Page 36 of Connectio

“Your T-shirt looks funny,” Jet says.

Emma scratches her head. “Tap That? What does that mean?”

I plaster on a smile even though I’m annoyed. It’s a crass T-shirt, and I wouldn’t be wearing it if Oliver and Will weren’t idiots.

Stupid men.

Raising my finger to my lips, I make a shush sound then point to Oliver, indicating they should all pay attention to him before I make my way to the back of the room where Will is packing his tools back into his toolbox.

“All done?” I ask, noticing he’s reattached the tap to the sink.

“Not quite.” He glances at my attire and smirks.

I smooth the T-shirt down. “It’s a little big, but… thank you.”

“You’re welcome. And, yes, I will.”

“Will what?”

He gestures toward me. “Tap that.”

A growl emanates in my throat, but I hold it down. “In your dreams.”

“Been there, done that.”

The growl comes out.

He winks. “I have a few more things to check.” Will looks around the room and into the adjoining classroom. “Are there any toilets here?”

“Yes. But they’re for the kids. You can use the toilet in the office building if you like.”

He lowers his voice. “I don’t need to take a piss, Elizabeth. I need to flush out the pipes while the mains are switched off.”

My cheeks heat. “Oh, yes, of course.”

“Could you let everyone in the building know not to use the toilets or taps until I’m done?”

“Sure.”

“Thanks.” He gestures to the T-shirt once again. “Looks good on you.”

I glance down, my face scrunched, and he walks away.

“Ms Hanson?” Jacey Preston is shuffling on the spot, legs crossed.

I don’t need to ask what she wants, so I just say, “You’ll have to come with me. Our normal toilets are broken.”

Her smile shows more discomfort than relief, so we make our way into the office, and I give her permission to use the toilet adjacent to the sick bay.

“She’s not gonna spew, is she?” Carly asks, glancing over my shoulder. “You can deal with her if she does. I’ve done my quota of kid spew this year.”

“She’s not going to be sick. She’s just using the toilet. Will said not to let anyone use the toilets or taps in our building until he says otherwise. Do you mind making an announcement to that effect, please?”

“Sure. But does that mean I’m gonna be inundated with midgets needing to poop and pee all afternoon?”

“I don’t know, probably.”

Carly pulls the type of face you pull when you realise you just stepped in dog shit, and I can’t help but internally laugh. She’s not a fan of kids, which begs the question as to why she works in a primary school… with kids. Lots of kids.