The numbers on the screen swam in a haze.
Charlotte rubbed her eyes and forced them to focus. Her latest calculations of the optimal resonance frequencies for the Dimensional Drive—she refused to call it the SExI MRI—became clear again. Something was off—she needed the object to come into coherence right in the middle of the MRI’s measurement range, and somehow, her model of the small paper crane she wanted to use kept coming in high. Maybe she wasn’t modeling the paper right. Or maybe the folds made it too complicated. But she didn’t want to give up on the crane—it symbolized happiness, good fortune, and peace—and it needed to be the first object that went through the machine.
She tweaked her estimate of the paper roughness and resubmitted it to run again.
Then her eyes glazed out as she waited. She wasn’t tired—she’d never had better sleep since she started having nightly dates with Mr. Buzzy—but she couldn’t seem to keep her thoughts from drifting to a certain Greek god who lived two doors down. Seriously, how did she not see him in her apartment building before now? Was she blind? Maybe he was always out rescuing people or “working at home” whatever that meant for a guy who did personal security. He was built like he could handle anything… including her.
She swallowed hard. Her fantasies about Tajael’s hot-and-hard body up against hers, with Mr. Buzzy’s help… well, that part inside her she thought was broken? Totally coming back to life. She’d never had orgasms like that before. Like, literally never. And if somehow, in some crazy alternate universe, Tajael decided he wanted to rub his Greek god body up against hers… a flush of heat between her legs made even more heat rush to her face.
She glanced quickly around the office to see if anyone saw her, as if they could read the fantasies in her head by her half-lidded eyes and flushed face. But the construction guys and engineers were all busy working on the device.
Holy crap, Char. Get a grip.
She struggled to focus on her screen again. The new simulation had finished… and the numbers were good! Okay, science first, sex fantasies about hot men later. But even as she printed off the latest numbers, she couldn’t help flashing back to that morning when she stopped by to knock on his door before her personal driver picked her up. She’d made blueberry muffins, and she figured Tajael might like something tasty to start the day, but when he answered the door, he just seemed… awkward. And a little haggard. Like maybe she was bothering him. Who was she kidding? He probably had a supermodel girlfriend that kept him up all night with sexytimes, and here she was, dragging him out of bed for a muffin. She was just trying to repay him for rescuing her. Plus saying Hey, thanks for being so hot! Fantasizing about you gives me the best orgasms! was definitely not the right way to thank someone for saving your life.
She jolted back to awareness when Jerry poked his head into her office.
“Hey,” he said, his gaze carefully on her face. “They’re asking for you in the lab.” Then he ducked his head and scuttled back to his cubicle next to hers. They were squished closer together now, given that “the lab” took up half the office space, but Jerry had never treated her so professionally in all the time she’d known him. It had been over a week since he’d tried to attack her, but they never talked about what happened. In fact, they didn’t talk, unless it was strictly business. But she couldn’t help a small smirk every time she saw him. He was thinking about Tajael too, although not as she was.
Which just reminded her how much she really owed the reclusive private-security guy. But she didn’t want to creep him out or make him regret rescuing her, and she was afraid maybe that’s what this morning’s muffin encounter was about. She was turning into some kind of stalker in her attempts to thank him properly. Which left a queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She didn’t like not seeing him anymore—at all—but the last thing she wanted was to make him uncomfortable.
It vexed her. And distracted her from her work.
She grabbed the printout of the sim results and headed back to the lab. Which was only a short walk past a table laden with leftover sub sandwiches from lunch, a cart full of snacks, and a newly installed soda machine. Those were to feed the hungry hordes that Dexon had employed to bring her dream into reality. The whole back half of the office was now blocked by a new, bright-white wall that was pristine and blank… except for where Dexon had “hilariously” written SExI MRI over the door in wide black marker. For a week, the office had been abuzz with construction workers and engineers, all crafting the modified MRI device inside. The whole operation was run by a high-energy Latino woman named Maria Sanchez, who basically kicked ass and took names until stuff got done.
She was Charlotte’s hero.
Charlotte pushed open the door, but only part way, because it was cramped inside “the lab.” The two engineers—Robert and a new vibrations expert, Tomaz—were wrangling a long cylindrical device out of the MRI. That was the insert that would hold the object. The MRI itself was huge, taking up most of the space with its futuristic donut ring of magnets and radio wave coils and imagers. Unlike the kind you’d see at the hospital, this one had no bed for a patient to slide into the scanner. Instead, they’d built the insert, which would do all the vibration work. The lead engineer, Jimmy Choi, was looking over some technical drawings pinned to the wall.
