Absolute Zero

by Anlyn Hansell

  “Hi, Ryan. This is Anne, she’s new to the Department. Ryan is one of your peers,” she stated toward Anne. “I’m sure you guys will be working together on projects,” she said before shifting to the side and allowing Ryan’s outstretched hand to clasp Anne’s for a shake.

  “Nice to meet you, Anne. What project are you working on?” he asked with a warm smile. He was almost as short as she was, slightly overweight, completely bald but his face was so kind-looking; she found her own lips responding with a small smile.

  “I…I have no idea,” she answered honestly.

  “Well, we’ll help you get settled in. There’s an awful lot going on right now, we can really use the help. What’s your specialty?” he asked before leaning on the door jamb.

  “Behavioral medicine,” she answered automatically.

  “Hmm…we haven’t really…”

  “Ryan? You guys can talk later, OK? She’s on a schedule, here,” Terri piped up, her tone was friendly, though. It was clear Ryan wasn’t offended in the least.

  “Sure. First day, I get that. Hey – Happy Hour tonight, don’t forget,” he stated toward Terri before shifting his eyes. “Anne? It was nice to meet you, maybe we’ll talk later. Why don’t you come to Happy Hour, huh?”

  “Oh, ah…I don’t…know, I…” she stammered, not quite sure how to respond.

  Her arm was grasped lightly by Terri. Anne stiffened immediately but willed her body to relax as she was lead from the room.

  “Come on, we’ll be here all day with this one,” she stated in a teasing tone. When they were a few steps into the hall, Anne gently removed her arm from Terri’s grasp as Ryan’s voice followed them.

  “See you tonight!” he called out jovially.

  Terri gave a slight wave as they walked down the hall, stopping before a wall of windows before turning toward Anne.

  “This is the Lab,” she stated as Anne eagerly walked toward it and peered in. It was huge, pristine, white on white, full of men and women in lab coats working at each of the oddly shaped counters placed in precisely angled rows down the length of the room. Equipment was visible on most of the counters and for the first time during the day, she was actually excited to peruse the room and its’ contents more closely. Not the inhabitants, though. There were quite a few people working in close confines but they seemed to be keeping to themselves at their own respective counters. That was good. The lab in San Diego was crowded but everyone seemed to be absorbed in their own work. Hopefully this was the same scenario.

  “I’ll bring you back down after lunch,” Terri stated to Anne’s disappointment. She walked past the glass door and continued down the long, starkly white hall. “Besides, I don’t have access to the Lab. They’re very strict about who has access to what around here,” she added. Anne took one more longing look through the windows before reluctantly turning and catching up with Terri.

  They passed a few open offices, a large conference room, and several more offices before another room loomed before them at the end of the hall. Through the windows on both sides she could clearly see gym equipment and for the second time that day, she was actually excited.

  “This is the gym. Dr. McClellan is a big believer that regular exercise stimulates brain activity, he encourages everyone to use the gym before work or during lunch hours,” she said.

  Anne scanned the rather well appointed but unoccupied gym.

  “It’s almost lunch time, a few people use the facilities but most people around here are more interested in actually eating.” She moved in a bit closer to Anne causing her to move back a fraction. “To be honest, he’s the only one who really uses it. It gets a bit more use when he’s actually in town, but when he’s not? It’s usually empty,” she confided in a low voice.

  “I’ll use it. What are the hours?” Anne asked.

  “Well, it depends. Your keycard gives you access, the main office opens at 6 am, but the gym can be accessed from the outside. So, I guess if you have the right access, you could get in whatever time you want. You just can’t access the office portion until 6.”

  “How do I get access to the gym?” she asked, taking in the multitude of equipment.

  “We can see about getting your keycard set up for that. What time would you want access?” she asked.

  “24 hours. Sometimes as early as 3? I…don’t sleep…much,” she stated without looking at the other woman.

  Silence. It caused Anne’s eyes to shift to Terri.

