Five hours later, someone knocked on his door. He inhaled, fearing it was his girlfriend again. Or now, he supposed he should call her his ex-girlfriend.
But it wasn’t her. It was his best friend, Jackson. He was alone. His mate, Helena, wasn’t with him.
Jackson didn’t wait to be invited in. He barged in, just like he always did.
“Hello,” Eli called out over his shoulder. He had a few more calculations to check.
“Why didn’t you come down to the cliffs?” Jackson asked.
“I was busy.”
Jackson didn’t share his love for outer space. He always said the Earth was good enough for him. But he also didn’t give Eli a hard time about the way he spent his free time. Jackson was a little more open-minded than other shifters in their clan. He’d married the daughter of a demi-god after all, and he was supportive of his cousin Garrett, who’d left their clan to live in Las Vegas.
However, Jackson was not accepting of everything. He wanted Eli to be mated, just like Jackson himself was. He couldn’t stop going on and on about how wonderful it was to have a partner.
Then, Jackson asked about Eli’s girlfriend. “Why didn’t you come with her? We had a lot of fun with the gusts of wind.”
“I was busy.”
“Right.” Jackson came and stood in front of Eli. Jackson crossed his arms over his chest. He was a big guy, even for a shifter. He pulled the notebook from Eli’s hands. “Why didn’t you come?”
Eli surrendered the notebook and plopped down in his office chair. “She broke up with me. It was very loud and dramatic.”
“She broke up with you?” Jackson came to stand beside him, putting one hand on his shoulder. “Man, I’m sorry.”
“I’m not,” Eli said. And he wasn’t. Lately, she had always been mad at him. “I think I’m done with dating. I’m not like you; I’m not going to find a mate. So, I just need to quit wasting my time.”
“I promise you it’s not a waste of time once you find the right person.”
“The females I date never want me to work.”
“That’s not true. None of them have complained about your job at the hospital. They get annoyed because you’re choosing to spend all your time in this garage, holed up with the stars. It seems like you care more about them than anything else.”
“Jackson.” Eli picked up his pencil and spun it in between his fingers. “Listen to me. I’m just not cut out for mating.”
2
Ava
“Ava, your latest paper on artificial chromosomes and gene replacement was excellent,” her advisor said. “I’m thrilled with your progress.”
“Thank you. I’ve really enjoyed being a teaching assistant here at the university, but I’d like to do some hands-on work at a lab.” Still a student herself, Ava was forced to teach the freshman biology courses at the college. Even after she finished her PhD, that probably wouldn’t change for a few years.
Trying to teach eighteen-year-olds who didn’t know or care about science had gotten old fast. She was ready to do some real work.
Her advisor nodded. “I know the perfect place for you. Have you heard of Eli Bennett and the work he’s doing?”
“Of course. His work is ground-breaking.”
“He’s a friend, and if you’re interested in working for him, I’ll be happy to write you a glowing letter of recommendation.”
She smiled. “That would be fantastic.”
After chatting with her advisor for a few more minutes, she got up and left. She went straight home and filled out the application for Dr. Bennett’s lab online. She could hardly believe she was applying to work as an assistant for Elijah Bennett, one of the most well-respected geneticists on the West Coast.
He’d made a name for himself early in his career, publishing multiple papers in scientific journals, and also finding the cause of a few genetic abnormalities that resulted in rare diseases. She’d seen him lecture once at the university. The auditorium had been packed, which was unusual for a guest speaker.
When she took her seat, she understood why. Not only was Dr. Bennett a genius in his field, but he was gorgeous as well. She hadn’t been able to get too close to him, but anyone with eyes could see his handsome face and tell he was perfectly built under his lab coat and khaki pants.
The student who’d been seated next to her was a math major.
“I’m just here to look at him,” she’d whispered to Ava.
Ava truly wanted to hear what he had to say about DNA sequencing, but she couldn’t deny she enjoyed looking at him as well.
If he hired her, it would be a dream come true. Although it seemed like a long-shot. He would probably have a list of applicants a mile long.
An hour later, she’d submitted her application and notified her advisor so that he could send the letter of recommendation.
Then, she looked at the time. “Crap,” she muttered. She had a date in thirty minutes. She was supposed to meet the guy in downtown Portland.
She washed her face and brushed her teeth. She tried to put on a little mascara, but she didn’t have time for anything else. She usually didn’t wear makeup at all. It wore off when she was in the lab at the university, especially when she had her goggles and mask on.
Exactly thirty minutes later, she was sitting down across from him in a nice restaurant on the Willamette River. A friend had set them up, promising that he would be a great date. “He’s a financial planner, and he owns his own sailboat,” her friend had said.
His wealth made no difference to Ava; she planned to have a decent salary to support herself, and she wasn’t looking for a husband. She just wanted someone to spend time with, and she also wanted to be able to discuss current events, books, and ideas. Those were the things that mattered to her in a partner.
The guy was handsome in
