Laura continued, “Yep. So I should be the one to teach you. Get out of the way, Finn.” Laura practically hip-checked Finn to the side.
Laura then began her educational demonstration for Elena. “Listen up, honey. Normally, people have to pay for something like this. Now you’re going to want to hold the stick like this…”
“I thought it was called a cue?” Elena interrupted.
“It’s a stick. There will be no further questions or interruptions,” Laura said sternly.
Elena shot her a doubtful look that Laura ignored.
For the rest of the game, Laura shadowed Elena like an overly enthusiastic coach. After a particularly bad shot, Finn stepped closer to Elena. “If you adjust your grip like this?—”
“Nope!” Laura planted herself between them. “My student, my methods. Back up, Cochrane.”
Elena gave him an apologetic look over Laura’s shoulder. He stepped back, hands raised in surrender.
Every subsequent attempt by Finn to offer advice was immediately shut down. ‘I’ve got this!’ Laura would say, while Elena’s shots grew progressively worse under her expert guidance.
Laura announced it was time to leave after Elena missed the ball entirely, sending the cue sliding across the felt with a sound that made the bartender look over with visible concern. “I feel like I didn’t learn a single thing,” Elena stated in frustration.
“It takes a lot of practice and time to master my techniques,” Laura explained.
The night had stretched longer than the promised ‘one drink,’ leaving Finn with a heavy buzz. As they gathered their things, Elena patted her pockets with sudden alarm. "My phone," she said, frowning. "I think I left it at the table."
Laura sighed dramatically. "How are you responsible for groundbreaking neuroscience when you can't keep track of a phone?"
"I'll wait by the door," Finn offered as Elena headed back toward their booth.
Laura waited until Elena was out of earshot before turning to Finn. "Walk with me," she said, nodding toward the exit.
They stepped outside into the cooler night air. Laura studied him with an intensity that made him straighten. "Finn," she began, her voice gentler than he'd expected, "I know how serious this is for you. I can see the way you look at her."
He opened his mouth to deny it but found he couldn't form the lie.
"But please," she continued, "don't ruin her life. She's worked too hard to get where she is."
Finn swallowed hard. "I would never?—"
"I know you wouldn't mean to," Laura interrupted. "But sometimes that doesn't matter." She touched his arm. "She's the one with everything to lose here. Not you. Her."
Before Finn could respond, the door opened behind them. Elena emerged, phone in hand, looking between them with obvious concern.
"Everything okay?" she asked.
"Perfect!" Laura chirped, her serious demeanor vanishing so completely that Finn wondered if he'd imagined it. "Justdiscussing Uber logistics. I've already ordered one." She held up her phone as proof, the app displaying an approaching car.
Elena looked between them, clearly not convinced, but nodded. "Great. I need to get home to relieve my neighbor. She's watching Miguel."
The Uber arrived minutes later, a sedan that pulled up to the curb. Laura claimed the front seat, leaving Elena and Finn to the back. After Finn took his seat, he noticed Laura looking at him. She pointed at her eyes and then pointed at him. The universal sign for ‘I’m watching you.’
They were seated close enough that he could feel the warmth radiating from Elena's body. Finn kept his gaze fixed out the window, trying to ignore the way his body seemed aware of her every movement.
At a red light, he felt her watching him. When he turned, he knew right away it was a mistake. The streetlights shined on her face, reminding him how beautiful she was. Her eyes were soft and unguarded in a way he hadn’t seen all week.
Her hand rested on the seat between them, fingers curled, an unspoken invitation that made his heart race. It would be so easy to cover her hand with his. So easy and so devastating in its potential consequences.
Laura's warning echoed in his mind.Don't ruin her life.
With every ounce of willpower he possessed, Finn forced himself to look away, returning his gaze to the safety of the window. He heard her sharp intake of breath, felt the subtle shift as she registered the rejection and withdrew her hand. The pain of it was physical, a tightness in his chest that made it difficult to breathe.