  “Ohhhkay…really? 3 am?” She had the strangest expression on her face.

  “Yeah, although most of the time it would be around 4 am,” she said.

  “Umm…well, we can ask, I guess. 4 am?” Terri looked pained for some reason. Either she was worried about asking or worried about Anne’s sleep patterns. Either way, she didn’t look comfortable.

  “Ms. Bennett?” Clicking footsteps accompanied a new female voice that caused Anne to turn from the gym window. The same young woman that appeared in the conference room earlier that morning approached. She looked a bit harried but she quickly plastered a smile on her face as she neared the other women.

  “Ms. Bennett, Dr. McClellan would like to see you,” she stated.

  Anne tried to keep the automatic frown from her face. Terri couldn’t, she noticed as she chanced a quick glace over to her. In fact, some sort of look passed from the young woman to Terri. Widened eyes mixed with a slight look of concern before they both schooled their faces back to some sort of pleasant countenance.

  “Well…Ok, I guess…I had lunch brought in for you. Just go to the Conference Room after you’re done. We’ll go to IT this afternoon OK?” Terri said.

  If I’m still employed… “Sure,” Anne answered instead.

  *****

  “Go ahead.” The younger woman led her to the door and quickly sidestepped to allow her to stand directly in front of the knob.

  Anne watched as she wandered to her desk and grabbed her purse from one of the drawers.

  Her eyes went back to the knob and quickly flitted back to the woman. She was rooting through her purse before the jingle of keys could be heard.

  Shouldn’t she announce me? Shouldn’t she at least knock on the door and poke her head in to tell him I’m here?

  Apparently not. She watched as the woman grabbed her keys and took a step around the desk.

  “Umm…should I…?” Anne asked quietly, looking from the door to the woman and back again.

  “Just knock. He’ll tell you to come in. He’s expecting you, it’s OK,” the woman answered. She appeared to be in a hurry.

  “All right…” Anne breathed out, her fist raised and poised to knock. She must have stood in a daze contemplating this meeting. When she turned again, the other woman was already gone. Deep breath.

  Her knuckles rapped gently at first, barely making a sound on the solid door. She waited, shifting her weight from one heel to the other.

  Maybe he isn’t here. She would knock one more time, a little louder, before assuring herself that he, indeed, was not in the room and then she would…

  Her knock resulted in an almost automatic “Come in” that was muffled, but clearly audible. It made her pulse leap.

  Disappointment coursed through her. She gulped loudly before she extended her hand and turned the knob.

  She pushed the door in slowly and took a tentative step into the room, her eyes scanning everything that was visible to her. His huge desk, the floor to ceiling windows behind it, book shelves along the far wall that were absolutely jam-packed full of books and a few various items. A small conference table on the opposite side of the room, a small seating area…and the man himself. He was seated behind the desk, his phone placed to his ear, a large monitor illuminating his features from the side. His eyes were fixed on her as she stepped into the room.

  She purposely kept the door open and only stepped in far enough that she could easily bolt back through it if necessary.

  Stop being ridiculous. What’s he going to
do?

  He was flicking his wrist for her to come toward him as he listened to whatever was being said on the other side of the phone.

  She stood rooted to the floor. There were four impressive leather wingback chairs in front of his desk and she wondered if she was expected to seat herself in one of them.

  In this setting, much more so than their previous encounter, he was powerful, completely throwing her off balance and the feeling was totally unwelcome.

  He placed his hand over the receiver and spoke directly to her.

  “Come here,” he stated in a low voice before nodding toward one of the chairs. “Close the door first,” he added. He seemed to have a somewhat kindly expression on his face. Maybe he’s actually nice?

  “NO!” He barked into the phone angrily. A scowl was very evident on his features suddenly.

  Maybe not.

  “You won’t move on that until I give the go ahead,” he added in a calmer voice. He was tapping something on his keyboard, clicking his mouse and staring at the screen. For a few moments it was as if he had completely forgotten that she was standing in the room.

