Eric gave him a look that saidDon’t bullshit me again.
“It’s not like that,” Finn insisted, his voice firmer now. “It’s… I don’t know what it is. But it’s something else.”
He looked at the ground, thinking about last night. About how they felt like a family somehow. About the kiss at her doorstep that he hadn’t been able to get out of his mind.
Eric’s expression changed. He saw it now. “So what’s the problem?” He asked.
Finn ran a hand through his hair. “It’s complicated… it could cause issues.”
Eric nodded. He didn’t have all the details, but he knew enough. “You know, I’ve been thinking about something lately.” He leaned forward. “I can’t imagine you get paid well for an assistant-level job. And I know you work crazy hours. You’re brilliant, Finn. You bowl like shit, but you’re brilliant.”
Finn didn’t know where Eric was going with this, but that made him laugh.
“You could probably make double as much somewhere else doing half the work. But you don’t. Because you want to help people. You’ve been living for others. And I look up to you for that, man. I really do.”
Something about the way he said that made Finn’s throat tighten.
“Look. The point I am trying to make is that sometimes you need to be selfish.” Eric finished, looking at him in the eye.
Finn had to take a moment to gather his thoughts before he could respond. Finally, he said, “But is this really the time to be selfish? If this goes wrong, it doesn’t just affect me. It could hurt her, her career, her son, the research, patients like you. All of it.”
“You might be right,” Eric admitted. He was quiet for a moment, then added, “But I see the way you look at her.” He paused. Then he looked at Finn again. “And I see the way she looks at you.”
Chapter Nineteen
FINN
The rest of the weekend flew by, until he was sitting at his desk on Monday morning, booting up his computer. He still hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Friday night. Andher.
The sound of the door opening pulled him from his thoughts. He wasn’t sure how she would behave today. Would she be distant? The simple thought pained him. He would understand if she had regretted the kiss. But when she entered, her warm smile flooded him with relief.
"Good morning," she said, voice professional but her eyes holding something new. Something that made his heart beat faster.
"Morning," he replied, surprised at how steady his voice sounded when everything inside him felt electrified.
She approached his desk, glancing around to confirm they were still alone before allowing herself a softersmile. "I brought you coffee," she said, setting a second cup beside his keyboard. "Black, no sugar."
"Thank you." Their fingers brushed as he accepted the cup, a deliberate contact that sent warmth spreading up his arm. "How was your weekend?"
"Quiet. Miguel had a sleepover at a friend's on Saturday." Her eyes met his over the rim of her cup. "I had a lot of time to think."
"About?" He knew, but he wanted to hear her say it.
The door opened again as two research assistants arrived, chatting about weekend plans. Elena straightened, professional mask sliding back into place. "The patient response data," she said smoothly. "I have some thoughts about our analysis approach. Let's review it later."
Finn nodded, understanding the coded message. Later. When they could be alone.
The morning continued in their new reality. It made a relatively normal workday much more exciting. During the team check-in, Elena leaned over his shoulder to point out a pattern in one of the data sets. Her hair brushed his cheek. "Impressive work," she said. A simple compliment, but he was suddenly struggling to maintain his composure.
The other assistants came and went throughout the day, oblivious to the charged atmosphere between their supervisor and coworker.
"Finn," she said at one point, calling him over to review a file. Even the way she said his name now felt different. More intimate.
He stepped into her office and found her waiting with a look that was anything but professional.
“Look at this.” She gestured to her monitor. When he moved closer, she whispered in his ear, “I just needed an excuseto be close to you again.” Her lips were so close, he swore he could feel them on his ear.
“You can go back to your desk now, Mr. Cochrane.”
