The New Lab Assistant (JellybeanSprite & jaburo56)

Matt enjoyed his coffee for as long as he could. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw April donning her protective gear. He couldn't blame her for wanting to hurry up and get going. After taking a couple more, painfully hot swigs of his coffee, he stood and returned to work. He could already feel himself working faster after that quick reprieve. Even better, he noticed that April was needing fewer directions with each new mixture. She started having tools ready before he even asked for them. It was impressive. It took even him quite some time to get the rhythm of these mixtures' steps down.

Time seemed fly by while the two worked, at least to Matt. He even found himself to be in a better mood as the to began to move as a one, well oiled machine. There were a couple of times when elbows would bump in their odd missteps, but nothing catastrophic. Matt even began to hum along to his music a little. It was a low hum, but distinctly the tune of the music.

2 AM and they had finished. Matt looked over at April and chuckled a little. "You said it." He grabbed the final mixture and placed it in the containment box. With the door closed, Dr. Garza snapped his gloves from his hands and let them fling across the room like a sad, rubbery firework. The other followed suit shortly after. "Ugh, I haven't done that in quite some time." He walked back to his desk and dropped his goggles on the table with a thud. "I feel sorry for the people at the other lab. That will take them all weekend." He sat down and returned to his coffee. They had stopped two more times for refills. He took a couple sips and turned off his music. "April, thanks for your help." He pulled his eyes from his cup as he spoke. "It would have taken me a bit longer without you here." He managed a smile before returning to his coffee. "I'm going to rest her for a bit before heading out. Feel free to head home and rest. You've earned it."

Matthew seemed more lighthearted now that they had finished; a sight that made April smile. She hadn't seen him like this before. Apparently it took quite some time for him to finally trust her, to find some sort of comfort when she was around, and he seemed to have reached that point after nearly having to stay all night. His thanks stopped her in her tracks. He was admitting that she was invaluable, and it was something that she certainly hadn't expected to hear from him."I...I'm glad I was able to help the process along." Her voice didn't sound completely confident for once, and she hated that. She always wanted to appear pristine, perfect in his eyes. But his smile had caught her off guard.

"Good evening, Dr. Garza." With that, she took his offer to go home for the night. Her mind was whirling with the day's events. She was tired, her muscles were tired, but April knew that she'd taken a step with Matthew. She had never seen him interact with anybody without at least a stoic expression. But he showed something akin to pleasure today. She felt satisfied with that. Once home, she shucked off her clothes and jumped in the shower, the water was very warm, relaxing her muscles. Putting on a pair of shorts and a tank top, she went to bed, her mind wandering to the man that wasn't as emotionless as he seemed.

Matt sat in the lab until his coffee was empty. He sat in the silence that he so often enjoyed, thought, something was missing. He looked around and saw nothing terribly out of place, except for the gloves, of course. The only thing that was different was that April had gone. He groaned as he tried to enjoy his solitude. After another ten unsuccessful minutes, he got up and gathered his things to leave. As much as he would have liked to leave the gloves on the ground they did need to be cleaned. With the speed of a tortoise, he picked up the abandoned protective gear and tossed them in the bio-hazard bin for pickup. Afterwards, he made his way home.

The drive home became difficult as his mind started to dull. He hadn't been up this late in a while and was finding it hard to focus. Luckily, he wasn't far from his house and made home. Once inside, he sat and enjoyed a late dinner before a shower and bed. As his mind faded to black, the image of April appeared in his mind. She certainly did have a pretty smile.

The next day was a late start. Matt, not having work that day, chose to sleep in late and didn't get up until after 1pm. It only served to mess up his sleep schedule for the rest of the weekend, but it felt good then. The rest of the day was filled with meal prep for the week, exercise, and relaxation. Around 9pm, Dr. Garza began to grow bored of his game. He had defaulted to a good, mindless video game after try to read a book. His mind was too groggy for that. 10pm rolled around and he found himself still wide awake. He wouldn't be able to sleep for a while. Once he accepted this, he decided to go out for a drink. A nice bar downtown would be good. It didn't take long for him to chose a pair of dark blue jeans, black boots, and a blue and green, plaid shirt. He always thought it best to dress in darker colors to avoid attention. In case someone familiar with his work recognize him. With his hair combed and his shoes tied, he headed out.

Matt had chosen at random and entered a bar near where he had found a parking spot. It was more of a lounge than a bar, but it served drinks, and that's what counts. He looked around and saw that the crowd was a mix of ages. This was good. He certainly didn't want to be the oldest guy here. With a drink in hand, he retreated to a corner booth and settled in. He sipped on his beer and watched the people around him. This was a slightly different version of people watching than what he does at the part. It gives the same effect.

She woke up around noon, which was a lot later than when she usually woke. It was understandable though, after a late night, and a hectic week, April had been exhausted. She made herself a fluffy omelet for brunch, with some strawberries on the side. As she finished eating the last of it, her phone began to vibrate on the table next to her. "Hello?" It was Jennifer, her best friend of many years. She'd met the brunette in her final year of high school, and they'd been good friends ever since then. Her former classmate invited April to join her at the club tonight, something that she wouldn't normally say yes to, but after the week she had, April enthusiastically accepted. "Alright, I'll meet you there half an hour before midnight!"

The rest of the day was spent in a fairly lazy way. She organized her small apartment for about an hour, and then jumped pack into her couch, and pulled out a mystery novel that she'd began to read the week before. With the workweek she'd had, no progress had been made in regards to the story, so after finally getting a hold of it again, April devoured each page. She'd forgotten how much she missed reading her mystery books. It was an escape for her mind into a world where she didn't have to think about rules, funding, or biological compounds. It was a world where she could follow someone else, and look through their eyes, at their problems.