  Suddenly his eyes went from perusing the monitor to studying her. His eyes flitted back to the screen once again, then back to her.

  “Ah…what?” he finally uttered, his eyes still fastened on her face.

  “Let me call you back,” he stated before placing the receiver back in the cradle. He didn’t even wait for a response she noticed, before he abruptly ended the call.

  “Anne? Or do you prefer Dr. Bennett? Mrs. Bennett, Miss…?” he asked her directly.

  “Ah…” She clasped her hands behind her back, lest he noticed their nervous fidgeting. She was dumbstruck. His intense stare made her forget what the question was. She was too busy trying to appear cool and confident even though her body wanted nothing more than to exit the room as quickly as possible.

  “Anne it is,” he answered for her after a few awkward moments. “Close the door, Anne,” he ordered with a slight smile.

  She hesitated for a brief moment before his words registered.

  Her hand reached for and pushed the door closed, forcing her to step further into the room. She turned toward him slowly after the door closed with a deafening click.

  “Come closer.” I won’t bite. He added in his head.

  She looked at him with some inscrutable expression on her face. She made no attempt to comply with his request, he noticed as she stood ramrod straight, her hands now clasped behind her back once again.

  “At ease, soldier,” he quipped and watched her face almost scrunch up in confusion.

  “Just kidding. It’s that jacket. I’m not sure if I should shake your hand or salute you,” he blurted.

  Her expression didn’t change. Apparently she wasn’t acquainted with humor, or perhaps she was nervous…

  “Anne, please have a seat,” he stated in a warm voice. His hand offered up one of the chairs in front of his desk.

  She looked like a caged animal. Her eyes swept toward the closed door then back to the chair. Her feet still remained planted to the spot near the door.

  “Anne?”

  Right. Right. Move… She mentally ordered herself. Her feet slowly complied, her heels digging into the sumptuous carpeting in the office, her nerves jumping more intensely as she walked toward the desk.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked casually, grabbing the large paper wrapped object from the side of his desk. She watched as he began to unwrap it, stopping at the side of the chair, then stepping in front of it. He dislodged the tape and began to peel back the first layer of paper before snapping his gaze to her.

  “Sit,” he ordered and her body responded by plunking down in the chair immediately.

  “You know, they make ridiculously large sandwiches in America,” he stated more to himself as he continued to unwrap the paper revealing a well stacked sandwich. “This is pastrami. Do you like pastrami, Anne?” He didn’t wait for a response.

  He probably wasn’t going to get one anyway, she thought. Her brain hadn’t quite acclimated itself to this situation.

  “I’ll give you half,” he stated before she could utter a word.

  He pulled the cut portion, leaving one side for him and holding the other out to her. “Here, grab a tissue…” he indicated the box on the side of his desk. Her eyes wandered to it and back to the sandwich. It was huge, with a mound of red meat and shredded lettuce that threatened to spill out at any moment.

  “Anne, snap to, love.” He flicked his wrist, causing a few pieces of lettuce to fall to the desk surface. She quickly reached over and grabbed a tissue before placing it on the desk before her.

  “There you go,” he stated as he placed it on the tissue.

  He grabbed his portion and was about to bring it to his lips before his gaze snapped to hers above the sandwich.

  “Eat,” he ordered and she immediately found her voice.

  “I’m not hungry,” she replied and that was the truth. Her nervousness pretty much left her stomach in knots.

  “Of course you are. Please. I don’t want to eat in front of you; that’s rude, eh?” He took a small bite and chewed. This situation was completely nerve-wracking for her and he was so casual and cool about it.

  She sat and watched as he swallowed his bite.

  “Anne?” he asked with a raised brow.

  After a moment, he set the sandwich back on the paper and settled his elbows on the desk.

  “You’re nervous. Why?”

  Her only response was a shake of her head.

  “Aye, you are. That’s Ok, seems to be a running theme in this facility for some odd reason. At any rate, I called you in here to apologize,” he confided. His words caused her expression to change to one of scrutiny.

