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Zac Milburn was feeling exhausted. Working late for several nights on the run was taking its toll. He had no choice though, he was working to a deadline, if he didn’t get a move on he would be seriously feeling the pressure. He needed to keep all his wits about him as well, that was what was becoming rather tiring. He got on well with most of the guys in his lab. Billie was quite a nice person if a bit aloof and she wasn’t in the lab much as she had more of a senior role and had to draw up plans for Nick and his supervisee Kirsty and also another team of two people. She was quite new to the company so like him there was quite a lot for her to familiarise herself with. She was an attractive looking woman, that was not in doubt, if they hadn’t been working in the same lab or on the same project he might have fancied his chances and asked her out for a drink. She seemed a bit cold and humourless, but he would have liked the challenge of the pursuit.
Kirsty and Caroline were nice girls but had steady boyfriends so he knew he didn’t stand a chance there. Kirsty seemed a bit careless though, she had given them a scare a few weeks ago when a reaction suddenly increased in temperature and all the solvent shot out of the top of the flask. Perhaps Nick should be supervising her more closely. Fortunately, no fire ensued but chatting to Nick he found out that a year ago someone in the company had experienced a near miss which resulted a fire which was extinguished quickly. However, as a formality, the fire brigade had to attend which gave the company a bit of bad publicity as it appeared on the local news website. The press always like a bit of sensation, trying to make out that the company was taking risks and not following the correct safety procedures. He as well as Nick would keep an eye out on what she was doing, he didn’t want to end up injured.
This worry was all secondary to his main concern in the shape of Nick Thomas his colleague whom he’d named ‘nosy Nick’ to himself. Not only was he an incorrigible gossip but he seemed to always have his beady eye on Zac’s work. He was always asking him how his work was going, which was fine, you had to expect that people would chat about the science, but it went further than that. Sometimes he felt like he was undergoing some inquisition from Nick. He had to be careful, that guy could become a real problem, and that would not be good news, nor would it be good news for Nick. He didn’t know it yet but Zac was not someone to be annoyed.
**
There was a general buzz of conversation in the office area where the assembled staff were all eagerly awaiting Piers and their new CSO. Nick was one of the last to join his colleagues as he was in a bit of a rush after his extended lunch, he was also suffering from a bit of heartburn after wolfing down his sandwich and coffee, having to check all was OK with his reactions and then having to pay a quick visit to the toilet. So he was just sprinting down to the assembled group when Piers and Brett walked into the office area.
Nick suddenly forgot about his heartburn as he was suddenly feeling a bit light headed and he leaned back against one of the partitions trying to take deep breaths. He had been correct when he had entered the building after lunch, he had recognised the guy with Piers, he could not believe his eyes. Piers started to speak, ‘Well thank you, everyone, for breaking into your day to come and meet your new Chief Scientific Officer. I don’t want to say much as I know you are all busy people but let me introduce Dr Brett Chandler.’
Brett nodded at the group, casting his eyes round each person, and smiling broadly.
‘Brett joins us from StourMed down the road and we are delighted that he has decided to take the leap from big pharma to join our start-up company. I am extremely confident that Brett will be able to continue Matt’s legacy and take us on to further successes.’
Nick was hardly listening to Piers, the words circulating around his head vaguely like he was in some sort of tunnel and the words were all distorted. His mind had drifted back to the night when he and Brett had crossed paths. Although on that fateful night he didn’t know his name merely that he was meeting a colleague of Nick’s in a wine bar for what seemed like a date. A date which had ended somewhat tragically with his friend Sarah being involved in a road traffic accident. That night he had felt there was definitely something dodgy about this guy and had said so to the police. Nothing had come of it though obviously. When Sarah recovered he’d tried to pump her for information of that evening but she just clammed up and he had to give up his fact-finding mission. So he never had found out exactly what the relationship between Sarah and her date was, now several months on he had a name, Brett Chandler, and he was now his ultimate boss.
Nick continued to stare at Brett and as he scanned the room Nick felt Brett’s eye’s lock with his own. Brett looked away quickly continuing to smile but there had definitely been a moment of recognition in his eyes, it was only fleeting but Brett had remembered Nick from that night in Bells Wine Bar.
Brett was now thanking Piers and starting to say a few words, the usual spiel about what a great company and opportunities and so on, but Nick wasn’t really listening, he just wanted to go back to his desk and take a few minutes to think about things quietly.
