Forever Read Free

innovation. Hence the double major in physics and chemistry. I was still trying to make up my mind.
    “I’m listening,” I said.
    “Medical research. Might involve DNA analysis.”
    “A bit outside my focus,” I said.
    “I bet you could pick it up.”
    I shrugged. “There are plenty of places that do DNA analysis these days.”
    “This is a private effort. We have to do our own.”
    I met her gaze. “Why?”
    She looked at her mug, and swirled it a couple of times. “Privacy. It’s a specific project to combat a disease that affects a small minority. The treatment will have no lucrative potential, I’m afraid, but we’ll pay you.”
    “Human interest?”
    “Not enough to generate any clout.”
    “Who taught you to talk so politically?”
    She gave me an ironic look. “You’re the one that recommended I study business.”
    “And did you?”
    “I signed up for a couple of classes. Not sure if I’ll stick with it. Don’t change the subject.”
    “What is the subject? What disease is this? Not AIDS.”
    “Oh, hell no. This is obscure. You’ve never heard of it.”
    “Try me.”
    “Steve, it doesn’t even have a scientific name. That’s how obscure it is.”
    “No one’s written about it at all? How do you expect to get any funding?”
    “We have a private backer.”
    “Better have pretty deep pockets.”
    A small sound—just an exhalation, a hint of a laugh—drew my attention to Lomen. Our gazes met briefly, just enough to waken a response in my groin, then he looked away again.
    If Lomen was part of this, I might be more interested. I wondered if the deep pockets were his. Not likely; he wasn’t much older than me or Amanda. Unless maybe he was a trust-fund kid, but he didn’t have that polished look.
    “The pay is good,” Amanda said. “Could help cut down your student loans.”
    “How good?”
    “Twenty-five bucks an hour.”
    That was good. Way more than I was getting for grading papers.
    “How many hours a week?” I asked.
    “It’s flexible. We’ll work around your schedule.”
    Tempting. Sounded too good to be true. I would much rather do research than teach, but if I gave up my student-assisting gig for this job and the deep pockets ran dry, I might be sorry.
    “Let me think about it.”
    “OK.”
    Amanda drank the last of her coffee and looked around for the waitress. Lomen looked up from the table top, right at me.
    “Please consider accepting. We need your help.”
    His voice was quiet, his eyes were earnest, and I felt like I’d been kicked in the chest. I wanted to do whatever he asked of me. Anything.
    I was the one who looked away. Down at my coffee, which was now cold. I swallowed.
    I was not thinking rationally. The day had started badly, and I was still off-balance. My feelings were getting in the way, and I knew I should just step back and calm down before making any decisions.
    He was still watching me; I could feel his gaze. I looked up again into those emerald eyes.
    “I’ll do it.”

 
     
= 2 =
    A manda turned to me, looking startled. “You will? Great!”
    She grinned and held out her hand. I shook it. She glanced at Lomen, who had gone silent again.
    “We’ll need to meet with Caeran and Len,” Amanda said. “Maybe tonight, if you’re not busy?”
    “I’m open.”
    “Good, good! We’ll talk about scheduling. It’s early in the project—we still don’t have a work space.”
    “Fine.”
    I should give the Physics 102 prof some warning anyway. She wouldn’t be pleased to have me quit. Or maybe I wouldn’t have to; if this startup hadn’t quite started up yet, I might have until the end of the semester.
    Secretly, I hoped I wouldn’t. The minute I’d said yes, I’d been filled with excitement. The student-assisting job was dead boring and I’d be happy to drop it immediately. I already knew I didn’t want to teach.
    I looked at Lomen. He was staring at the table top again, frowning slightly.
    Amanda flagged down the waitress and paid