Page 86 of Dream Mates
“Wes, it’s Bren,” Brennan said, answering it for me. “I didn’t make her cry, promise. I told her about my accident, and she told me about wilderness camp.”
For a moment there was quiet.
“Yeah. No, we don’t have booze. Or chocolate. Maybe we’ll get ice cream on the way home. We’ll probably head back soon.Okay.” He pressed the phone to my ear. “Please tell Wes that I didn’t yell at you.”
“I’m okay, promise. Like I said, we got deep,” I assured Wes as I got love from him and Evan through the bond.
“Okay. I love you,” Wes replied.
“Love you, too.” I ended the call and sighed.
“Thank you for sharing that with me. It… it explains a lot. I’m glad that you found your way back to Wes,” he said quietly.
“Me, too. You mentioned ice cream? I could use that right now.” I felt wrung out emotionally.
He stood. “Yeah. I think we’re finished here. Let’s get some ice cream.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Grace
Giddiness filled me as I shifted my weight on the stool in my little office lab. Today was my first official day at Compass BioTek. My attention kept focusing on Blaise’s adorable baby as they video-chatted with me.
“I’m so excited. I’ve had an interest in simulating particle acceleration since undergrad,” Blaise said on the screen of the computer as they bounced their infant. “I’ll send everything Ihave over to you. It’s not much, but I’ll include all the general project checklists so that you can start filling in the gaps and laying the groundwork.”
“Absolutely. Thanks for making time for me while you’re on leave.”
“No problem. When Deb told me that Spencer had finally started hiring for the project, it made my day.” They gave their baby a kiss, short brown hair falling over their brown eyes.
Blaise was something called a quantum coder, and on parental leave. We’d be working together along with the team we’d assemble. There was also a quantum physicist that was on sabbatical, and a project manager currently working on other things.
“I’ll also take a look at who’s presenting at, and attending, the PIIP symposium, in case there’s someone worth talking to. We’re going to need an expert on super colliders and that would be the place to find one,” they said. “We might even find a quantum mechanic.”
I nodded. “Perfect.”
“Deb said that you’re helping with the interns and fellows–keep an eye out, because you never know if what we really need is some nineteen-year-old with a penchant for arson.” They grinned. “Oh wait, that’s how I got hired back in the day.”
I laughed. “You’re right, though. One of the high school applicants submitted a proposal that used hacking to solve Garamoci’s Theory of Everything.”
It wasn’t even Riley.
Garamoci’s Theory of Everything was one of this world’s unsolvable equations.
“Overachiever,” they coughed, chuckling. The baby fussed. “I’ve got to go, but we will talk again. Let’s get this simulation started.”
The screen on the laptop went blank. While I still felt like I was massively in over my head, I liked Blaise.
There was a knock on the door and Deb popped her head in. “How’d it go? Blaise is great, right?”
I nodded. “I’m really excited.”
And grateful I’d gotten a bunch of project management experience at my other job, even though then I’d resented roles like that instead of the positions I’d really wanted.
“Ready for lunch?” Deb entered. She was older than me, with a little grey in her short dark hair. She was a smartly dressed, no-nonsense alpha and head of all of Special Projects. Since this project didn’t have a team leader yet, I'd directly report to her. While this project was still in the early development phase, I’d have other projects and duties as well.
My stomach grumbled, it had been a while since we had welcome pastries. “Sounds great.”
I stood. Today I wore one of my new outfits. I’d also brought the messenger bag with the equations on it that I’d gotten for my birthday from Evan.
