Experiments in Love

Chapter 1

Murphy’s Laws of Romance #5

“Women will talk to you if, and only if

they are unavailable.”

Toni Crenshaw reassured herself for the thousandth time since this morning that days like this one, producing tension-induced headaches, were vital stepping-stones to her ultimate career goal of lead counsel. After the day she’d had, the echoing clamor created by the swarms of people leaving work pressed against her head as insistent and grating as the countless shoulders bumping hers in passing. She wanted to escape the hordes as soon as possible but only her BFF, Rena, one of their seven ‘Crew,’ as the women called themselves, had arrived.

Toni maneuvered through the crowds to reach her best friend. As usual, Rena Landers waited at 5:15 near the top of the escalators in the huge, vaulted lobby of the Rayaneta Building, a Seattle landmark. The cathedral-like expanse of oak, steel, and glass reverberated with the bustling dissonance of thousands of employees’ voices as they left work.

Toni grimaced. She had once likened the din of voices to fervent chants offered up to the gods of business, a babble of mantras going to work in the morning, and then again leaving in the evening. Now she couldn’t get the wry simile out of her head, particularly when she would be adding her voice to the choir.

Reaching Rena behind a breakwater provided by a potted fig tree, Toni made a face, saying, “Lord, do I need a drink.”

Rena sidled up to Toni as she cleared the last eddy in the river of Rayaneta employees flowing toward the escalators. “Bad day?”

“I’m crushed.” At Rena’s questioning look, Toni sighed. Another Brooklyn idiom lost on a native Seattleite. “I’m ragged around the edges.” She pulled at her pants suit where it stuck to her thighs.

Looking sympathetic, Rena leaned in close. “How come?”

“I was ensnared in a meet and greet all morning,” she said, glancing at Rena. “You know, the Hampton merger. Then all afternoon, I found myself trapped in a conference room with seven other lawyers from Hampton, reps from the SEC and FTC, some labor suits, and finally Teasdale, and that idiot Childers from Legal.”

She waved a hand and almost hit a passerby. Apologizing, she pulled in her arms. She disliked close crowds if only because they restricted the use of her hands when talking. “We were hashing out the merger as the buyout is now being called.” She gave a weary half-smile. “All men. It played out as a testosterone-induced duel of machismo, a bizarre version of high-stakes card game while the government suits spouted regulations.” Toni dramatically threw her hand out as though tossing down poker chips. “‘I’ll see your stock options and raise you an office management reduction, but only if you can prove compliance.’” She made a face. “Of course, they never gave a thought to the people whose livelihoods they were so glibly tossing around. It was friggin’ absurd.”

Rena frowned, incredulous. “You had to sit there and listen to the bastards for the entire afternoon?”

“Not quite. I was the designated referee.” Toni waved away Rena’s disgusted reaction. “My boss wanted me to lead the meeting—because ‘I could handle it.’” She rolled her head to loosen her neck muscles. “Just one of the many perks for being good at my job. At four, I hit them with a set of compromises I’d written up yesterday. They wanted to get out at five, so they all agreed to them.”

Rena shook her head in disbelief.

Toni shrugged. “Hey. It’s a lawyer’s ABCs: Always Be Cool .” She grinned as her cell phone chimed the song “Law School.” With a grimace, she turned it off and tossed the phone in her clutch purse. “There, off duty.”

Four more Crew members appeared, and everyone exchanged greetings. Shirley Severino, an exec’s assistant from the 28th floor gave the two a hug, and then pulling away, studied Toni while holding her forearms. “So, girl, too tired to go out for drinks?”

Toni answered with a comically determined expression. “No, so tired I need a drink.” They all laughed. Shirley immediately moved on to a more interesting topic, Toni’s love life. Married for seven years, she seemed to get a vicarious thrill from Toni’s various romances. “Not too tired for a date night? Meeting Damien again?” The women all leaned in to hear the answer.

“Nope.” Toni grinned mischievously at the women surrounding her.

