“If I was at a university, they would own my research. I honestly wouldn’t have research if I didn’t have company money backing me up. I get a generous salary, my name on everything, and bonuses if the idea works out.” She loved her lab. “If I hadn’t been hired by Genedyne, I would probably be working in some company on someone else’s research. I’m female and young, so getting to do my own work is a miracle.”
“How did you get hired?”
“The normal way. Everyone knows once you get hired there’s the internal fight for a private lab. I liked the fact that ideas were more important than past experience at Genedyne. Not that I would have kept my lab if I screwed up. Jessica is quick to hire and even faster to fire,” Noelle explained. She didn’t talk about the fact that an employee who got fired was lucky to merely slink away. Sometimes the employee got fired or accused of trying to steal company property.
“And Jessica Layne’s reputation didn’t bother you?” Hutch asked.
“Do you know what it’s like to be a woman in a man’s world? Of course you don’t. She has to be tough or they’ll eat her alive.” She knew the rumors, but she was giving her boss a chance. “Look, I’m careful. I want to stay off her radar as much as possible, but I also recognize the amazing opportunity she’s given me. I know a lot of what she does is theatrical, but it’s how she gets attention for the company. She’s always been considered an innovator. Is she perfect? Of course not.”
“Hey, it’s not like there aren’t many controversial tech figures. They kind of try to be controversial, so I understand the marketing play,” he replied. “I work for Ian Taggart. Trust me. When I first met the man, I’d heard lots of rumors about him.”
“From the CIA?” She couldn’t help it. She was curious about Hutch. She wanted to ask him what exactly he’d done that shut down everyone the minute he mentioned his “sacrifice.” He was an incredibly handsome man, but he didn’t look like a guy who’d been in the Army and the CIA. Of course, according to most people, she didn’t look like a badass scientist, and that’s exactly what she was.
“Yes. I was working with a CIA team when I first met the Taggarts,” Hutch explained. “The first time I ever went into this building we were raiding it.”
“Raiding it?”
He nodded and pointed up to the ceiling. “We came in on a helo, landed on top of the building, and came in through the front door with flashbangs. Shock and awe did not work on McKay-Taggart.”
“Okay. The last time I checked, the CIA was concerned with foreign countries. I know Texas sometimes seems weird, but it’s still America.” She had a million questions, and there was a flutter in her stomach because standing here with him, talking to him, felt good.
His lips had turned up in a wistful smile, the memories seemingly fond to him. “Well, my boss at the time had embedded his sister here at McKay-Taggart. She was Agency, too. Big Tag finds out he’s got a plant but doesn’t realize she’s CIA, and definitely doesn’t know she’s my boss’s sister. Big Tag wants some help figuring out what intelligence agency she’s from and mouths off about taking care of her. Hence the ex-Special Forces team raiding an American company. The worst part was they were having a baby shower that day. Our asses run in expecting to find some kind of torture going on and it’s all punch and cake and pregnant ladies.”
“What did you do? I mean everyone must have been terrified of guys with guns coming into their workplace.”
“Yeah, we had guns, but we were ordered to keep the safeties on. We were never going to shoot anyone. My boss wanted to easily extract his sister. Also, fear wasn’t the emotion I would say was riding high that day. They were pissed, and one of the pregnant ladies caught one of our guys, and she did not have the safety on her gun. We decided then and there to lay down arms and all have cake.” His eyes closed briefly. “It was this Italian Cream Cake with the best icing. Just a little granular. The texture was perfect.”
He was speaking her language. “I love that kind. I know everyone talks about creamy, but that hint of texture is my favorite. But it’s such a fine line between perfection and the icing getting lumpy. It’s usually because you start with the ingredients being too cold.”
His eyes were open again. “It’s all about the chemical reaction, right?”
Those eyes were too blue, too warm.
“That’s what baking is,” she replied. “I’m afraid you’ll find I bake a lot. I take most of it to my lab.”
“Oh, I’m not afraid of that. You should be afraid that you won’t have much to take to your lab after I steal your cookies.”
Her heart rate had gone sky high, and she appreciated MaeBe’s timing as she chose that moment to drive up in her Prius. She had the new compact model, and unfortunately, she did not have a compact man in the passenger seat. Kyle Hawthorne looked hunched over, and she would bet he had that seat all the way back.
This was not going to be a comfortable ride.
MaeBe put the car in park and both she and Kyle got out, MaeBe bouncing from her seat with a smile and Kyle unfurling his body, wincing the whole time.
“I’m getting a car this weekend. I swear,” Kyle said. He looked her way and visibly noticed her cane. “I’ll take the back seat.”
She felt a flush go through her. “It’s fine. I’ll fit better.”
Kyle shook his head. “No. I wouldn’t dream of it. You’ll be more comfortable getting in and out if you take the front.”
“Yeah, I don’t care about Kyle’s comfort. I’m actually interested in seeing if he and Hutch can fit back there.” MaeBe seemed amused.
They wouldn’t fit at all, and she would. It might not be the most comfortable, but she was pretty sure MaeBe was the only one tiny enough for this car. “I’ll be fine in the back.”
“Absolutely not,” Kyle insisted. “I’m not going to take your seat.”
But it wasn’t hers. She knew he was trying to be polite, but all she could hear was she couldn’t even sit in the back of a car. Yes, she used a cane, but getting into that car would be awkward for anyone.
“She said she would be fine in the back. Why do you think she can’t sit in a back seat?” Hutch asked, his eyes narrowed.
Kyle’s gaze went right for her cane. “I’m trying to help her out, man.”
Hutch walked to the car and opened the door, reaching in to drop the seat forward. “She knows what she can and can’t do. You seem to be the one who doesn’t because there’s zero shot at you fitting back here. Noelle, do you mind sitting in the back so the big guy’s spine doesn’t crack?”
God, that was refreshing. “No problem.”
It was totally awkward getting into that car, but she managed it and then scooted over when Hutch got in after her. His knees were practically up to his chin, but he settled in.
She heard the trunk open and then close as Kyle put Hutch’s duffel in, and then he climbed into the front. “Sorry. I was trying to help.”
She knew he was, but she preferred Hutch’s method. He hadn’t told her what her limitations were, hadn’t expected that because she used a cane she couldn’t see someone else had a greater need. “It’s okay, but I’m actually pretty flexible. I know the cane throws some people off, but you should see me do yoga.”