As it got closer to midnight, April showered and dressed in the sexiest dress she owned. She wanted to go all out and really enjoy herself, just for one night. She would consider it a celebration of her new job. Clad in a red skintight clubbing dress that had flowered lace going down the sides, the curves of her body stood out quite a bit. Although she didn't have a very large chest, the neckline of the dress showcased her cleavage in a flattering way. With four inch heels and smoky makeup, she was ready to head out. She met Jennifer at the parking lot in front of the building, and they each giggled at how good the other looked. Her friend wore a gray dress similar in style to her own, and arm in arm, they made their way inside.

The music was loud, and there were already a ton of people on the floor. The two girls seamlessly incorporated themselves into the group of people currently moving to the beat coming from the speakers. Jennifer found herself dancing against a younger but handsome guy, while April looked to do the same. Finding a man who looked to be a few years older than her, they moved together, his hands on her hips, her eyes closed in ecstasy.

Three beers in and Matt could feel himself beginning to relax. More people started the pour in and the music started to grow louder. It wasn't his type of music, but it was still enjoyable to be out. He got up and moved his way through the growing crowd towards the bar. A sight caught his eye that stopped him dead in his tracks. His head and eyes followed as the familiar face moved through the crowd. April. He didn't often see people he knew out and about. Not to say he didn't have friends, but they certainly didn't come to places like this. The familiar face caught him off guard and he found himself gawking. He tore his eyes away and moved to the bar before she could spot him. He ordered another beer, though it seemed like it would take a minute. He fought the urge to turn around and see if he had really seen April or just a lookalike. Eh, what would it matter if she really was here? With his beer in hand, he turned and walked back towards his seat. To his disappointment, his seat had been taken. One of the down sides to going out solo. No one to save your seat. With an annoyed groan, he looked for a new seat. It wasn't long before a young couple abandoned their two person booth and made for the dance floor. Finders keepers. Matt sat and drank his beer.

His eyes wandered the crowd. Though he denied it to himself, he was looking for April. He eventually caught sight of the red dress he had seen her in. She was on the dance floor with some guy. She seemed to be having a good time. A pang of jealousy shot through him as he saw the man's hand caress her hip. He took a swig of his beer and looked away. It was none of his business. The music continued and eventually changed to a new song. With his eyes staring at nothing in particular above the crowd, he caught sight of a flash of red. His eyes instinctively followed it. She certainly looked good in her dress. Her work attire didn't do her justice. With another swig, he watched as she made her way to sit with, what Matt assumed, her friend and the two men.

Matt looked back to the dance floor and let his mind wander. It wandered back to work and the experiments he would need to do on Monday. He thought about the plants he would need to begin growing and how the other lab screwed up. He then thought of his temper tantrum. He wasn't ashamed, though he did feel bad for doing it in front of April so soon, especially after she had worked so hard all week. He felt even worse when he forced her to stay all night. Maybe this is what she would have done instead? Matt felt he should apologize. He flagged down a passing waitress and requested a refill for whatever the girl in red had. It wasn't long before a drink was brought to April. The waitress told them, "This is from that older gentleman over there." She pointed straight at Matt. He hadn't considered the possibility of being pointed out by the waitress and had gone back to his casual people watching. The man April had danced with scoffed, "Do you know that old guy?"

After dancing for two full songs, the four of them made their way to an empty table. Jennifer sitting next to her partner, and April sitting next to hers. They all introduced themselves, and April discovered that her dancing partner was actually studying to be a lawyer, while the man sitting across from her was getting into law enforcement. The girls giggled as they joked around, compliments and flirting occurring all around. After about ten minutes, a waitress came by and took their order. She didn't often drink, but tonight was special. She was celebrating her new job, after all. "Hmm...can I have a strawberry daiquiri?" Everybody else ordered their own drinks, and before long, she was sipping on the cold but deliciously fruity drink.

She downed the drink at a steady pace, while her companions seemed to be chugging theirs. By the time they finished their second rounds, April finished her first. Before she could even say anything, their waitress passed by and placed another daiquiri in front of her. As her eyes followed the direction where the woman motioned, her face paled. Was that Dr. Garza? She took a breath as she realized that she wasn't doing anything wrong. Today was her day off, and she could enjoy it however she pleased. He didn't seem to mind, after all, he did get her the drink. April nodded her thanks at him when he looked her direction, and then turned to face the curious stares of her companions.

Her dancing partner didn't seem to happy as he asked who the other man was. "I work for him, actually." Jennifer's mouth fell open. "You mean that's the big shot researcher guy you were telling me about?" Jennifer knew next to nothing about research, so whatever April told her, she believed it right down to the word. "Yeah, that's Dr. Matthew Garza." One of the guys giggled. "I've certainly never heard of him." April tried to look at him with her peripheral vision. What was he doing here?

Matt's eyes wandered the crowd for a while before feeling it safe to look at April's table. To his dismay, she was looking right at him and their eyes met. She nodded and he nodded back. He really didn't think that one through. The point of wearing his darker clothes was to avoid attention. Of course the waitress would point him out. He finished his beer and sat for a while, staring at nothing in particular. Maybe he did want April to know it was him? He thought on this for a bit before bringing the rim of his empty bottle to his lips again. Realizing he was empty, he stood and made for the bar. The crowd was thick at the bar. Probably because the song that was playing wasn't that great. There was barely a soul on the dance floor. It took him a couple minutes to make it to the front. He flagged down the bartender, not an easy task, "One more and close me out."

The bartender rang Matt up, "Sorry bud, we got slammed and ran out. Terry is bringing more from the back. Have a seat and we'll get you the first cold one. Should be too long." Before Matt could object, he walked off to take another order. He had already paid, so there was no choice. He pulled up a bar stool and waited for his drink. He didn't like sitting here. He came to people watch and it wasn't so easy when facing a wall of bottles. People around him were engrossed in slurred conversation, making it hard to think. With a sigh, he looked up at the mirror above the bar and saw April's table. She was sitting rather stiff and looking rather hard at something. Of course, he had no idea she was watching him from her peripheral.

