It's All Relative (13 page)

Standing and raking his fingers through his hair, he decided that a nice, long, hot shower would help. And he would not think about her body while he was in the shower, either.

When he was done showering, Kai considered dressing in every piece of clothing he owned. He would be up in the mountains today, and it was bound to be even colder there than in the city. Smiling as he rummaged through his grandmother’s dresser drawers, he thought about Jessie’s comment about long johns yesterday. That was actually a pretty good idea. Maybe he’d pick some up later.

Kai made a quick bowl of cereal after slipping on his multiple layers. When his stomach was full of the sugary substance that he’d lived on before Jessie’s generous shopping trip, he took a moment to savor the feeling of being nice and toasty warm in his apartment. He was pretty sure he wouldn’t feel that way for the rest of the day. Inhaling a deep breath, he grabbed his jacket and prepared for his first day as a research assistant at Kriley Research Center. Their base was located near Golden Gate Canyon State Park, about thirty miles outside the city.

Sliding onto his motorcycle, Kai shifted his thoughts to what was important right now: his new job. He wanted to make a good impression on his parents’ friend and wanted to be an invaluable member of his team. Maybe if Kai played his cards right, he could take over when the man retired. From what Kai’s father had told him, Mason Thomas specialized in entomology, and was making huge strides in discovering why certain honeybees were dying off for no apparent reason. While that seemed small to some people, Kai understood that it wasn’t; every creature was connected to the earth, and what affected one species, no matter how small, eventually affected all of the rest. What happened to the lowliest animal could happen to those higher up.

Kai started his bike and began his journey out of town. Thinking about his father and his new job brought Kai’s mind around to his mother. She had called him again last night, thankfully not as late—or early—as the last time. She’d again asked about his job, and he’d again reminded her that he hadn’t started yet. There’d been a really long pause after he’d said that, and then she’d apologized for not remembering. Kai wasn’t sure why she was bringing up his job so much. She did almost the exact same thing in Hawaii, just with a different sort of habitat than what he would be studying. Maybe she was just hoping that he would hate it here and come home.

As Kai approached the majestic mountains, the cool wind whipping his jeans as he sped along, he thought his mother might be in for a disappointment. He could learn to love it here, once he got used to the colder temperature. The snowcapped monoliths were a thing of beauty, and even though it was approaching winter, colorful flora dotted the lower portions of the mountains. The Aspens, ranging from bright yellow to deep red, washed the hills in a sea of glorious color. Kai couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen something quite so beautiful. Well, maybe last night, when Jessie had smiled while saying goodnight.

Frowning under his helmet, Kai recommitted himself to not thinking about his cousin like that. Unfortunately, he had a feeling he’d be reminding himself to not think about her in that way for a very long time. He purposefully tried to think about anything other than the way Jessie had laughed last night, or the way she’d run a hand back through her curls, or how she’d shown her never-ending concern for him by asking if he needed anything else before she left. Failing miserably at pushing her out of his head, Kai eventually made it to the outskirts of the state park.

Winding his bike up a steep hill, Kai noted that the base of the mountain was still thankfully clear of snow. He slowed his bike as he came upon a series of plain, gray buildings. The researchers inside were clearly more concerned with the wildlife around them than aesthetics; the buildings were low, squat rectangles that stood out in harsh contrast to the spectacular nature bursting around them. Kai smiled as he turned his bike off and removed his helmet. A thick green forest butted up against the back of the buildings, and he could easily picture himself spending countless hours in them, tracking migration patterns, studying the local plant life, and maybe even helping to capture and tag some of the animals.

Just as he was swinging his leg over the Honda, he heard a voice calling, “Hey, you the new guy?”

Kai propped his helmet on his bike and turned to see a guy around his age approaching. The man had a shaggy head of medium-brown hair and the beginnings of a very nice Grizzly Adams type beard. He also looked like he hadn’t showered in about two weeks. With the wide smile on his face as he stepped up to Kai, it was obvious that he was happy to see him.

As Kai nodded and told him that he was indeed the new person, the man’s smile turned exuberant. He extended his hand. “Oh, good. Fresh meat. We’ve been running a little lean. Everyone will be so excited that you’re finally here.” He eyed Kai up and down after they finished with their handshake. “Especially Missy.” He laughed, and his eyes were suddenly mischievous. “She’ll be ecstatic that you’re here.”

