures, leaving me with half a night’s work when I was finally done.

Forget that.

Lynne was too tired. My friend Sandy was out. Gina might come if called, but she’d talk my ear off the whole time, distracting my focus. I’d get even less done with her than with Mark.

You know, you could call one of the guys.

I stared down at my text-message exchange with Brock, which consisted of little more than me sending him my address. I hadn’t even added him to my contact list yet.

He’d come for sure, I thought to myself. Or one of the others would.

Still, I didn’t want to bother them. They were working the tree lot late all week, and I couldn’t ask them to stay up all night with me at some sweaty foundry. Besides, I didn’t want to be distracted, either. And one or more of them present would be a huge — although happy — distraction.

“Just go,” I told myself quietly. “Get your work done. It’s not like the show’s going to wait for you.”

I felt bad, but I also didn’t. Mostly because Mr. Drumm would never know. I’d bitten off more than I could chew in committing so many exhibits to such a prestigious event. But when I’d been selected to be such a big part of the show, I was too overwhelmed with joy and pride to even think about saying no.

I looked at the clock, and realized time was ticking away. If I was going to do my work, clean up, and get back out of the foundry before morning crews arrived, it had to happen right now.

“Put up or shut up,” I told myself firmly, as I reached for my keys.

Fifteen

SLOANE

The buildings loomed large way before we arrived there: two great brick towers, flanking what looked like the most wicked building in the universe. I had a feeling the guys in the back seat knew exactly where we were. But in the passenger seat beside me, Valerio looked utterly in awe.

“Welcome to the Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane,” I declared excitedly.

The road leading up to the building was well-lit with all new streetlights and lanterns. The towers themselves — sinister and dark in every photo I’d ever seen of them — glowed warmly from within.

“Oh man, I’ve heard about this place!” cried Valerio.

“Heard about it?” said Brock. “Back in high school we used to break in and take creepy photos of this place. Back before they fixed it up, anyway.”

Kade nodded. “It was eerie as hell too.”

The Buffalo State Hospital, with it’s Romanesque towers and swooping Gothic architecture was now the ‘Hotel Henry’. As such, the hundred and thirty year-old complex was finally available to the public again, with rooms, convention halls, and even a restaurant.

Much better than that though, they were now doing ghost tours.

“Are we staying here?” Valerio asked