Matt found himself waiting at the bar for 10 minutes before he saw a case of beer being brought around. To his disappointment, it wasn't the type he was drinking. He saw Terry walk back around and head for the back through the crowd. He rested his elbow on the bar and stared off into space. This was definitely a sign to have his last beer and go. Maybe to a new place? He certainly wasn't done drinking.

The group in front of her quickly caught April's attention, and she found herself laughing at their joke. She sipped her new drink just as slowly as the last one, but enjoying it just as much. Her eyes would trail to the bar once in a while, but as she caught no eye contact, eventually she stopped. As much as she wanted to stand up and thank him in person, they still had a professional relationship, so she didn't want to risk making things awkward. About an hour went by, and April found herself feeling fairly buzzed, though not full on drunk. Her companions' stories were funnier, and she didn't feel the weight of stress hurting her shoulders. It was nice, for a little bit.

She and her earlier dance partner had gone to the floor about two more times, and she enjoyed herself more each time. Deciding that she would end up being the designated driver, she held her tongue when offered with more drinks. She didn't want to become like Jennifer, who was currently babbling and laughing, and very very drunk. Daniel, who she'd learned was the name of the man she'd been dancing with, was increasingly touchy with her. His fingers grazed her arms and her side every so often, almost as a sign of ownership. The place had gotten even busier, and the waitress was nowhere to be found. Getting up from the table, April told her group that she would be right back, and made her way to the bar for a glass of water. She was thirsty.

This wait was ridiculous. It was almost as if the person running to the back stopped for a smoke and drink break before coming back. In reality, she had. Matt's face showed his frustration and the bartender, apologizing for the 4th time, offered to make him a really nice drink. On the house, of course. Matt, not really thinking, agreed just to make the man go away. In a mater of moments, a tall, dark drink was placed in front of him. Matt didn't ask what it was and began to drink. It was good, but it didn't taste alcoholic. He would have protested, but he thought better of it if he were to get out of her sooner. Another ten minutes passed and Matt could feel his mind getting hazy. The drink certainly did have alcohol in it, just mixed very well to mask the flavor. Matt looked up again and watched the dance floor through the mirror. The familiar flash of red caught his eye as April and her company made for the dance floor again. His clouded mind felt another pang of jealousy as he watched her partner hold her like she was his own. He didn't rationalize the feeling this time and, instead, drank his drink even faster. An empty glass stood before him by the time April returned to her booth.

Finally, like a light through the darkness, Matt spotted the waitress with his beer. She wound her way through the crowd and the bartender was sure Matt got the first cold one. With a satisfied, though a little sloppy, first swig, Matt drank. As he did so, someone pushed through the crowd of people behind him and squeezed her way between him and the girl next to him. He glanced to the side and saw, to his surprised, April. He put his beer down and glanced beyond her to her booth where the others were. He looked back to her and spoke just loud enough for her to hear him, though, given the music, it was still fairly loud. "You look like you're having a good time." He smiled much more easily than before and even found his words coming out more smoothly than normal. This was a sign he was buzzing. "You look nice. Red suits you." His eye's began to wander downwards, though he caught himself and attempted to mask the glance as him checking out her shoes. He quickly returned to her face.

As April waited to get the attention of a bartender, she nearly jumped at the voice next to her. The bar had been so crowded, she hadn't even noticed who she'd ended up next to. "I am having a good time, it's been a while since I did this." In truth, she didn't do it very often at all. She was a homebody, so she was usually perfectly content sitting at home and relaxing with a book in her hand. However, when her friend invited her, she felt the need to say yes, especially after the week she'd had. The music was still going loud, and the bartender finally noticed her trying to get his attention. "Can I have some water, please?" Even as she did so, her eyes went to Matthew, who smiled at her. He had to be drunk; the man never smiled. At anyone.

His compliment made her cheeks blush red, which fit well with her dress. "I...oh. Thank you, Dr. Garza." She didn't quite know how to respond to that. A compliment from him was the last thing she'd been expecting, though she appreciated it. It made her feel good. Despite his attempts to hide it, April could see that he was checking her out, if just a little bit. Did her actually find her attractive? The thought made her heart flutter, and she didn't quite know why. The bartender finally came back with her water, and April grabbed the bottle. Leaning back from the bar, she looked away, a light blush covering her features. "You look pretty good yourself." With that, she made her way back to her table, bottle in hand.

The man couldn't help but smile a bit wider and feel a swell of pride within his chest as April blushed. He had his fair share of girlfriends, but it got him every time he could make a girl blush. At this point, it didn't matter that it was his new assistant. They didn't talk much before she returned to her company. This sat find with Matt as he didn't have much else to say. He wasn't prepared to see her tonight and her certainly hadn't had the time to prepare an interesting conversation. Her last words to him made his heart skip a bit. She liked the way he looked? He had to check himself to see if he had accidentally dressed exceptional tonight. When he was sure this wasn't the case, the only logical conclusion would be that she found him attractive. At least a little. The thought got him through the rest of his beer and sent his mind to parts he had not intended to go when thinking of April. This was a sign that he needed to go.

Dr. Garza finished his beer, got his card back, and headed out. With one final wave to April, he departed. He certainly wasn't done, however. He needed to sober up a bit before heading home. The dinner around the corner would do just fine. Some water, coffee, and a sandwich always did the trick. He walked the two blocks to the dinner and found a nice booth near the door. He would spend the rest of the night here until he was sober enough to drive. As he ordered, he looked across at the empty booth and wondered, at least for an instant, what his new assistant and him would talk about when away from the loud club environment. Leaning back into his chair, he groaned in frustration. He'd need to kick these thoughts out, lest he find himself distracted at work. His coffee arrived and he drank the bitter drink slowly, his mind, still lingering on April in her tight, little red dress.

