Page 55 of Pucking My Grumpy Roommate
Austin had drifted a step back, his expression carefully neutral as James and I fell into rapid scientific dialogue.
“Did you verify the sequence integrity after the site-directed mutagenesis?” I asked, already reaching for the container.
“Complete verification through sequencing.” James nodded eagerly. “The restriction analysis confirmed successful integration of all four modular components. The promoter region maintains full functionality despite the adjacent insertions.”
“That’s fantastic! This could significantly accelerate the binding affinity studies I had planned.” I clutched the container, genuinely excited despite the bizarre timing.
“Exactly what I thought.” James beamed. “I’d love to collaborate on the next phase. Perhaps over dinner? I’ve been meaning to discuss a potential joint publication anyway.”
I noticed Austin’s jaw tighten almost imperceptibly.
“That’s...something we can discuss at the lab, James,” I said carefully, taking a subtle step back toward Austin. “Thanks for bringing this, but it really could have waited until morning.”
“Science waits for no one,” James quipped, seemingly oblivious to the tension. “I’ll let you get back to your...evening. See you tomorrow, Kate. Nice meeting you, Carson.”
“Callahan,” Austin corrected flatly.
After James finally departed, I turned to find Austin already walking back to the living room, his shoulders rigid in a way I’d come to recognize as suppressed emotion.
“Sorry about that,” I said, setting the container on the entry table. “James is brilliant, but he has absolutely zero social awareness.”
Austin nodded without turning around, methodically gathering my scattered papers into a neat stack.
“Hey,” I said softly, approaching him. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” The clipped tone contradicted his words.
“Bullshit,” I challenged, gently taking the papers from his hands. “Talk to me.”
Austin sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Do you have any idea how intimidating it is? Listening to you speak what might as well be a foreign language with someone who clearly thinks you’re the most brilliant person on the planet?”
“That’s what this is about? James?”
“It’s about feeling like a complete fucking idiot standing there while you two might as well have been discussing quantumphysics,” he admitted, frustration evident in his voice. “And watching him look at you like you’re the answer to every question he’s ever had.”
I blinked, surprised. “Are you...jealous?”
“I’m not jealous,” he shot back too quickly. “I’m just...aware of the gap.”
“What gap?”
“The intellectual one,” he said, gesturing between us. “You’re revolutionizing medicine, and I hit a rubber disc around for a living.”
“That’s not fair—to either of us,” I replied, anger flaring unexpectedly. “You think what you do doesn’t require intelligence? The spatial awareness, strategic thinking, and split-second decision-making in hockey is just as complex as what I do—it’s just different.”
“Different enough that your colleague didn’t even bother remembering my name,” Austin countered. “And why the fuck is he showing up at your—at our door at midnight?”
“I don’t know! I didn’t ask him to!” I threw my hands up. “And for the record, I don’t appreciate the implication that I somehow invited this.”
“I never said?—”
“You didn’t have to. It’s written all over your face,” I interrupted. “You’ve been like this since the bar incident. Like you’re just waiting for me to realize I should be with someone who can discuss bacterial conjugation over dinner.”
Austin fell silent, his blue eyes studying me with an intensity that made me shiver.
“Is that what you think of me?” I asked more quietly. “ThatI’d choose someone based on their ability to understand my research?”
“No,” he finally said, his voice softer. “But I think it’s natural to want to be with someone who shares your passions.”