“You were asking for me?” Charlotte asked, carefully stepping out of the way of Robert and Tomaz as they set the insert end-down on the floor, balancing it up as a column.
Jimmy waved her over. “I’ve got some bad news for you, Dr. Netherman.”
Dr. Netherman. She was still getting used to being called that, but Maria was a stickler for some things, and that was one. “What’s wrong?” Charlotte scanned the tech drawing, but she was a physicist, not an engineer. She could tell it was a disassembled version of the insert, but that was about it.
Jimmy pointed to an interior structure. “We’ve tried three different ceramics, but they keep crumbling right here when we turn on the sonic resonators.”
“You mean the insert is shaking itself apart?”
“Basically, yes.” He scowled and turned away from the drawing. “We’ve got alternatives, specifically some plastics, but I’m thinking the insert isn’t the way to go.”
“How do you mean?” She was open to anything, as long as it worked.
“You need to create the resonance to properly tune your device, correct?” Jimmy was the engineer, but the physics was her part of the operation.
“Right.” She handed him the paper with the latest sim results. “It’s got to be in a narrow range, so the resonance will be within in the range the MRI can operate. The sim says we can get there with the crane. But not if the insert’s not working.”
Jimmy glanced at the crane she had folded as soon as they started building the machine. It sat in a small glass box they’d velcro’d to the top of the MRI. Sort of the inspiration for them to keep going in this frenzy of machine-building and testing.
“You’re not thinking of putting the box in there, too, are you?” Jimmy asked. “Because we haven’t accounted for that.”
“I’m for whatever works.”
He nodded his approval. Jimmy had a few fine gray hairs at his temple and had been building stuff since Charlotte was playing with Legos and looking through her toy telescope. If someone could make this work, she was sure it was him.
“I think we should go with virtual fields here,” Jimmy said.
“Virtual?” She frowned. Was he talking some kind of simulation? Because that wouldn’t work. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, you really don’t want anything inside the dimensional drive that you don’t want going somewhere else.” He gestured to the MRI. “If your theory is correct, anything that’s in the right range will get shoved into your extra dimension.”
She frowned. “I suppose that’s true.”
“So this quickly becomes a one-way device if we accidentally transport half the apparatus each time we turn it on.”
“Okay.” But she was smiling. Because Jimmy was talking like it would actually work, and in her heart of hearts, she still harbored doubts. But Daxon’s reputation preceded him—he wasn’t afraid to dream sky-high impossible projects, and he only hired people who were all in on making them happen. “So, we generate the virtual vibrations, so the only thing inside the drive is the object. Just the crane,” she clarified. “Um… how do we do that, exactly?”
Jimmy pulled a pencil from his pocket and started sketching over his printed-out tech drawing. He quickly produced something that looked like the insert had been cut in half and squished out to the edges. “We set up a standing field between the two end pieces. Both outside the main dimensional drive space. They’re sonic wave generators, so it’s not like we need the physical structure anyway. We just need a way to contain it so that the sonic waves don’t pull everything apart. But the MRI fields might be their own containers. We’ll have to run some tests to see. Could be hard on the MRI machinery.”
She didn’t understand all of it… but enough. “Sounds like it could work.”
He gave a small smile. “I’ve already cleared it with Daxon. We’ll get some extra hands in here tonight and have something operational for you by the morning.”
She had to restrain herself from saying they shouldn’t have to work all night. But it was clear Jimmy was as excited about this as she was. “Great. You want me to stay?” She wasn’t much help with the operational stuff, but she wanted to lend moral support.
He held up her simulation results. “No need. I’ve got your specs, and Maria’s ordering in pizza.”
“No Domino’s this time!” Tomaz piped up.
“And extra pepperoni,” Robert added. They were both disassembling the insert.
Jimmy smiled. “We’ve got it covered. Get your rest, Dr. Netherman. We’ll need you in the morning.”
“All right.” She beamed a smile at him. “Thanks.”
He just tipped his head and went back to studying his drawing. She hustled out of their way, floating high on their making progress. And that everyone was working so hard on her project. It was exciting and affirming and filled her with a joyous buzz that felt almost like agitation. Like she needed to share this good news with someone. She might bother Tajael just one more time, only to let him know she was doing well and everything was great at her work—obviously, it was super secret so she couldn’t tell him the details—and then she wouldn’t bother him anymore. He was a Private Security Guy, and she didn’t want him to think she was a stalker-in-the-making. Nope, just a normal woman with good days at the office and came home to a normal life, even on time, sometimes!