April got back to the table, her face still flushed. Despite her intoxication, Jennifer noticed it. "You alright, April?" She quickly nodded at her friend, not wanting her to think that anything had happened. She'd only just admitted to her boss that she found him attractive, after all. Opening the bottle, she took a swig of water, the cool liquid refreshing her. The rest of the night passed quickly, and became a blur of dancing and watching her group drink. They left around four in the morning, and April suggested to the guys that they sober up of call a cab before driving home in their condition. After drinking water most of the night, April's earlier buzz was gone, and she was able to drive a passed out Jennifer home. About half an hour passed before she got to her own home, and she quickly freshened up and crawled under the covers, ready to rest after spending quite a while dancing.

Her Sunday was spent relaxing, like the morning before. She set up small means to take for lunch throughout the week, and threw them in the fridge. Her friend didn't call her until two in the afternoon, complaining that everything hurt, and the sun was too bright. April simply suggested an ibuprofen. She had a fairly low tolerance of people who made stupid choices by chugging down eight drinks the night before and then calling her the next day to complain that they were hung over. "You know, Daniel thinks you're really cute.." her friend whispered it into the phone like a well kept secret. "You guys should hook up." April laughed at that, nearly shaking her head at the absurdity of it. "I don't know Jen, I don't know..."

The night ended smoothly. Matt only spent an hour at the diner before he felt safe enough to drive home. However, that single hour felt like an eternity. A part of Matt leaped for joy and fell to the ground every time someone entered the diner only to not be April. As he sobered up, these feelings lessened drastically. The drive home was even a bit more sour for it as he kicked himself for being 'silly.' There was no way she would be interested him. It was just a simple compliment. She had a man already. Matt grimaced when thinking of the boy. He looked like he trolled that place often by the way he held himself. He'd only end up using April. As he pulled into his driveway, he pushed these thoughts away. It wasn't any of his business.

The night ended a bit more sour than he wanted it to, but it was a good sleep. Sunday was far more relaxed. Dr. Garza spent his day finally getting around to his book and prepping his meals for the week. He even found time to get coffee with a friend and get to the gym. It was a rather uneventful day beyond that. April hadn't entered his mind at all, much to his relief. His ridiculous thoughts must have been simply due to the booze and the situation. He called it an early night for an early morning.

Monday rolled around and Matt was up at 5am. Today was important and things needed to happen in a specific order. He would need to do a lot of prep, things that would be easier to do himself rather than unload onto April. As he got ready, he found himself choosing nicer clothes than he normally would. His shirt fit a little tighter and showed off his hard work. His pants remained loose but he did choose a nicer pair than normal. Something had put him in a good mood. He convinced himself that he was excited about getting the project started again. Surely, that was the only reason he would be this excited about going to work.

7am and Matt was at the lab. Most of the other staff wouldn't be there for another 2 hours, giving him some quiet time to get things ready. After putting on some softer music than the other day, he began to work. Most of the work was moving items out of the way and up onto shelves, mindless work. He spaced out and lost himself in his remedial task, becoming unaware of his surroundings beyond his work.

April went to bed early on Sunday. After having to start the whole project over the previous week, she figured that Monday would be just as busy, and she needed to be in tip top shape. Waking up at 6 AM, April dressed for work in one of her skirts and a light pink blouse. She put her blonde hair in a ponytail instead of a bun, and put on light makeup. She didn't quite know why she was putting on the extra effort, when it would just be her and Dr. Garza the whole time. Then again, maybe that answered her question. It must have been too long since someone had complimented her, because she the doctor's words from the previous night were still stuck in her head. That was the only explanation she could think of.

She made her way to the lab in less than half an hour. It was mostly empty, but there were some early birds wandering about. April made her way into the correct room, and placed a lab coat over herself, getting prepared for the day. It seemed that the doctor had gotten here before her. He was moving things around, likely to and from their supply closet, and hadn't seemed to notice her yet. She held her tongue, taking the rare opportunity to just observe him. He seemed more attractive today, it's like his physique was more defined, him appearance sharper. She didn't understand it; why was she getting these thoughts now? She was attracted to intellect more than appearance. Then again, this man had intellect to spare. She simply had a crush because he seemed to fit what it was that attracted her. It would be her silent crush.

"Good morning, Dr. Garza."

The voice caught him off guard. Not that he hadn't expected her to speak. He was vaguely aware of her presence when she entered, though he remained in his trance like state. No, the thing that caught him was the leap in his chest when she said his name. The feelings he had two nights ago came flooding back, clouding his thoughts and halting his work. He looked to her, prepared to greet her, but faltered. He couldn't stop his eyes from darting around her body, drinking her in. She looked beautiful. He found his words after a few awkward moments, "Good morning. You're early." He quickly turned back to his work and tried to busy himself. He found himself picking up a box in a hurry and carrying it across the room, only to find that he had grabbed the wrong one. With an annoyed groan, he walked it back and attempting to continue the conversation. "I was surprised to see you the other night." He put the box down and felt he needed to correct himself, "A nice surprise, though." He thought about how unprofessional this was and attempted to change the subject. "Well, I hope you got enough rest because today is going to be busy."

Things started to move more smoothly in his mind as he started thinking about work. After a quick look around, his thoughts clicked. "Ah, right. Why don't you help me set up. I need these things from the closet before I can put these boxes away." He grabbed a clipboard from his table and handed it to her. As he got closer, his eyes scanned her against his will once more. She was even lovelier up close. On the list was an assortment of ingredients. Matt chose this task for her to get her out of his sight. Not that he didn't enjoy her presence. On the contrary, that was the problem.

With his task delegated, he made for his desk to check over some notes.

His words made her want to smile, but April knew the wisdom in holding it back. Apparently she'd been memorable enough to be considered a 'good surprise'. She would happily take that. He immediately got back to business mode, handing her a clipboard with supplies that she was to take from their storage room. There was quite a list, but she understood the need for all of the items in it. Nodding her head in understanding, April grabbed the list and got right to work. It seemed that the beginning of this busy day started the moment she walked in. Not that she'd expected any different. About half an hour passed as she took things back and forth from one room to another; their lab was finally getting stocked up.

