Page 16 of Henhouse
“Indulge me. I want to know if Theo is better or not.”
Effie was truly hesitant. Even hearing words left her with faint flavors. Not as strong or recognizable as when she said the word, but shealready knew what Theo tasted like. She didn’t need him knowing that, though, because it wasn’t any better. In fact, from Effie’s perspective, it was much, much worse.
“I doubt it changes much,” Effie warned. It struck her as funny that she hadn’t considered trying to shorten his name before now. Maybe because everyone always asked if Effie was short for something, she didn’t like to assume any alterations were fair play.
“Just try it,” he coaxed, and it sounded flirtatious.But that couldn’t be right, not with Talia there reminding him he promised to go to the Tipsy Moose after this and finding any excuse to brush up against him. “I’m not going to give up on this.”
“Fine,” Effie said. “What a lovely cardinal . . . Theo.” Effie’s eyes nearly rolled back in her head, and her tongue reached for the corner of her mouth where she’d certainly find—Hope. Honeyed ham.Tibby.Thyme.Grams.Graham crackers. She forced herself to think through different name tastes to clear her palate, but the damage was done.
“That certainly seems like an improvement,” Mrs. Robecheck remarked from her stool, and Effie blushed.She really needed to learn to control her damn face.She quickly averted her gaze, though her skin prickled with Theo’s attention.
“Definitely not cardboard,” Effie offered by way of explanation.
Talia had a wicked grin on her face. “Oh, this is fun.”
Theo reached for her like he was going to grab her hand to calm her.God, how bad had her face been?She bounced with nerves as his hand got closer, but en route he knocked his arm into his glass of wine that sat precariously near the edge. Unfortunately, it perched above Effie’s open tote and cascaded all over her things.
Theo scrambled, grabbing for the roll of paper towels in the center of the table. He hurriedly unpacked her tote, dabbing at everything before Effie could even dismount her stool. “Shit. I’m sorry,” he said as he continued to blot the mess. Effie could do nothing to stop the atrocious tang on her tongue. Theo noticed. “Shit—Sorry again.”
“Just stop saying it,” Effie blurted.
“Right. Sorry,” he said, embarrassed.
Effie crouched before him as he pulled the novel she’d been reading from the bag. The one whose cover depicted a broad-chested pirate hoisting the thigh of a busty wench over his midsection as he pressed her against the wheel of his ship in the middle of a rainstorm. Rippling pectorals and stacked abs were on full display beneath his drenched shirt, now also drenched in wine. Theo’s grin went crooked as he looked at the cover, then at Effie. She snatched it from him before Talia could see.
“I’ll buy you a new copy. If I could just get the title,” he teased, clearly enjoying the fire in Effie’s cheeks. She scowled back at him.
“That’s not necessary,” she asserted, tucking the book onto a shelf of the cutting table. Theo held her wine-stained bag in his hands as he stood.
“You have to let me apologize somehow,” he argued.
“It’s not a big deal. I have other bags.”
“And other books?” Effie could have melted under the heat of his gaze. He enjoyed this far too much.Wasn’t he just going to comfort her?Now, he goaded her with flirty looks he had no right to be sharing when he was on a date.
“Yes.” He kept staring. So did Talia. “Is this another thing you’re not going to let go of?”
“Decidedly not,” Theo asserted. “Let me apologize.”
10
Effie normally wouldn’t have acquiesced and joined Theo and Talia at the bar after class. It had to be a symptom of her interest in people watching. It was the only explanation for why she would willingly subject herself to a night out with near strangers as a third wheel, retribution for wine-stained romance novels aside. Or maybe she just wasn’t finished studying Theo, yet.
Aunt Bea had also suggested she stay open to possibilities, so she couldn’t very well say no to spontaneity even if the invite was purely apologetic. Despite Theo’s innocent intentions it seemed Talia wanted to use it as an opportunity to tease Effie and stake her claim on the brooding safety inspector. It was highlighted by the fact that she kept saying Theo’s name, trying to elicit some kind of reaction from her.
God was definitely testing her at this point.
Effie took her Aperol spritz and followed Theo and Talia to a high-top in the corner of the Tipsy Moose. They weren’t the only ones casting judgmental looks at her fruity red drink in the dark wood bardecorated with branded beer posters, dart boards, and a large faux moose head wearing sunglasses.
“You don’t go out much, do you?” Talia asked before sipping the pale ale, IPA, something-or-other that was locally brewed.
“What makes you say that?” Effie asked and followed Talia’s gaze to her spritz. “I don’t get weird looks at the Book and Bar,” she said a bit sheepishly before taking a sip.
There was an awkward beat that ended in Talia scooting a bit closer to Theo. He didn’t resist but didn’t engage fully either. Effie couldn’t tell what they were about, so she continued to sip her drink a bit too quickly. Theo spoke first. “You shared soggy cardboard but won’t tell me what Theo tastes like?” Effie relished the tart cocktail on her tongue that kept her from experiencingTheoonce more.
“It’s irrelevant,” Effie argued.
“Unlikely,” Talia chimed. She held a dare in her gaze, but Effie refused to take the bait. Her face must have been very telling earlier if Talia wasn’t letting it go.