Rena groaned. “Toni, say you didn’t.”

Waving a hand, Toni turned to Rena. “Oh yeah, babe, last weekend I washed that man right out of my hair.” The laughter from the women echoed, competing with the dull roar of conversations going on around them.

Rena’s voice cut through the laughter. “Why? That man is gorgeous, and what, bringing down half-a-million a year?” She planted her hands on her hips. “You’re an idiot, you know that?”

Toni glanced wryly at her friend. “Well, you’re only saying that because one, you’re an accountant, two, Damien, the chad, was a player of course, and three, you haven’t met Steve, my date tonight.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “Damien, always good to look at provided expensive meals, but he grew far too predictable.” She gave them a knowing look. “On the other hand, Steve is far more entertaining.”

Rena shook her head at Toni. “This new guy’s ‘entertaining,’ huh? So, truthfully, woman, what are you looking for in a man, anyway?”

Toni rolled her eyes at the question, but Rena, being her typical self, wouldn’t let it go. She waited, arms linked across her chest. The rest had stopped their quips to hear Toni’s answer.

“I guess I want variety, surprises, you know? Humor, a deep intelligence—not just some clever wit.” Toni thought a moment. “Well . . .”

Rena cut in, “Yeah, yeah, a talented lover—and loaded—with a great body.”

Toni patted Rena’s shoulder. “ That goes without saying.” Everyone chuckled.

Rena leaned back and eyed her friend. “Anything else?”

Toni rubbed her chin, serious for a moment. “How about a man I could actually trust, with, you know, emotional depth?”

Rena smirked. “That isn’t happening.” Everyone smiled and nodded.

“Okay, how about you, Rena?” Toni crossed her arms to match Rena’s and waited.

“Oh, I don’t know,” she said, grinning, “your list sounds good.” She eyed her friend. “So, is Steve all those things?”

“Seriously?” Giving Rena a friendly shove, Toni twisted her mouth into a sardonic smile. “ Maybe a few more boxes checked off than gorgeous Damien.”

“Meaning you trust him?”

Toni squinted at Rena, who held on to her dubious expression, so Toni said, “Hey, I’m a realist when it comes to men.” She waited a beat, smiling at the group before saying, “The pleasure is in the journey, not the destination.”

The women laughed as Chris Wingate hurried through the crowds to complete their group, apologizing for being late. Toni made a point to welcome her, since she was new to The Crew. Now that the Magnificent Seven were all present, they turned toward the escalator heading for O’Bannon’s bar and restaurant down the street.

“There he is,” Shirley said in a hushed voice.

A conspiratorial whisper among women will cut through any conversation, no matter how boisterous. They all stopped talking and looked in the direction Shirley indicated, toward the elevators on the far side of the vast lobby. The silver doors were just visible over the top of the many ficus, potted palms, and the heads of the bustling multitudes. Nearly ten thousand people worked in the building. Even with staggered work hours, they all seemed to leave at the same time.

“Who?” the women asked in unison.

“The boy genius, of course,” Shirley answered, pointing.

“And who is that?” Toni asked, interested. Then she caught a glimpse of a white lab coat topped by a shaggy head of hair among the jostling crowds. She pulled back a corner of her mouth, disappointed. “Oh, Starling.”

“That’s right, Dr. Baynard J. Starling.” Shirley leaned closer to Toni. “From what I hear, Rayaneta wouldn’t be the market leader in cosmetics without his continual stream of chemical creations.”

Toni scoffed, remembering the skinny geek with the thick glasses. A nonentity as far as she could tell. “That’s a big exaggeration, Shirl, huge from what I’ve been told—his contract renewal was nothing special. I should know, I wrote it.” She turned to Rena. “You know it too. You worked his contract for HR.”

Rena nodded. “Yeah, but after two years? You hear things, ya know?”

Chris chimed in, “Well, all I’ve heard is that he’s the resident recluse. He practically lives in the lab. Why is he leaving now?”