There were two things left on the clipboard, a box of beakers, and a sack of soil for any plants they would be using in their experiments. The soil was heavy, but she managed to mostly drag into the lower counter in the actual lab. The box of beakers, however, was much higher up. It actually sat on the top shelf in the storage room. "Oh..." She hesitated; this box was full of glass, and it probably weighed quite a bit. Add that to the fact that it was stored high up and April was short in height, and you had a recipe for disaster. She didn't want to call him, but she had no choice. If that box fell, all the glass would shatter, and she would be in deep trouble. "Dr. Garza?" She waited for him to arrive, her eyes still on the box. "Can you help me to get a hold of that box, please? It's too high up for me to reach safely."

His work rhythm was coming back to him with every passing second. It was almost like last week, or even before that with the silence. This allowed him to plan out his next ten moves. This planning, however, was shattered the moment he heard April 'Oh' from the closet. Already looking in the direction of the closet, he heard he call for him. "Sure." He could help with this, it wasn't a big deal. Though, he expected her to be able to manage everything on the list. When he reached the closet, he saw where she was looking and felt a sharp sting of irritation shoot through him. This had been the second time those beakers had been restocked and placed on the top shelf. He had complained before about how unsafe it was to store them that high, but it seems like someone didn't get the memo. He groaned, "Ugh, I'll need to talk with the warehouse about this. Those shouldn't be that high." He stepped into the closet, and for the first time since he had started work here, he became immensely aware of how cramped this room was with two bodies in it.

Already, he could foresee the problem. He barely managed to get the damned box down the first time by himself due to the unbalanced weight of the box. Now he had help, but this would require some 'maneuvering.' He looked from her, to the box, and back. "Oh..." He would need to do this very carefully. There was no good way for a person to get the box down, let alone two, especially with the rather drastic height difference. He would need to pull the box down enough for her to grab the edge so that they could maneuver it to a lower shelf for a better grip. And the only way to do that would be for him to stand behind her. As his mind raced in an attempt to find an alternate, more professional method, he could feel his heart starting to race. This was stupid. He mentally kicked himself. There's no reason to be worked up. She's here to help and nothing else. He cleared his through and spoke as blandly as possible, "Alright. I've done this before and I almost dropped the box, so I'll need your help." He stepped closer until he was next to her and looked up at the box. He gave it a prod to verify that it was still as heavy as before. It was. "I'll grab it and slide it out. You need to be ready to grab the bottom of the other end when you can, otherwise we'll have two faces full of glass." He patted a shelf in front of her that stood at her chest level. "We'll bring it down here and set it down so one of us can get a better grip on it." Now for the hard part. "I, um, I'm going to stand behind you, so it's going to get cramped for a minute. Excuse me." With that, he began to move into position.

Already this was a problem. This was such a bad idea. As Dr. Garza slid behind April, he could feel her warm body pressing against his. It was a tight squeeze and there was no mistaking the feeling of his crotch rubbing against her rear. She was soft against his hard body. Matt did his best to ignore these facts and work on getting what they needed. "Ok, get ready." He reached up and got on his toes to get a good grip on the box. His member began to swell as it rubbed upwards, the front of his pants hiking up the back of her coat and skirt. He could feel the pressure rising and his mind growing foggy. What would be so wrong with staying like this for a while? He grabbed the box and began to pull. His voice was quieter than he intended, "Here it comes get ready to take it." He pulled the box slowly as to not rattle any of the glassware. All the while, he could feel his member swelling more and begin to press against April. He kept pulling and watched April reach up for it, causing her coat to slide up, leaving only his pants and her displaced skirt between him and her bodies. The box slowly slid from the shelf and eventually the lip slipped from the edge into April's hands. Matt's end had most of the weight, meaning he didn't have much to fear from her dropping the box. He spoke again, "Ok, now lower it down with me and put it where I showed you." He felt dirty. Someone how this was dirty. His member reacted accordingly and pressed harder as if trying to escape. He could hear his breathing beginning to labor. It was because of the weight of the box, nothing else. The two lowered the box and Matt's arms slowly lowered around April, trapping her between the box and Dr. Garza's body. "Ok, now slide it forward." He began to push the box. The two were forced to lean forward as one, causing her rear to press against him even further. His member was unmistakable at this point as it began to throb. He was so fired.

April nodded at his instruction, knowing that she had to put in the work to get that box down undamaged. She followed his instructions carefully, her eyes on the box the whole time. She tried to hold back a smile as he slid behind her. Despite the necessity of the action, April had to say that she didn't mind having him so close. If anything, it was unusual, but his body warmth was not unpleasant. He reached out and began to pull, the front of his body molding against the back of hers. She kept her eyes up, however, ready do her part when he needed it. Maybe it was that she had a dirty mind, or maybe it was that they were so close together in a room that wasn't all that big to begin with. Whatever it was, she found herself blushing at his words.

She pulled her arms forward, ready to catch the box as Matthew slid it closer to the edge. The uneven weight of it made it all the more difficult, keeping them in that position longer than they would have been otherwise. She caught one end of the box, and released a breath. She was afraid she would mess up and drop it. Her breathing was beginning to get labored, and she heard that his was too. His body against hers had her tingling; she was enjoying this position more than she would ever admit. They slowly but surely lowered the box together, the doctor's arms ending up around her. They then lowered the box to push it onto a lower shelf, and she felt something unmistakable.

How could she miss it? Her nerves must have been clouding her mind, for she hadn't noticed the hardness against her back until now. Like a switch, the feeling of it against her bottom caused April to become wet between her legs, her body preparing itself for an encounter that wasn't going to happen. The sensation was distracting, and she found herself leaning forward more than she really had to, hoping to feel it rub against a lower place in her body. Just a graze. She pushed her bottom up and down once, then blushing when she realized what her body had involuntarily done. She hoped that he would see the motion as something else, but she was doubtful. The room was silent as they finally placed the box down silently.

