I actually worried over this before I got here today. I’m a talker. I can’t help myself. I even talk to myself as I work. People often get annoyed by it. I knew it would be something I’d have to get under control if I were going to be working directly in his office. I don’t think Amherst would appreciate me rambling on all day. I don’t want to annoy him or have him fire me.
Rachel told me if he did fire me to ignore him and keep working. That made me even more nervous. I repeated the words in my head as I made my way to his office this morning. Over and over again.You will not be a chatterbox.It clearly hasn't worked.
I move a giant stack of now organized papers over so that I can start cleaning up something else. This place was a mess. I’ve gotten some of it looking presentable. I was more than happy to clean it up a bit. I am already learning a ton. Some of the papers have little handwritten notes on them from Amherst. I guess in a way he talks to himself too. Instead of saying the words out loud, he simply jots down his thoughts. Maybe we’re not so different after all.
Anytime I see his handwriting I stop to read the note he put on the page. I can’t help myself. I would probably have more done by now if I wasn't stopping to read so much. Not that it takes me long. I have always been able to read quickly and still maintain the information.
“Do you always do that?” I look up from the paper in my hand to Amherst. His dark hair is now a mess from his own fingers. The man looks nothing like one would think a scientist would. He’s built with broad shoulders, and he has at least a foot on me. His jaw looks like it could’ve been chiseled out of granite. My mom said he looked a little like a younger, annoyed John Wick. The picture they had online of him only showed his face, as if someone had forced him to take it. I’m guessing it was probably Rachel.
“Do what?” I ask, looking around. Did I do something wrong?
“Talk out loud when you work.” He looks at me like he’s studying me. I’ve noticed that he glances over at me a lot. I’m guessing it’s to make sure I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.
“Oh. I’m sorry.” I quickly apologize. I’m sure the doctor is trying to work, and I’m making it harder with my mouth. “It’s a habit. I’ll do better.”
“No, it’s fine. I rather enjoy the sound over the quiet.”
“Do you always do that?” My eyes travel from his handsome face to his hair. It’s sticking up in a few directions right now. I think it’s kind of adorable. His dark eyebrows furrow together, not knowing what I’m talking about. “You run your fingers through your hair a lot.”
“No.” His answer is to the point. We stare at each other for a long moment because to me it feels as if his response should have contained more words. I thought maybe I'd get something along the lines ofI didn't realize I did thatorYes when I’m thinking something over. But all I got was a simpleno.
My stomach lets out a loud growl. It’s being noisy too. I flush with embarrassment. I was too nervous to eat breakfast this morning.
“I haven’t fed you.” Fed me?
“I think you meant that you haven’t let me go to lunch?”
“No. You can’t eat here. The breakroom food here is not good. I’ll order something to be delivered to us. We can eat in the office while we continue to work.”
“You don’t have to do all that. I saw that there was a vending machine in the breakroom. It’s not a big deal really.”
He stares at me for a long moment. “Did you eat breakfast?” I shake my head no. “You have to eat breakfast. It is a very important meal for your body. One of, if not the most important.” For the first time today I’m quiet. I think I’m a little in shock at how much he’s talking now.
“I think my body is getting enough food even when I skip breakfast.” I try and joke. My silence didn’t last very long. I’ve got some curves, so it’s not as though I’m famished. His eyes roam up and down me. He turns around, knocking something over in the process. When I look down I realize it was his phone that fell. He lets out a few curse words before he bends down to swipe it off the floor.
“I’ll order us lunch.” He heads back over to his computer. “Do you have any allergies?”
“Nope.” I let out a small laugh. “You’ll ask if I have allergies now but not my name.”
“Your name is Kayla.”
“Oh. Well, you never asked. It makes sense that someone would have told you though.” I wait for him to tell me how he knows my name, but he remains silent. He goes back to clicking away at his computer, so I too get back to work.
“Are you feeling okay?” he asks ten minutes later.
“I’m fine. Why?”
“You haven't spoken in a little while.”
“Just working.” He runs his hand through his hair again. I fight a smirk. He doesn't only have a brilliant mind, but he’s so handsome too. He really is the whole package. I’d bet anything he has a knockout girlfriend. One with a brilliant mind that can keep up with him and a killer body. It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask, but I bite it back, reminding myself to chill out. His personal life is none of my business. Unless he wants to tell me about it himself, I’m not going to ask. To be honest, I don’t think I really want to know.
“Did you order all of this food?” Rachel asks as she enters the office. Her hands are full of bags.
“Yes. Put it over there and you can go.”
“I’ll take it to the breakroom.”
“No, leave it here.” She rolls her eyes and puts the bags down on the empty spot I made earlier.