“Callie works at the gallery, duh.She’s our boss.”
Theo let out a nervous half-laugh as his verdant gaze met hers.He looked like he’d seen a ghost.
“Callie is...the manager of the gallery?”
Spike nodded.“I mean, she’s faculty and Brian’s right hand since he took over so—” Spike said as Izzy poured herself a cup of coffee, not bothering to offer anyone else a mug.
She continued her spiel.“Can we focus here?Yes, Callie is the manager of the gallery.No we’re not here for you—” Isabelle regarded Theo with a judgmental look before gazing back at Calliope.
“We’re here because when we got there, the gallery was already open...sort of.”
“What do you mean, sort of?”Calliope asked, noting that Theo had gotten marginally closer than she had realized.She shifted out of his space, feeling equal parts anxious and vulnerable.
Theodore was astudent.And not just any student, butherstudent.A student who would be working underneath her in the gallery.
Calliope had patrons from all walks of life, but in the time she’d been attending and working at the university, she’d never taken astudentas a patron.For starters, the idea felt icky to her.Calliope did not prefer to be in positions of power over her patrons.Her job was simply to give, to support.Not to command.
And she certainly didn’t feel right getting involved with a student inherwheelhouse.
But the truth was unavoidable at that moment.
She hadn’t known who Theo was, and he hadn’t known who she truly was, either.But now that sheknew, it was not something she could forget.
She did not want to take advantage of her student, heremployee.It was a line she had never crossed, and she wasn’t certain she wanted to now, of all times.No matter how perfect Theodore’s kiss was, or how he’d made her feel.
I knew this was a mistake...
Gods, I have really done it this time.
“Well, when we got to the gallery, the doors were unlocked, and they were wide open,” Spike said carefully.
“Did you forget tolockthem?”Calliope challenged.
Izzy sipped her coffee, shaking her head, the motion making her golden hair sway back and forth.“Nope, Spike said he and Lora triple checked it last night.Those doors were definitely locked,” Izzy said.
“So obviously we checked the displays and everything to make sure everything was accounted for, and that’s when—” Spike wrung his hands nervously.
Calliope felt a sinking feeling in her stomach as she looked between Spike and Isabelle.
“Everything was...accounted for...right?”Calliope asked, her voice shaking.
Spike shook his head.“No, Callie, I’m afraid something was missing.”
Calliope closed her eyes, sucking in a breath as she tried to focus.“What was missing, Spike?”
But it was Isabelle who answered.“The diviner was missing.”
Calliope felt her knees buckle from the weight of the words.But before she could fall to the ground, she felt warm, steady hands at her hips, holding her still.Even with her eyes closed, she knew she would recognize that touch anywhere.
It would be impossible to forget.
She opened her eyes to see Theo, his eyebrows furrowed, those deep green pools imploring her gaze.The desire to get lost and fall into them was prevalent, but she did not have time for such things.Not when the gallery had been burglarized, not when the object of such desires was her newest employee.
So she pushed Theo’s hands off of her and backed away, toward Spike.
“You are sure?”she turned to him, giving Theo her back.
Spike nodded, meeting her gaze.“Positive.”
