The slight breeze rustling between the buildings offered no relief from the heat. Kimbra's day was not starting well. First off, her apartment complex's power went out this morning. Her car wouldn't start, so she had to resort to taking the public transit bus. An elderly lady chatted her ear off during the entire ride to EcoTech. Kimbra swore the woman was trying to marry her off to her grandson.
But here she stood, standing in front of the dark green building she worked at for 5 days a week (sometimes seven days if there's a workload).
EcoTech. The future of tomorrow. The world's most brilliant science innovators. St. Canard's top research facility. Best places to work by the St. Canard Chamber of Commerce.
And countless other awards.
The praises that have been sung their way over the years flickered through her mind. She had always felt insignificant when it came to working at EcoTech. She didn't really deserve to be here. Every accomplishment or award they'd receive, she'd only feel worse. They were only doing their jobs. That's all.
Kimbra pushed open the glass door and strode inside. Several staff members were working, bustling up and down the staircase that led to the hallway offices and elevators. Up in the lobby hung a large banner in the lobby with bold letters Bring Your Daughter To Work Day!
Kimbra liked kids. Really, she did. Not enough to ever have any of her own, though. Bringing a child into a tech company probably wasn't the smartest of ideas, but Ainsley insisted on having a bring your daughter to work day this year.
The canine breezed past the receptionist with barely a glance. She was headed towards the stairs to go up to the lab. But overhearing a few new interns on the corner of the room delayed her.
"Just wish she'd cut us some slack." One said. A red head canine who snickered.
A tall feline giggled along with her. "Yeah, I heard from the second year group that she's a total hardass."
If there was something that Ecotech had an abundance of, it was inexperienced interns. They liked to think they were big shots getting a chance to work with a multibillion dollar tech company.
God, she was too tired for this.
They should be filing the reports from yesterday's test. Printing papers for the boys down in the lab. But no, here they were. Gossiping about lord knows who.
"Shouldn't you five be in the filing room? We aren't paying you to stand around and fiddle your thumbs." Kimbra called out to them as she stood on the stairs.
They looked up at her in shock, and the redhead began to stutter out a reply. "We were just… just…"
"Just get back to work." She waved a hand at them and brushed their excuses aside nonetheless.
"Yes ma'am!" The interns all said as they scattered.
Amateurs. Most of them, that is.
She felt a small tap on her thigh, causing her to look down. "May I help you?"
A little girl, a small lion, looked up at her with big brown eyes. "Do you always yell at them?"
Kimbra looked up to see if the child's guardian was close by. When she assumed no, she looked back down to her. "Sometimes if they aren't doing what they're supposed to."
"That's not very nice."
Kimbra couldn't help but smile. She knelt down to her, so they'd be eye level with each other. "Sometimes I have to be mean, so they'll do their jobs. It's not nice, and I don't like it, but it's just what I gotta do."
"Oh…okay."
The scientist dug in her lab coat pocket and pulled out a piece of butterscotch. "Here, I promise I'm nice sometimes." She felt a tad bit of guilt that a child had to see her go off on the interns like that.
She happily took the candy, holding out her arms for a hug. "Thank you, lady!"
"You're welcome, sweetheart," said Kimbra, engulfing the little cub into a hug.
The girl eagerly ran off with her gift, going to find her father no doubt. Meanwhile, Kimbra was rushing down the hallway, quickly and as quietly as she could. She tried not to run into any of her co-workers or their daughters.
Today started off bad enough as it is.
Kimbra squinted as she let her eyes adjust to the harsh fluorescent lights. She'd been working in the lab for only an hour, and she already felt sick of it. On the back wall of the lab hung a poster full of safety information and bold letters, Keep Your Eyes on the Job! Two rows of three counters were lined up in the middle of the room. An array of beakers, papers, and other equipment sat on top of them.
Four other people were working alongside her in the lab today. Mostly finishing their own projects or cleaning up.
The white light of the room flickered for a brief moment.
Kimbra looked up at the fluorescent lights and sighed. "I thought I asked the electrician to fix that."
This particular summer morning called for lab work. Dr. Ainsley ushered her upstairs to the lab as soon as she stepped through EcoTech's glass doors. She had to assist on someone's else's project since they need the extra hands right now. The lab stayed quiet for the most part. No one said much to her since she had entered the room.
