“Nope,” Finn interrupted. “No more work talk tonight.”
She opened her mouth to argue.
“Elena.” He looked at her with gentle amusement. “We’vebeen working all day. We found what we were looking for, and we know what we need to do this week. Now, we’re officially clocked out.”
He was right. Sometimes she found it difficult to switch off. “What do we talk about instead?”
“Literally anything else,” Finn said with a smile.
They sat in silence for a moment. Then Elena’s stomach growled.
Finn laughed. “When was the last time we ate?”
“Lunch?” Elena checked her phone. “Yeah, like seven hours ago.”
He stood. “I should probably feed you.”
Elena followed Finn to the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and scanned the contents. He started pulling items—chicken, broccoli, bell pepper, sauce. Then he pulled some seasoning from his pantry.
“Do you have a recipe?” Elena asked.
Finn shook his head. “I’m just going to make a stir fry. It’s my go-to when I don’t know what to make. I just pull whatever I have in the fridge.” He turned on the stove and drizzled oil onto the pan. “I’ve gotten pretty good at it.” He started cutting the chicken into strips.
“Can I help?” she asked.
“You can keep me company.”
The oil began to shimmer with the heat. Finn tossed the chicken into the pan and it landed with a sizzle.
“So,” Finn said, stirring the chicken. “I’ve never asked. Were you born here or in Chile?”
“Chile. Santiago. I moved here when I was eighteen for university. Stayed for career opportunities.”
Finn glanced at her. “How’s that working out for you?”
Elena laughed. “Well, my career is currently being sabotaged by a corrupt executive. So… not great.”
“There you go, talking about work again.” Finn teased, smiling as he added broccoli to the pan. Steam rose from the pan. The scent of garlic and ginger was filling the kitchen and making Elena’s mouth water.
“Do you go back ever?” Finn asked. “To Chile?”
“Once. When Miguel was a baby. I haven’t been back since.”
Finn looked at her. “Really? Why?”
“I’ve been meaning to. He needs to see his grandparents. For real, not just on the screen. I’m just… so busy.”
Finn nodded. “That must be hard.”
“It is. My mom keeps asking when we’ll visit. She wants to take Miguel to all her favorite places.”
“Do you miss being there?” Finn asked. He reached for the soy sauce, adding it to the pan.
Elena had to think about that for a moment. “I miss my family,” she said. “But our whole life is here now. Miguel’s school, his friends, everything we know. And I… I’m proud of what I built here. My career. My research.”
The words were out before she could stop them, and she instantly regretted them. There she went again. Making it about work. She couldn’t help herself, apparently.
Finn was quiet for a moment. She expected a stern reminder about the rules for the evening. He turned from the stove with a serious expression.
