“And you ran away?” Elia said when Naomi told her what had happened.
The two sisters sat in the backyard watching Elia’s daughter Susan slide down her play set.
“I didn’t know what else to do.”
“Given him a date and a time?”
“I panicked.”
“What’s to panic about? You’ve been working together for months.”
“Working not dating.”
“It’s been ‘Sebastian this’ and ‘Sebastian that’ for weeks.”
“I don’t sound like that.”
“This is the first time you mentioned a man’s name without also using microbe inspired gobblygook.”
“It’s not gobblygook.”
“Why did you run?”
Naomi took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. “Because I needed to get away from him.”
“You live in the same house.”
Naomi shoved her glasses back on and threw up her hands. “I know!”
“Know what?” Barry asked, coming through the glass doors, having put their younger daughter down for a nap.
“Nothing,” Naomi said, sending her sister a look of warning.
“We’re just talking about men.”
He held out his arms. “I’m an expert, if you need any advice.”
“I don’t.” Naomi nodded towards her niece. “Looks like she wants to be pushed on the swing.” Presently Susan was hanging upside down on the jungle gym, but Barry took the hint and went to play with his daughter.
Elia took a deep breath. “I don’t understand this. Why do you need to get away from him?”
“Because I’m confused. He’s confusing me. I don’t know what he wants.”
“He’s made it quite clear what he wants.”
“It doesn’t make sense. One moment he wants to use me so that he can work with Dad, the next he wants…you know.”
“Sex isn’t a dirty word or act.” She winked. “Unless you want it to be.”
Naomi folded her arms. “I’m going to have to move again.” She rested her head back and groaned. “I’ll probably have to stay with Mom and Dad until I can find a place.”
“If we didn’t have guests coming soon, you know we would—”
Naomi stared up at the sky, watching a plane fly overhead. “I know you’d let me stay here.”
“But I don’t think you have to move.”
She sat up. “I’m not going to be used again.” She shook her head. “Not like this. I feel like he’s getting a two for one bargain.”
Elia folded her arms. “So what?”
Naomi’s mouth fell open. “So what?”
“Yes, so he likes you and Dad. So he wants to work with Dad and be with you, what’s the big deal?”
“The big deal is he’s changed so much since the first time I met him that I don’t feel like I know who he is. Would you risk your heart on a man like that?”
“So you’re in love with him, then?”
“Will you stick to the point?”
“The point is you’ve got a man you’re attracted to who wants to sleep with you and you run to your younger sister like a scardy cat.”
“All right I admit it. I’m scared. I’m terrified because I do care about him and I don’t want to get hurt.”
“But that’s not what life’s about. You can’t hide in your lab forever. You can’t stay safe in a neat, sterile environment forever. Life is messy, but it’s also wonderful. Didn’t you once tell me that you loved science because it was about asking questions and seeking the answers? You said you didn’t care if you failed. It was the adventure of experimenting that thrilled you. Love is the same.” Elia shook her head in regret. “I don’t have all the answers and I don’t know him well, but I do know that since you’ve met him you’ve been happy in a way I’ve never seen before.”
Her cell phone rang. Naomi looked at the number and froze. “It’s him.”
“Answer it,” Elia said.
“But it’s him.”
Elia rolled her eyes. “I know. You’re lucky he didn’t call you right away. Have you forgotten? You ran away from him.”
Naomi shook her head. “I can’t talk to him.”
Her sister reached for the phone. “I can.”
Naomi held it out of reach. “But you’re not going to.”
“You need to talk to him.”
“I’ll talk to him when I’m ready.”
The phone stopped ringing.
“You just lost your chance,” Elia said with a sigh. “You could have had a lovely evening instead you’re stuck here with me.”
The phone alerted her to a text.
She read it. “That’s strange.”
Elia leaned over to see. “What?”
“He’s inviting me to go swimming.”
“Say yes.”
She hesitated. “But it’s not like him to—”
“Naomi, don’t over think this. This is your chance. Don’t blow it.”
Her sister was right. She wouldn’t run away again, she did want to see him. She had to face life and all its mysteries. Love was something new to discover. She typed in her reply and hit Send.