No doubt somewhere in the lab, someone was talking about her going off on those interns today. They might be afraid of setting the white dog off even more.
Glenn, an older ferret with dark circles under his eyes, asked. "Do you want me to call him?"
"No, I'll do it once I get back to my office. Thank you, anyway."
He had pulled an all-nighter trying to finish the reports of his project. She wanted to avoid burdening the exhausted man with anything else.
"I better get these to Felicity," he gave Kimbra a tired smile. "You know how she is."
"See you later, Glenn."
The other three followed him out, giving Kimbra quick glances as they left her all alone.
Figures.
Kimbra continued testing the chemicals in the beakers for another half hour, writing down the data and finishing up. Near the end, one of the interns from before stepped in. Kimbra didn't notice at first, as she had her back turned while attempting to pull her gloves off. She heard some shuffling in the background, and wondered what the intern was doing.
But the crash of an empty beaker hitting the floor is what grabbed her attention.
Kimbra turned around to the redhead standing there stunned, with a hand reaching over where the beaker used to sit. "What are you doing?"
"…nothing."
"Well, whatever you're doing, could you stop?" She pulled off her gloves.
"Sorry."
Work, she had to focus on work.
"Just drop off those reports to Ainsley." Kimbra stated simply, chucking her gloves into the bin. She motioned with a hand at the papers lying on the counter.
The intern grabbed them, and with a small 'sorry' , she scurried off to Dr. Ainsley's office.
Kimbra didn't know if she could handle another intern today. She leaned back against the counter and crossed her arms, forgetting about the objects on it. Two beakers full of chemicals hit the floor and shattered. The liquids spilled into one another, creating strong fumes.
Her whole body went rigid with panic. She could feel her heart rate begin to increase.
Crap.
"Oh no, no no!" Kimbra turned to find something to control the spill. Instead, she knocked something else over.
Another vial fell over and shattered into pieces on the floor. Just her luck.
The scientist felt like it had all happened in the blink of an eye. She wasn't usually this clumsy. She was careful. Cautious. But no, that wasn't the case here. She slipped up. Her mind was distracted and clouded with worry.
Because of this stupid project, the dull minded interns, and that irritating water bottle salesman.
Kimbra coughed, right before the horrible, bitter chemical taste hit her tongue. She was fully aware this was her own doing. She couldn't blame Bud or even that intern for her mistakes. All of this was her fault.
A piercing ring echoed through her ears. She had to get out of the poorly ventilated room.
This was an utter nightmare.
She stumbled back into the hallway. After a few moments, Kimbra found herself able to breathe again.
That was too close of a call. I have to be more careful.
A hand grabbed her by the elbow and helped her up. Kimbra was still coughing and rubbing her eyes, so she didn't notice who it was until he said something. "Are you okay?"
His touch is light, almost gentle. She should have known it was him.
Kimbra doesn't shift her position, but her eyes soften. "Yeah I'm… I'm fine." She flushed and felt her heart skip.
"Thank god ." Bud was unable to disguise the sharp relief he felt seeping into his voice. He helped her stand completely up to her feet and watched as men in masks rushed into the lab to clean up. "What the hell happened?"
The strong chemical odor pressed against him in waves. It was hard enough to handle out here, he didn't even want to know how bad it was inside the lab.
"I just knocked over a few vials and the chemicals reacted badly."
"You really should be more careful."
It was an accident.
"I don't need to be lectured." Kimbra jerked her arm back away from him.
Bud swiftly defended himself with his hands raised in the air. "I'm just concerned."
"This happens all the time." She coughed again as she told a lie. "The lab boys are opening a few windows and will clean up the mess."
"You still should be more careful."
"I am careful."
"Well according to that scene in there, you sure aren't."
"Bud, I'm not a child," the canine let out another cough. "Stop lecturing me. I get that enough from my father. I sure as hell don't need another."
Let me do my job without ridicule.
"This is why you only have one friend."
"I have plenty of friends."
"I'm sure you do." His smugness was enough to make her scream.
He then silently walked with her to the elevator and watched as she stepped in. Another cough escaped her throat.
"Are you okay?" He asked, tilting his head to the side.
"Never better." Would be her answer every time.
He nodded and began to walk off, Kimbra held the doors open and poked her head out.
"Where are you going?" She asked, causing him to stop for a minute before turning to face her.
