"Riley, dear!You've got to come with us!"Mary-Jo burst onto the scene, grabbing Riley's arm."Jake got us a backstage tour with the belugas, and we have an extra spot with your name on it."
"Mary-Jo," Cam said, pretending to be offended, "you're always taking my best trainers!"
Mary-Jo laughed and kissed Cam on the cheek."You can't fault me for wanting the best.Besides, Riley sees you too much, and who can pass up the belugas!"
Cam turned to Riley."New plan.Go see the belugas—it's not every day you get that opportunity.I'll take Dr.Gray-but-just-Gray for a sandwich and let him keep telling me how amazing I am."
Riley hesitated for a moment."Fine, but you have to bring me back a sandwich."
"Deal," Cam said with a grin."Come on, Just Gray.Let's leave the ladies to their whale whispering, and you can tell me about your research ideas.Also, did you want to ditch that suit jacket?You must be baking in it?"
As Cam and Gray headed off, Mary-Jo leaned in closer to Riley."I feel bad about the ruse."
"Me too," Riley sighed."And when Cam joked about you stealing his trainers..."
"Oof, yeah," Mary-Jo said, wincing.
The two women shared a look before Mary-Jo took Riley's arm."No time to overthink.Let's go before we lose our nerve."
Riley nodded, her heart heavy with the weight of the decision ahead.Mary-Jo wasn't taking her to see the belugas, but she was interviewing for a job with them.She loved the Lagoon, but they hadn't been able to get researchers to come to the island in the two years she'd worked there.Her entire goal had been to start a research program, but circumstances out of her control had stopped every project.
Could she leave her life at the Lagoon—the friends, the dolphins, the family she'd built?There was no use in worrying about it now.Shaking off her doubts, she straightened her shoulders, held on to Mary-Jo's arm and left the hotel for what might be her new life.
Chapter 6
Research project
6 months earlier
"Cam, this is great!"Gray's excitement spilled over the speakerphone."I think this proposal is the best one."He glanced across the small conference room at Dr.Terry, his boss, who nodded back with a knowing smile.
Gray had been eager to meet Cam and head trainer, Riley, at the conference a few months ago.He knew Riley had pushed hard to get a research project going at the Lagoon, but it was that first awkward lunch with Cam at the conference that had made them friends.Cam's back-and-forth support had helped shape the proposal into its ultimate form.
"Gray, I couldn't agree more.We can train the dolphins right away, so by the time you get here, you'll hit the ground running.What else do you need from me?"Cam's voice crackled, a common occurrence on the unreliable island phone lines.Sometimes mid-conversation, the line would drop, and Gray wouldn't hear from Cam for days.He was worried at first, but Cam reassured him with a casual, "I'll call back when I can when it happens again."
"Cam, you've been a pleasure to work with," Dr.Terry said."The proposal's submitted, so now we wait for the funding committee.The deadline's just a few days away, but we got ours in early.We should know within a few weeks.Now, all we need is a little pixie dust."She laughed at her own joke, and Gray couldn't help but smile.Even though Gray was thankful every day for Dr.Terry's guidance and eventual employment.As the youngest researcher on staff, he still felt a need to prove himself, despite her constant reassurances.
"Okay, you two.As soon as you hear something, give me a shout."Cam wrapped up the call, and then Gray and Dr.Terry were alone again.
"You've got a knot there, Gray," Dr.Terry said, tapping his eyebrows as she examined him."Relax.There's nothing more to do; your proposal is top-notch.I don't see any reason they'd turn it down.Now go home and enjoy your weekend.Next week, we'll start building the gear you'll need."Her reassuring smile made Gray's tension ease, even if just a little.
"A weekend of fun and sand?Is that my official directive?"Gray chuckled as he stood up, though he suspected a quiet weekend in his tiny apartment was more likely.His bank account still hadn't recovered from his trip to the conference, but it had been worth it to meet Cam and Riley, and if he got this project approved and funded, it was going to be a game changer for his career.
"Gray, I know you too well.You need someone to pull you out of the house--" a familiar voice cut Dr.Terry off mid-sentence.
"Why, Gray, do you need someone to help you have fun this weekend?"Shelley purred from the doorway; her southern accent thick with playful intent.She leant casually against the frame; her gaze fixed on him in a predatory way.
Gray forced a polite smile.Shelley was not his favourite person.From Tennessee, she was tall, blond, and undeniably attractive, with sun-kissed skin from her time in California and a toned, athletic build that many in the department admired.But there was something about her—something he couldn't quite put his finger on—that kept him at a distance.She was brilliant at her job, especially with statistics, but he had no interest in any relationship with her, friendly or otherwise.She had tried to start something, but he'd put a stop to it before it went anywhere.
When Gray had first started at the lab, Shelley had asked him out, and to be polite, he had said yes.He had been under the impression it was a group thing; however, when he got to the bar, Shelley was alone waiting for him, already beyond tipsy.She'd pulled Gray onto her barstool, wrapped her legs around his waist, and giggled that he was just so nice and wouldn't it be fun to be bad for a night with her.Before he could untangle himself and push her away, she'd grabbed his shirt, trying desperately to kiss him and whispering to him that she knew he liked her, which he definitely did not.After that, he'd made a firm rule never to accept an invitation to any staff function that Shelley would be attending.The invites along with his unease around her had made things awkward for him but he would not give her even a hint of encouragement, Gray knew she'd take it the wrong way and even after that awkward night, Shelley never stopped pursuing him, he couldn't understand why she wanted to keep putting herself in his path when the trail had ended after the first mishap.Her desperation to go beyond coworkers didn't match her confidence in working the statistics for each project.How could she be both things, one that was undesirable to him and one that was so competent and yet ultimately, lonely?
"No, Shelley," Dr.Terry interjected smoothly, "I've already made plans for Gray this weekend.My husband's taking him out on the boat.Just the guys, you know how they like to protect their 'guy time.'"
Gray shot her a look, his confusion flashing across his face for a moment before he went along with it.His boss knew how he felt about Shelley, and it was clear she was throwing him a lifeline.
"Well, that's a shame.I was hoping to be the fun in your weekend, Gray.But I guess a boat trip sounds like you'll be in excellent hands."Shelley let out a huff and pushed off the door frame, heading back to her office.
"Thank you," Gray whispered once she was gone.He'd narrowly dodged what could have been a very awkward situation.
