Page 7 of Finding Finn
“Nice to finally meet you.” The tall, muscular GI Joe strode forward with his hand out. I managed to shake it as I stared into his brown eyes.
“You, too. You’re not quite what I was expecting,” I blurted stupidly. I felt my face flush.
Buffy giggled.
“Where would you like to start? Financials?”
“God, no.”
“How about a tour of the theatre?” Jim looked unenthused as he offered.
“That sounds like a great place to start.”
“We had a major renovation about five years ago, and we performed in a church during that time. The light board, grid, and sound system all had a major overhaul. I’m very proud of it.”
“My community theatre had no sound system. So, I guess I'm already impressed.”
“I’m gonna go back to the office. Jim? You’ll bring him in so I can get him situated after the uh… tour?” Her eyes sparkled. Her good humor was contagious and easy to be around.
“Sure.” He sighed loudly.
“Thanks.” I managed, feeling like he wanted to throw me out of the theatre instead of giving me a tour. He may have been hot, but he was a bit of a prick.
“Do you want to start outside?” He gestured to the doors I had just come through.
“Alright. What’s the story with the train?”
He opened the door and we walked outside. “They’ve been here since we opened. They used to be just for decoration, and a decade ago, our old executive director had the idea of turning them into bars to alleviate lobby crowding. It’s easier for people to go outside than try to get a drink in our little lobby.”
“Good idea.” I walked over to the engine. “Why are they red?”
“I have no idea. They always have been.” He crossed his arms, and I tried to look anywhere else but at his biceps.
“Huh?”
“You don’t like the color?” He sounded annoyed.
“No. Not really. It seems so bright and shocking.” I scrunched my face up.
“Well, an engine and caboose sitting in front of a theater are kind of shocking if you’re not expecting it.”
“True. I just think a soft green would blend in better with the wooden deck and all of the plants. Maybe a yellow stripe?”
He huffed. “We can discuss that later. I’m not against repainting, but the town does get used to stuff as it is. Repainting the trains would be fairly expensive. They’d have to be sanded and get a coat of non-rust before we could paint. I'm not sure that’s where you’d want to spend the theatre’s money. But we can look into it if that’s what you want.”
“That’s all I’m asking. The red makes me feel like there’s some kind of impending doom. If I remember correctly, the deck is where you do cabarets in the summer.” I changed the subject.
“Spring and fall, too. We usually do a dessert cabaret series. We put small tables around, and as you can see, there is a platform that creates the stage. We can get a five-piece band and a few singers on stage,” he said proudly.
“Are the platforms removable?” I walked over to the large deck and stood on the edge.
“Sure.”
“It might be nice to do a musical out here during the summer. It’s quite pretty with the small green space in front and the trees behind.” It really was quite pretty.
“We can look into it. I don’t remember us doing anything out here besides cabarets and concerts. But it’s anidea.”
“You don’t like it?” I shook my head. I was not making a good first impression with the hunky tech guy.