"I sure as hell don't want to be around when Ainsley chews you out." He went back to walking off.
"Thanks for being supportive!" She yelled out at him.
"Anytime Kimbra!"
Today has been unsettling, to say the least.
As the elevator doors slid closed, dozens of scenarios where Dr. Ainsley chews her out, played out in her mind. What if she gets fired over this? So now, every step that she took, she found herself questioning how she'd be punished. Probably have to pay for the cleanup and damage. Lose her scheduled lab times.
Coming up to the office of Lucias F. Ainsley made her stomach twist in knots. She stopped in front of it, holding her breath.
Maybe he's not here. Maybe he went out for lunch. Or is in a meeting.
"Kimbra?" She heard Dr. Ainsley call out from within his office.
Ah, crap.
Cringing to herself, she cracked open the door and peeked in. "Can I help you, sir?"
"Kimbra," the lizard sat at his desk, writing on papers. He didn't even bother looking up. "Come here for a moment, dear."
Great.
She stepped in, closing the door behind her. "Sir?"
"I heard you had an accident today."
"Sir, I—" she wasn't even able to finish the sentence.
Dr. Ainsley held up his hand to silence her. "You know protocol."
"I think a safety course is really unnecessary…" She trailed off, wishing desperately to resolve the situation.
"Two days."
"Sir! I have so much to do! I can't just waste my time on a course!" She said, narrowing her eyes at her mentor.
"Safety is important when it comes to science. I'm treating you as I would anyone else here if they were in your shoes." His tone said clearly that he would not be moved on this decision.
Defeated, Kimbra sighed. "Yes sir."
Dr. Ainsley excused her, so she could finish her work before closing time.
After leaving his office, Kimbra wandered around the same floor for a few minutes. She didn't want to go back to her office and face Bud's scolding. With the current gossip cycle, Kimbra knew she would be the subject of ridicule for weeks. Sparks of anger kindled inside her. That alone was enough to make her day even worse.
Her fingernails dug deep into her palms.
For once , she wished the universe would give her a break. Just one damn break. However, life doesn't go the way you want it to. Plans are ruined. People die. Stuff happens, and you can't do anything about it.
Kimbra grumbled as she walked towards the elevator. She pressed the button for the first floor. On the way down, she pondered over how she would make Bud pay for this one. Sure, she made a promise to Ainsley that she'd get along with the sleazy salesman, but he started it this time.
The elevator doors slid open on her floor and she stepped out into the hall.
I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you.
Pacing down the stairs, Kimbra noticed Bud leaving out for the day. Halfway across the lobby already.
Once she made it to the bottom of the stairs, she called out to him. "Thanks a lot, Flud."
The salesman stopped, turning to face her. "What did I do?" He assumed she was on a lunch break.
"You tattled on me to Dr. Ainsley!" She said in a low growl as she approached him. They stood a few feet from one another.
"I just happened to mention your little accident, that's all."
Thanks for that. What did you do? Immediately call his office phone after I went in the elevator?
"Yeah, and now I have to take a safety course for two days!"
"Well, you need it." Bud muttered under his breath.
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
"Now I won't be available next Tuesday and Wednesday because of that."
"Wait… no, we have meetings on both of those days about the project."
I know. Should have thought about that before tattling on me.
"You'll just have to reschedule then."
He frowned. "I can't !"
"That's what you get for ratting me out, I guess."
"God you're impossible ." Bud pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, feeling a migraine start to form.
"Just reschedule our meetings to Thursday and Friday."
"I can't." He dropped his hand and opened his eyes. "I have meetings on Thursday and a commercial to film on Friday."
Kimbra wanted to make a snarky comment, but she remembered her promise to Dr. Ainsley. "What about Saturday?"
"EcoTech isn't open on Saturday."
"I know, but you can come by my apartment for dinner, and we'll do the work then."
The dinner comment made Bud raise his eyebrows. "Oh ?"
Kimbra frowned. "It's business, nothing more."
"Well, I mean… you are offering me dinner."
"I'm being polite, it's not a date like you want it to be." Kimbra hadn't been on a date since… not since—she cut off the thought. She wasn't going to think about him right now.
"Oh please, I can't ever imagine myself on a date with her royal pain-in-my-ass." Bud began heading for the door again, back to his factory.
