The Man Who Has No Love - Victoria Quinn Page 0,63

her, the way he wouldn’t forget about her. “I know she didn’t.”

“Then work it out with her. You love her, right?”

I thought her betrayal would change that fact, but it didn’t. I nodded.

“Does she still love you?”

I nodded again.

“And I love her, so…”

I dragged my hand down my face, taking a second to swallow the emotion so the tears wouldn’t come out. “I know you do.”

“And she makes you so happy. I miss seeing you happy.”

“Derek, let’s talk about something else.”

“Why?” he whispered. “You’re different…and I don’t like it.”

I filled the tubes and put them in the distiller before I shut the fume hood. It would take forty-five minutes for the process to complete, so I ripped off my gloves, washed my hands, and then removed my mask. I pulled up the stool to the table and looked at my paperwork, the timer set on my phone.

The door opened, and Dr. Hawthorne walked inside. “How much time do you have left?”

“I just started it.”

She sat on the stool beside mine and set down her paperwork. Then she discussed her data and asked for my input. It led to a twenty-minute conversation, going over the spreadsheets.

I marked up some of her columns and returned the paper to her. “These numbers seem too good to be true. Let’s repeat it.”

“Alright.” She took her papers back.

I returned to my work.

“Deacon?”

I lifted my chin and looked at her head on.

“Would you like to come over for dinner tonight? I’m cooking.”

I stared at her blankly, unsure why she was asking me the question. She’d never asked me to do anything before, at least not outside of work. But then it dawned on me…she was hitting on me. I’d never received an advance from a colleague before. This was the first time.

“I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable. No is a perfectly acceptable answer. I just knew I’d regret never asking.”

I didn’t know what to say. I couldn’t think of any words to explain the way I felt about her question. It’d been six weeks since I called it quits with Cleo, and while time passed, my progress hadn’t advanced. “I’m not really looking for anything…” I hadn’t been on a date. I hadn’t picked up a woman at the bar. I’d just been alone.

“If you’re referring to a relationship, I’m okay with that. Just something physical is fine. It’s been hard for me to meet anyone I like. When I go out, I feel really disappointed by the options. I feel like there’s no one out there I can really connect with. I know it’s inappropriate to go after a colleague, but…you’re so brilliant. It’s just easy for me.”

I didn’t have a policy against personal relationships between colleagues because it wasn’t something I’d ever considered. It didn’t seem like a complicated situation because everyone was so professional and decided to their work. While Kathleen was beautiful and compatible, the thought never crossed my mind. I just didn’t think of her that way. I didn’t think of anyone that way. “I’m with Cleo.”

She raised an eyebrow. “I thought you said you weren’t seeing each other anymore?”

“We aren’t…but I’m still with her…” I couldn’t explain it better than that. I’d never struggled so hard to explain how I felt.

Her eyes softened. “You mean you’re still in love with her.”

I nodded. “Yeah…I am.”

Tucker sat across from me at the table in the bar, talking with his beer in his hand. “I mean, I’ve met a girlfriend’s parents before, but I’m still nervous anyway. I really like Pria, you know? If they don’t like me…it’s an uphill battle.”

I nodded. “You’ll be fine, Tucker.”

“You think?”

“What’s there not to like?”

He grinned. “Very true.”

“You make good money, have a steady job, have good looks—you’re a suitable partner.”

His smile died away. “Well, if you’re gonna base it on how I sound on paper…”

A woman came up to our table, appearing out of thin air. “Hey, I’m Rebecca.” She extended her hand.

I stared at her blankly before I shook her hand.

“I think you’re really cute, so I wanted to introduce myself. What’s your name?”

I continued to look at her like I had no idea what to do. “I’m not interested.” My words were harsh, even to my own ears, but I didn’t know what else to say. That was the truth—right to the point.

“Uh…alright.” She left the table.

Tucker watched me.

My beer was empty, so I waved down the waitress and ordered another. She got it right away and placed it in front of me.

Tucker