Kai tried not to read too much into that and gave the man a polite smile. “My name’s Kai Harper.”

He nodded, like he knew that. “Right, yeah, I’m Louis. That’s Louis with an ‘s’. I don’t do that weird, my name ends in an ‘s’, so change it to an ‘e’ and call me Louie, thing.”

Kai bit his cheek. The smart-aleck in him wanted to immediately call the man Louie, but he didn’t know him well enough to mock him, yet. Kai had the distinct feeling that Jessie would have mocked him anyway. The thought made him smile.

Louis extended a hand to the largest of the gray buildings. “Your new habitat will be here.” Giving Kai a wry look over his shoulder as Kai followed him, he added, “We’ll get you a team shirt, so you match the herd, and a GPS unit, so we can track your movements in the wild.”

Louis smirked at his own joke, and Kai lightly shook his head. Researcher humor. His dad used to do that when he was younger. Chronicling the life of a five year old human child like he was Dian Fossey and Kai was a gorilla in the mist.

Looking down at Louis, Kai noted the teal polo he wore with the name of the center in the upper left corner. Louis paired it with khaki slacks, slightly muddy around the knee area, and a black belt that looked like some type of superhero utility belt. Gadgets and gizmos hung off it in various places: a cell phone, a satellite phone, the aforementioned GPS unit, hopefully containing a detailed map of the mountains on it, and hanging off one hip, what appeared to be a tranquilizer gun. Kai didn’t think it was necessary to carry a tranq gun around at all times, attached to the hip like Han Solo or something, but he figured Louis enjoyed feeling like some Indiana Jones type explorer.

They walked through the double doors of the building, and Kai was hit with the smell of purified, recycled air. It reminded him of a lab, and he instantly felt at home. Growing up with parents who were big on environmental science, Kai had a healthy respect for developing theories and either proving or disproving them. While most kids’ only real science experience was making baking soda volcanoes, Kai had assisted his mom and dad in an actual lab. When he was ten, he’d even helped his dad carbon date some fossilized palm fronds. It kind of made baking soda volcanoes seem a little…mild.

As Kai’s eyes swept over an informal gathering area, where a couple men were sipping some coffee, and a blonde woman was eating a bagel, he spotted someone intently studying him, like he was a newfound species or something. She had frizzy hair and a face full of freckles, and was lifting and lowering her glasses, like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Confused, Kai looked around, but there was no one else; she was definitely staring at him.

As Louis proceeded to explain to him what the various rooms were—dining hall, bathrooms, spare bedrooms, labs, library, offices, etc.—the woman hopped up from her chair and walked over to them. Her amazed look still firmly on her face, she shook her head as she approached Louis.

“And what did you find, Louis?”

Pausing mid-sentence, Louis looked over at her, then back at Kai; that mischievous gleam was in his eyes again. “New guy,” he told her.

Her mouth dropped as her eyes dragged over Kai’s body, and Kai started feeling a little violated. Being admired was one thing, having all of his manhood analyzed and broken down into specific attributes, quite another. Hoping to break the ogling, he stuck his hand out. “Kai Harper,” he politely said.

Her eyes were still sweeping over him, and her grin was gigantic as she grasped his hand. “Wow, you are beautiful,” she matter-of-factly told him.

Kai felt heat flood his cheeks as Louis started laughing. The woman didn’t look embarrassed in the least as she continued shaking his hand. She looked like she’d merely stated an observational fact.

“Um…well, thank you?” Kai mumbled.

She shook her head. “No, I’m serious. You are, by far, the most attractive researcher we’ve ever had here. I look forward to working with you every day.” Kai wanted to pull his hand back, but she still had it tight. Stepping forward, she seductively intoned, “Name’s Missy. Missy Jones.”

Kai flicked a glance at Louis, who was still laughing at Kai’s obvious discomfort. Shrugging, he told him, “See, I told you she’d like you.”