She snagged her purse and was ready to head out when she noticed the spread still left over from lunch. Pizza was coming, so the guys didn’t need all this. She found one of the delivery bags and scooped up all the leftover sub sandwiches. Hank would hit the jackpot today. Maybe he had friends he could share with.
She called her personal driver—a guy named Max—so he could meet her at the front of the building. She bustled into the sedan with her big bag of sandwiches.
“Are we making our usual stop, Dr. Netherman?” Max asked. He was middle-aged and very tanned… like whenever he wasn’t driving private cars, he was hiking in the mountains outside Seattle.
She’d been making her twice-daily visits with Hank even though she wasn’t walking to the bus anymore. Just a quick in-and-out, since the car was basically blocking traffic. “Yes, indeed!” she sang.
Max smiled. “You’re early today. Must have been a good one?”
“Yep. And I have a feeling tomorrow’s going to be even better.” Her grin just wouldn’t quit.
Hank’s spot was super close, so it took no time to get there. She hopped out quickly and hurried up to the old man sitting in the opening of his tent. It was such a beautiful day—all sun and no rain—that he didn’t even have his blanket out.
“Hank! I’ve got a surprise for you!” she said, a little breathless.
He looked up, but his mouth was full of something. And in his hand… a muffin.
“Hey, Ms. Lady,” he said around a mouthful. He wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand, but Charlotte’s eyes were fixed on the half-eaten muffin in his other hand. A blueberry muffin. With the red-and-white specialty muffin tin wrapping she bought online once and saved for special occasions. Like treats for hunky neighbors.
Hank swallowed his muffin. “Sorry. Not polite to talk with my mouth full, Ma’am.”
“It’s okay,” she said, automatically, her mind coming out of the haze of recognition. “I brought you some sandwiches.” Her tongue felt thick and heavy. Why did it matter that Tajael gave away her treats? He gave them to Hank, so it’s not like he threw them away.
Hank’s eyes bugged out as he peeked in the bag. Then he peered up at her. “You have some kind of party?”
“No,” she said, dully, still staring at the muffin. Then she snapped her attention back to him. “I mean, yeah, kind of. Hank, can I ask you a question?”
“Sure,” he said, packing away his bounty into his tent. “Not sure I’ll have an answer, but you go right ahead. Ask ten!”
“Where’d you get the muffin?” She braced—she wasn’t even sure why she was asking. She knew.
Hank grinned and leaned close. “I’ve got a secret admirer.”
Charlotte frowned. “You do?”
He nodded sagely. “Leaves me little presents. Muffins today. The other day it was cookies.”
Cookies. The cookies she made for Tajael earlier in the week.
“Pretty good ones, too.” He stuffed more of the muffin in his mouth then offered the bits left up to her. “Want some?”
“No.” She stepped back. This really shouldn’t hurt her as much as it did. But… why? Why was Tajael giving away her gifts? “See you next time,” she said, slowly backing away.
Then she climbed in the car. Max frowned at the change in her demeanor, but she didn’t try to explain. Didn’t want to, really. What would she say? That the unreasonably handsome man who rescued her from her co-worker’s sexual assault turned out to not like her thank-you treats enough to keep them, and now she was crushed? What was she, like, twelve?
Still… an undeniable pain speared through her chest.
The ride home was quick—they had beaten the traffic since she had left the office early—and she was riding the elevator up before she had even begun to clear her head about this. Should she confront him? No, that was silly. Should she stop and see him, like she planned? She had no reason to. No excuse. Nothing to give him… not that he wanted her gifts, apparently.
No. She should just… stop. Stop bothering him. Stop acting like a stalker. Her ex-husband had stalked and terrified her throughout the divorce proceedings, and it was the worst thing in the world. All she wanted was to live her life and be left alone. She didn’t want to be like Craig… or even give a hint of being like him. No, the best gift she could give Tajael would be just to respect his privacy and let him be. Leave him alone.
Somehow that cranked tighter whatever vise was squeezing on her chest.
The elevator released her onto her floor. She stepped out, glanced at Tajael’s door halfway down the hall, then determined to march right past it. But just as she got there, the door opened, and Tajael stepped out. He startled her so badly, she dropped her purse, which exploded and spewed its contents everywhere. Not that there was much in there—just a packet of Kleenex, her Flash keychain, a small wallet, and a thousand quarters. Okay, maybe only a dozen, but she’d been using the new drink machine at work and had a lot of change.
