I shook my head. “Not serious. Just thinking.”
He raised an eyebrow but didn’t push me. I liked that about him. Somehow, he always knew when to leave things alone. And then I realized I just liked Asher in general. Not in that “he’s cute and I want to date him” sort of way. I genuinely liked him as a person. He was the first guy I’d ever felt like that about.
Of course, he was cute and I definitely wouldn’t mind dating him, but I shoved those thoughts away. Focus on the project, Kepler.
We reached my dad’s office, and I pushed open the door, letting it bang against the wall to announce our presence. There was no way I wanted to risk a repeat of last time. I was still scarred from seeing Jordan all over him.
Dad’s office was unexpectedly empty, but I spotted him and Jordan down the hall, bent over one of the lab computers. He looked up as we entered. “Don’t tell me I’m late. I swear it’s only four o’clock.”
“You’re fine, Dad. Asher and I are going to grab dinner. Feel free to take as long as you need.” I knew he was stressing over his Project Infinity assignment; he’d been spending more and more time locked in his labs. He was even distracted when we were home at night, constantly tapping on his tablet or staring off into space.
“Good idea. I have some catching up to do, so I might be a bit late. Don’t worry if I’m not home before you go to bed.”
I tried not to think too hard about what might make him that late. Or if it had to do with Jordan. “Sure. See you later, Dad.”
Jordan waved. “Bye, Lexie.”
I pulled Asher from the room, eager to escape her sickly sweet personality and grating voice.
“She’s not that bad,” he said as we waited for the elevator.
“She’s trying to hook up with my dad. Of course she is.”
He shrugged as we stepped inside the elevator. “Maybe you should give them a chance. Your dad’s been alone a long time. He deserves some happiness.” My jaw fell open, and he grinned at me. “Doesn’t hurt she’s hot. He’s kind of my hero.”
I punched him in the shoulder. “Oh my god. Don’t even go there. I don’t care if she’s the ugliest woman on the planet. He’s my dad, and he should not be making out with someone just a few years older than me. Or an employee. It’s just gross.”
“Where else is he going to find someone?” Asher gestured. “It’s not like we’re in the middle of a huge town. QT is about the only place to meet people. He’s hardly the first to date a coworker here. Some of the scientists have taken to calling it ‘fishing.’ You know — catch and release.”
I put my hands on my hips. “And of course you’d know all about that?”
He gave me a crooked grin, and my stomach swooped.
I shrugged and tried to play it cool. “I guess I’ll have to find out firsthand. There’s no shortage of smart guys around. Maybe I should do some fishing myself.”
“Oh, no, you don’t.” He wagged a finger at me. “I was here first.”
“What about Amy?”
“I don’t think Amy’s interested in you like that.”
The elevator doors slid open, and I laughed at him over my shoulder as I exited. “Ha ha. Very funny. Just so you know, I’m not dating someone based on a game of dibs. Sorry, Ash.”
“Are you two dating?” Dr. Rosen asked, looking puzzled. “Did I miss something?”
My face went from zero to red in 2.5 seconds, and I stammered out a laugh. “Um, no, Dr. Rosen. We were just joking around.”
He glanced between us, raised one bushy eyebrow. “I see.”
Asher scuffed the toe of his Chucks on the marble floor. “We’re grabbing some dinner at Coco’s. Want me to bring you back something?”
Dr. Rosen shook his head. “I’m fine. I’ll try to grab something from the cafeteria. I’m probably going to be late. Avery has us all working around the clock to get this first round of testing done. He’d better ease up soon. I can’t have the staff walking around here like zombies.”
“Make sure you set a reminder,” Asher said with a frown. “You know you won’t remember.”
But Dr. Rosen just waved a hand and turned to me. “You worry too much. And how are you feeling, Lexie? Any more side effects from Grant’s shot?”
“Not as far as I can tell.”
He studied me before nodding. “Good. I’m still running tests, but it seems like whatever it was just didn’t work. Please let me know if anything changes, though.”
“Thanks, Dr. Rosen.”
“My pleasure. Now, go have your dinner. I’ll see you at home, son.” He paused, turned to me with his eyes sparkling. “And Lexie? Go easy on him, Asher’s a good kid. Most of the time.”
I smiled over at Asher. “Yeah, he has his moments.”
Coco’s was dead when we walked in. We’d beaten the dinner rush by a good half hour, and most of the tables sat empty. Coco waved at us, a chunky bracelet with skulls and flowers around her wrist jangling with the movement. “Sit wherever you want. I’ll be over to get your orders in a minute.”
Asher picked a booth along the back wall, and I slid in across from him. We were tucked in a back corner, semi-secluded from the rest of the place, and I wondered if he’d picked this spot for a reason. The thought made my pulse speed up.
“So what’s good here?” I asked, scanning the menu, trying to play it cool.
Asher’s eyes widened. “You haven’t eaten here yet? What have you been doing for food?”
“I can cook. Kind of. And Dad has the pizza place on speed dial. We’ve been managing.”
He snatched the menu from my hands and tucked it behind the ketchup. “I’m ordering for you today.” He raised that eyebrow at me again. “You’re not vegetarian, are you?”
I couldn’t stop my laugh. “I grew up in Ohio. We’re firmly steak-and-potatoes kind of people.”
“Good. Because Coco makes this burger. It’s…indescribable.”
“In a good way I hope.” I brushed my bangs out of my eyes and looked around. Coco was chatting with a scientist at the bar, but otherwise, we were alone.
“Definitely.” He slouched back in his seat and tilted his head, studying me with a half-smile.
His gaze made my skin feel too small for my body, and I shifted on the bench. It always felt like he saw things other people missed, like he used his amazing brain to understand people in a way nobody else could.