Missy pulled on Kai’s hand and started absconding with him down a hallway. Louis waved goodbye, still chuckling in amusement. Kai frowned at the sudden change of events, then turned to watch where this short, wiry woman was leading him. She was wearing the same teal polo shirt and khaki slacks as Louis, and her belt had just as many gadgets, although, she wasn’t wearing a tranq gun. With a suggestive smile on her face, she opened a door and beckoned for him to follow her into a room.

As she prattled on about the comings and goings of life at the research center, Kai started to wonder just what she planned on doing with him. Flicking on a light, she closed the door behind them. They seemed to be in what looked like a storage room. Confused, Kai scrunched his brows. Why had she brought him to a closet? Missy pointed over to a tall cupboard, and Kai let out a sigh of relief. He didn’t need another awkward moment with a woman; he had enough of those with Jessie.

Aside from the closet built in the wall, there were wire racks forming aisle ways in the large room. On the shelves were various computer parts, extra lab equipment, and a box labeled “lost and found”. Kai could just see the tip of a bright pink feather boa in that box. Shaking his head, he returned his attention to Missy as she opened the cupboard. Rambling about the various men who had either worked here before or worked here now, she rummaged through a box.

In the middle of a story about an ex-coworker who used to smell like Pine Sol, she paused and asked Kai, “You’re a medium, right?” Before Kai could answer her, she pulled her hand out of the box and thrust a teal polo at his face. Blinking in surprise, Kai grabbed it before it fell. Missy began scrutinizing his pants, and he twisted a bit, not exactly liking where her gaze was fixated. “Thirty, right?”

He again thought to answer her, but she reached into another box and pulled out some slacks before he could. Kai was a little impressed that she’d sized him up so accurately as he grabbed his pants.

“Um, thanks.” Kai had never worked at a lab that required uniforms before. The place where his parents worked was pretty relaxed about what the employees wore. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about what to wear every day, although, he would definitely be adding layers to his short-sleeved polo. “Where can I…?” He looked around, hoping she’d get the hint.

Missy smiled brightly. “Oh, just change right there. We’re all family here.” She started searching for more items, and with a raised eyebrow, Kai resumed scanning the room. He really didn’t want to change in front of her; he had a feeling she’d enjoy that too much. When she looked back and saw that he hadn’t stripped yet, she frowned, then nodded her head to the side. “There’s a bathroom in the corner.” She shook her head, disappointed.

Kai walked over to the bathroom in disbelief. If their roles were reversed, and he’d just done that to her, he was pretty sure he’d be sued. Double standards. They worked both ways, which, he supposed balanced out the double standard, making everything fair and even again. The marvel of the universe.

Eyeing himself in the mirror once he was changed, he noticed that the teal shirt brought out the green in his blue-green eyes. They looked even more surreal now. Looking at the closed bathroom door, he hoped the effect didn’t make Missy’s interest in him worse; she was probably already picturing him naked. For a split-second, Kai wondered if Jessie would like this color on him. Pushing that thought aside and shaking his head to clear his wandering mind, he grabbed his regular clothes and opened the door.

Missy was staring at the door when he stepped through, and her pale eyes were narrowed intently, like she’d been trying to see through it. Lifting her gaze to his face, she didn’t seem even remotely bothered that she’d been caught. She fanned her face when she noticed his eyes, and Kai sighed. She definitely found the color appealing, and was even more intrigued by him. Kai was beginning to think that Missy might make his days here pretty long.

She gave him a broad smile that showed almost all of her teeth; her expression, plus her frazzled hair made her seem wild and untamed, much like the wilderness around them. “Holy crap, you are one attractive man.” Stepping right up to him, she casually asked, “You want to take me out?” Again, she didn’t look embarrassed in the slightest for being so forward.

While Kai pondered how to politely get out of this, Missy moved even closer, her hands reaching out for him. Backing away, he quickly told her, “I wish I could, but…I don’t date coworkers.” Frowning, she dropped her hands. Kai bit back a smile as he tried to look remorseful. “Sorry, personal rule.”

Missy eyed him up and down, then exaggerated a loud sigh. “Oh, too bad.” Brightening, she bumped Kai’s hip with hers. “Well, if you ever have an itch that needs…scratching, I’m your girl. No dating involved,” she added with a wink.