Page 4 of Forbidden Professor

Plans changed. Right now probably wasn’t the best time to talk about this, especially in this lab. “Long story. For another time. Right now, I need to focus on what I am being paid to do.”

His eyes drew to the floor. Something was wrong. Even with the years between us, I could still tell when something was bothering me. Was it my presence? Not gonna lie. Being around him again was bringing up old feelings, and it would be easier if he didn’t look almost the same except with a little bit more facial hair than expected. He was a grown man.

Easton started to pace the room. He looked nervous. “What is it?”

“This project is important to me, Isla. I’ve been freaking out ever since I found out someone was coming in to cut projects, and now that I see it’s you. I - I’m not sure if that scares me more or less.”

“I wouldn’t ever let our past affect my professional life. I’m not a twenty-something anymore.”

He stepped closer. “No, I meant — never mind. It doesn’t matter right now.”

Easton rushed out of the lab and I just stayed in place.

What in the hell was that about? I mean I knew we had our differences, especially toward the end, but he acted like being in my presence was a burden. One thing is for sure - Easton and I lived in the same city and would have eventually ran into each other. Had he been here long?

5

Easton

I shut my office door and pace around some more. What is she doing here? They could have picked anyone. Why did it have to be her? Hell, I didn’t even know that she was living in Oregon let alone the same damn city as me. Had she been here all these years?

Now my head wasn’t just worried about the trials, but now how her being the one to make that decision effected me. My heart had always belonged to her and honestly I didn’t have much time to get out of my comfort zone since I started here. My priority was to work toward this goal, and now that I was here, how could the universe put me in this position? Or her in this position?

I always imagined us running into each other again. Just not her at Largen Co. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. We would bump into each other walking down the street somewhere. Go to a coffee shop to catch up and realize that we both made a huge mistake. For all I knew, she could be engaged or married. Stop! This was not what I should be worrying about right now.

These clinical trials were important to me and I couldn’t let her take them away from me. Where the hell was Carrie? The updated reports should have been here by now and this wasn’t the time for a delay. Without those reports, it could affect Isla’s decision and I needed everything I could to sway her in my favor.

I picked up my phone and called her cell, but it went straight to voicemail. Fuck! Where was Carrie? This was going to frustrate me to no end.

“I need those updated reports within two hours. This is unacceptable.”

I slammed the phone down on my desk. This couldn’t be happening. No! This was all just a bad dream and I’d wake up and laugh about it. I pinched myself and nothing. Great!

I remembered Isla being strait laced in college. She was like me in that aspect. We didn’t do anything crazy like most kids. We focused on our schoolwork and graduating. She doesn’t strike me as someone who would ever let our past affect her professional opinion. Did that comfort me? It was selfish of me to think that maybe it could. Our past relationship reliving in her memory now could persuade her to not choose my project. What was wrong with me? No, I couldn’t ever expect her to do such a thing. I was a man of integrity.

The problem was, the report was the only thing she would base her decision off of and without the most detailed results to input, the chances of my trials being cut was likely. Of course. When it rained, it poured.

Isla

I spent the morning and afternoon introducing myself to the staff, and letting them know I needed their detailed reports by end of day tomorrow. That would give me plenty of time to go over the reports and make the most informed decision. My job was based on facts and numbers. Yet, now Easton was stuck on my mind.

Out of all the places I could have been brought in on, it had to be same company he worked for? I wish he was happier to see me after all these years, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Bummer!

Largen Co. was wanting to make sure they focused on what was making progress. After walking around the building today and getting to know about some of the projects, they do some incredible work. To think that these scientists were getting closer and closer to cures and vaccinations for things that we never thought possible. Diseases that kill thousands if not hundreds of thousands of people every year.

It made sense that Easton worked at a place like that. He wasn’t stuck up and money wasn’t ever a motivator for him. His focus was always on making the world better when he left than when he came into it. I used to laugh when he said that, but now as an adult, I understood what he meant in the biggest sense. As a scientist, he could help people from dying of diseases. I couldn’t wrap my head around that, but that was just the man he always had been.

Sometimes I wondered what would have happened if we had stayed together in college, but then who knew how my life would have turned out? I might not have the job I did. No sense on trying to worry about the past and instead focus on the present.

At this rate, it didn’t seem like he even wanted to be in the same room with me, so doubt this would go anywhere. But, I had to at least try to get him to sit down with me.

I headed for the makeshift office they made for me while I was here and bumped into Easton.

“Sorry.” His eyes didn’t even meet mine.

“Listen, I know this wasn’t how you wanted to see me after all these years, but I thought we could grab dinner and catch up outside of here.”

He took a step back and it made my heart drop. Did he really feel that repulsed by my presence? I thought we ended on decent terms in college, but apparently not. I never expected for it to be like this when I saw him again.

---