Page 28 of The Toy Maker

“Sorry to interrupt.” Jason walked into the room and glanced around for any more Cherries. “I didn’t expect anyone to be here so early.”

I set down the eyeliner in my hand. “Just getting ready for rehearsal.”

He nodded. “Someone complained about the shower. No water pressure.”

More like no water at all.“Yeah, it makes getting ready difficult.” I swallowed, trying to hide the disappointment settling in my chest. I knew better than to cry, but that didn’t stop my voice from shaking.

“I’m sure it does.” Jason held a tool bag in his hands and walked toward the back of the room, leaving me to handle my grief alone.

“All finished?”I asked as Jason came back into view with a wrench in his hand. My eyes were red, still stinging from the tears I swiped away before they could ruin my makeup.

“Shouldn’t be a problem anymore.” He shrugged, unbothered by the thick cloud of hairspray clinging to the air, threatening to get us both high.

“I had no idea you were a plumberanda toy maker,” I mused.

He shook his head and grinned. “What can I say? I’m a man of many talents.”

“I can’t say the same.” I had tried plenty of things over the years: quilting, drawing, writing, but I always stopped shortly after I began.

“No hobbies?” he asked, quirking a brow.

“Does sleeping count?”

He chuckled. “Depends on what you mean by sleep.”

I shot him a look, but it lacked the heat it should have had. “Just sleep,” I sighed. “But nice try.”

The corners of his mouth twitched, and for a second, he looked like he wanted to push his luck further, but instead, he paused. “Do you have time to look at something?”

I arched a brow, mirroring his earlier expression. “Depends on what I’d be looking at.” It was hours before showtime, and I was fiddling with the straps to my lingerie and whistling show tunes.

“I could use a second opinion on something I’ve been working on.” He strolled to the door, nodding for me to join him. “Come to the workshop if you get too bored.”

I caught myself watching the way his shirt stretched across his shoulders when he turned to leave. A distraction sounded dangerous, but it also sounded like exactly what I needed.

I clicked my tongue and looked around the room, wondering if turning on music would make the silence less deafening.I texted Jade and asked when she’d get here to work on the alterations for the show. After a few minutes with no response, I decided to bite the bullet.

I grabbed a robe and walked past Kitty, who was decorating the floor. Her pink hair stuck up in all directions. When I made it to the back, I questioned my decision to enter. I rationalized that I was only giving my opinion.It couldn’t hurt. Right?

The door slammed shut behind me, and I became painfully aware of how secluded Jason’s workroom was. I started to explore the cluttered tables with sober eyes. Rows of shelves filled the majority of the space and captured my attention.

The shelves were full of unused nuts and bolts with finished prototypes resting on the metal surface. I picked up a translucent dildo sitting on the top shelf, flicking on the switch, and the dildo turned a shade of blue.

My eyes widened.A lightsaber dick.

“It’s a temperature dildo,” Jason explained from behind me.

I recoiled, and the dildo slipped out of my hands. “A what?”

He came over to pick up the toy and play with the switches; it turned red. “You can adjust the temperature.” He held the toy toward me, and I let my fingers slide against the warm surface.

“How does it do that?” I wondered.

“It doesn’t really. Six months of designing and it still runs out of battery too fast,” he sighed.

I decided not to ask for the technicalities.

“Who would use that?” I asked instead.