Page 4 of Love in the Lab
The field is where the real action happens.
Which is why I'm excited for my assignment today. I’ll ease her into my work by collecting water samples from a nearby swamp. No boats required, just wading boots.
I get to the office and find Molly at her computer, swiveling her chair back and forth as her eyes remain focused on the screen.
“You ready?” I pair the question with my most charming smile.
Molly lifts her gaze from the computer screen and stares at me blankly. “For?”
“Fieldwork. We’ve got some water samples to collect.”
Her jaw clenches, and she narrows her eyes. “We’re doing that today?”
“Yeah. Didn’t anyone tell you?”
She appraises what I’m wearing—lightweight fishing pants and a long-sleeve UV shirt. “I’m not dressed for fieldwork today. I’ll come with you another time.”
From what I can tell, she’s wearing yoga pants and a T-shirt. “Your clothes are fine. I have waders you can borrow.”
She looks appalled. “I’ll just go with you another time. I didn’t plan to do fieldwork today. I mean, I … put makeup on and everything this morning,” she finishes lamely.
I know she supposedly has this fear of the ocean, but I never pegged her for prissy. Andisshe wearing makeup? I study her face. She looks the same as always— beautiful, natural, fresh.
“Look, I don’t want to play the boss card, but Dr. Gantt told me that you should come with me for field research whenever I go until she says it’s enough.” I widen my eyes in a pleading look. “Don’t make me let our PI down, Dr. Delaney.”
She huffs. “Fine. Just … fine. Can you at least give me about twenty minutes to finish what I’m doing?”
“Absolutely. I’ll check my email and meet you back here at,” I check my watch, “nine thirty.”
She grumbles something under her breath, so I whistle as I walk away. Why does it give me so much pleasure to annoy her? Is it because I know she hates me? Or does she hate me because I tend to annoy her? It’s a chicken-egg situation, for sure. I’m not sure which came first.
The thing is, my behaviors that seem to annoy her the most are the ones that charm other women. The smiling. The winking. Paying extra attention to her. I usually get good results withthese tactics. Not that that’s what I’m doing here, of course. I’m not trying to get any results from Molly except annoyance. Well, I guess now I’m trying to get her to tolerate me well enough that we won’t kill each other as we work together. Which means I should probably stop intentionally aggravating her.
Because I’m feeling generous, I give Molly an extra ten minutes before I’m back at her desk. “Ready now?”
“No, but let’s get this over with.”
I grin. “That’s the spirit!”
Down in the parking lot, I point Molly toward my blue pickup truck. “I’ve got all the gear loaded into my truck, so I’ll drive.”
She doesn’t answer but follows me across the lot. I try to decide if opening her car door falls into the “intentionally annoying her” category. Erring on the side of caution, I leave it alone and get myself situated in the driver’s seat.
Cranking the engine, I set my phone in the center compartment. “Do you mind music?”
She shakes her head, looking miserable.
I pull up my Avett Brothers playlist on Spotify and “Kick Drum Heart” starts playing over the truck speakers. I love this song. I turn the volume up.
“Come on, perk up.” I grin. “How can anyone be sulky with this song on?” I drum my fingers on the steering wheel as I back out of the parking space and start down the road.
“I don’t know what this is,” Molly grumbles. “But it’s too loud.”
“Sorry.” I turn the volume back to a normal level.
“Thank you, Dr. Stanch.”
I chuckle. Man, she kills me. “We don’t need to be so formal, you know,” I say. “Just call me Jonathan.”