Kimbra bid him goodbye as he walked out the door. "See you Saturday, Bud."
"See ya Kimmie."
Kimbra worked for several hours before going home for the night. Avoiding everyone and trying to get her mind off the safety course. Once her work was completed, she headed out to catch the last bus. Outside, she breathed in the late summer air. A warm breeze swept through her hair.
She could get through Saturday dinner with Bud. She knew she could.
That Saturday…
Pulling into a parking lot in front of Kimbra's apartment complex, GraStone Village. Bud braced himself for a terrible night. After giving Bud the address, Kimbra told him to be there at six o'clock. The drive from his neighborhood to the apartments felt like it stretched on for days.
Bud sat in his car in the lot, debating on whether he should go in.
Why did people live here again?
It looked… fine. Not that luxurious, but he knew with Kimbra's salary she could afford something better. Or maybe she couldn't. Maybe she had a pile of student debt or was bad with money or—
Don't jump to conclusions. She's at least still trying to get along with you. The least you can do is give her the benefit of the doubt. Stop judging her or thinking about something that's none of your business.
He was usually much better at this. The thought of having dinner with Kimbra Wulfe made him nervous.
This wasn't a date.
It was absolutely not a date, Bud told himself firmly. Just dinner between two colleagues. Where things currently stood between them was fine with him. It didn't need to be anything more.
Firm footsteps clicked against the stone path that led from the parking lot, up to the lobby entrance. He wanted things to stay good between them. It made this sponsorship easier. If he could actually get to where he enjoyed working with the cloud of white fur that called herself a scientist, he'd be set.
And no, this wasn't a date.
She wasn't nervous. At least, at that moment, she wasn't. There was nothing to be nervous about.
…
Okay, fine, so she might be a little nervous. Part of her couldn't bear the fact she would be doing this. Having dinner with Bud-freaking-Flud. She wasn't sure if she could do this. Letting a man she heavily despised, not too long ago, into her home, her own private world, made her vulnerable.
Kimbra thought for a moment, then shook her head as if to erase it from her mind.
Knock knock.
Oh geez, that's Bud. Well… at least he's on time.
She shifted on her feet over to the door and opened it, looking up at the tall man. He was dressed mostly casual, a blue shirt with a red lobster print. Khaki shorts and brown sandals. Kimbra wanted to make a comment about his attire, but she didn't.
Her eyes drifted up to meet his. "Oh, hey."
He made a small throat-clearing noise. "I brought wine." He pulled the bottle from behind his back. On his arm hung a black rain coat.
"For what?"
"You said you were cooking, so I figured I should bring something."
"That's weird, but thanks?" She stood to the side, welcoming him into the apartment, as he handed her the wine bottle.
"I can't recall the last time I had someone invite me over and cook for me."
"It's not like that." She rolled her eyes. "I'm just being polite and this is for business only."
"You're so defensive."
"And you're a pain in the ass." Kimbra shut the door and headed into the kitchen to set the wine on a counter-top. "You can hang your coat by the door."
The enticing smell of pasta wafted through the apartment.
Bud hummed casually as he took off his coat and hung it up by the door. "Can't you afford a place that's less dingy?"
Kimbra raised an eyebrow as she stepped back into the living room. "Did you just call my apartment dingy?"
This was going to be a long night.
Bud jerked his eyes back to her from glancing around her apartment, and grinned. "I call it like I see it."
"I'm perfectly happy with it. And at the time it's the most I could afford, as I had student loans to pay."
"Still think you should get a better place."
"You're just spoiled."
"Am not!"
"It's a nice complex and no one bothers me." She glanced around the room that held her belongings. "And I don't have a long drive to work. It's perfect."
"Dingy."
She looked at him and blew a raspberry. "Shut up."
He followed her into the kitchen, where she went back to stirring her pasta.
"Even your kitchen is dingy."
She scoffed. "Some company you are."
"Do you need help with anything?" Bud peered over her shoulder to watch her cook.
"No."
"Are you sure you don't need any help?"
"If you want to help so badly, dice the mushrooms for me." With a nod of her head, she motioned to the right of her, where several washed mushrooms lay on a wooden cutting board.
"Alright," Bud washed and dried his hands before getting started.
After a short period, Kimbra peeked over his shoulder to check on his work. "Oh hey, you actually know how to do that."
