The following week, Delia was in her apartment making dinner. To her dismay, she realized that she didn't have any oregano for the pasta sauce she was making.

I wonder if Professor Oak has any?

She headed downstairs to the section of the house where Professor Oak lived. She normally didn't go there because she figured the man needed his privacy as much as she did. She found him sitting in front of the computer eating pasta straight out of the can.

"Professor?"

Startled by the sound of her voice, he turned around and smiled at the sight of his pretty assistant. "Hello, Delia."

"I'm sorry to bother you, Professor, but I was wondering if I could borrow some oregano."

"Oregano? I'm not sure if I have any of that. Feel free to look around the kitchen."

Delia made a face at the sight of his makeshift meal. "Please don't tell me that's your dinner."

He held up the can. "Actually, it's one of the better dinners I've had lately. Rose used to do all the cooking. She banned me from the kitchen for life after I tried to make toast and nearly burned the house down."

Inspiration struck. "Hang on, Professor. I'll be right back." Delia disappeared down the hall into the kitchen. A few minutes later, the smell of tomato sauce and bread cooking proved to be too great a distraction for Professor Oak to continue his work on the computer. He followed his nose to the kitchen and found Delia, wearing one of Rose's old aprons, humming a tune to herself as she checked on the boiling pasta. He watched her in silence for a moment.

It's like having Rose back again. The apron, the way she's singing…

Delia noticed him watching her in the doorway. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Why don't you have a seat?" She pointed to the small table in the corner of the kitchen.

"Delia, as much as I appreciate all this, I don't want you to put yourself out just for me."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all, Professor. I love to cook." Finished with the pasta, she dumped a huge pile on one plate, poured a ladleful of tomato sauce over it, topped it with grated cheese, and sat it in front of Professor Oak. "There. I think you'll find this a vast improvement over the canned stuff."

He sighed with pleasure at the first forkful. "It's delicious." He attacked the rest of the pasta with gusto. He hadn't eaten this well since Rose died.

Pleased by his reaction, Delia sat down at the place opposite him. "I'm glad you like it. Will never really seemed too interested in my cooking. His idea of dinner was a beer and a bag of potato chips."

"Well, he didn't know what he was missing. This is wonderful." He stuffed a piece of bread in his mouth.

Poor man, Delia thought as she watched him eat. He really needs someone to take care of him.

"I have an idea. Why don't I start cooking for you?"

"Delia, no. I hired you as my lab caretaker, not as my cook."

"But I thought part of the deal of letting me have the apartment was that I take care of everything in the lab after hours. And you're part of the lab, too," she said with a sly grin. "Besides, we both have to eat. It's no trouble for me to cook for two people. And this kitchen has so much more than the one in my place, no offense."

"None taken." Noticing that he had finished his pasta, Delia dumped another pile on his plate. "Well, if you're sure that it won't be any trouble…"

"It won't be. Besides, it's nice having someone who appreciates your cooking."

He eagerly started on his second helping.

Believe me, Delia, I appreciate you more than you know.

---

After dinner, Professor Oak sprawled contentedly on the couch in the living room. "I believe that was the most I've eaten in months."

"Good. I'm glad to hear it." With a wave, Delia started out of the room. "Well, I'll see you in the morning."

"Wait." He was having such a good time with her around that he didn't want it to end just yet. "Delia, I was getting ready to watch a video that a colleague of mine sent of a lecture he gave at Saffron University about electric-type Pokémon. Would you be interested in watching it with me?"

"I don't really know that much about electric-type Pokémon," she admitted.

"Well, all the better then. I think you might learn something."

Even though she had to go tend to the other Pokémon in the lab, she didn't want to disappoint her boss by not seeming eager to learn more about other types of Pokémon.

"Okay." She sat down on the opposite end of the love seat as he turned on the television.

"Professor Hawthorn is the leading authority on electric-type Pokémon. I think you'll enjoy this."

As the two sat side by side watching the program, Professor Oak found his attention straying more and more towards the young woman sitting next to him. At one point during the program, Delia undid the braids that she normally wore.

"That's much better," she said as she shook out her hair and let it fall down around her shoulders. "Keeping my hair up like that all day may keep it out of my face, but it gives me a headache after a while."

Professor Oak stared at her in fascination. With a growing sense of unease, he realized that he was becoming attracted to his pretty young assistant. And with that gorgeous auburn hair tumbling about her shoulders, he found himself wondering what it would be like to touch it, bury his face in it.

Stop it, Samuel! Stop this nonsense right now! For you to feel like this towards Delia is wrong. Very wrong.

When the program ended a few minutes later, Delia stood up and stretched.

He wished she hadn't done that. He found his eyes wandering over her body appreciatively.

"Thanks for the evening, Professor. I had a wonderful time. But I really do need to see that all of the Pokémon are okay before I go to bed. Good night."

He was ready to tell her that he'd help her with the Pokémon, but realized that he'd probably be better off taking a cold shower. He silently resolved to keep a safe distance from her in the future; otherwise, he was going to end up doing something that he would regret.