  “I don’t usually pop in unannounced to new hire orientations. However, I wanted to meet the woman responsible for causing a man’s penis to explode. Like a…ah…hot dog in a microwave, right?” he added with a smirk.

  Her hands gripped the arm rests on the chair. Her cheeks had to be bright red; she could actually feel the blood rush to them.

  Oh dear lord. Had that woman…?

  “Don’t worry. I was just sitting in the lobby. You didn’t notice me. You were too busy staring at the magazine in your lap and trying to escape from the woman next to you. I told them not to hire her by the way. Claire?” he asked. “Can’t have Claire running around the office blathering to everyone. We need to get work done, right?” he stated in a carefree tone.

  Her voice was now officially lost. Her lips moved to say something, anything, but there was nothing forthcoming.

  “So did you?” he asked after a moment.

  “Did I what?” she answered after a brief hesitation.

  “Did you really work for a sex toy company? Did you really blow up a man’s whalluper?”

  The term was unfamiliar but the translation was crystal clear.

  “No, of course not! I was just…she was just…annoying and I…I just don’t like to be crowded. And…I’m not a big talker…she asked too many questions,” she answered honestly.

  “Yes. I can tell that bothers you.” His slight grin turned serious. “Anne? Can I give you a bit of advice?” He didn’t wait for her approval before continuing. “People around here? Very friendly. They like to know about you. The pace is much slower here than where you’re from, I’m sure. They take time to get to know each other. It’s not a bad place to live, it’s just different,” he stated before picking up and biting his sandwich once again.

  “I’ll um…keep that in mind,” she stated softly. Can I go now?

  “Anne, please eat that. It’s actually verra good.” He nodded toward her untouched portion of sandwich.

  “I…they ordered me lunch. In the Conference Room… I should probably go and…eat it,” she stated before biting her lip.

  “Are you trying to get away from me, Anne?” he asked in a low voice, his eyes back to piercing.

  She
contemplated her response before a blurted “Maybe” escaped.

  A small laugh erupted from his throat. “Oh Anne! You are refreshing to say the least,” he said with a warm smile that transformed his face into something softer, more human.

  “Very well, you can go.” He waved her off like some insignificant being. She immediately pushed up from the chair before his words halted her.

  “Good day, Anne. Try not to scare off any of my employees, eh?” His eyes practically twinkled.

  Her brows immediately scrunched together once again as she studied him.

  “That was sarcastic humor, love. The appropriate reaction is a smile or a laugh,” he stated. “Or in your case, a look of complete confusion…”

  A tiny spark of anger erupted within her. He was making fun of her. Her lips moved without hesitation. The words spewed forth unchecked.

  “You should talk,” she stated coolly.

  “What was that?” He looked surprised. Good.

  “I said, ‘you should talk’. You scare the crap out of everyone in this place,” she muttered, sidestepping the chair and backing away. It was true. She should probably shut up right about now…

  “Do I, now?” His eyes crinkled in amusement. It only served to anger her more.

  “Yes. I’ve only been here half a day, but I noticed that the mere mention of your name puts a stricken look on your employee’s faces,” she answered honestly, her previous nervous state completely overridden by a new emotion: annoyance.

  He was speechless. Did she just say…?

  “I’m just going to go,” she stated as she backed away toward the door. He was clearly mulling over her words. Maybe he truly didn’t know or maybe he just wasn’t accustomed to bluntness.

  “You’re very direct, aren’t you?” he finally stated when she was only a few steps from the door.

  “Yes. Yes I am.” She took a step toward him. “You brought me in here to what? Tease me? Knock me off balance? I have no idea what the purpose of this meeting was. I am socially awkward. I accept it, it’s who I am. I am not a people person nor do I aspire to be,” she shot out in a firm voice. “I’m a damn good scientist. I can be socially inept and still do this job,” she added smoothly, her stance and facial expression almost challenging.