him, her baby. He breathed in deeply.
But this is different. Lia must be around here. Or she just had to go somewhere.
Colin stood up, his legs shaky. He was still naked. I guess I never got dressed after last night. The thought of the previous night made him ache for Lia’s soothing touch. A piece of paper on his desk caught his eye. Lia. She left me a note.
Sorry I had to take off. I had a great time. See you later?
That’s it? After the most incredible night he’d ever had? It hadn’t been his first time, but it was the only time he had cried after sex. Lia hadn’t noticed the tears streaming down his cheeks after he had come. He had pretended to fall asleep, but his body had been rushing with raw emotion.
I’m sure there’s a reason. She’s not like that. Colin dressed himself, grabbing the clothes strewn on the floor from last night. She’ll be in lab, and she can explain.
Colin left the house without eating breakfast. His stomach felt too queasy for food. He moved faster than usual, impatient to get into lab.
*************
Lia finally walked into lab around noon that morning. She tried to sneak in so that no one would notice how late she was. Of course, she banged her foot on one of the metal trash cans and everyone looked up. She saw that Colin was busy working at his bench pouring some solutions. When he heard her, he turned to face her. “Late night, huh?”
Lia blushed. Oh God. Colin. He was wearing the rumpled clothes from last night, and there were bags under his eyes. His hair was standing up in odd places, and stubble covered his cheeks and chin.
“Um, yeah…”
“Thanks for the note. You know, I was looking for you.” His eyes turned downwards. His voice wavered and ended on an inflection, sounding more like a question.
“Um yeah, I didn’t want to impose on you or anything.” Lia avoided his eyes.
Colin came over and touched her arm lightly. Lia felt the desire bubbling inside her again. She moved his hand, and turned to start her work. Must not think about him. Must work.
Lia was eager to set up her experiments. That was the problem with starting late in the day. Now she would be stuck in lab until much later.
Colin leaned over. “When you have a minute can we discuss your work? Dr. P wants me to update him.” He stood there, waiting for an answer.
Lia felt the butterflies in her stomach again. She had a hard time getting her breath. I hope he can’t tell.
“Just let me get these proteins spinning.”
“Okay.”
Colin moved back to his bench and Lia began to lay out the solutions she needed. She was deep in concentration when she felt someone standing next to her.
“So, what’s up with you and Colin?” Farahnaz stood there, her dark eyes focused on Lia. She wore tight jeans and a fitting top that showed off her ample chest.
Are you serious?
“Uh…”
She came so close to Lia that she could hear her breaths. “He’s a player, you know.”
Lia’s mouth felt glued shut.
Farahanaz’s eyes gleamed and she gave Lia a tight smile. “Good luck with your experiment.”
Lia’s hands were shaking and she had to make an effort not to spill her protein samples. Breathe, breathe. Colin said there’s nothing going on.
Lia wanted to trust Colin. After last night, how could she not trust him? She buried the seeds of doubt deep inside herself. There was no way she was going to let Farahnaz mess things up for her right now.
Once her protein samples were spinning on the centrifuge, Lia walked over to Colin. He looked up right away when he heard her.
“You have a few minutes?” he asked.
“Yup, I'm free for about 45 minutes.”
“So, what have you been doing?”
“I’ve just been getting the wild type plasmids so I can purify the protein. Then I’ll start working on the mutant.”
“Sounds good. Are you having any issues so far?”
“I'm just following the procedure I got from the paper. It's pretty
But this is different. Lia must be around here. Or she just had to go somewhere.
Colin stood up, his legs shaky. He was still naked. I guess I never got dressed after last night. The thought of the previous night made him ache for Lia’s soothing touch. A piece of paper on his desk caught his eye. Lia. She left me a note.
Sorry I had to take off. I had a great time. See you later?
That’s it? After the most incredible night he’d ever had? It hadn’t been his first time, but it was the only time he had cried after sex. Lia hadn’t noticed the tears streaming down his cheeks after he had come. He had pretended to fall asleep, but his body had been rushing with raw emotion.
I’m sure there’s a reason. She’s not like that. Colin dressed himself, grabbing the clothes strewn on the floor from last night. She’ll be in lab, and she can explain.
Colin left the house without eating breakfast. His stomach felt too queasy for food. He moved faster than usual, impatient to get into lab.
*************
Lia finally walked into lab around noon that morning. She tried to sneak in so that no one would notice how late she was. Of course, she banged her foot on one of the metal trash cans and everyone looked up. She saw that Colin was busy working at his bench pouring some solutions. When he heard her, he turned to face her. “Late night, huh?”
Lia blushed. Oh God. Colin. He was wearing the rumpled clothes from last night, and there were bags under his eyes. His hair was standing up in odd places, and stubble covered his cheeks and chin.
“Um, yeah…”
“Thanks for the note. You know, I was looking for you.” His eyes turned downwards. His voice wavered and ended on an inflection, sounding more like a question.
“Um yeah, I didn’t want to impose on you or anything.” Lia avoided his eyes.
Colin came over and touched her arm lightly. Lia felt the desire bubbling inside her again. She moved his hand, and turned to start her work. Must not think about him. Must work.
Lia was eager to set up her experiments. That was the problem with starting late in the day. Now she would be stuck in lab until much later.
Colin leaned over. “When you have a minute can we discuss your work? Dr. P wants me to update him.” He stood there, waiting for an answer.
Lia felt the butterflies in her stomach again. She had a hard time getting her breath. I hope he can’t tell.
“Just let me get these proteins spinning.”
“Okay.”
Colin moved back to his bench and Lia began to lay out the solutions she needed. She was deep in concentration when she felt someone standing next to her.
“So, what’s up with you and Colin?” Farahnaz stood there, her dark eyes focused on Lia. She wore tight jeans and a fitting top that showed off her ample chest.
Are you serious?
“Uh…”
She came so close to Lia that she could hear her breaths. “He’s a player, you know.”
Lia’s mouth felt glued shut.
Farahanaz’s eyes gleamed and she gave Lia a tight smile. “Good luck with your experiment.”
Lia’s hands were shaking and she had to make an effort not to spill her protein samples. Breathe, breathe. Colin said there’s nothing going on.
Lia wanted to trust Colin. After last night, how could she not trust him? She buried the seeds of doubt deep inside herself. There was no way she was going to let Farahnaz mess things up for her right now.
Once her protein samples were spinning on the centrifuge, Lia walked over to Colin. He looked up right away when he heard her.
“You have a few minutes?” he asked.
“Yup, I'm free for about 45 minutes.”
“So, what have you been doing?”
“I’ve just been getting the wild type plasmids so I can purify the protein. Then I’ll start working on the mutant.”
“Sounds good. Are you having any issues so far?”
“I'm just following the procedure I got from the paper. It's pretty
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