“Holy shit, I was just messing with you, but itisa lady.” He shoves my shoulder. “Wonder of wonders.”
“No. It can’t be. Not like that. We work together. She’s leaving in a few weeks.” I give the same excuses I have told myself so many times.
“Oh yeah, because people in offices never hook up.”
“I don’t care what other people do. It’s what I don’t do. Plus …” I trail off, hating where I was about to go.
“Whaaaat?” He drags out the question.
“Plus she’s incredibly sexy and funny as hell. And talented. Really talented. And I’m a chubby nerd with no social life.”
“Oh, come on.” He rolls his eyes and I frown. “Is that really how you see yourself?” he asks with eyes wide.
I cross my arms and look away. This was a humiliating thing to admit to anybody. Let alone your much better-looking younger brother.
“Dude,” he says. “You’re like a fucking prodigy and you’re good looking. I can say that because I’m comfortable with my masculinity.” He straightens and pretends to brush lint off his shoulder. “Also because you look like me.”
“So modest,” I say.
“She must be something awesome because I’ve never heard you talk about someone like that.”
I’m a man of science, of course, but there is no easy way to explain why it feels so right to be around Julia. There’s a scientific explanation that I just can’t wrap my mind around yet, like trying to explain cell phone technology to a neanderthal. I guess it just feels good to be around her. It doesn’t have to be any more than that.
Also, she has superpowers and I’m risking my entire professional career to help her and also if she touches me, I might die. Good times.
“It’s complicated,” I settle on.
“Oh shit. You’ve got it so bad. I can’t wait to meet her and humiliate you,” he says with a laugh.
And in that moment, I don’t care what he thinks about me and the woman I can never have because he’s safe and smiling and that’s all that matters. I have a contract to deliver and a business to secure. Because my whole world is standing right in front of me and I will do whatever it takes to protect him. Monday, I have to tell Julia the risks. This crush has to end. It’s unnecessary complications. Saving the contract is important. Giving Lincoln a future is all that matters.
