Dates from Hell(41)

“What?!” Claire winced at the shriek as Jill peered from her to Kyle and asked, “How? Was it an accident?”

“No,” Kyle said grimly.

“You’re kidding?” Jill looked outraged. She was one of the very few people privy to their experiments and what they entailed. “How?”

Sighing, Claire shook her head. “I had strapped in the bunny and started out of the room, but he sent me back to check on the camera. He said it was offline and told me how to move the table so I could kneel under it and check the camera alignment. Once I was there, zap,” she finished with a shrug.

“So that’s how he did it,” Kyle murmured, and she realized he hadn’t known how John had got her under the camera and therefore under the beam.

“The toad!” Jill said with disgust, tossing the ice cream carton on the coffee table.

“Yeah.” Claire sighed. Really, it was unconscionable. She could have been killed and was just lucky Kyle had got her out before any damage was done.

“Dangerous toad,” Kyle said grimly. “He was tired of running trials and decided to speed the experiment along.”

Ben & Jerry—and even Ted—briefly forgotten, Jill caught Claire by the arms and looked her over as if expecting to find her glowing green and falling to pieces. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Claire assured her firmly. “Really. I don’t feel bad at all.”

“Well, you aren’t suddenly turning the same color as the couch or anything,” Jill murmured, eyes narrowed.

Claire glanced toward the paisley couch and muttered, “Thank God.”

“Still, Kyle’s right, we can’t leave you alone this weekend,” Jill said firmly.

Claire shrugged, uncomfortable with all the concern.

“Although I’m not going to be any fun tonight,” Jill added with a grimace, then brightened, her expression that of someone who’s just had an idea. “You two could go to the reunion   together, though. That way Kyle could go and still keep an eye on you.”

Claire flushed, knowing Jill was playing matchmaker. Her friend had known about Claire’s crush on Kyle for years and thought they would be perfect together. As far as Jill was concerned, the only thing keeping them apart was their own shyness. Claire didn’t doubt for a minute that Jill was trying to push them together, and while she appreciated it, one glance at Kyle’s reluctant expression told her it wasn’t working.

“Well, I’m not certain it’s a good idea to take Claire anywhere until we’re sure she’s okay,” Kyle said slowly. Turning, he moved back up the hall toward the front door, saying, “Keep an eye on her while I go to the grocery store. Okay, Jill?”

“I won’t take my eyes off her,” Jill promised.





2


“H e is so not interested in me,” Claire bemoaned as the door closed behind Kyle.

“Yes, he is,” Jill said with exasperation. “I’ve been telling you that since we were all twelve. He’s crazy about you, Claire.”

“Yeah right,” she snorted. “That’s why he jumped at the chance to go to the reunion   with me tonight.”

Jill tsked with disgust and snapped the lid back on the container of Ben & Jerry’s. “You two are so pathetic. Honestly. You’ve adored him for years, and he’s been following you with calf eyes just as long, yet neither of you has the balls to do anything about it. When he comes back, you should just follow him into his room, jump his bones, and get it over with. I bet the two of you wouldn’t surface until Monday…if then.”

Claire imagined what would happen if she followed Jill’s advice. She imagined Kyle coming home, putting away the groceries in the kitchen, then going to his room for something. She would follow, close the door, then…then…

Then what? Did she throw off her clothes and wait for him to do something? The only problem was, he’d likely assume her behavior was a result of being subjected to the destabilizer. Then he’d start checking her pulse and such.

What if she just walked in, closed the door, then kissed him? Claire bit her lip at the idea. He’d probably blame that on the destabilizer, too. He’d think her brain had been destabilized by the exposure. Blowing her breath out on a sigh, she shook her head. “If he were interested, he’d have done something about it.”

“Like you have?” Jill asked archly, taking the ice cream with her as she stood up. “What makes you think he’s any less shy than you are? Besides, he’s in a much more delicate spot than you. He’s your supervisor at the lab. Asking you out could be considered sexual harassment.”