Absolute Zero (44 page)

A long silence seemed to ensue before he finally spoke.

“Really? I was thinking about sending something over, maybe have a date?”

“Sorry. I already ate dinner,” she stated simply.

“Hmm. That’s too bad. You know we could still…” The door opened and a nurse appeared.

“I need to go. Someone’s here,” she stated quickly. “I’ll call you later,” she added in a softer tone before pressing the end call button on her screen.

*****

She lied.

He stared at the phone in his hand. He had just spoken to Irene minutes before he called her.

Irene said she wasn’t at the house.

Why would she lie
?

His finger scrolled through his contacts. The decision was made. He debated back and forth for the last couple of days and every time he stopped himself.

He clicked the call button after the number he sought popped up.

“Hello?” a male voice answered on the third ring.

“Daniel, it’s Ian. Sorry to call so late,” he started.

“No problem. I was up anyway. What can I do for you?”

“I want you to…check on something for me. Or rather…someone,” he stated.

*****

“Hey! Anne! You showed up!” Caleb exclaimed as she walked toward the table later that night.

She let her gaze pass over the four twenty-somethings seated in the corner of the small bar feeling a bit…old and completely out of place.

“Here, have a seat.” Caleb pulled out a chair.

She walked forward slowly, suddenly uneasy with four sets of eyes riveted on her.

“This is Anne,” Caleb started as she hooked her purse over the chair back and sat down. “She’s like super smart. She works at Dunmed. She just moved here, what? Like a month ago? Two?” he questioned.

“Something like that,” she breathed out nervously.

“This is Carrie,” he indicated a pretty brunette with a bob haircut similar to her own. “And, Hayden,” he indicated the man seated next to Carrie. He was taller and skinnier than Caleb. “And this is
Lara
,” he seemed to emphasize. She was beautiful, really; at least in Anne’s estimation with her long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She smiled revealing perfectly white teeth.

“Hi Anne,” she greeted her.

“Hi.”

“Anne’s a scientist,” Caleb supplied before Lara’s eyes seemed to widen with interest.

“My uncle used to work there,” she stated without hesitation or any form of awkwardness, it seemed. “You’ve probably heard about him, huh? Ron?”

Anne immediately nodded. This was going to be so much easier than she anticipated if Lara’s open face indicated anything.

“I heard. That’s a shame. Do you…see him often?” she asked.

“Nah. My folks moved him to a place in Wernersville. It’s a little farther from us, so we don’t get there as often,” she stated.

“Well, hopefully he’s getting better care there, then,” Anne added.

Conversation seemed to swirl around the table from the other inhabitants but it seemed that Lara was more interested in
their
conversation, much to Anne’s relief.

“Well, he has good days and bad days. I think he’s doing better, though. They had to move him because his coworkers would visit and he would go
ballistic
,” she stated in a lower tone as she leaned in.

“I’m sure they didn’t realize…” Anne started, thinking back to any and all conversations she had with anyone regarding Ron. They were few and far between, unfortunately.

“You’re right. I know that. My folks know that, but I still think they made the right decision. He seems…calmer now. At least the last time I was there. He still can’t talk right, though,” she added.

“It was sudden? I mean…he never…” Anne stopped, unsure of how prying she might sound to the younger woman.

“No. I mean he was always quiet. I think because he was so brilliant. He really was smart, but he was completely antisocial. Not with family, of course,” she answered quietly. “You know what? Let’s not talk about this. It’s kind of depressing, huh?”

“No. Not at all. You know, I was a neurosurgeon in another life, maybe I could look into…” she led before clamping her mouth shut. It was probably the first time in recent years she actually offered up that information freely. Of course it was with a purpose this time. “I guess I just find his condition intriguing, that’s all,” she finished vaguely.

“Really? Maybe that would be helpful, who knows? I mean, Caleb said you’re new, right? Maybe he wouldn’t freak out if
you
talked to him.”

*****

“So, what did you do tonight?” she could hear his soft brogue through the phone later that night.

“What are you doing up so late?” she answered instead, settling her head on her pillow.

“Couldn’t sleep. What did you do?” he asked again and for some strange reason, it really felt as if the question was leading instead of merely inquiring.

She stared at the moonlight slashed ceiling and let out a rather loud sigh.

“I lied,” she admitted softly.

Silence seemed to stretch between them before he finally spoke.

“About what?”

“I wasn’t home tonight. I went to the bar,” she purposely left out the doctor’s appointment.

His feeling of relief at her sudden honesty was completely overtaken by some other darker and much less complimentary emotion.

“You…went to the bar,” he seemed to be talking to himself rather than her. “With who?”

“Irene’s son? Caleb? And some of his friends.”

“Caleb is what? Twenty?! What the hell, Anne!?”

“He’s twenty-three,” she responded simply as evidence of his exasperation was clearly evidenced by the huff of breath on his end. It made her smile.

“Ooo. I’m sorry. That makes all the difference. Why on earth are ya going to the bar with twenty year olds?” he seemed to grate out.

“I don’t know. I met someone interesting, though,” she started.

His body bristled immediately as his grip tightened on the phone. “What? Who?
Annie
…” he stated through clenched teeth.

“It’s not like
that
. What’s the matter with you? You sound like you’re ready to rip into me. Calm down,” she laughed out.

“I swear you do this to rile me,” he breathed out.

