Chapter 13 #2
So, the date was set up through friends. David apparently didn’t know who Elena was before tonight. But did Elena know the man she was going on a date with?
Paul cleared his throat. "Well, I should go find the foundation director myself. Excuse me." He slipped away, leaving them alone.
Elena watched Finn’s face. “Are you alright? You look…”
“Fine,” Finn said too quickly. “I’m fine, I’m just… a little out of my element.”
“I know what you mean. I hate these things,” Elena said.
Finn couldn’t help himself. “Really? You seem quite comfortable.”
“What does that mean?” Elena asked, a little edge to her voice.
Finn backed down. “Nothing. You just seem like a natural at this.”
“Definitely not a natural. But I have years of experience with these events. I… know how to play the game, if you know what I mean.”
Finn felt something cold in his stomach.
Is that what she was doing with David? Playing the game?
That seemed so out of character for Elena.
But maybe he didn't really know her. Finn excused himself, mumbling something about getting some air.
He wandered through the crowd and back to the bar for his second cocktail of the night.
He spoke with a donor at the bar, trying to distract himself.
Instead, all he could think about was Elena's words. I know how to play the game.
Twenty minutes later, he scanned the room for her. It didn't take long to spot the sleek black dress. There she was on the dance floor, David's hand at her waist, moving together with an easy chemistry.
Playing the game. He didn’t like how the phrase bothered him.
He thought about the other night in the lab.
How she'd moved to the music, how they'd gotten so close, the way she'd looked at him before pulling away.
Now she was dancing with David, and it looked so natural.
David knew how to dance, of course. Finn imagined he had been to many of these events in his life.
He shouldn't even be jealous. David was better for her anyway. He was the same age, handsome, successful. She looked happy with him too, her face bright with laughter as David spun her around.
He was jealous anyway.
Elena's eyes found his across the crowded room. Her glowing expression completely faded when she saw whatever look that was on Finn’s face. She turned away, trying to regain composure.
Finn turned and walked away, moving through the crowd with purpose despite having no specific destination in mind.
He needed space, air, distance from the image of Elena and David together.
His hand was on her waist. Their easy compatibility that Finn could not compete with.
He found himself on a balcony. The chilly night air and quiet were a relief from the ballroom.
What had he expected? That Elena would remain forever isolated in their research bubble? That she wouldn't have a life outside the lab, connections beyond their work? Of course she dated. Of course there were men who saw her brilliance, her beauty, who wanted to claim her attention.
David Turner was successful, age-appropriate, and connected to their professional world in ways that were beneficial rather than complicated. He could take her to dinner without risking her career or reputation.
Finn could never be that.
Maybe he had read too much into their moments of connection.
Maybe those moments were just Elena being Elena.
She was warm, engaged, and present with whoever she was with.
He checked his watch. They'd been here for two hours.
Surely that was enough time to satisfy the board's request for their presence.
He could make his excuses, call a cab, leave Elena to enjoy the rest of her evening without his sullen presence beside her.
But even as he considered it, he knew he wouldn't. They had arrived together.
They would leave together. It was the professional thing to do.
So, Finn straightened, adjusted his tie once more, and went back inside to play the role expected of him: the assistant who felt nothing beyond professional respect for Dr. Elena Herrera.
By the time they finally left, it was after eleven. The drive home was silent. Finn felt Elena occasionally glancing at him, but he kept his gaze safely on the empty streets as they drove. It felt childish, but he didn’t know what else to do.
"You were a hit with the committee," she said, breaking the silence. "Dr. Phillips couldn't stop talking about you."
"Good," Finn said, keeping his focus on the passenger window. "That should help with the funding."
Another silence stretched between them. "Is everything okay?" Elena asked, her voice softer than before. "You seemed... distracted after the first hour."
Finn tried to find a lie that would satisfy her. "I'm just tired. These events are not my forte. Draining."
"Yeah, I get that," she said. "But you showed up. That matters.”
He nodded. His presence may have done more harm than good, but he didn’t say that.
Elena sighed, her fingers tightening on the steering wheel. "Did I do something wrong? Because it feels like you're angry with me, and I don't understand why."
He could have told her then. He could have told her that David saw their research as a commodity to be monetized. He could have told her that David was a greedy asshole. She deserved to know what kind of man she was having dinner with.
But why did he want to tell her? Was it really about protecting her, or was it about the jealousy that had been eating at him all night? The image of David's hand on her back, the way she'd laughed at something he'd said, the casual mention of their Friday dinner. It all burned in his chest.
Even if his motives were pure, what would happen if he told her?
Best-case scenario, she cancels the date.
Then what? David Turner didn’t seem like the type of person who hears the word ‘No’ very often.
How would he respond to that? Finn had already been rude to him at the bar, potentially torpedoing his own career prospects.
But he was twenty-six, just starting out, and had less to lose.
Elena had worked for years to get where she was, had Miguel to think about, had a team depending on her.
If she rejected David and he made things difficult for her. ..
No. He couldn't risk Elena's career just because he couldn't stand the thought of her with David Turner.
"No, nothing's wrong. Just thinking about tomorrow’s work."
"Tomorrow’s work," she repeated, a strange note in her voice. "Right."
They lapsed back into silence. When they reached his apartment building, Elena pulled to the curb but kept the engine running.
"Thank you for coming tonight," she said as he reached for the door handle. "I know it wasn't easy for you."
Finn paused, one foot already on the pavement. He had to say something. Something that would reassure her, that would maintain the equilibrium of their professional relationship.
"David seems nice.”
Elena's expression shifted. "Yes," she said. "He is."
Finn nodded once. "Goodnight, Dr. Herrera."
He closed the car door before she could respond, walking toward his building without looking back. Behind him, her car remained at the curb for several long moments before the engine revved and she pulled away into the night.
Inside his apartment, Finn shed all the formal clothing he wore for the event. He stood at the window, looking out at the city lights, and tried to remember why he was here. He had to help with the research project in any way he could.
Elena Herrera was his research supervisor. His colleague. Nothing more. Never anything more. It was time he accepted that.