Chapter 22 #2
looks back over to me with a pointed look, “and she’s
certainly studying my ability to acclimate, we are a little bit more
than just a scientist and a test subject.”
I gasp that Zach
would tell our secret in such a blatant fashion. My face flushes red
with embarrassment, even as I totally feel that Zach was justified in
calling me out on the scientist/test subject misnomer.
My head turns slowly
toward Randall, and he’s looking at Zach in surprise. “Oh,
well… I see.”
“Actually, you
probably don’t,” Zach says in a soft voice. “But
what you need to know is that I pursued Moira. I seduced her, and she
fought me hard. She was so worried about breaching professional
ethics that she wouldn’t even entertain the notion of having a
relationship with me.”
Randall’s head
swivels to look at me briefly, and then back to Zach. A huge smile
breaks out on his face. “Pursued her, did you? Wore her down?”
“Yes, sir. I
wanted her and wasn’t going to let up until she submitted,”
Zach says as he shoots me a devious grin, and only Zach and I truly
know what he means by “submission.”
“Randall…
I’m so sorry,” I tell him. “I totally breached your
trust. I have no excuse.”
Giving me an amused
smile, Randall says, “Well, the way Zach tells it, you had no
choice in the matter.”
I stand from the
table and place my fingertips on the edge to help balance myself
because I feel I might be on the edge of a panic attack. “But
see… I did. I did have a choice, and I chose to give in to my
feelings for Zach. It was wrong, and I have no business even staying
here another moment. You can get someone else to take over for me,
and I’ll share all of my notes so far. There are plenty of
qualified people that can continue to help Zach.”
Turning from the
table, I leave the dining room even as Zach calls out to me, “Moira…
wait.”
I can hear the
scraping of his chair against the polished hardwood floor and I speed
up my pace, reaching the staircase and jogging up it. I expect Zach
to be in hot pursuit, and I need to reach my room to lock both doors
before he shows up.
Once I’m
secured inside, I look around almost blindly, trying to figure out
what to do. It was the right thing to do… to resign. I can’t,
in good conscience, continue on and, frankly, I should have quit the
very first time that Zach fucked me.
But I was selfish.
So selfish.
I didn’t want
to give Zach up. Not for the scientific opportunity, but I didn’t
want to give him up because I selfishly wanted him and wanted as much
time with him as possible. And to do that, I had to prey on Randall’s
trust in my abilities and his generosity.
A soft knock sounds
on the door, and I hear Randall’s voice filter through softly.
“Moira… I’d like to talk to you a moment.”
Oh, shit. Shit,
shit, shit. I don’t want to face this.
With leaden feet, I
walk to the door and unlock it. When I swing it open, Randall is
standing there with a kind smile on his face. “Can I come in?”
I nod and stand
aside so he can enter, shutting the door behind him.
“You’re
absolutely right,” Randall says as I turn to face him. “There
are other people qualified. In fact, some are way more qualified than
you are. I interviewed two other anthropologists that had dual Ph.D.s
in psychology in addition to their Ph.Ds in anthropology. They
certainly would have been far better choices than you to deal with
any psychological stressors that Zach would be experiencing.”
I nod in
understanding. “I agree. I’m sure one of them would be
more than happy to step in. This is a golden opportunity.”
“Yes, it is,”
Randall concurs. “But I don’t care about the opportunity
for their benefit, or yours for that matter. What I care about is the
opportunity for Zach.”
My eyes lower to the
floor in shame, that I’ve ruined this for Zach.
“And I believe
you are the best person to make the most of this opportunity for
him,” Randall concludes.
My eyes rise to his
in confusion. “I don’t understand.”
“I chose you
very specifically, Dr. Reed. Do you think I was just sending someone
in to Caraica blindly, hoping for the best? No, I knew everything
about the Caraican tribe before I even started looking at
anthropological help. I spent a great deal of time with Father Gaul
and other scientists that had studied indigenous tribes, learning
about Caraican society and their customs and norms. I needed to
understand what Zach was truly facing before he came out of the
jungle. And once I was able to grasp what I was facing, then I
started my search for the perfect person to bring him out.”
I’m stunned
silent but even if I had the power of speech, I have no clue what to
say.
“You were the
person, Moira. The best person for Zach.”
Understanding starts
to dawn on me. “Because I was a woman?”
“Because you
are a beautiful, strong, and independent woman, and you’re
close to his age. You’re young and idealistic, so you could
show him the world with fresh eyes. You are the antithesis to what
Zach is accustomed to. I think you are the best representation of
what opportunity looks like in this world. You’re also
no-nonsense and dedicated. You have a kind touch and a soft voice,
and I knew Zach would be like a wounded animal some of the time. You
were my first choice then, and you’re my only choice now, so I
am not accepting your resignation.”
“But…
but…”
“But nothing,”
Randall scoffs at me. “I know you aren’t solely
responsible for the amazing transformation I’ve seen in Zach
these last few weeks, but you are hugely responsible. Zach has opened
himself up to the possibility of staying in this world. He’s
given this old man a chance, and he had every reason to hate me. You
helped to make that happen.”
“You’re
wrong, Randall. Zach isn’t open to the possibility of staying
here. He told me as much this morning.”
Randall appraises me
a moment, and then walks to my bedroom door. Just as he opens it, he
turns to me and says, “Zach is absolutely open to the
possibility of staying here. I see it every time he looks at you. I
know you two think you were keeping a great secret from me, but I saw
it right away… what you have found in each other. And besides
that… you two aren’t exactly quiet at night.”
My face heats up so
hot that a tiny sheen of sweat breaks out on my face. Randall gives
me a grin and says, “So, you two get packed up and enjoy your
weekend at your sister’s. I’ll see you both on Monday.”
Randall leaves and
shuts the door behind him, leaving me standing there with a red face
and my jaw hanging open.