Chapter 31: ‘Honey’ or ‘Darling

Dr. Bell had called Luna earlier in the day, but she was unable to get around to meet with him until now. She strode into the lab she prepared for him in one of her own facilities. She figured that keeping him close by, would curb his natural desire to share what he was working on with others in his field. She had supplied him with top quality lab technicians who were personally groomed by her on both ethics and privacy. They knew the consequences of violating the contract they signed and while on paper it stated a monetary fee, but they knew that the sum was equivalent to their lives.

Luna used a keycard to unlock the door and entered the lab. She grabbed a lab coat off the wall and put it on. She also took a pair of safety glasses and tied up her hair. She remembered that Dr. Bell was a stickler for these kinds of things, and she did not want to hear him fuss. As she neared, she could see that Dr. Bell was jotting something down in his notebook. His posture was terrible, but it held the charm of a hardworking man and she caught herself breaking into a smile. She thought about calling Dr. Bell's name but did not want to startle him. She stood a few feet away watching him for a while and found herself reminiscing about their past.

Dr. Bell had always been handsome. She remembered the first time she saw him in a lecture hall and how he had taken her breath away. He was handsome in a classic way. His hair was dark brown with natural highlights of gold. His eyes were clear and innocent, his skin was so smooth that even she was a little jealous. He gave off a warm and inviting vibe and she realized that it was almost the same feeling she got while looking at Mina.

After thinking about Mina, Luna snapped out of her reverie and continued to walk toward Dr. Bell without taking caution. She suddenly did not care if she startled him.

Tavin heard the approaching footsteps and turned to look in the direction of the sound. When he saw the goddess-like woman walking toward him his heart started to race. It should not be possible, but she was more beautiful than two days ago. Luna's hair was down, and it bounced as she walked. Tavin could not help but to think of how this woman, who was a noted psychoanalyst could have just as easily been a high-class model or spent her days shopping with friends like a true socialite. He smiled at her as she drew nearer. Luna paused in her step for a brief moment. Dr. Bell's smile was still as beautiful as she remembered. She quickly regained her composure and cleared her throat.

"Sorry I'm late, Dr. Bell," she said. There was a coldness in her voice that broke Tavin's heart and he hated himself for being the cause.

If he had just confessed to her back, then; Would they be here right now? Would he still be Dr. Bell, or would he be 'honey' or 'darling'? - Tavin had been playing the 'what if' game for a few years now, and although he always lost, he would never stop playing. He would not stop playing until she was happily married and even then, he was not sure he would be able to forget her.

Tavin had forgotten why he called Luna in the morning. In truth, he probably just wanted to hear her voice, but now there was something that he could share with her so it would not be a wasted trip.

Luna stared at Dr. Bell intently as he explained to her the potency of the drug that he was given to study. He said that if someone were given two doses of this drug it would be immediately life threatening. He had not moved on to an experimentation stage of the drug because it was extremely unstable even at the correct dosage. Dr. Bell told Luna that he would be able to figure out more about the drug, if he could take blood samples from someone who had recently taken it.

Luna understood everything, and she told Dr. Bell that he would have what he needed in the morning. Was she planning to just send someone in off the streets and give them a potentially dangerous drug? Dr. Bell was curious about where Luna was planning to get her sample, but he knew she did not fully trust him with this secret, and he had a pretty good idea that it had something to do with her brother.

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Ian was still awake; he could not fall asleep despite the amount of alcohol he drank. He really hated himself right now. He was so rude on the phone with Lisa and he did not know why. In reality, Ian was angry with himself. He was usually calm and had never experienced the feelings he was experiencing now, and he did not like it. Lisa had followed him around for ten years. Albeit most of those years she was just his sister's friend. Now that he thought about it, he did not know how she came to follow behind him. Had he invited her by his side, or had he just become so used to her presence that he did not mind her being around?

Ian had always known that Lisa had a crush on him, and at first, he was incredibly careful not to give her any false hope. Somehow, and he did not know how, she had crept her way into his subconscious and he started to look at her like the only woman who was suitable for him. She was already like his wife, she made sure he ate, she made sure he did not work too hard and she was always understanding when he was too busy to attend to her. She was never angry with him to the point where she would storm into someone else's office to find him and it made Ian feel guilty that he had made her stoop to that level.

In the future he would give her a grand wedding. If she could forgive him after he told her everything. Then it would be the least she deserved after obediently waiting for him to notice her. Ian felt a burning sensation in his chest; Lisa had just asked about her hair color, and like a disgusting pig, he had told her to dye her hair brown. He was trying to turn her into Mina.