---

"You actually cooked for him last night? Since when did you become Professor Oak's housekeeper?" Spencer was incredulous.

"Oh, it wasn't any trouble. The poor man hasn't had a decent meal since his wife died and I was happy to help him out."

Spencer suddenly found himself becoming jealous of his mentor. He had always been fond of Delia and when it became clear that her husband was out of the picture for good, he was planning on pursuing a relationship with her. It had never occurred to him that Professor Oak might be a potential rival for her attention.

Well, he wasn't going to wait any longer; he knew that the time for him to take action was now. "I think someone needs to take care of you for a change," Spencer said. "How about I take you out to dinner tonight?"

"But I think Professor Oak was counting on me to cook for him again tonight."

"Don't worry about him, Delia. He got along fine before you came. Besides, you need to have a little fun now and then. You spend all your time hanging around this place and never go out."

"Spencer's right, Delia." Professor Oak, who had been overhearing their conversation, entered the lab. "Why don't the two of you go out tonight? It'll do you some good to get away from this place once in a while."

"But what about dinner?"

"Don't worry about me. There are plenty of leftovers from that feast you made last night. And don't worry about the Pokémon; I'll see to them tonight. You two go out and have a good time."

"Well, if you're sure…"

"I'm sure. Now let's go analyze those Shellder samples that Spencer took yesterday."

---

In an effort to impress her, Spencer took Delia to the most expensive restaurant in town.

"Spencer, this is just so incredible," Delia said in awe as she started on her lobster bisque.

"I'm pleased you like it," Spencer smiled triumphantly.

"Is this how you used to eat every night?"

"Well, no. The chef here is much more talented than the one we had growing up. But once in a while he'd make us something like this," he said, indicating his filet mignon.

"It must've been nice to have to not to want for anything."

"It wasn't all as nice as you say, Delia. My brother and I were raised by a series of nannies; we rarely saw our parents. We were also quite spoiled, as I'm sure you can imagine; servants waiting on you hand and foot, ready to indulge your every whim."

"But you turned out okay."

"Thanks to Pokémon. My interest in Pokémon forced me to leave home so I could pursue my studies." Spencer took a sip of his wine. "That was the best thing that ever happened to me. I'm much happier fending for myself now, doing my own thing. There's much more satisfaction in working for a living instead of doing nothing but sponging off of my inheritance for the rest of my life."

"You really are an amazing person, Spencer."

"Thanks, Delia. So are you."

---

When they arrived back at the lab later that evening, Professor Oak had already gone to bed. He could hear the young couple talking in the hall as they went upstairs to Delia's apartment.

"Well, thanks for a fantastic evening, Spencer. Would you like to come in for a moment?"

"Sure. I'd like to see what you've done with the place."

Professor Oak's heart sank as he heard the two of them enter Delia's apartment.

It's for the best, he rationalized as he rolled over and pulled the covers around his head. They're much closer in age. They're good friends. They get along well. Delia needs someone like him to take care of her.

But if it was for the best, then why did he feel so terrible?

"It wasn't easy cleaning up the mess you left behind," Delia said as she closed the door. "But I was able to make this place livable once again."

Spencer whistled as he looked around the pretty little apartment. "I'm impressed. Just say the word and you can be my housekeeper anytime."

"Why is it that you men can't take care of yourselves?" Delia said as she searched the cupboard for a pair of clean glasses.

"Because we know that you women will do it for us," Spencer laughed as he sat on the bed in the middle of the room. "What are you looking for?"

"A couple of glasses so we can have something to drink."

"Let me help you." Spencer got up from the bed and moved behind Delia. As he reached over her shoulder for a glass on the top shelf, he found himself burying his face in her hair. The combined sensation of that and pressing his body against hers caused him to be suddenly overwhelmed with desire. Forgetting about the glasses, he took her face in his hands and kissed her softly on the lips.

This is even better than I imagined, he thought as she returned his kiss. Lately he had been having fantasies about her: about what it would be like to touch her, kiss her, make love to her.

At first Delia was surprised by Spencer's actions, but the wonderful sensations brought on by his kisses prevented her from stopping him.

It was never like this with Will, she thought as the two ended up making out on the bed. But as Spencer started to undo the buttons on her dress, Delia quickly came to her senses.

"Spencer, no. I…I'm not ready for this. Not yet." She sat up and quickly redid her buttons.

Spencer, you idiot! You should've known that it was too soon after her husband left! Now see what you've done? You came on too strong and now you've probably ruined any chance you might've had with her.

"I understand, Delia." Angry at himself for botching his attempt to further his relationship with Delia, he rolled off of the bed and stood up. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I'd better go."

As Spencer left her apartment, he slammed his fist into the wall.

"Spencer, you idiot! You stupid, stupid fool!"

Professor Oak smiled. He had been afraid that Spencer would spend the night at Delia's place. The sound of his assistant swearing and pounding his fist against the wall was music to his ears.