The Research Project

Chapter Twelve

"So what did you think of lunch?" Lainey asked as Byron began the drive back toward the city.

"Awesome."

Lainey laughed. "I won't get offended if you say it was dreadful."

"It wasn't dreadful..."

But it wasn't great either."

"It was the best meal I've had in ages. Sometimes simple things are the best."

Lainey laughed. He seemed to enjoy it, and there hadn't been much left over, so he must be telling the truth. They lapsed into silence again and Lainey watched Byron manoeuvre the BMW through the traffic. His strong hands that had brought her so much pleasure last week, gripped tightly onto the steering wheel. For some reason the simple everyday action turned her on.

"What are you thinking, Lai-Lai?" Byron asked, snapping her out of her salacious thoughts.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "That you'll promise to never call me that again."

He laughed. "Not a fan?"

"I don't even like my mother using that name."

"That's okay, I think Lainey is much prettier."

Lainey snorted. "Especially when it's said with a nasally twang. Very attractive."

He frowned. "Who does that to you?"

"Madison, sometimes Morgan, but it's nothing new. I used to get it occasionally back in school."

"Were you bullied in school?"

"No, not really. Mostly I flew under the radar. There was one time I tried to dye my hair and it ended up turning this weird brown colour. I guess I kind of deserved getting teased for that."

"Why did you do that?"

"I didn't want to be a blonde anymore."

"Wouldn't most girls kill for naturally blonde hair?"

"Alison Corbin called me a blonde bimbo one day at school and then suddenly everyone started to call me that and the boys started to think I must be easy because I was a blonde. I didn't like being the centre of attention, I just wanted to blend in again except I screwed up and made myself stand out more than ever. I didn't go to school for a week until it had mostly washed out."

Byron made a right hand turn and merged onto the motorway. "So your childhood, it wasn't that bad, was it?"

"No, not really. It wasn't ideal and that was about the only time I got hassled. My mum is great but it could be a bit lonely at times with her having to work to support us. I was at home a lot by myself." Byron was silent and Lainey could tell his sharp mind was processing that, probably psychoanalysing her. "That sounds pretty sad, doesn't it?"

"No." He paused. "Apart from Murray and Theo, I don't really have anyone else, I'm too busy."

"Really? I'm sure someone like you has more friends than that," she said.

"Occasionally I meet up with some of the guys I went to law school with, but sadly, we mostly end up talking about court cases and law suits."

"What about your family?"

"I'm close with my brother and my sister."

Now it was Lainey's turn to ponder. She wondered if she would ever get to meet his family. He'd been more than happy to meet her mum and spend the afternoon with her. But Lainey didn't know whether to take that as a positive sign or if she was just misreading signals again. Meeting his family would take things to another level and really, all they were doing was research.