Page 11 of Night of the Living Manny
“We are.” He snapped it, and when they both frowned, he took a deep breath. “That was our mistake. We’ve pushed it too far.”
It was time to take a step back and let the experiment breathe, let the scientists breathe. There was a quote fromJurassic Parkthat came to mind, and he said it to himself in Jeff Goldblum’s voice.
Kimberly pursed her lips. “None of the research bears that out, Liam.”
“Except my computer model. We’re walking a dangerous line.” Liam was committed to the data. He understood it. He got it, because he was a scientist and all he could believe in were the trials and figures.
“I think we need to have a meeting with the lab team. They have compelling data.”
He stared at Steven, because wasn’t he part of the lab team? “What does that even mean?”
Steven was a marketing guy, a money guy; what did he know about data?
“It means even though you’re project lead, you don’t get the final say.” Kimberly gave him that lizard stare, the one that shut everyone else down.
Not him. Not this time. “It’s too dangerous. We have to run more simulations.”
“Do you like your job?”
He let one eyebrow lift, knowing how fucking maddening that could be. “Do you like your data?”
“I do. I feel good about what’s been accomplished. Greg has been chomping at the bit to be team leader.”
Greg was his assistant, and while Liam knew he was ambitious, he also knew Greg had no desire to be lead on this clusterfuck. The man was a little bit of a weasel.
“Greg has entirely too much self-preservation, and you know it.”
Steven rolled his eyes. “I’ll set a meet with the rest of the lab team. We’ll all go over it together.”
“Fine.” Not tonight. Tomorrow. “Later. When we’ve run more simulations.” He wasn’t budging on this. His model was showing things that made his balls crawl up into his body.
“God, you’re stubborn.” Kimberly gave him something like a smile. She’d been in the trenches with him a while back and had believed in trial and error, in not counting on anything they couldn’t recreate. Now she was another talking head. “Take some time off tonight. Go home.”
“I’ll go as soon as I start another simulation running.”
“Great.” Steven gave him a shark smile and a thumbs-up.
He almost didn’t roll his eyes. Almost.
They ignored him, which made him shake his head even as he opened an email memo to send to the rest of the team.Nothing until tomorrow, even if S and K say so. Refer them to me.
He knew his bosses well. They would try to ramrod his team.
Fortunately he knew that team, and they had his back.
Liam texted the new nanny, Brenden the beautiful.I’ll actually be home for supper. Do you want me to bring home tacos?
Tacos would rock!was the reply.
Beef or chicken?
Beef for me, please.
On it.He could handle this. He could. Liam pushed away his worry.
Thanks!Brenden didn’t seem upset, and the kids had to be home from school by now….
Everyone home safe? No fires?
