12. CHAPTER TWELVE
The stock room was spotless. Everything had been organized in tall racks securely fastened to the block walls—per Theo’s instructions.
The impediments to the exits had been cleared, and Effie had even managed to get someone in to work on the emergency lights within the week.
They were going on minute seventy-five of burn time when Theo checked the timer on his phone.
He stretched his arms overhead, his clipboard resting on his lap.
He groaned against the ache in his back.
Theo commandeered a small metal chair to sit on while he waited the ninety minutes for the safety lights, and it was anything but comfortable.
This was the least entertaining part of his job, waiting for the lights.
Sometimes he would bring a book or his journal that housed all his poetry, but today, he’d left them in the van.
Stupidly.
Given his last visit here he thought he would have a verbal sparring match with one Miss Effie Thatcher while he performed the tests, but she was happily occupied in the store claiming she’d leave him to it , after smugly showcasing the hard work she had done in the back warehouse.
If she had any thoughts about how Talia flaunted her affections for Theo and how he hadn’t brushed her off, Effie didn’t show it.
Didn’t even mention last night. It was almost disappointing.
He sat alone in the back room listening to the trill of her laughter roll through the door he left propped open to his right.
Irritating as their first encounter had been, at least he’d had her attention.
He supposed that was something that he and Talia had in common. Their inane desire to be desired. They had bonded over the fact that neither had come into their confidence until college, at which point the fawning and flirting became like a drug.
He exhaled, his head lolling to the side.
He hated that part of himself actually. The one that reveled in being looked at, admired, even if it was just for his strong jaw and curated muscle mass.
It was vapid and went against everything he stood for, but he couldn’t resist the allure of a sensual gaze meant only for him.
He supposed he had years as the quiet emo theater kid to blame for that.
He hadn’t realized until he was seventeen and cast as Kilroy in Kilroy Was Here that he was someone who could be deemed a heartthrob.
Putting on the armor of the character and wardrobe that showed off his lean muscles stirred something in him—the power of a good story.
So the one he wrote about himself became one of confidence and romance.
One that would garner sultry looks at frat parties and respect on poetry slam nights.
Sometimes he wondered if he was being his authentic self, or if he was only ever playing a part—the chiseled, roguish worker by day, brooding poet by night.
But he realized, that in all likelihood, it didn’t matter.
In truth, everyone was playing a part. Best he could do was pray he’d find the fellow cast members that took his life in a more meaningful direction.
Aside from Schilling and his own family who were scattered across the country, he wasn’t sure he’d found them yet.
He sighed again checking the time. Ten more minutes. He gazed at the safety light that flickered once, willing it to stay lit so he wouldn’t have to fail them again. It seemed to listen as time ticked on.
Effie poked her head through the open doorway. “Having fun?”
“The most,” Theo crooned, eyebrows raising.
Effie wandered into the warehouse, arms crossed tight over her chest as she leaned against the wall. She looked like she was freezing or holding herself together. Theo wasn’t sure which.
“Didn’t know what version of you I’d get today, Cardboard. Surly safety guy or kind-of-cool craft guy, so I thought it best to steer clear.”
“Kind of cool?”
Effie shrugged, but her smile spread wide, indicating that she thought he was more than kind of cool , and it did ridiculous things to his ego. His own smile must have shown it because she said, “Don’t be so smug.” She scrunched her face like she’d bitten into something sour.
“Seems like it doesn’t pay to be sassy there, Effie dear,” he chided.
“Don’t call me that,” she barked, and he couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Why not?”
“My grandmother calls me that.”
“Noted,” Theo said as the timer on his phone went off. “Good news, Eggplant. You passed.”
“Don’t call me that either. ”
“Sign here.” He pointed to the line at the bottom of the page that acknowledged they had gone over everything and that she released his company from any liability regarding accidents in the future.
Just because it was his job to be thorough and make everyone as safe as possible didn’t mean that things didn’t occasionally go sideways and result in someone getting hurt.
He watched as Effie signed her name with a flourish, dotting the i with a little heart. “Do you always do that?” he found himself asking, and some insane part of him wished she did it just for him.
“Always,” she said. “It was cutesy when I was twelve and I never stopped.”
He took the clipboard back and lingered a beat. “What are you doing this weekend?”
“Why? You want me to watch Talia shove her tongue down your throat again?”
So she had seen, and it irked her. Apparently . “No? What?”
“I know you didn’t really want me to come out last night. You were being nice and expected me to say no,” she said a touch softer like she battled between her armor and her vulnerability.
“That’s not true.” Except that it was. He may have shared Talia’s penchant for attention but definitely did not get off on awkward social interactions the way she did.
It was like she was making up for all the bullying she’d endured by being a pot-stirring flirt in her twenties.
Theo didn’t know what else to say, because the look on Effie’s face told him she didn’t believe him anyway.
“But I’m glad you let me join,” she admitted. “It was nice to do something different with new people. Even if Talia thought it was some kind of drama. Which it wasn’t, by the way. You’re not my type,” she said flatly.
Also noted. Wow, she knew how to draw hard lines real fast. He didn’t catch her gaze dipping to his biceps or his hair or anything. “Well, I guess we’re done here.”
“Guess so.” Effie sighed, and Theo couldn’t read the emotion behind her eyes as she forced herself to hold his gaze. Like eye contact was a challenge. It had his skin prickling, so maybe it was. He nodded once and made for the door, pausing in front of her, his face mere inches from hers.
“See you around, Effie Thatcher.”
“Bye, Theo,” she said through tight teeth, and he swore he heard her breath hitch behind his name.
But it didn’t matter. Effie was as infuriating as the first day they met, but now for totally different reasons. He stalked through the store, giving Basil a terse wave before exiting to his van and leaving Effie—and the attention she’d stopped giving—behind. Good riddance.