“Nah. I would just say ‘potluck’ if I wanted to do that,” she returned softly, waiting for the usual reaction.

“Who did you meet?” he asked without a trace of humor. Apparently he hadn’t taken the bait or he was too intent on something else to care.

“Ron’s niece.”

“Who’s Ron?” she heard through the phone.

“Ron Flemming? Your old Lab Manager?” she stated.

“Oh, right. I didn’t really know him all that well,” he admitted in a much calmer voice and immediately her apprehension seemed to rise up.

“Who’s lying now?” she asked.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well, I have to admit when Rand told me I was requested to help out in Scotland, I had a sneaking suspicion that you commandeered that request – and not for professional reasons, I might add. I asked Rand if it was normal for people to travel there and he told me Ron visited there frequently,” she stated, waiting impatiently for his response.

“That’s because he always worked with Lach. I didn’t see him much.”

“So…you didn’t put
him
up in your home?” she asked slyly.

“No. He wasn’t sexy enough for me,” he returned in a serious voice causing a giggle to burst from her throat before she clamped her lips shut.

“So, tell me why you went to the bar,” he ordered.

“Maybe I’m trying to change my antisocial ways,” she answered before changing back to the subject she
really
wanted to talk about. “You know, I find it hard to believe that you didn’t know Ron that well.”

“I didn’t,” he answered before blowing a soft breath into the phone. “I hate to admit it, but Ron is a big reason we don’t do injected medicines, at least not in the States. His research was just…well, let’s just say he was brilliant but maybe a little too outside of the box for my taste. He couldn’t get past pre-clinicals and there was no way his projects were suitable for human testing. I mean, the ideas were sound, but…they just didn’t pan out, let’s put it that way,” he responded before an almost aggravated intake of breath occurred. “So, let’s stop talking about Ron? Please? Can we talk about when you’re coming to see me again? Lach wants to schedule a meeting with the team from Oxford. You know they responded favorably to the proposal we sent.”

“You didn’t tell me that!” she gasped.

“I just found out tonight. Besides, you’ve been too busy blathering about the bar, otherwise I would’ve told you.”

“Wow. So, that’s great. That
is
great, right?”

“Aye. Now, when can we get you back here? I really want you in that meeting. It’s advantageous for us to have someone with your background there.”

Rand’s words came back to haunt her as a feeling of unease swept through her.

“Are you using me for my background?” she asked softly.

“No. I’m using you for hot sex. But your background is helpful too,” he stated in obvious amusement. “Just joking, love,” he added after a moment of silence on her end.

“Right,” she finally uttered.

“Annie…” his voice was practically a whisper. “It’s so much more than that,” he added. “You have to know that.”

Warmth seeped through every pore in her body. His words felt like a tight embrace.

“Can you give me a month?” She asked, trying to keep her voice unaffected by his admission.

“No! A week,” he countered.

“Three weeks,” she answered back.

“Two days.”

“Two days!? That’s not how you negotiate! We’re supposed to meet in the middle!” she laughed out.

“I know. Two weeks. That’s my final word. No arguing.” He stated in a tone he used frequently in the boardroom.

“Yes sir,” she responded immediately, to his obvious delight.

His soft laugh filled her ear. “Now, say goodnight, I need to get some sleep. Stop calling me in the middle of the night,” he added cheekily.

“I didn’t…!” she started but quickly blew out a breath. “You’re an ass,” she stated with a smile.

*****

She admitted she lied.

He stared up at the ceiling, debating his sanity for having her checked out. Maybe this wasn’t the wisest thing he’d ever done. He could always call the firm in the morning and cancel the request. Or he could finally get some answers about the woman that had captured his heart and perhaps even his soul.

His attention focused on the phone in his hand as he swiped the screen and immediately searched out the text she had sent him at his request. A picture appeared of the two of them. He stared at it for a while before settling the phone next to his hip.

He would ask her to stay during her visit in two weeks. This separation had to be quite possibly the most frustrating thing he’d ever experienced. He would ask her to work in the Scottish facility. He would use the Oxford Project as the reason, but in reality?

He just wanted Anne.

*****

Two weeks.

How was she supposed to swing that? She thought as she continued to stare at the ceiling.

Rand had made it clear he wanted her involved in the clinical testing, even requesting that she participate in administering the solution. He wanted everything perfect, no mistakes and he was right. If she had been involved in the previous testing, she would have surely researched and ensured the test subject was a good fit for the drug. She would have ensured that the solution was injected properly, if she had been given the opportunity, that is.

It still haunted her.

She still had no answers why someone would have sabotaged her study.

This was her chance to redeem herself. The formula worked perfectly in pre-clinicals. It was revolutionary and it might just very well save Dunmed America. Or would it?

Her thoughts immediately focused on Ian once again.

He would either be extremely pleased or she would be shit-canned for her deception. If he would only talk to her about this, she might be able to discern whether or not the effort was even worth it. He was stubborn, no doubt. If he had already decided to sell the facility, she wondered that anything would change his mind.

It was a chance she was more than willing to take.

Her mind wandered to Ron and the unanswered questions she still needed. Time was limited and perhaps he had some of those answers locked away in his brain. Or maybe he was too far gone. She would never know unless she talked to him.

He didn’t know who she was. She could certainly visit the facility and use her former credentials to talk to him. Besides, she was given permission by the family – in a way.