Page 23 of Hired for Research
Another grunt was all he got before the call disconnected. Slipping his phone into his pocket, he turned to see Evelyn crossing the empty lobby. She tried to smile when his eyes met hers, but he could see the strain, her shoulders slumping.
“There’s no reason to stay if you have better things to do. Not like there’s anyone here for you to supervise.”
Her shoulders lifted in a shrug as she tried to laugh off her disappointment, but he knew she wasn’t the type to give in, and if she was staying, he was too.
“Sorry, you’re stuck with me all day. Even if no one else comes, I can at least keep you company. But first, what would you like for lunch? There’s a little café at the far end of the building that serves sandwiches and soup. They have a great potato chowder.”
She blinked at him in silence before sucking in a breath and nodding.
“That sounds fine.”
She didn’t sound enthusiastic about it, but at least she wasn’t arguing with him. He wasn’t going to tell her what he’d done unless she asked, especially because he didn’t want to get her hopes up just to have it fall through. He knew the commander could be convincing, but most of the guys would be on duty or off work, so it may take a while for him to get them to the hospital.
Evelyn slipped into the lab and Jett waited while she dropped off the blood. The gauze from the pheromone samples she’d placed in little baggies before storing in a box in the room.
He walked her back to the exam room before going down to the café to place their order. There was no one else there, so it was only a few minutes before he was returning with their chowder and a crusty loaf of bread to share. She hadn’t asked for a drink, but she’d drank lemonade at the restaurant the previous night, so he’d grabbed two bottles of that as well to be sure she stayed hydrated. Evelyn seemed like the type that got lost in her work and would forget to take care of herself, and a frown marred his face as he rejoined her.
“Who looks out for you at home?”
Her brows tipped in confusion as she turned those pretty brown eyes to him. Her nose twitched as the scent of the food reached her, and he sat the bag on the counter as he tried to rephrase his question in a way that wouldn’t upset her.
“You seem dedicated to your research, and you mentioned last night your parents passed and you’re an only child. So, who makes sure you take care of yourself?”
He tensed in preparation for her being irritated with him, but Evelyn only laughed as she reached for the container of chowder.
“I’ll admit there are days I forget to eat until well past dinner time, and I’ve been known to stay at the lab all night when I’m chasing something. When the Director catches me he sends me home, but he knows this is important and the deadline doesn’t give me the luxury of taking my time.”
“Deadline?”
“Yeah, they gave me six months to show progress, or they will defund the project. That was two months ago when I took over.”
His appetite drained away as ice bit into his stomach. He didn’t know much about doing research other than hearing it usually took years, and she was already down to four months, with no alphas volunteering to help. He doubted she would be able to continue if the funds were taken away.
They were going to lose their chance.
“Oh, thisisgood.”
He focused on the woman before him, a spoon hovering just below her lips as she blew on another bite. Even her little hum of pleasure couldn’t completely thaw the dread that had taken hold. It wasn’t that he had a bad life, especially since coming to Eden. He was treated like a normal person for the first time since he’d presented, but he remembered what it had been like before he’d earned the little freedom he’d been allowed before becoming a Controller. He didn’t wish the soul crushing feeling of being thought less than human on anyone.
“I’m glad you like it. There’s bread too.”
He did his best not to show his emotions in his tone, and while Evelyn raised a brow, she didn’t say anything. He’d already done what he could, and he could only hope the other Controllers would help spread the word once they’d done their part.
And he couldn’t complain if he wasn’t willing to do the same.
It didn’t take her long to finish the chowder, scraping the little bowl clean with a chunk of bread before devouring it too. He was tempted to offer her his until she leaned back with a sigh, rubbing her belly.
“I’m so stuffed, but that was delicious. If all the food here is as good as I’ve had the past two days, I’m not sure I’ll be able to leave.”
He huffed a laugh, his humor returning despite what he was about to do.
“Well, if you’re not too full to move, I guess I’ll do my part.”
Sitting in the exam chair, he extended his right arm, turning his head away. His sleeves were short enough they wouldn’t be a problem, and he wanted nothing more than to pretend he wasn’t volunteering to stabbed.
Evelyn shuffled around beside him, the snap of her gloves making him shiver despite the warmth of the room. He kept his head firmly turned toward the door, straining his senses to see if he could hear anyone else in the hospital just to keep himself distracted so he could stay in the chair.
His flesh twitched at the soft touch on his arm, the layer of latex between them feeling wrong, but the way she pulled away was worse.