"I know how to cook Kimbra, I'm not—"
"I know I know, you're not spoiled."
"Thank you."
She went back to stirring the pasta, something she was doing very poorly. Kimbra could never get the hang of cooking it. Anything else was a breeze. But pasta? That was her weakness.
"You're not very good at that." Bud shot a comment her way, finishing his dicing.
"I didn't ask for your opinion."
"It's not like you'd listen to it anyway."
Kimbra huffed. "Could you be any more conceited?"
There was a tiny bit of playfulness in his words when he said, "oh yes, shall I try?"
"Just go sit in the living room." She shooed him out of the kitchen as he laughed.
Bud made his way over to the couch and plopped down. The small glass table in front of him had dozens of papers and notes all over it. He couldn't make sense of all the writing, numbers, or drawings. It looked foreign.
In the kitchen, Kimbra sat the pasta aside to cool, and she poured them each a glass of wine.
She sat on the floor in her living room, resting her back against the couch, after handing a glass over to Bud. It was more comfortable, despite him antagonizing her for choosing such a spot. And she could organize all the papers on the floor to look over them easier.
"You're pretty eager to get started."
"We have five months until this project is finished, and I want to make sure it's completed on time."
"What if it's not?"
"Then Harry Breen will kick my ass and yell at me."
"Who?"
"Breen is the head of EcoTech."
"I thought Dr. Ainsley was."
"Ainsley is the owner. CEO. Dr. Breen basically overlooks the administration and is second in charge. Ainsley can't do everything, so that's what Breen and the rest of the administration is for." Kimbra felt a little awkward discussing this subject with him.
"I take it you don't like them very much."
"It goes both ways. They were furious when Dr. Ainsley promoted me to head of the project department. They keep trying to fire me."
She faced them on a daily basis. Getting challenged by them whenever she attempted to make progress with her work. It was exhausting .
"But Ainsley won't let them."
"Exactly. My my you catch on quick, Flud."
"And technically, I'm your boss." Bud sounded confident in that statement, and she wondered whether it really was true.
"I guess concerning the project, you are. Everything else? No." She then snorted, another thought about work crossing her mind. "People tease me for being so work-devoted."
"I think it's admirable."
"Wait, you do?"
"Well, probably because I'm the same way." He lightly chuckled.
She tilted her head, clearly confused. Bud realized he should have been more specific.
"Sorry, I meant that I work all the time and even when I'm off work, it's all I can think about."
"You know, for a minute there you actually made me believe we're the same."
He only laughed and shot a snarky comment her way. There was some light conversation between the two during dinner. After cleaning up, Bud noticed the ukulele sitting by the couch and pointed it out to Kimbra.
"You play?"
"Yeah, I only know like three songs." She replied, swirling the red wine in her glass around as she sat back on the floor.
Bud raised his eyebrows at Kimbra's words. He doesn't want to admit that he's impressed. But he is. She's smart, head of a department for a multibillion dollar tech company. And she also knew how to play the ukulele. He just assumed she was an anti-social person that did nothing but strictly work. Guess he was wrong.
"That's still three, you know. I didn't think you were the type to have a hobby."
Kimbra winced at that subtle comment. Not sure if it was a compliment or not, she chose to ignore it.
Bud laughed and dropped his head to the floor. "I'm sorry, that was supposed to be a compliment."
"All is forgiven, Mr. Flud," she teased, smirking against the rim of her wine glass.
This was so far from the Bud Flud of television commercials and ads.
What was so different about him tonight?
Their eyes meet with a sense of genuine respect for the first time.
"Wait, where's the budget from last month?" Bud flipped through the files, not finding what he was looking for.
"Over there, by the door." Kimbra replied, gesturing to a handful of folders sitting on the floor next to her purse.
He headed over to where the folders lay, but a framed photo on the wall caught his eye. It was of a younger, white-haired Kimbra standing by an older woman who looked like her.
She looked so young, so…
Unbroken.
"Is this your mom?" He held up the framed photo as he asked.
It took her a long moment to reply. As if she wasn't too sure of discussing the topic of her dead mother. "Oh, yeah, that's her."
"She's pretty." He gently put it back in place and gathered up the folders before taking his place back on the couch.
"Yeah… she was." The pleasant mood from earlier, seemingly forgotten as a sad expression crept onto Kimbra's face. She stopped talking as the memories flooded back.