Matt shivered. From head to toe, he could feel his body give an involuntary shudder of pleasure at April's movements. His member pressed hard against her soft rear as it rubbed up and down his length. His shaft pulsed almost painfully with the need to complete the connection. Did she do it on purpose? As he thought of this possibility, he became immensely aware of their breathing. They were both breathing so hard, like they were running a race, or something else. He dared to prolong the contact. The idea that he might be misunderstanding and be charged with sexual harassment was far from his mind as he bent his knees slightly to lower himself. He pushed forward a bit and pressed his bulge against April's descending body. The length of his bulge pressing firmly between her cheeks. At this point, her skirt had ridden high enough for her panties to be the only line of defense, or hindrance. The the edge of the box was almost on the lip of the shelf. Oh how Matt wished this moment could last just a little longer. This was as close as he was going to get to taking this woman. The box connected with the shelf and they slid it in.

The room was silent, aside from the two's labored breathing. Matt placed a hand on his shelf with the box and the other and a shelf above it. He didn't want to pull away, but he had to. He had to get out of this situation before he did more damage than he already had. He spoke, practically whispering in her ear with how close he was to her, "Thanks for that- the box. Thanks for the box." His mind was so clouded that he had forgotten that she was the one who asked for help. "Let's get back to it." If he could get out of this room first, he could make it to his desk and hid his erection before she got full view of it. As if she didn't already know what it was. He made a move to stand, only succeeding in pressing his rod harder against her rear. He felt weak, his legs like noodles. He looked down to check if they had actually liquefied only to find the sight of April's exposed butt and panties pressing against his lap with her skirt raised and his bulge nestled between. His heart jumped for joy and shock at the sight. It had been a while since he had seen this live. He could feel his leg's giving out. "April!" He tried to warn her and reached for the sturdy shelf in front of them. His fingers barely grabbed the rack and slipped as he fell. His fingers hooked April's arm and brought her back with him.

Wang!

Dr. Garza hit his head on one of the shelves behind him and slid down a few shelves. For a moment, he was dazed, unaware of the situation. It all come rushing at him in a millisecond. He had fallen to the floor. His body wedged between the shelf behind him and the shelf before him. April, brought down with him, having fallen in his lap. Her back, pressed against his heaving chest. Something warm and soft, pressing hard against the tip of his raging erection. He groaned. From pleasure or the pain on the back of his head, he wasn't sure. He tried to speak, "April, I'm sorry about that. Are you ok?" His hand that had grabbed her remained wrapped around her arm, though not as tightly as before. His other hand on the ground to break his fall. He shifted slightly, pressing his rod upwards.

His thanks was unexpected, and a bit strange. After all, she's the one who had asked him for help in the first place. Not that she was complaining; she certainly wasn't. "Thank you too, Dr. Garza." Whereas he sounded almost hesitant, her voice had an unintentional sultry edge to it. As he added that they needed to get back to work, April nodded her head. They probably had a busy morning; her dirty fantasies had no place in this lab. Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest as she heard the doctor say her name in an almost panicky tone before falling forward against her and attempting to grab onto the shelf in front of her. He missed the shelf and grabbed her arm instead, and April wondered what in the world had tripped him up so badly that he would fall this way.

She moved backwards, but didn't anticipate that his weight would be so much more than hers, bringing them both on their backs on the ground. "Oh gosh! Are you okay?" She'd heard him bang his head, and she was worried for any damage that hit might have caused. She tried to sit up, which as difficult considering that that were vertical to two shelves. She managed to straighten herself up, causing the tip of his hardness to poke into her inner thigh, right next to the border of her panties. The feeling caused her to blush furiously, and she tried to look ahead, and not directly at the doctor as she spoke. She didn't want him to read her features. She didn't want him to know how badly she wanted to push her panties to the side and rub the bulge against her core.

"Oh, I'm okay! If anything, you took the brunt of the fall." With his hand still holding her arm, April attempted to completely sit up so she could stand, but only succeeded to struggle over the poor man, while seeming to push herself harder against the hardness poking at her thigh, causing it to graze her center and over her clit. The small sensation was phenomenal. "Oh! Ah! I'm sorry!" She refused to look at him, and instead kept trying to get up.

He could still see stars and started to lose focus on the situation again. The only things that were clear was that her body was grinding against his member and that he didn't want her to stop. But they had to. He just needed a moment to compose himself. He tried to focus his eyes and look upon April, "I'm fine. Just wanged my head. I-" He couldn't stop it. He let out a low moan as she attempted to get up and only succeeded in pressing herself against him. The soft, warm, dampness was unmistakable even through his pants. His eyes focused and he caught a glimpse of her face. She was blushing, hard. He had to get her out of this situation. This is not what she signed up for. "No! I-I'm sorry. Here." He released her arm and placed both hands on each side of her waist. He could feel her grind against him as she began to get up again. His soul cried as he felt the warmth of her body begin to leave his own. Against his own carnal desires, he pushed up and off of him. She weighed next to nothing to him. All those hours at the gym had really paid off. "Grab the shelf. It's sturdy."

He pushed her up higher. There was only so much room to move and no dignified way to get up. He saw everything. He couldn't pull his eyes from the sight under her skirt. Knowing he'd never seen them again, his brain took control and took in every detail of his young assistant's choice of undergarments. Time seemed to pass slowly and in that time, unless his mind was playing tricks on him, he saw a patch of wetness where he could make out the online of her womanhood. How he ached to pull her back down and impale her on his aching member. He continue to push until his arms were fully extended. Please, just go and release him from this teasing, he thought to himself. "Can you reach it?" His voice was strained. He looked away before he would be caught. His eyes traveled down to his lap where he saw himself pitching the hardest tent he had in months. She would see it if she looked, no doubt. It's hard to hide a hard 7.

