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“Sorry about that. It’s just a thing I have about my mom. No big deal.”
“I get it, believe me. But if you’re ever ready to talk about it, I’m here.”
“Thanks.” I smiled. No other man I’d been with had even offered such a thing, thinking it easier to just brush over it. “I’ll see you later then.”
“Yeah, for sure.” I could feel his eyes on me as I left, and I tried my hardest not to think about all the ways we could have sex the next time we saw each other.
Lunch and work did not fly by, and there were a few problems I had in particular. First, the research partner Brad had provided was practically useless. He was a newbie, fresh out of college, and very eager, but not quite as informed as I’d hoped. I had to show him everything, and I handed him all the research we’d done so far, sending him files as well.
“Please look all these over, Doug, and we can talk and continue on, dividing our work as soon as you understand the project fully.”
“Of course, Cassie. I’ll get to it, right away!” he scuttled away after that, and I was a bit frustrated that Brad thought him suitable.
When I checked my phone, I saw it was 3pm, and I left my station, walking to one of the empty labs where I spotted Brad and Camilla sitting at one of the tables, looking over some papers together. He stood when I entered, and Camilla grinned at me.
“You’re here!” she said, and my frustration and nervousness with Brad faded in a second.
“Hi, Camilla. I’m ready to see what you’ve done!” I found myself smiling brightly.
It was a thing about this family. It made my dark side sort of fade away and a new, Sadie-like brightness took its place.
“I’ll just head out and leave you guys,” Brad said. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
He walked by me, and I closed my eyes when I felt his hand squeeze mine, and when his scent filled my nose. It was nothing like Jason’s, thankfully, and this new scent drove me crazy, awakening desire each time I smelled it. It really wasn’t fair.
“So, what have you got?” I asked Camilla, sitting down next to her with a smile.
Fifteen minutes later, Camilla had showed me her little project about the different climates in different areas and how they’d changed over the years.
“Wow, this is incredible, Camilla,” I said, brushing my hand across the map. “I don’t think I’ve ever made a project this beautiful.”
Camilla beamed up at me, and I patted her shoulder. “You are going to be such a great scientist. I can’t wait to know what you’ll be studying!”
Like you’ll even know her for that long.
“Thanks, Cassie!” She rolled up the map. “I couldn’t wait to show you. My teacher loved it!”
“Who wouldn’t?” I glanced at my watch and stood. “I guess I should probably take you back to your Dad, since he hasn’t come by yet.”
“Ok.” She grabbed my hand, and when we started walking, she said, “I forgot to give you a card. You were sick, my dad said, and that’s why you left without saying goodbye.”
Damn it.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Camilla, but he was right. I didn’t feel well. I feel so much better now!” I smiled, trying to show her confidence, but she turned her head to the side, studying me, just like her dad did.
“Do you love my Daddy?” she asked, just as I’d gotten the door to the lab open.
My heart rushed into a frenzied beat, and I was instantly clammy. “I’ve only known him a little while, Camilla.”
“That’s true. I guess I don’t know how long it takes to fall in love. But in Little Mermaid, they fall in love in three days!”
I laughed. “That’s true. I…I like him.”
Why am I admitting this to a six-year-old? Am I a lunatic?
“Good. He likes you too.” She grinned up at me, and I felt my heart lighten.
Did he really? That thought made me happy, like really, really happy. Now that I was free of Jason, I thought maybe I should try to take a step forward in direction with Brad.
