Dr Jackie & Mr Hideo

Chapter 7 (Cont'd)

*

"So, any updates on the investor front?" Ramona asked, pushing her salad around her plate. We were having lunch in the university cafeteria, a welcome break from the tedious task of writing up our latest research report. Thankfully, unlike last year, when I was juggling research with mentoring a gaggle of graduate students, my current position was purely research-focused. Which meant that, besides a mountain of unread emails and a few missed deadlines, my absence hadn't caused too much disruption.

"No luck on my end," I said, taking a bite of my veggie burger. "But Curtis said he has some good news for us. He's meeting with us after lunch in his office. Maybe he's finally found an investor who's not afraid of a little scientific revolution. Or maybe he's just decided to cash in his retirement fund and buy us all those Soma flowers himself."

Ramona actually laughed at my joke, which was a pleasant surprise.

"Thanks again for all your help, Ramona," I said sincerely. "I felt bad asking you to work with Hideo. Hope he didn't cause too much trouble."

"No, Professor," Ramona replied, a genuine smile warming her features. "Your nephew is actually quite intelligent. I almost couldn't believe he was just a graduate student. He possesses such a depth of knowledge... It was almost like I was working with you."

Whoops.

I watched as Ramona meticulously dissected a cherry tomato with her fork. I still couldn't quite wrap my head around the fact that Hideo, thankfully, hadn't tried to hit on her. Ramona wasn't exactly known for her fashion sense or her attention to appearances, but even I could see that she was, objectively speaking, a cute girl. Maybe it was because I knew her, was familiar with her quirky personality and sharp intellect. Or maybe Hideo still possessed enough of my logical reasoning to know that jeopardizing my research for a fleeting romantic entanglement would be a monumentally stupid move.

So maybe Jackie was still in control, after all. At least a little bit.

I must have been staring for a tad too long, because Ramona looked up, her brow furrowed in concern.

"Is something the matter, Professor?" she asked, her fork hovering in mid-air.

"No, no," I said, quickly averting my gaze. "Just thinking... that hair clip suits you. I don't think I've seen it before. Is it new?" I gestured towards my own hair, mirroring the position of the small clip with flower motif holding back a stray strand of Ramona's dark hair.

"Oh, this?" I swear I saw a flicker of pink on her cheeks. "I bought it at a stall at the band festival on the weekend. I'm glad you like it." She offered a wide, slightly nervous smile.

"It looks good on you," I replied, returning her smile. "And if you're finished with lunch, we should head over to Curtis's office. He just sent me a reminder message."

"Yes, Professor," Ramona said, quickly gathering her things.

If there was one thing that had changed since my transformation back into Jackie, it was that I was a little more observant of the things I'd often overlooked before. Small details, subtle changes in behavior, the way a stray strand of hair could transform a person's entire appearance.

When we arrived at Curtis's office, he was already waiting for us, but he was pacing back and forth, his phone pressed to his ear. He caught sight of us and quickly ended the call, his face beaming with excitement.

"New funding!" he exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air.

Ramona and I exchanged delighted smiles.

"It's not a huge amount," Curtis clarified, "But it's enough to keep our research afloat until we secure another investor."

"What matters is if it's enough to get us more Soma flowers," I said, my voice laced with a mixture of hope and impatience. "We can't continue without them."

Curtis grinned and pulled a small box from beneath his desk. He opened it, and my eyes widened. Nestled inside, carefully packaged in layers of protective foam, was a batch of dried Soma flowers. Ramona gasped, and we both let out a cheer, unable to contain our excitement.

"Turns out a little pre-holiday generosity goes a long way," Curtis said with a wink. "Early Black Friday deal."

The sweet, intoxicating aroma of the Soma flowers filled the air, instantly transporting me back to the botanical gardens. We crowded around the box, our minds already calculating dosages and experimental protocols. It wasn't enough to get us far to a safe human trial level, but it was a start. And with my... situation, it might be enough to unlock some crucial clues about the transformation process.

And, okay, maybe it's also enough to ensure I can keep my date with Cheryl without resorting to grand theft floral.

"What?" I said suddenly, my head snapping up. Ramona and Curtis turned to me, their expressions showed a bit of confusion.

"What is it, Jackie?" Curtis asked. "Were you saying something?"

"No," I replied, my brow furrowing. "Did... did either of you just say something?"

Curtis gave me a strange look. "No, Jackie. We were just admiring the flowers."

"It's nothing," I said, waving a dismissive hand. "Just a... sneeze coming on." I quickly grabbed a surgical mask from my bag and slipped it on.

"You sure you're okay?" Curtis asked, his brow furrowed with concern.

"Yeah, just a little residual congestion from my flu," I replied, hoping my voice sounded convincingly stuffy. "Nothing a little lab work can't cure. Come on, let's get these flowers to the lab. We've got a lot of puzzles to solve."

Curtis and Ramona seemed to buy my excuse, thankfully. But as we carefully transported the precious box of Soma flowers to the lab, I couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that something was amiss. The sweet aroma of the flowers, even filtered through my mask, was a constant reminder of Cheryl's perfume and the possibility that it had triggered my transformation back to Jackie.

Could a mere scent really be enough to alter my DNA? I thought, my mind racing. Really sounds improbable, but I can't risk it.

***