“Exactly,” Shirley nodded, and then said to the huddle of women, “The suits on the top floors have begun to fret. After working around the clock for the last five years, Starling’s started leaving every day at five and not coming in on the weekends. He’s been doing it for several months.”

“Maybe he’s got a girlfriend,” Chris suggested.

Everyone looked at her and laughed. She remained a sweet, uncomplicated receptionist for Sales on the sixth floor. She appeared so dismayed at the group’s response that Toni gave her a one-armed hug. “Hon, that’s all right. You have to meet him to know what makes that suggestion so funny. He’s the definition of clueless.”

Rena gave Toni a mock leer. “But he has a crush on you, Toni.”

Toni pursed her mouth. This remained one of Rena’s favorite pastimes—teasing Toni. “I don’t know where you get that idea. I’ve met the guy once , Rena, when we renegotiated his contract two years ago, remember? He could have a crush on you too for all I know.”

Rena cocked her head, an impish grin on her lips.

Toni fluttered her hand impatiently. “He’s a child prodigy—you know, one of those brainiacs who graduate from Harvard at fifteen.”

Rena said, sharing secrets, “Actually, it was MIT and Stanford. He was only twenty-two when Rayaneta picked him up five years ago. He has PhD’s in Chemistry and Biology. Everyone commented on it at the time.” Of course, Rena would know that. She worked in Human Resources. The perfect job for someone who needs to know everybody’s business.

“Whatever. I’ve seen him upstairs slouching down the halls in Legal a few times, but that’s it,” Toni said with a shake of her head. “His contract is nothing special. He’s one of the lab rats.”

Rena gave her a look that suggested Toni’s meager contact with Starling was tantamount to going steady. Toni screwed up her face in denial. “Regardless, the guy has two doctorates and no social life. I can’t imagine him asking a girl out, let alone have any idea what to do with one if he did.”

“Oh, I’ve seen him watch you from afar. He’s been doing it for at least a year now.” Rena winked, and the group all smiled expectantly at Toni.

“And where have you seen this, pray tell?”

“Right here in the lobby.”

“Seriously? Sure he wasn’t watching you?” When Rena and the others grinned, Toni gave her a heavy-lidded look. “Girl, you’ve been sniffing too much printer ink.”

“Yeah?” Rena smirked playfully. “Well, prove it. Here he comes.”

Toni looked up, and sure enough, Starling was close. He ambled toward them on the way to the escalators, a walking stereotype, hair a mess, and still wearing his signature wrinkled and stained lab coat. As he walked along with the crowds, he read one of the several journals and books piled in his arms, occasionally peering over his glasses to check the path among the multitude. Toni had a vision of him doing the same thing with the same glasses at sixty. She felt sorry for him.

“Rena, get real. He doesn’t notice anything that isn’t in scientific notation.”

“I’m from Missouri—show me.”

The other women piped in. “Sure, Toni, give him a thrill.”

“Just say hi.”

“Let’s see what the mystery geek does.”

Toni shot them a patient frown. Her success dating men continued to be entertainment for her friends. Most times she enjoyed her reputation, but presently, their expectant smiles grated, particularly with her throbbing headache, and an audience of strangers walking past. She sighed. Peer pressure wielded a power worthy of the gods. Tormenting na?ve wunderkinds was not her style, and she was surprised her friends were egging her on. However, curiosity about Starling’s reputation as a genius and his new work habits led her to shrug and acquiesce to their dare.

She smoothed the bottom of her teal jacket over her hips and stepped out to intercept him. People parted, men giving her the once over as she cut across their path to the escalators, but she remained focused on the geek.

“Dr. Starling, how are you?” She spoke in a throaty voice sure to snare his attention, wondering what he would do if she turned on the sex appeal.

Starling stopped in midstride, head swiveling to find who had spoken. When he located Toni standing close to his left side, he stared at her for a moment, then straightened up and gave her a brief, but boyish, smile, kind of sweet in its openness.

“Hello.” Starling didn’t say anything else. The guy stood taller than she remembered. He looked down at her with an inquisitiveness surprising in its blue-eyed intensity.