He helped her to stand, but embarrassment made her clumsier than usual. At last, April was able to get a hold of the shelf, and was able to hold herself up. She quickly walked out of the room, not looking behind her, her cheeks still quite red. The room was crowded with both of them, and he would have an easier time getting himself up if she was out of the way. She waited outside for him, taking breaths as she did so, trying to regain her composure. What had happened in there? She didn't want to delve too deeply into that; some thoughts were better left in the back burner. He walked out and they made her way back to the lab. The cool air helped her to cool off a bit, her body no longer feeling like it was on fire.

They eventually got back to work, which they had quite a bit of. April was quieter than usual, but did her assignments just as quickly and precisely as when she was talkative, not that she had anyone that was talkative back. Hours passed and they jotted down information on all their cultures. She followed a list, and took her time in each step, hoping that she wouldn't be the next reason that they had to start over again. The new plants looked to be doing well. Then again, the last ones had looked good to her too, and they had ended up getting thrown away and considered useless. She never really knew until Dr. Garza checked them out himself.

Matt sat in silent shame as April made her quick exit. What was that even about?! He acted like he had never been around a woman before. He felt like such an idiot as his frustration rose to a peak until the silence in the room became overwhelming. He heard no movement outside and wondered if April had left him. A shift of shoes on the ground outside alerted him to her presence. She was waiting for him. This small fact began to ease his mind a bit. What happened was bad. There was no doubt that a line had been crossed, but at least she wasn't upset with him. Or, rather, upset enough to storm off. He looked down at his tent with frustration and thought to himself, Why did you have to overreact. It hasn't been THAT long. After his self scolding, he started to work on breathing slower and deeper. He needed to calm down and dignify himself. It only took him another minute for his member to soften to an acceptable level. He stood with far more ease than if April had stay in the room. Both for the space and distraction. After a quick dust off, he grabbed the box that had caused all this trouble and carried it out of the room. He carried it low in an attempt to hide the remaining bulge in his pants. "Let's go." He didn't look at her as he turned towards the lab.

The rest of the day was tense, at least to Dr. Garza. April was normally quiet, but this felt even more so. Despite his desire to focus on work, he stole tiny glances at her to gauge her reaction. As the day went on, despite the thoughts that weighed heavily on his mind, Matt pushed on through work. He delegated the tasks to April similar to Friday as he prepped for their first new set of testing for the week. Matt was observing his plants when April finished with the culture reports. This batch looked good. He smiled as he surveyed the final plant with no problems. He finally looked at April directly. "These look good. Let's get started." He did not instruct April this time and simply began getting geared up. To his immense satisfaction, April gathered all the necessary materials and was ready to go by the time he had finished dressing."

This was much easier. Matt loved that he could still get lost in his work, despite the most recent source of his sexual frustration being so close. No words were spoken as the two worked once again. A few hours passed and the work finished without a hitch. With that, the day was basically over, aside from busy work tasks to make the next day easier to start. Afterwards, Matt gave her a formal farewell and they departed after she had gotten to her car.

The rest of the week was, well, strange. Matt returned to work more tired than he had been in a long time. Thoughts kept him from getting to bed at a time he wished. Thoughts of work, accidents, a club, a girl. It always came back around to a girl. April. Many irritated grunts were given over this fact. There was no need to be acting this way. He wasn't some high school nerd with a crush! He was a distinguished researcher with more important things than romance to worry about. Most nights ended like this and the following mornings were met with grogginess. Work was no help at all. The poor doctor did his best to keep his eyes on his work but quickly found them trailing around to find his assistant. He felt like such a creep and did his best to avoid any other potential accidents. It was business as usual for the remainder of the week, despite the doctor's inner turmoil and he found himself giving April more and more responsibilities just to keep them both busy. This yielded interesting results. As more and more work was entrusted to April, Matt started to see even more why the board had assigned her to him. She was very quick to pick things up and very rarely needed anything repeated. He caught himself being distracted from his paperwork and watching her. His eyes, with minds of their own, scanned his assistant. It didn't seem to matter what she wore. She looked good and Matt had to appreciate that. Of course, he'd quickly look back down at his papers when she turned. Sometimes, a fraction of a second too late.

As Friday rolled around and spirits in the office were high, Matt couldn't help but let the infections moods affect his own. This was not to say that he wasn't already in fairly good spirits. When he woke up this morning, he felt more rested than he had all week. No more fitful nights of lustful dreams for him. It seems with was a simple surge of hormones and nothing else. Things would be better from now on. As he returned from lunch, he caught sight of his assistant in the break room. A thought struck him, something to reward her for her hard work all week and maybe make up for the awkward position he put her in earlier in the week. He turned and entered the break room. There were others within and he found himself wearing his usual neutral expression. Over the week, he noticed the only times he didn't wear this face when it was just April and himself. Interesting. "April-" He caught her mid bite, "When you're done. I need you to pick up Subject 32 from the cooler in storage." He found himself flushing at the mention of the storage room but did his best to act as if nothing had ever happened in there. "We have some extra time today and I think it's time we do something fun." The low hum of conversation in the room seemed to stutter at the word 'fun' coming from Dr. Garza. He noticed this and stumbled on his next line, "We- uh, your help has really set us ahead of schedule, so we have the time." He composed himself. "Some time." He looked around awkwardly and began to leave. "Oh, Subject 32 is acidic. So be careful. It's, um" He could feel his face turning a slight shade of red and turned to face the door, "It's on a low shelf so you shouldn't need help. I'll have the rest ready when you get there." He then left without another word.

A few murmurs around April asked each other, "Fun?! Matthew?!"

