The embarrassment burned through my veins at the thought of last night. I hadn’t even realised that Grayson was in the kitchen until he spoke, and it had escalated so quickly. He’d combed through every thought I had, including the ones about how alluring he looked in the darkness.
Why should I be embarrassed? He was a God, and I wasn’t the only one who would have noticed how stunning the entire cohort was. Being so close to him had sparked a longing that had me pressing my thighs together. And then the way he’d informed me he’d never touch a ‘filthy mortal’ such as myself, had left me feeling dirty and worthless.
I refused to be made to feel that way under my roof. Rather than stew and let the anxiety grow into an unmanageable monstrosity, I spent the first thirty minutes of my day locked in my office, straightening out my thoughts. A scientist, a problem solver — that was what I was. Critical thinking was a vital skill.
Gareth could always be found in his office during the early hours before the official start of the workday. This project was his pride and joy, and I assumed his wife was the most understanding woman on the planet with the number of hours he put in.
Knocking on the door, I didn’t wait for an answer before pushing it open. My parents would be mortified if they saw the way I breezed into the room, but they’d be disappointed if I didn’t stand up for myself. One of those scenarios was easier to live with.
Gareth looked between his two desktop monitors as I walked towards him.
“Scott?” he asked, surprised. “You’re a little early today.” He glanced at the watch on his wrist.
An invitation wasn’t needed, as I took a seat in front of his desk. I crossed one leg over the other and took a deep breath before I said, “I need to talk to you.”
“Is everything alright with Grayson?” Gareth asked, sensing the issue.
I took a moment to answer. The last thing I needed was for Gareth to think that I was incapable or weak or worse, that I was blowing everything out of proportion. The thought that he might dismiss me as a hysterical woman made my skin tingle uncomfortably. This went above my pay grade, and I was more than a little concerned, backed by plenty of evidence, over how volatile Grayson had proven to be.
“Everything is —” I thought about how to end the sentence. “Fine.” The lie sounded feeble even in my ears, and I cringed internally. “Gareth, I’m requesting a transfer from Grayson,” I cut down to the bones of the issue, not willing to trip over myself any more than necessary.
“Scott,” Gareth said firmly, leaning forward with his elbows on the table, preparing to start his defence.
Gareth, for all his well-mannered emails and jolly banter, was commander-in-chief. His ego surpassed ours, his drive was more dominant, his ambition bested us all. That didn’t mean I was about to retreat with my tail between my legs. It would be a battle of wills.
“He’s volatile and unpredictable,” I told my boss.
“Which is why I placed you with him in the first place,” he responded. “I thought you’d appreciate the challenge. Top of your class. The youngest person I know to have completed a PhD. You’re not someone to shy away from work.”
Gareth was good at stroking people’s egos. During the months leading up to the arrival, he’d worked his way through the staff, getting them to do what he required. We had completed much work under his watch because Gareth wasn’t above feeding into people’s self-importance, but I wasn’t buying it this time. I knew what I was capable of, but that didn’t mean he could use it as leverage.
“You’re not telling me anything that I don’t already know, Gareth,” I told him coolly.
No one was going to fight my battles for me, so I had to rely on myself to not get swept up in sugared words that didn’t have my best intentions at the heart of them. Kindness was often barbed. People couldn’t help but carry their own agendas.
He steepled his fingers and I leaned back in my chair. This was my first job, and I’d never negotiated terms, but I refused to back down easily.
“I’m requesting a transfer,” I repeated. “I want to be assigned to a different God.”
“I can’t say it’s a request that I wish to grant.”
“You headhunted me for this job,” I reminded him. “I had strict conditions, Gareth. I wanted to work on this to publish the findings, but that’s a little difficult to do when I can’t get what I need from my subject because he behaves like a child.“I want my publications and I want my recognition, and at this rate, it’ll be one of the others that gets there first. So, I either get reassigned or I walk away from this project,” I said with confidence.
The colour drained from Gareth’s face, but his expression remained calm. Not a muscle in his body twitched. He could replace me. But that would mean finding someone who would agree to the position, going through all the non-disclosure agreements, and getting them up to speed. I was here, and I had a proven track record that I could produce results in the lab if they gave me the correct tools to work with.
This could swing either way; I could get my wish or Gareth could show me the door and I’d be back to applying for postdoctoral positions again, with an unexplainable gap in my employment history.
“You don’t mean that,” Gareth said, trying to call my bluff.
Sitting up a little straighter in the chair, I relaxed my shoulders. “Yes, I do. You and I both know I could walk into half of the labs across the world without an issue. People want me on their team, and I won’t hesitate to find an employer that keeps their word.”
The offers had come from St Andrews’, Auckland, and Houston Methodist before I’d even submitted my thesis. My external examiner for my viva voce was a Professor from Seville who gave me my fourth job offer if I so wanted it, but I’d turned my back on all those institutes because this job had held the promise of landing in the history books, and it was hard to tame my ego for an offer like that.
Cass was the final push I needed to take the job. My big brother was my sounding board and the person I loved the most on this earth. He’d been hesitant when I explained I was thinking of taking a government post rather than staying in academia. I’d been on the receiving end of a twenty-minute lecture on the dangers of corruption before he concluded I should do what made me happy.
“Fine,” Gareth eventually said, blowing out a breath. “You’re off Grayson’s case.”
“And reassigned to?” I asked, flashing him a smile and feeling the knot in my chest ease. “I’m not fussy.” There was no need to push my luck, and we hadn’t heard of the other Gods causing trouble.