Lucille Wulfe was the light that could always flood any room she entered. Kimbra usually wasn't very open when it came to talking about her mom. It just made her sad to think about her.
Bud was uncharacteristically silent, hoping she wouldn't be offended by his next question. "What did she die of?"
"Huntington's Disease."
"Never heard of it."
"It's a rare, inherited disease that causes the breakdown of nerve cells in the brain." Kimbra bit the inside of her cheek, wondering how much she should tell. "Her symptoms started showing when she was forty. At the end of it, she was bedridden and couldn't do anything, much less even speak."
And her father blamed himself for all of it. It had nothing to do with him.
Kimbra's dear father, Loren, had died with her mother all those years ago. He stopped writing, despite leaving his best-selling series on a cliffhanger. None of it matter to him anymore as he watched the love of his life deteriorate and die in front of his eyes.
You think you have forever, but you don't.
"My siblings and I have a fifty percent chance of having it too. Since you know, our mom has it, and it's inherited." The worry in her eyes overwhelmed him.
He made a small sound like an indrawn breath. His eyes had barely left her. "Oh shit, really?"
She could tell he was a little freaked out. "Yeah."
"Can't you like… get checked for it or something?" Bud asked carefully, his eyes concerned, as if he wanted to avoid pushing her too far.
"Well, my two oldest brothers, Al and Aspen, tested negative for the mutated Huntington's gene. So, there's a chance we all don't have it." Kimbra lied, as they each had their own separate fifty-fifty chance of inheriting it.
"You still should get tested."
She hesitated, and he belatedly wondered if she was going to answer. "Once I get tested, I can't go back."
"But then you'll know."
"Why do I have to know?" Kimbra replied, totally uncomfortable and hoping to shut the conversation down. "Why not live my life the best I can and delay the test until it's absolutely necessary?"
She couldn't deal with it if the test came back positive. Either way, the end was the same if she didn't take it. Worst-case scenario, her life would be cut short, and she'll have maybe a maximum of ten years once the symptoms start showing.
It'd be the difficulty concentrating that Kimbra will notice first. You wonder, is this the beginning? She'll find it hard to focus on her work or even stay interested in it anymore. Every so often she'll forget her car keys or to lock the front door. And then there will be the mood swings. Sometimes she'll be fine, carrying on with a conversation. Other times she'll be irritable and aggressive. The scientist would write it off as her mental health taking a beating from everything she's gone through the last several years.
When she notices herself stumbling often and the clumsiness, that's when she'll begin to worry. Something was wrong. She'll get referred to a genetic counselor who'll say, 'Miss. Wulfe, looking at your family history…you're at high risk for Huntington's.'
And then the testing. The damn testing that'd hold the answers to something she's feared since she was thirteen.
She wouldn't want to open the envelope that looked so much like a death sentence. But she'll open it nevertheless to satisfy her curiosity.
TEST NAME
HUNTINGTON DISEASE
MUTATION ANALYSIS
HUNTINGTON DISEASE
RESULT: POSITIVE
This patient has alleles of approximately 43 and 20 CAG repeats in the HTT gene. The allele of 20 repeats is within the normal range. The allele of 43 falls within the affected range. Therefore, this patient is confined to be a carrier of Huntington's disease. Genetic counseling is recommended.
She'll feel stranded in her own little world. She'll know she'd be on borrowed time. Ten years, maybe. Twenty years was hopeful. But she'll never make it to seventy.
In the end, she'd have nothing left but a developing neurodegenerative disease. It already took her mother, grandmother, and countless other relatives from her.
But that wasn't enough for the universe, as her life would be stripped from her.
Bud couldn't change anything, and she couldn't either.
"What if you do have the Huntington's gene?" He regretted asking that question the exact moment it left his lips.
Her blue eyes looked at him, full of fear and uncertainty. "Have someone give me a lethal dose of morphine, and I'll fade off into the afterlife."
"Kimbra…"
She took a long, steadying breath, and said slowly, "it's fine, I just… rather not talk about it." The last thing she needed now was pity.
"You shouldn't keep things inside until they eat you alive." Bud could see the walls going up around her. When it came to emotions, he noticed she tended to shut down.
He had a point. But that didn't really help. It really, really didn't help.
