Pausing mid-sentence, Louis looked over at her, then back at Kai; that mischievous gleam was in his eyes again. “New guy,” he told her.
Her mouth dropped as her eyes dragged over Kai’s body, and Kai started feeling a little violated. Being admired was one thing, having all of his manhood analyzed and broken down into specific attributes, quite another. Hoping to break the ogling, he stuck his hand out. “Kai Harper,” he politely said.
Her eyes were still sweeping over him, and her grin was gigantic as she grasped his hand. “Wow, you are beautiful,” she matter-of-factly told him.
Kai felt heat flood his cheeks as Louis started laughing. The woman didn’t look embarrassed in the least as she continued shaking his hand. She looked like she’d merely stated an observational fact.
“Um…well, thank you?” Kai mumbled.
She shook her head. “No, I’m serious. You are, by far, the most attractive researcher we’ve ever had here. I look forward to working with you every day.” Kai wanted to pull his hand back, but she still had it tight. Stepping forward, she seductively intoned, “Name’s Missy. Missy Jones.”
Kai flicked a glance at Louis, who was still laughing at Kai’s obvious discomfort. Shrugging, he told him, “See, I told you she’d like you.”
Missy pulled on Kai’s hand and started absconding with him down a hallway. Louis waved goodbye, still chuckling in amusement. Kai frowned at the sudden change of events, then turned to watch where this short, wiry woman was leading him. She was wearing the same teal polo shirt and khaki slacks as Louis, and her belt had just as many gadgets, although, she wasn’t wearing a tranq gun. With a suggestive smile on her face, she opened a door and beckoned for him to follow her into a room.
As she prattled on about the comings and goings of life at the research center, Kai started to wonder just what she planned on doing with him. Flicking on a light, she closed the door behind them. They seemed to be in what looked like a storage room. Confused, Kai scrunched his brows. Why had she brought him to a closet? Missy pointed over to a tall cupboard, and Kai let out a sigh of relief. He didn’t need another awkward moment with a woman; he had enough of those with Jessie.
Aside from the closet built in the wall, there were wire racks forming aisle ways in the large room. On the shelves were various computer parts, extra lab equipment, and a box labeled “lost and found”. Kai could just see the tip of a bright pink feather boa in that box. Shaking his head, he returned his attention to Missy as she opened the cupboard. Rambling about the various men who had either worked here before or worked here now, she rummaged through a box.
In the middle of a story about an ex-coworker who used to smell like Pine Sol, she paused and asked Kai, “You’re a medium, right?” Before Kai could answer her, she pulled her hand out of the box and thrust a teal polo at his face. Blinking in surprise, Kai grabbed it before it fell. Missy began scrutinizing his pants, and he twisted a bit, not exactly liking where her gaze was fixated. “Thirty, right?”
He again thought to answer her, but she reached into another box and pulled out some slacks before he could. Kai was a little impressed that she’d sized him up so accurately as he grabbed his pants.
“Um, thanks.” Kai had never worked at a lab that required uniforms before. The place where his parents worked was pretty relaxed about what the employees wore. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about what to wear every day, although, he would definitely be adding layers to his short-sleeved polo. “Where can I…?” He looked around, hoping she’d get the hint.
Missy smiled brightly. “Oh, just change right there. We’re all family here.” She started searching for more items, and with a raised eyebrow, Kai resumed scanning the room. He really didn’t want to change in front of her; he had a feeling she’d enjoy that too much. When she looked back and saw that he hadn’t stripped yet, she frowned, then nodded her head to the side. “There’s a bathroom in the corner.” She shook her head, disappointed.
Kai walked over to the bathroom in disbelief. If their roles were reversed, and he’d just done that to her, he was pretty sure he’d be sued. Double standards. They worked both ways, which, he supposed balanced out the double standard, making everything fair and even again. The marvel of the universe.