Page 70 of Apparently, I’m Trouble

He gestured toward me but spoke to Kira as he said, “Miss Gem is worried about the porch. I need to fix the damage your teacher caused.”

I scoffed. “The gap I made is teeny.”

“Teeny things can lead to big problems,” he teased. “I thought you knew that better than anyone.”

Kira’s gaze flitted between us. “I can’t believe you guys aren’t arguing.”

“The night is young, love. We’re just warming up.”

“And you should warm up with Miles while I fix the set,” Theo said to Kira, and her face fell.

Something told me that kissing in front of her father was a huge mood killer for her. And while rehearsals for the kiss scene could wait, I hated the thought of this sweet girl missing her long-awaited first kiss with the boy she was crushing on.

So, while kicking myself, I said, “You can fix it tomorrow. I’ll let you in.”

Theo’s brows shot up. “You’ll let me in?”

I nodded, already regretting it. “I have keys. It won’t be a problem.”

His mouth flattened into a straight line. He was worried. Well, that made two of us. Him and me, alone in an empty space with nothing and no one to distract us. No clients to see, no classes to teach. It wasn’t a smart move.

Kira was syrupy sweet as she lifted onto her toes and clasped her hands together. “Please, Dad? I just need, like, twenty minutes.”

I laughed. Oh, poor dear sweet little dove. She had no idea how sore her lips would be after this.

“Actually, Miss Gem thinks this scene will take a bit longer than that,” I told her.

Theo squeezed his eyes shut and thrust his hands into his pockets. “I’ll wait outside then.”

He walked out before Kira could react, but once he left the room, it was as if he’d taken her energy with him.

“Did he seem upset to you?” she asked.

“He’ll be fine.”

She turned her big baby blues on me. “Could you talk to him?”

I tried to look stern, but a cranky puppy would’ve been more fearsome than me. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“But you like each other now, right?”

I hesitated. I liked her father so much that, for all our sakes, I needed to stay away from him.

“Like is a strong word. I don’t think he wants me out there."

She made a face. “I just don’t want him, you know, thinking about me.”

I knew what she meant. Still, I shook my head.

“Please? Just for a minute?”

No. Absolutely not. Kira didn’t know what she was asking me to do.

Gem sidled up to me and thrust a short stack of papers into my hands. “Oh, go on, will you? And give him these. He needs to sign them.”

Kira did a little dance on the spot, then sang, “Thanks, Miss Gem,” as she hurried back to the stage.

Everything in me sank. “These are insurance forms. He was meant to sign these before he put the porch together.”