“It’s Toni Crenshaw. I worked on your contract renewal, what, two years ago?”

He nodded gravely. “Yes, I remember.”

He kept peering at her through those thick glasses. It made him look like a big-eyed puppy in the middle of a bad hair day. “Well, I’m flattered that you remember me. Where are you off to now?”

“My condominium.”

She couldn’t help herself. “A hot date tonight, Baynard?” The man blinked at that—several times. Toni fought to keep a straight face; it was either that or be forced to apologize to Dr. Oblivious for laughing. She suddenly felt like a stereotype herself, a tease.

“No, no, research,” he said, peering at her with a steadiness she found disconcerting. He should have blushed, or stuttered, or something. His blue eyes had a power behind them that she’d forgotten. His presence radiated a still solidity like a granite boulder casually parting the torrent of people rushing around them.

Toni shook off the impression and said, “Oh, now what are you cooking up for Rayaneta?”

“I’m doing something on my own,” he said with a hint of enthusiasm as though he hoped she’d ask for details. She wasn’t about to encourage explanations regarding a topic so potentially boring, but it could have legal complications.

Toni leaned in. “And this is a line of inquiry separate from your work here? As the one who drew up your contract, it needs to be to avoid any violation of said contract.”

He nodded solemnly. “Yes, it is unrelated to my work here, studies I read about in several magazines.”

She found his earnestness rather cute. Inspired, she suggested, “Why don’t you come to O’Bannon’s with us?” She waved an arm at the women avidly watching them, wishing they’d stop giggling.

He glanced at the grinning group. “Why?”

They burst out laughing. Starling’s eyebrows met over his nose, and he looked at Toni, who he caught also grinning. He calmly studied Toni for a moment as her smile faded, and asked, “Do any of your friends have long-standing relationships with men?”

“What?” She blinked at the abrupt change of subject. Toni puzzled over it for a moment, and then touched his arm. “You want to know who is free to date you?” More titters from the group. She ignored them and kept her attention on Starling.

After looking between Toni, her hand on his arm, and the other women, he shook his head. “No. For research.”

The women made more noises, but Toni wondered what he could be researching. She motioned ‘quiet’ to them—again, swallowing her annoyance. “Don’t mind the girls. I only thought that you might want to go with us to O’Bannon’s.” More curious about him now, she offered what she thought was a rather clever, ‘sciencey’ reason for him to join them. “Haven’t you ever wanted to see or rather smell all your creations at work?” The women all chuckled, and Toni turned to shush them with a stern look.

Frowning, Starling quietly studied the women, and then asked, “What do you mean?”

“Seriously?” Toni wanted to shake her head. Man, was this guy sailing up wind from reality. “You create all these perfumes and colognes so women and men can attract each other, but from what I hear, you’ve never left the lab to see your scents in action?”

Starling frowned harder and gazed at her with unfocused eyes. Suddenly he came back from wherever he’d gone and declared, “You’re right.”

While Toni worked to make sense of his agreement, he stepped closer to her. Now what was he doing?

He sniffed rapidly a few times, and said, “You’re wearing Jungle Night. Does it work for you?” There were guffaws from Toni’s friends. She waved them to silence again, but gave them a playful wink, hoping that would keep them quiet long enough to find out what he was talking about. She turned back to Starling, but he must have seen her wink because he gave her a look that stopped her cold. She couldn’t think of anything to say.

Starling repositioned the books in his arms. “I have to go. I have a ride waiting.” Without looking at her again, he left.

As he disappeared among the people jostling for the next space on the escalators, Toni’s friends flocked around her, laughing. On their walk to O’Bannon’s, the woman all joked, reviewing Toni’s conversation with Dr. Starling, but she didn’t join in. Every time Toni started to say something witty, she closed her mouth. She kept seeing the expression on his face before he’d left. It hadn’t been embarrassment or anger for being the butt of her teasing. It was a sad look of disappointment—in her.