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“I came to properly introduce myself,” he explained. “I run a team of chemical engineers. Now and then we offer technical assistance to other teams. So you can let me know if you need anything from my team.”
“That's quite thoughtful of you. I didn’t know that was what you did, or that those resources were available. That’s wonderful to hear.”
“Probably skipped Daniel’s mind. Besides, we mostly do background work, nothing very flashy.”
“Is it possible to recruit someone from your team?” I asked.
“I don't know if that's possible. There are so many projects going on but I'll check. In the meantime, let me know if you need anything done and the team will help.”
“Definitely,” I promised. He stood still, as though waiting for something.
Just at that same time, the others stood up and began to make moves to leave, stepping out of the lab, one after the other. I put a hand on Amanda's arm as she passed me.
“What's happening?” I asked.
“Oh, we’re all going to get lunch. I hope that’s okay.”
"It’s that time already?" I asked, checking my watch.
“Want me to get you something?" She looked away as she spoke.
“No, thank you.” I smiled. She seemed rather shy, and I didn’t want to get her in trouble with her colleagues who hadn’t quite warmed up to me yet.
Harvey and Matt passed by next, Harvey whispering loudly to a harried looking Matt.
“See those shoes,” he whispered as they passed by me, loud enough for me to hear. “I thought she was a biochemist, not a botanist.” He laughed loudly, and Matt gave a hesitant chuckle, looking a little frightened, honestly.
My face flushed with anger, and yes, embarrassment. It wasn’t even a terribly creative insult. But still… why hadn’t I just worn plain shoes? Why was I trying to stand out? Had I learned nothing in high school? Blending in got you through the tough times. I’d rather be a nobody than be mocked and humiliated like this.
Damien reached his hand out, pulling Harvey back before he walked out the door.
“You will apologize to her.” His voice was hard, leaving no room for argument.
“Hey man!” He tried to get his hand out of Damien's hold, but failed. “Look, it was just a joke. Seriously, I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“She's your direct superior and a respected colleague. Apologize,” he ordered.
Harvey looked around, as though for support, but found Matt had left him on his own. Seeing no way out, he finally turned to me.
“I'm sorry, Dr. Palmer,” he said grudgingly. “Really, I wasn’t trying to be mean. It was just a stupid joke.”
“Good. Now run along,” Damien said, patting him on the back. His tone was so embarrassingly mortifying that redness crept up Harvey's ears as he walked out the door, forgetting to close it.
“Thank you,” I said when it was just us. I couldn’t keep the harsh edge out of my tone or relax my brows that had pulled together in annoyance.
“Yet, you don't look pleased,” he pointed out.
I shrugged.
“If I needed a man to come to my rescue each time something happened, then that only serves to undermine my authority. And I'm afraid this would only serve to strain our work relationship more. I'm still thankful for the support, of course.”
He appeared discomforted. “I’m sorry.”
“No.” I laughed, surprised. He was quite earnest and sincere. It was a little unnerving. “It's all right. I've had to deal with this all my professional life. I'm afraid Harvey and I wouldn't have gotten along, regardless.”
Damien looked slightly more at ease and gave me a smile that lit up the room.
My heart lightened a little. Maybe I have a kindred soul in this craziness after all.