“Sorry,” Tajael said, stooping to help her. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Oh God, he was helping her… again. “No, I just…” Fuck. She scrambled after every last quarter, trying to round them up and get out of there fast. “I was just, er, surprised is all.” She captured all the quarters, but he was already standing up, holding her purse open for her to dump her stuff in. She did so, focusing on the task like it was brain surgery, just to avoid looking him in the face.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Huh? Oh, yeah. Yeah. I’m great!” She took back her purse. He seemed reluctant to let it go.
“You don’t seem great,” he said softly.
She scowled. “I’m fine.” Fantastic. Now he thought she was some kind of scatter-brained, strung-tight nervous wreck who flailed her purse at the slightest upset.
He grimaced. “I don’t always say the right thing. I’m sorry.”
The look of anguish on his face arrested her. Why did he have to be so beautiful and so sensitive and so kind all the freaking time? And then he turned around and gave away her muffins when she wasn’t looking? The whole thing was mixed up and messed up, and her heart just couldn’t take that see-saw. “You don’t have to be nice to me, okay? I mean, I appreciate that you’re nice. And I can never ever repay you for what you did before. But it doesn’t mean… we don’t have to…” What the hell was she even trying to say?
“I’d like us to be friends,” he said in that so-soft-and-gentle voice. Almost like he wasn’t just standing there like a normal person talking the hallway, but somehow he was reaching inside her and speaking directly to her heart. “If that’s okay with you.”
Her throat was closing. “Friends? Friends is… friends is good.” Oh, my God, she was babbling. She couldn’t decide if the pain in her chest was because she didn’t believe him—that he was just saying this to be nice—or because she couldn’t deny wanting a whole hell of a lot more than friendship from Tajael, her hero and secretive No-Last-Name, No-Cell-Phone neighbor.
He fished something out of the pocket of his flannel shirt, the one that hung loosely over the tight white t-shirt underneath. The one that didn’t hide any of his muscles. He held the origami dragon she made for him in the palm of his hand. Oh God, if he was giving it back…
Tears fought each other for space at the backs of her eyes. She would not cry in front of him. She swore it.
“It reminds me of you,” he said with a small smile. “Fierce. Unexpected. Magical.”
She just blinked at him. What was he saying…
Then he pulled another small bit of origami from his pocket only this one was impossibly delicate. With wings. In the shape of…
“It’s an angel.” There was an unmistakable shine in his eyes now. “A Guardian angel. To remind you of me.”
Her mouth worked, but nothing came out. She slowly lifted the delicate paper angel from his hand.
He cleared his throat. “I know this is weird and strange and, well, probably uncomfortable.” His voice was taking on that awkward quality again. “But I want you to know that I’m here. Anytime you need me. You don’t have to…” He swallowed. “You don’t have to bring me gifts, okay? There’s nothing to repay. Saving the good people of the world from the bad… it’s what I do. It’s what brings meaning to my life. So, you see, I should really be thanking you for the chance to be there when you needed me.”
The tears in her eyes had somehow traveled down and turned into a lump in her throat. “Why are you so good?” Then she flushed, heat rising to her cheeks—what the hell kind of thing was that to say?
He gave a small laugh. “I’m not as virtuous as you think.”
She just shook her head. Because he was the most decent person she had ever met.
“Anyway, we’re even, okay?” He tucked the origami dragon back in his pocket.
He kept it. He kept it, and he made one for her, and he wanted to be friends. A giddy school-girl crush kind of feeling surged through her, but somehow, it made everything right in the universe again.
“And no more baked goods, okay?” he said with a gentle smile. “I have this weird diet thing where I can’t eat things like that. I tasted them, though. They were delicious.”
And with that, every last tension fell out of her body. Of course, there was some logical explanation why he gave them away. It was just the poison of years and years with Craig that made her think that everything had a double meaning, every act was a way to sabotage her, everything was meant hurt her or bring her down.
But Tajael… he was the opposite of Craig in every possible way.
She nodded. “No more baked goods.”
His eyes shone. “But maybe coffee? Or are you a tea drinker?” There was a teasing smirk at the corners of his mouth.
Her heart lurched. “Definitely tea.”
“Tomorrow then? I know you’re busy. Maybe after you get home from work?”
She nodded so hard she almost couldn’t get the words out. “Yes. Absolutely.”
Then he rained that brilliant smile on her and ducked back into his apartment.
A date. She had a date with a Greek god. Just as friends. Sure. Because friends definitely exchanged origami miniatures to remember each other by.
She floated all the way back to her apartment.
Mr. Buzzy would get the workout of his life tonight.