Page 33 of The Spark Between Us

Chapter Eleven

Sarah

Between workand his social life, Braden kept himself pretty busy. I barely crossed paths with him after the first morning he drove me to work, other than to exchange pleasantries over coffee. And even then, he rarely lingered once I came into the kitchen. As soon as I came home, he either headed out on a date, or one of us felt tired and went up to bed.

It was fine. I didn’t need a bestie. I didn’t need a dinner date. I just needed a place to stay.

By the end of my second week at the lab, I’d fully immersed myself in science and successfully kept my mind focused on the unique power of lasers to soften metals at the molecular level.

Keith had given me an abbreviated download on the work he’d been doing with Batwoman, and I felt even more optimistic about the prospects of our project before we’d finetuned of our approach.

Also, thanks to a parade of friendly Uber drivers, I’d stopped thinking about my smashed-up car and my mortifying grand entrance into town. Which meant I didn’t think about firetrucks or the people who drove around in them. It was mind over matter, and I had more important things to focus on than what my roommate was doing to keep his biceps in top form.

I’m not thinking about that at all.

SoI was a lying liar whose mind drifted to Braden throughout the day. By five o’clock one afternoon, I’d gotten so fed up with myself and my lack of mental control, that I gave myself a stern talking to. It went a bit like this: “You are a grown woman with a doctorate who is here to do important work. You may not jeopardize it by letting your focus drift to a man. That is all.”

My inner lust child may or may not have told my bossy self to shut the hell up.

Ever since I’d seen him out on his date, my diligent powers of recall had replayed every look and touch recorded in my lecherous mind. I knew it was ridiculous.

On the other hand, welding metals and recording energy transfer and temperature conditions only provided so much entertainment. My work had the potential to produce an incredible outcome, but much of lab work was the drudgery of recording data.

Of course my attention was drifting.

Eventually, I’d get into a groove and forget Braden even existed. I hoped.

I needed to concentrate and plan for my team meeting in the morning, so I put my head down and dug into a report Keith had written and lost myself in the pages.

After work, I’d take an Uber back to the house. If I finished up early enough, I might even race over to the body shop and see if they had an updated estimate for completion.

Then I’d swing by the grocery store and stock up on some Greek yogurt, salad stuff, and baking potatoes, so I could make myself a decent dinner. I felt pretty confident Braden had a date and would go straight from work to pick her up like he’d done each time he had plans.

So it shocked me when he sent me a text.

Braden: Hey, I got done early. I’m out front if you need a ride.

Me: In front of where?

Braden: The lab… Where you work…?

Then he sent me a selfie with the main building in the background. He was squinting into the sunlight, which lit his face up in warm pinks and painted amber tones on his hair. It was official—my concentration destroyed.

Me: That’s so sweet. But I was going to Uber.

Braden: Well, now you don’t have to. Are you finished?

Am I ever.

I was finished the moment his face reentered my brain.

Me: Yes. Be out in a sec.

Braden: Take your time.

When I exited the building, Braden was standing outside wearing aviator sunglasses and leaning against his truck. Sipping something brown through a paper straw, he blasted me with a smile I’d yet to see in full force, and the combination of his white teeth and the confident curve of his lips made me forget my train of thought.

For a second, I let myself imagine I was on a real date with Braden, the object of that charismatic smile, for reasons other than being his roommate with no car.

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