It didn't take long to set up the apparatus. With this, the two would be able to see the effects of Subject 32 on different materials ranging from metals to fibers. Subject 32 had been known to create interesting and beautiful results. Some artistic, but never lasted after the chemical reaction stopped. He waited for April to return with the medium sized canister. He waited until she brought it to the apparatus and handed her a dropper. "Here. This one's for you." He smiled as he had before, "You really have helped out this week." He glanced away but fought to maintain eye contact, "And, earlier, I apologize if what happened made you-" He could feel his face turning red again but he pushed forward "-er, uncomfortable. I've spoken to the warehouse. No more heavy boxes on the top shelf." His smile faltered for a moment. A pang of sadness hit him in the heart knowing that he had ruined the opportunity for the two to end up in a similar situation again. He placed the dropped in April's hand and knelt down to open the canister. Within was a small flask and nothing else, explaining the surprisingly light weight. Matt held the flask of dark red liquid in a gloved hand and waited for April to put on her own glove. When she was ready, he stepped closer to her and the apparatus. They were close, but Matt fought the urge to feel embarrassed. This was a platonic event they were sharing. He only hoped she would appreciate this difficult gesture.

After finishing up with the plants, she once again felt completely calm. Nodding her head at the doctor once everything was completed, she made her way home for the day. The rest of the week felt like a punishment for April. Dr. Garza gave her task after task, and she figured that it was a punishment for Monday. Maybe she deserved it; she had wanted to rub herself over him like a dog in heat, after all. That wasn't very professional of her. With that thought in mind, she worked extra hard, both to complete all the extra work that was assigned to her, and to keep her mind off of things it shouldn't be thinking about, such as her superior, who was very much off limits.

Friday came around pretty quickly, much to everyone's pleasure. April was eating a turkey sandwich for lunch in the employee lounge, when Matthew walked in from the hallway. Despite the high volume of work they'd had this week, they'd found that they breezed through it quickly when they worked together. She had to admit, they made a really great team. Even she was impressed with how quickly and successfully they got things done. His words caused a level of silence to cover the room; people were curious, and people were surprised. Both at his actual words, and the way her spoke them. Dr. Garza didn't sound like the uber-confident and cocky researcher that he always seemed to project. While his words spoke of things they would enjoy doing in the lab, he sounded uncomfortable.

She nodded her head at him, knowing exactly what Subject 32 was. In all honesty, the prospect was an exciting one. It had a an almost fantastical ability to make things change forms when exposed to certain product; something that April hadn't seen very often in her time as a researcher. But that's what made it worth investigating; that's what made it so thrilling. As he left, the room broke out into low, almost whispered conversations. She paid no attention to them; there were other things on her mind.

After lunch, April mad her was back to the lab. Matthew had already set up most of their supplies, and she helped him to finished what was left. As they prepared to start, Dr. Garza spoke, and she realized how much she liked his smile. The sight seemed to fade as he apologized to her about earlier in the week; a situation that she honestly didn't think he would ever bring up. She couldn't deny that the situation made her uncomfortable, but she could bet that it wasn't for the reasons that he thought. She put on her gloves in relative silence unsure how to word her response.

Side by side, they watched as she used the dropper he'd handed her, causing small bars of metal to warp into horseshoe-like shapes, before dissolving like a snowflake in her palm. Product 32 still had some kinks to work out, but things like this were the reason she'd picked research as a profession instead of something that had a more attractive salary, or less brain work. Once the reaction had passed, April looked down at her gloved hands. Although she didn't have the guts to act on her crush on him, especially when she was a lower rank than him, she respected him enough to be completely honest. He deserved that much, even if he wouldn't like the sentiment.

"I...in the storage room, I reacted a certain way that I shouldn't have, and I apologize as well." The words were harder to speak than she thought they would be. "I guess I have a bit of a crush." She left it at that, unable to say more. She hoped her words wouldn't lead her to a demotion, or unemployment. She wouldn't act on it, she begged in her head. She'd be professional. She just wanted to keep having the chance to see him every day.

Matt watched as April took the dropper and began their experiments. Despite his desire to simply watch her, he reached for a clipboard and began taking notes on each reaction. To his immense please, she seemed to be enjoying it. She showed great interest and familiarity with Subject 32 and proceeded with gusto. Dr. Garza jotted down his notes on each reaction and aided her in moving on to each successive experiment. It was silent between the two for a while. The only sound being the fizzing and popping of the materials warping and dissolving. He jotted down another note and waited expectantly for April to continue, but she didn't. He gave her a curious look when she hesitated and wondered if she might be being affected by the fumes. Then she spoke.

Fireworks went off in Dr. Garza's head when her words registered. A crush?! The only logical conclusion would be that she was referring to him. And the reaction, could she be talking about when she pressed against him? He could feel his face darkening. "I- no, that -" He couldn't find his words. "I, uh, there's no need to apologize." He forced words to connect from his brain to his mouth. "You had nowhere else to go. We, it-" He cleared his throat. He needed to salvage this before he crushed his young assistant's heart. This certainly hadn't been the first time he had been confessed to, but ti was the first time in a long time that he felt this way about it. He took a moment to think, leaving the two in an awkward silence until he could regain his composure.

"You don't need to apologize for the storage room." He finally found his calm voice. "I put you in that position and, in all fairness, I reacted very unprofessionally as well." He looked down at the remaining materials. "I don't want you to think that I put you in that position on purpose." He cleared his throat in preparation for his own confession. "You're very attractive and you're a great assistant. With how I reacted, I guess I have a bit of a crush too." He did his best to act like what he said wasn't a big deal and reach down for another sample. "I appreciate you telling me this." He placed his hand under her upturned one and place the new material on her palm. He did not take his hands away, however, and spoke more softly as his voice started to betray his calm. "If you're comfortable with continuing our work, I look forward to having you around." He managed a strained smile and pulled his hands away.

He felt satisfied with his answer. They cleared the air and, hopefully, put the two in a position to work more comfortable with each other from now on. These platonic thoughts betrayed the inner most images that shot through his mind below the surface. Thoughts that lit a lustful fire in his eyes. Ones that pulled his mind back to the cramped storage room, minus a few articles of clothing.