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BRAD
Geez, I knew people hated me at this lab, but I didn’t know they hated me enough to practically crash into me. I was used to all sorts of angry outbursts, but nothing like this. The woman who’d hit me was tall and thin, so it didn’t hurt or anything, yet I took it as an insult.
“Here I thought scientists were meant to be skilled at navigation,” I said, leaning down to help her, and I saw she had a tiny tattoo of a skull behind her ear.
I thought it a unique choice, and then she looked up, and we locked eyes. I had never seen eyes like that before. Gray, like what the gulf looked like after a big storm had hit. They had the breath stopping in my chest, and I opened my mouth, unable to say anymore words after that.
This woman was beautiful. Like crazy beautiful. She had one of those faces you didn’t want to stop looking at. Her skin was light, but her hair was dark, almost black, cut into a cute pixie style.
But her surprised look soon changed into an angry one. “You could also watch whereyou’regoing.”
She gathered up the rest of her papers and then looked at the pocket on my shirt as we both stood.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not sure who you are. I don’t see your ID badge. There are no unidentified personnel allowed in the lab. Surely, you get that.” She looked around me toward the door and the pair of security guards. “You should be wearing your badge, and you could get one from the front desk.” She held hers up for his inspection. “Dan,” she called, turning away from me to speak to the security guard at the entrance. “Can you please help with this? If this gentleman is unidentified, then he needs to be removed from the premises.”
She hooked a thumb in my direction, and I lifted my eyebrows at her, never having been spoken to before like this. Curse of the rich man, I suppose. People automatically try to be nice to you. Gets a little old.
Dave shuffled over to us, his large, intimidating figure not matching the concerned, embarrassed look on his face.
“Cassie, this is Dr. Foster. The new lab owner.”
Cassie. I’m meant to meet with a Cassie this morning.
She didn’t look at me right away. She just gave Dave a quick smile. “Thanks,” she said in a smaller, less angry voice.
I let out a breathy laugh, and slowly, she turned around.
“Hello, Cassie. Miss Williams, is it? Brad Foster.” I didn’t hold out a hand to shake hers. She’d shown no respect, so why should I? Instead, I looked at my watch. “I believe we are meant to have a meeting this morning?”
Right then, I cursed myself for not having looked over the employee profile images in full before our meeting. I hadn’t had time. I would have remembered her if I’d seen her picture. Although I was sure a picture didn’t do her justice.
“You’ve got some files for me?” I asked, holding out an upturned hand in which she slapped the file folder.
She gave me at tight-lipped smile. “Dr. Foster,” she said. “Yes, you’re right. I was on my way to your office right now.”
“Well, perhaps we should go together?” I suggested, turning toward the hallway, enjoying her squirming just a bit too much.
I always liked taking down people from their high horse.
Clearing her throat, she shook her head and held up a finger. “Just a minute. I have to grab one more thing, and then I’ll be there.”
“Suit yourself.” I flashed her one of my usual smiles, but it didn’t have the usual effect.
Her beautiful gray eyes narrowed slightly, and then she stalked off, back straight, shoulders tense, fists clenching at her sides. She looked like a very stiff lab coat, and I chuckled to myself as I walked to my office, holding the files.
I’d been having a shit time at the lab, everyone arguing, people not doing their jobs, and targets not being hit that needed to be. I thought it would be a lot easier running a lab, since I managed one a few years back, but now, everyone acted as if it was all personal. Like I was coming in and ruining their lives.
Science wasn’t personal. It was science; it was facts; it was true and logical. That’s what I loved about it. It didn’t get messy like it did with people. Everything was right there in front of you; you just had to find it. Science was like a beautiful safe haven that I could always escape to whenever my person life became too much. It had sometimes taken up too much time when it had come to my children, but in the end, I loved it. Working gave me something that life did not. A sense of self-respect.
I flopped into the chair in my office and opened the files. It was the updated work from all the researchers. I’d had to fire a few people who weren’t showing up on time, were taking far too many vacation days, and who simply weren’t pulling their weight. Now, hopefully, we were running lean and could get some real work done. Some important funding had just come in, and I wanted to use it to head up the right projects.
I spotted Cassie’s name as I had before on one of the main HIV research projects going on. I tapped at the name on the page. She’d been working with the man I’d just fired.
Will have to find a replacement for her. Ah, that’s probably why she looked at me like I was the Devil himself.
There was a knock at the door, and instinctively I stood, my eyes not leaving her as she entered, looking only slightly subdued by our awkward interaction.
But still, God she was beautiful. Mesmerizing. Now that I could see her in full, she had an incredible body hidden under that lab coat. Her clothes were black, and they hugged her curves, drawing my eyes there. Hastily, I looked up. Women didn’t appreciate being ogled, especially not by strange men they loathed. Her glancing at me still made my chest tighten, and as I sat down, I cleared my throat, hoping it would ease the feeling.