"I don't need anyone's pity." She could practically feel herself shutting down. "I'm pretty much better off being alone."
"So what? You're just going to repress everything?"
He didn't get an answer.
"I shouldn't be bothering you with this crap anyway."
"I'll drop it then." There wasn't much else he could do or say; so Bud dropped the topic. It wasn't his business anyway. He genuinely felt terrible for her.
Kimbra tried so hard to conceive herself that he was just another entitled celebrity. One that didn't care about anyone but himself. But now, he sounded so sincere. Caring even. This was the side of Bud Flud that had made her start to trust him.
The open concern in his eyes stirred something inside Kimbra, but she refused to ponder over what it was.
The ever-growing silence between them started to become uncomfortable.
"What was your mom like?" Bud spoke up, despite not knowing what to say or how to help. But maybe letting her talk about good memories, fond ones, would help.
Luckily for him, the question forced a smile for Kimbra. "Her name was Lucille. She was the kindest and sweetest person I've ever known."
Kimbra had a wave of emotions going through her all at once as she spoke. "She was one of Alaska's most highly respected general surgeons. She used to travel a lot to help out at other hospitals. She saved god knows how many lives."
A quiet beat, and she continued. "She worked at McKinney Memorial Hospital. She started as an intern there."
"How did she meet your dad?"
An interesting question.
Kimbra's expression softened immediately, lighting up with a small smile at the mention of her father, Loren R. Wulfe. "He was a patient of hers. She practically saved his life, and he was forever smitten with her."
"How romantic."
"Yeah, they were the great love story. Or so I'm told."
Kimbra went on to tell the story of Loren working his way into Lucille's heart. She enjoyed talking about her parents' love story. It brought her mood back. Until Bud asked to hear about herself. She refused, but let him know why she was so fond of sunflowers.
"I actually prefer sunflowers to roses. I think roses are tacky and cliché. Sunflowers are more comforting because my mom's favorite scrub cap had sunflowers on it." She smiled at the memory and leaned towards him. "So, is the world's greatest water bottle salesman gonna tell me something about himself?" She asked him, whilst Bud attempted to avoid eye contact.
"I'm not that interesting…"
"Come on, I know you love talking about yourself."
When Bud's eyes locked with the icy blue ones staring back at him, he gave in. "I wear contacts."
"No!"
"Yeah."
"I have to see you in glasses."
He should've never told her that.
"No."
She smiled. "Then I don't think you mind if I ask if you're far or near-sighted."
He thought for a moment, and then realized why she was smiling so big.
"Okay fine, I don't wear contacts or glasses." Bud confessed, ultimately disappointed that Kimbra saw through his little lie.
"I can't believe you made up a lie just so you don't have to tell me about yourself!" She laughed.
They sat there and talked for a little longer. Mostly about Kimbra as Bud continued to pry into her personal life. But this time, Kimbra didn't mind. She felt comfortable talking about herself to the CEO.
"Ah, it's getting late, I should get going." He suddenly mumbled with a glance at his watch. He gave her an apologetic look for interrupting her story about the time her great aunt Gertrude committed insurance fraud.
Kimbra was a little surprised at how quickly the time had passed. They both stood up and walked over to the door.
"Be careful," Kimbra motioned to the window at the street. "You know some people drive here."
"Do I detect actual concern for my well-being?"
She smiled. "Shut up."
He grabbed his coat from where it hung on the rack and put it on. "Thanks for dinner, by the way."
"It wasn't a date."
"Of course not," he smiled. His voice is void of the usual cockiness and arrogance.
Kimbra opened the door for him, trying to hide the fact that she didn't want him to go. She was also feeling a little guilty at her past treatment of the CEO. The man lingered for a moment, not knowing what to say. Maybe because it's the first time they parted on friendly terms. They were finally on a good basis with one another.
Because this time it's different.
She wasn't sure what the feeling within her was, but… something felt off.
Bud tried to speak, but the words slipped off his tongue. So, he just stood there.
Poor guy.
"Night Bud," Kimbra broke the silence for him.
The man forced a nervous smile before stepping out. "Goodnight Kimbra."
She watched as he left, walking down the hall. He was muttering to himself and rubbing the back of his head. Like he was scolding himself for something.
He was a weird one.
The scientist closed the door and smiled to herself.
Maybe Bud Flud wasn't so bad after all.