‘It really is fabulous,’ agreed Effie. ‘I think he does the edges with a ruler.’
‘I’m just glad that I didn’t wear my tuxedo. In case it was a typo,’ Theo clarified.
Effie couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. Theo in a tux would have been a sight to behold. Anyone who looked that good in sweaty running gear would be a force to be reckoned with in a three-piece suit.
‘Oh, you were hoping for some library nuptials?’ she teased, grateful that her nerves weren’t coming through in her voice.
‘Sure. Colour me curious. I’ve seen bookshop proposals, so why not a library wedding with an open guest list? And hopefully an open bar.’
‘Paid for by your generous donation.’
‘Yes indeed.’ Theo shook his head sadly. ‘But alas, a typo.’
‘I don’t make typos,’ said Effie, with faux indignation. She divided her weeding printout in two, clipping one half to a clipboard that she passed to him. ‘Well, I do, but I don’t let them stand. And while we don’t have an open bar, we do have an excellent array of off-brand soft drinks purchased from the on-sale section of the grocery store. Can I tempt you with some Banta or some Mister Pepper?’
‘Mister Pepper?’ Theo chuckled. ‘The underachieving brother of the Doc, huh.’
‘Their parents are disappointed, although they’d never admit it.’
‘Ah, I empathize fully,’ said Theo, jauntily opening and closing the clasp on his clipboard. So, paperwork was a novelty to Theo. The man had clearly never held an admin role in his life.
‘Wow, how are there so many books that deserve weeding?’ he asked as he flipped through the list. ‘Some of these are stunners.The Care and Upkeep of Anglerfish?Toilet Paper Tube Parade Costumes for the Frugally Minded? And this one!Frogs Are My Faves! I’m going to borrow that one right now to keep it in circulation.’
He wandered down the stacks, frowning as he narrowed down his search to a particular section, then triumphantly pulling out a handbound green volume that had clearly been created by a child.
‘It’s magnificent,’ breathed Effie. She’d never seen the little volume before, even though she’d wandered the stacks tens of thousands of times over the years. ‘How did it even end up on the shelves?’
‘It must be part of a class project or something.’ He flipped open the book, looking for a date. Written in pencil on the inside of the back cover wasJune, 1984.
As he read, Effie leaned over his shoulder, shyly at first,then slightly less so as she found herself caught up in the typewritten text and the cut-paper images that had been carefully pasted in by a grade schooler decades earlier.
‘I think frogs are my favourite, too,’ said Theo, chuckling at the particularly fat, big-eyed frog that spanned the midpoint of the book. ‘We absolutely can’t weed this.’
‘Maybe we can do a weeded books display,’ said Effie, drawing back as she realized she’d been about to touch the soft hair at the base of his neck. ‘We could put the most intriguing titles out to encourage people to borrow them.’
‘Or buy them,’ added Theo. ‘With all proceeds supporting the Friends of the Library, of course.’
Effie, now at a safe distance, raised an eyebrow. ‘Look at you, Mr Non-Profit.’
‘It sucks to see something taken out of circulation, but there’s only so much space on the shelves. And in the basement,’ he added, before Effie could jump in. ‘I’ve come in a few times using the elevator, so I’ve seen the chaos down there. It’s a paper fire waiting to happen.’
‘It’s highly organized chaos,’ protested Effie. ‘Every stack of paper has its place.’
‘I’m not sure an insurance company would accept that argument.’
Effie gave him a good-natured shove. Theo turned to her, surprised at the contact, and their eyes met. For a fleeting moment, Effie wondered what it might be like to kiss him.
But no, it was impossible. She was at work, and she’d never do anything to jeopardize her position. Not to mention that for all she knew, Theo was planning an imminent return to the city.
‘Come on,’ she said, breaking his gaze. ‘We’ve got thousands of books to weed, and if you’re wanting a decent selection for the display, we’d better get to it.’
‘How about we get some music going?’ he asked.
Out of sheer habit, Effie almost used her magic to switchon the vintage stereo that sat in the far corner of the downstairs reading room. She remembered herself just as her wrists started to glow, and hurried over to turn it on manually instead.
As golden oldies shimmered across the room, earning a thumbs up from Theo, Effie reminded herself that she was going to have to find the books on her list the old-fashioned way, using her legs and hands rather than the magic that ran through her blood. It would take so much longer than her usual book tidying and sorting efforts, which she managed in a few quick minutes at the end of each night, humming ‘Be Our Guest’ as she did, but she supposed it was a chance for her and Theo to spend a bit of time together. Although nottogethertogether. Together in a way that allowed for some personal space, and that was generally quiet (Effie’s preferred way of spending time with someone).
‘Ben E. King,’ said Theo approvingly as ‘Stand By Me’ came on. He sang along quietly, and surprisingly tunefully.
