Susan scanned the handwritten sign. Perfect. Mrs. Penrith had done well with her organization. “We need to mark the places for the people throwing the eggs to stand. One for the person throwing the egg and one for the person catching. The first one should be easy, and we’ll do about four different levels, getting progressively harder.”
Once they’d marked the egg-throwing course to her satisfaction, Susan organized the two teenagers to spread the word and let people know they were in business.
“Are you really the prize?” one of them asked.
“Yes, Mrs. Penrith asked if I’d donate my time for the winning team. I can bake a cake, do some housework or teach dancing.”
“A date?” Tyler asked.
“Yes.” Susan shot him a frown. “Can you tell people that?” she asked the girls.
Tyler waited until the girls were out of earshot. “Are there any rules against me entering?”
Susan shrugged. “You’ll need a partner and the entrance fee.”
“I think I can manage that. Will you be okay on your own while I round up my partner?”
“Sure. Oh, look. My first two victims.” Susan grinned at two teenage boys. “Would you like to try? Can you throw the egg without it breaking?”
“Are the eggs boiled?” one of the boys asked.
“No.” Susan smiled and offered a dare. “Do you think you can do it? Since you’re my first interested customers, why don’t I give you a go for free?”
“Okay,” one of the boys said. “You throw,” he said to his mate. “I’m a better catch.”
“It wasn’t my fault I dropped the ball,” the other boy snapped. “If you’d thrown a better pass I might have caught it.”
“You guys play rugby?” Susan asked.
“Yeah,” the first guy said. “We’re in the first fifteen.”
“Perfect. Here’s an egg. We’ve marked out the different stages. If you can toss your egg and catch it without breaking it, you can move up to the next level. Think you can do that?”
“No sweat. You can take us out to the new movie that’s starting in Napier next week.”
A laugh rippled from her, part surprise and part entertainment at his attitude. “I like your confidence. Show me what you’ve got.” She gave one of them an egg and carefully observed to make sure they stood on the lines.
Tyler arrived with an older woman in tow just as the two boys were going to throw. “Here’s my partner,” he said. “Josie, meet Susan. We’re going to win a date with her.”
“Hi, Josie.” She’d heard a lot about his mother-in-law and instantly liked the bright, smiling woman. “Ready?” she shouted at her first two victims. “They think this is easy,” she said to Josie and Tyler.
“Catch!” the guy throwing yelled.
The egg flew through the air.
“Aw!” The other teenager caught the egg, but it wentsplatin his hands.
“You want to try that again?” Susan shouted.
“Yeah. I’m throwing this time.”
“And you’re also paying this time,” Susan said.
“I’ll take the money for you, dear,” Josie said.
Tyler slipped his arm around Susan and steered her to the start line. He glanced at the boys then pinched her bottom.
Susan jumped and let out aneepof surprise.
