Page 13 of Forbidden Professor

Paul smiled and opened the folder. “Great job. He might not be happy to learn that we have now decided to cut it off for longer than we initially anticipated. I’ll keep you in mind for next time.” He closed the report and sat it back down on his desk and went to move his mouse.

“What do you mean cut it off for longer? I thought this was just about cutting funding for a month or so?”

“Well things have changed. We didn’t receive as much funding as we thought and we can’t keep all the projects running next year. You made my job so much easier. You can go now.”

What in the actual hell was wrong with this guy? Easton was going to hate me now. Not only did I choose his project, but now he wouldn’t get funding for a year? The project wouldn’t survive after that. Trials would have to start all over and I knew how hard it was to give money to something when it was getting reinstated. I screwed him.

I held my head high and walked out of his office, but I wanted to cry. How could I expect Easton to want to talk to me after he got the results? I just crushed his dream at possibly curing his grandmother’s disease.

I crossed my arms waiting for the elevator to take me down to the main lobby. Everyone was busy and no one was looking at me now. They probably knew I had turned in my decision by now, and nothing they could do to change it. The elevator doors opened and then I walked out to my car. It was freezing, but this nightmare was over.

If Easton decided he did want to see if we could work out, then we would. Right now, the ball was in his court, but I wouldn’t talk to him until after Largen Co. made the announcement. I turned the key in the ignition and grabbed my phone, pulling up our conversation.

A new message came in.

Easton: Did I do something wrong last night? You were acting weird this morning and now you are reading my messages but not responding. You aren’t in your office.

Things were never easy. Easton and I might not get our second chance and it was all because of Largen Co. Although, without them, I wouldn’t have known he was even in Oregon.

Right now, I just wanted to open a bottle of wine, crawl into bed, and binge watch television reruns.

14

Easton

Why hasn’t she messaged me back? I knew something was definitely wrong, since she left me on read yesterday, but I just figured she was busy. Exhausted after reading over all those reports. Paul could be a bit much. So, if I didn’t hear from her by the time I left today, I’d call her.

My heart dropped when an email notification popped up on the computer and I cringe. The subject read Cutbacks on Resources. Does this mean she made her decision? I didn’t want to open the email, because deep down, I was scared it would be my project. No matter what, I would not let it affect my relationship with Isla. The trials were going good so there should be no reason to cut funding.

Here we go. I clicked on the email to see it was only to me.

Easton,

After careful consideration by an independent consultant, they feel that your project isn’t producing enough results to continue funding the project. For right now, we are suspending the project indefinitely. You will get a new project assigned to you after the holidays,

Thank you,

Paul

Anger threads my stomach and I slammed down my fist on the desk. FUCK! Why indefinitely? I thought it was only supposed to be for a couple of months? So, instead of keeping my project, he was having a big Christmas party? Something was wrong here.

Since my inception here, I had never left early, but today seemed like the perfect day to change that. I grabbed my coat and went straight to the elevator.

“Hey!” Luca said, running up to me. “Drinks tonight. On me.”

Today had been really shitty. Why the fuck not. “Okay.”

“Meet me at Loki’s down the street.”

I could use a drink. How was I ever going to talk Paul into letting me continue the project? He just brushed it over like it was nothing. How did he expect me to just let it go? Forever?

The car ride over was annoying. Everyone was in such a hurry to get wherever their destination was and here I was just going to grab a drink with a guy from work. I pulled up to Loki’s and there were many cars in the parking lot. Was this normal?

I walked inside and find Luca sitting at the bar, but then the neon sign blinks catching my attention. It said, Ladies Night. First drink free. Of course it was. I rolled my eyes and wanted to run away as far from this place as I could, but Luca would kill me and never let me live it down so I sat my ass down and try to enjoy it.

“Tough break today, huh?”

The bartender sat two shots in front of us.

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