Page 15 of See Me After Class

Oh, hell.

Leon was right outside, leaning against the wall with a speculative smirk on his face.

"I need coffee," I remarked.

"Who said I don't?" He pushed off from the wall, and the both of us began making our way to the institute's small cafeteria housed in the top floor, which was also home to the Oncology and Regenerative Medicine units.

We maintained a stoic silence until I had a cup of hot beverage in my hands. I dropped down into a corner seat by a window. Leon got himself a croissant and a cup of milk tea.

"They make those in the morning."

"So?" he asked, raising one eyebrow at me. "Doesn't make them any less flaky or delicious." He bit into the buttery bread, tearing off about half of it at one go.

"You also chew like a rabid hyena," I observed casually, nursing the scalding coffee. I took one sip. It was hot enough to rival what hell would probably feel like. But I liked it that way. "Go on," I sighed reluctantly.

"She spared you more time than she did me," he complained immediately.

"I'm not surprised. You don't seem like her type."

Leon swore in brief, colorful Italian. I decided it did not merit a response.

"You moron," he continued, talking with his mouth full of bread.

"I'm not the one about to choke on my food."

"She literally approached you on her own, and you're not even thinking about it?"

"Thinking about what, Leon?" I rubbed my eyes wearily. I had a lot of work to get to, and this one hour in the evening was usually the only respite I enjoyed.

Not today, not when Leon was practically breathing down my neck, knowing I couldn't just up and leave.

"It," Leon drawled with a knowing look. "Her. A woman, fresh on campus, seeking a mentor, maybe someone to guide her, show her the ropes. You must see it—she's obviously taken a shine to you."

I took another sip and tried to recall what else she had said before she narrowed on the stem cell research. "Her interest was in regenerative cell treatments for children with cancer," I remembered out loud. "She was curious about the potential mental health side effects on young patients."

Leon rolled his eyes so hard I lost sight of his irises for a second. "Are you seriously sitting there and telling me she's hot for yourwork? Why didn't I think of that?"

"You're being sarcastic," I observed tiredly.

"And you're being a fool," he replied congenially. "Is it a novelty for beautiful young girls to flatter older guys in Denmark?"

I squinted at him. "So, you're sour. I'm going to hazard a guess and say it's because you want to entertain her, and she's not interested?"

"Fuck you," he replied good-naturedly.

"Doesn't answer my question."

"Well, yes," he replied, gathering the crumbs on his plate. "But let's not lose sight of the main thing. I'm looking out for you. I always have."

True enough. Leon and I didn't have many years between us. In fact, I was older than him. But on our first day at the Institute, he'd seen me languishing in a bar with bloodshot eyes and decided he needed to mentor me.

I hadn't asked for it, but with time, I came to appreciate it. My friendship with him was like a coat on a frosty day. It was something you just slide into without too much thought, but also something you can't do without.

I pushed back my chair, rising to my feet with a hint of a smirk. "Of course, I never questioned your insight, Leon. Duty calls. I must head to my lab. But, should she seek me out again, I'll be sure to hint that you're utterly smitten, green with envy over her talking shop with anyone but you."

Leon grimaced and stood up with me. "I'll strangle you if you do. Come on, I'll walk with you to the lab."

"She makes me uncomfortable," I told him as we neared my laboratory. "But that could be because she's out to hunt, and I'm not willing to play chase."

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