Page 17 of Henhouse
“It’s better than your full name, so at least we can get on without me insulting you tomorrow,” Effie proclaimed. “Or better yet, I’ll settle for neutral and call you Cardboard.”
“Then my only recourse is to call you Eggplant,” he replied.
“So be it,” Effie said and went back to sipping her drink.
“Where’s Schilling these days?” Talia asked.
Effie took in her surroundings.Why had she and Hope never come here?They liked pool and darts, people watching and a good cocktail. Maybe Effie was too settled in her ways, too sheltered.
“He’s been off lately. Hasn’t wanted to come out much. But what you probably want to know is a bunch of stuff I’m not at liberty to sharewith you,” Theo said pointedly, and Talia pouted.
“You’re no fun,” she whined.
“I’m no gossip,” Theo corrected, and Effie respected that. Even if she had meddled or gossiped more than she should, it was an admirable quality.
“But speak of the devil, isn’t that him?” Talia pointed across the bar to a man with a dark, scruffy beard playing darts by himself. “Hey, Schilling!” Talia yelled. Only Effie seemed to inwardly cringe at the forthright, confident summons.
Schilling about-faced, a smile on his lips at recognizing his friends. He came over to the high-top and joined them. Theo gestured to Effie. “Schilling, this is Eggplant. Eggplant, Schilling.”
“Is that—”
“It’s a bit,” Theo interjected. Schilling raised his brows but took a seat without inquiring further.
Effie doubted that was really his name either, but wanting to maintain some modicum of cool, she merely said, “Nice to meet you.” Effie thought him to be sweetly handsome, and she wondered if Talia had called him over to watch Effie squirm even more.
“What’s that?” Schilling asked, pointing to her drink.
“An Aperol spritz.” His face screwed up like she had said she was drinking pure sludge. “It’s good!” Theo reached over, hesitating as if to ask permission. Effie nodded her consent. He grabbed her glass and sipped. It was an intimate gesture she’d expect from Hope, not a near stranger. His face went sour with the tartness.
“I think your condition has sullied your taste buds, Eggplant,” Theo teased. “Or everything you’re hearing and saying is somehow making that taste better.”
Effie glared. “It doesn’t work like that. Whatever I’m eating or drinking overrides word tastes.”
“I’m lost,” Schilling said.
“Join the club,” Talia ribbed, another dare in her gaze before she took Theo’s palm and traced the contours of his hand, all the while fixing her predatory eyes on Effie. Talia turned to face Theo fully and held tight to his hand. “Come play pool with me, you promised.”
Theo sighed. “I did. We’ll be back.” They took their drinks and wandered to the nearest pool table. Effie watched them a moment. They racked the balls, and Theo leaned over the table to break. Talia craned her neck and planted a kiss on his lips. Effie hated that she could tell just how much tongue was involved. Suddenly, the coaster on the table became very interesting to her.
Schilling side-eyed her. “They’re not together,” he offered.
“Why should I care?”
“In case you did,” he said. “It’s more a pairing of convenience if that makes sense.”
Effie tensed but nodded. Her cheeks were on fire.
“Talia wants more than convenience,” Effie asserted. “She’s enjoying marking her territory.”
“Then why’d you come?” Schilling asked, and he seemed genuinely curious, not judgmental or condescending at all.
“Because I’m a little tired of my life being so plain,” Effie admitted. She wondered if Schilling emitted some kind of truth-telling frequency because she’d never been so transparent in her life. It could have been the kindness of his spirit or the sadness behind his eyes, but Effie felt like he was authentic. Trustworthy. “So I thought I’d see what happened if I did something I wouldn’t normally do.”
“And what do you normally do?” Schilling asked, and Effie was disarmed by his casual tone and willingness to chat. It put her at ease which nicely contrasted the swirling thoughts that usually accompanied the breezy exterior she forced on herself.
“Keep to myself, honestly. I bake, I craft. I taught Theo and Talia how to make faux stained glass. And when I’m not doing those things, I’m reading or trying to keep up with my loud, crazy family.”
“Sounds mostly peaceful.”
