Starfish

Twelve

Nina stood before the frosted glass of Doctor Ardus's office door, using the reflection to make a last-minute adjustment to her outfit. Her favorite grey dress hugged her hips and thighs, the short white blazer nipping in at her waist and drawing the eye to the dress's low neck. For added punch, she wore a necklace of pink coral pieces strung on fine silver wire. The coral would certainly attract attention, and the few inches of cleavage dusted with a little bronze shimmering powder would grab hold of it like a barracuda – she'd passed Doctor O'Connell on the way in and he'd certainly looked. Arranging her hair behind her ears to better show off the matching pink coral drops, Nina tapped the screen and the door slid open. Her heels clicked as she stepped over the threshold. Doctor Ardus sat at his desk, bent over the reading pane typing while Athe put away books and files. She smiled. "Good morning, Doctor Ardus."

"Good morning, Doctor Ni-" His deep voice abruptly cut off as he raised his head. The reaction her arrival generated was perfect and priceless: both the biologist and his personal assistant stared at her, Athe with a look of smug, knowing amusement, and Ardus frozen with his hands over the glass, his eyes wide. She breezed into the room, tossing an easy glance up at his desk as she passed. Ardus's head never moved, but his eyes followed her to her desk. She heard him draw a sharp breath through his nose and make a thick, rumbling sound in his throat. Nina sat at her terminal, turning her chair slightly towards the huge antique desk. "Doctor, is everything...all right?" She flipped her hair over her shoulder, glad she'd decided to curl it, and crossed her ankles. Athe turned away from her, biting his lip to hide a smirk, but Ardus stared quite obviously at a spot on his desk. If Dreen could sweat, he'd be a waterfall. He gave a curt nod, but said nothing. Nina pressed, "Are you sure? You look surprised to see me. I told you yesterday I wanted to come back to work."

He swallowed hard. "Yes, I remember." His hands twitched over the typing surface. He refused to look up.

"Well," Athe interjected. He stood behind Ardus at his desk, a handful of books ready to put into their places. He gave her a conspiratorial wink. "I'm happy to see you up and around, Doctor. Did you get enough rest?"

Athe, you clever Dreen. "Yes I did, Athe. Thank you."

"You look well. Doesn't she look well, Doctor?" Athe bumped the back of Ardus's chair with his elbow and Ardus started. "What?"

"Tell her, Doctor."

"Tell her what?" Ardus turned in his chair, but Athe started putting books away on the shelf so Ardus couldn't see his grin. "Tell her she looks well."

"Oh....ah..." Ardus looked pained. He turned slowly, his eyes widening as they met with Nina's. "You look..." he paused, "you look well."

Athe, you brilliant jerk. Nina brushed a meticulously curled lock of her dark hair behind her ear and watched the biologist's jaw clench. "Thank you, Doctor. And thank you for lunch yesterday, that baked eel was..." she touched her lips with the tip of her tongue, "amazing. So, what will we be doing today? I'm sure you have a full day scheduled for us."

Ardus swallowed hard. "Er, yes. You... You will be going back to the lab. Meem will be picking up where you left off before your...accident." The way he stared intently at her face made Nina both want to laugh and hide. He looks terrified...and a bit spooky. His large blue eyes were far more intense than she'd anticipated, his focus powerful. Even though she'd covered the important parts, Nina felt strangely vulnerable. It's because he's so big, it's his presence. Nina decided enough was enough and turned to her terminal. Better tone it down. "I see. Well, I'm ready for it if she is. I'll be more careful this time." Ardus's response was only a soft harrumph as he looked back down at his desk. For some time, Nina checked her notifications and listened to Athe's soft humming as he wrapped up his tasks before leaving. Once the assistant left the room, Nina became aware of a strong impression of being watched. Even the hair on her neck prickled. Well, at least you know the outfit's working. She peeked, catching Ardus glancing at her while rearranging some papers. Maybe a little too well. Is he really that bothered? Maybe I shouldn't have done this. Should I go home and change? No, there wasn't time. She was dressed for the day, and dressed she would remain.