Just One Thing

by M. Malone

  Then she frowned. It was sweet of him to try to protect her feelings but it was hardly going to help her prove her worth as an assistant. She really wanted to stretch her wings and get used to doing things outside of her comfort zone.

  She’d always been the good girl, the one who followed the rules and tried to keep the peace. Not that there was anything wrong with that but it made for a pretty boring existence. Don had loved to throw that in her face, that she wasn’t spontaneous. Well, no more. Things were different now and she would be different, too. She wanted to shake things up and make a difference in the world. Katie sighed. Nothing she’d ever done would be considered revolutionary or exciting.

  “Can I help with that?” she asked when Bennett appeared holding several glass beakers.

  She’d never tell him this but whenever he asked her to fetch one or the other, it always made her giggle because some of the liquids looked like Kool-Aid.

  “No, I’ve got it. You can leave early if you want.”

  Frustrated, Katie slapped her hand down on the stainless steel table between them. “What gives? I know you only hired me to get Ri off your back but I can do more than sort mail.”

  “That’s not true,” Bennett said finally, after blinking at her in surprise for several seconds. “I didn’t just hire you because Ridley suggested it. That was the catalyst, yes but I hired you because I wanted to.”

  Katie gave him a disbelieving look. “So far all I’ve done is grab a few things for you, clean up a little and sort mail. You don’t need an assistant for that.”

  “You’ve been very helpful,” Bennett countered.

  “I’m a disaster. Try again.”

  “Um, actually … I must confess to an ulterior motive.” His eyes wouldn’t meet hers all of a sudden and then he turned bright red.

  Oh boy. Katie was starting to have an idea where this was going. This whole deal had been too good to be true from the start. Bennett had told her himself that he wasn’t socially adept so he probably couldn’t see just how screwed up approaching a woman like this was. Not to mention that if he was blushing like that, he probably had some weird fetish that he was going to spring on her. He was a good-looking guy even if he was a little odd so the only way he'd need to pay for sex was if he wanted her to do something pretty strange.

  "You look like you're about to be sick," Bennett observed after almost a full minute of awkward silence.

  Katie struggled to get her facial expression under control. Even if she was completely offended that he’d thought to hire her as a way to hit on her, this was still Jackson’s brother. The Alexanders had always been amazing to her and she didn’t want things to be weird when they saw each other in the future.

  Or weirder, anyway.

  There was no way things wouldn’t be awkward when she saw him and she wasn’t sure how she’d explain things to Ridley who adored her brother-in-law.

  “I think maybe you've got the wrong idea about me. I'm desperate for money but not that desperate that I'm up for anything weird. I'm not some prostitute.”

  Bennett’s eyes rounded. His mouth opened and closed a few times before he finally managed to speak.

  "Wait, you think I brought you here as a sexual overture? I have no idea what in my statements or behavior could have indicated that."

  Bennett looked truly perplexed. His confusion made it obvious that he hadn't been thinking anything of the sort which made Katie feel pretty stupid.

  “Sorry. It’s just when you said you had an ulterior motive, I assumed—”

  “Actually this brings up a good point.” Bennett interrupted. “I have no idea how the things I do or say are perceived by others. I make social missteps and cause offense quite regularly due to this. That's why I need you. To teach me.”

  "You want me to teach you how to be … non-offensive?"

  "Normal. I want you to teach me how to be normal."

  "Um, okay." Katie sat on the stool at the counter. Her eyes landed on the small plants growing under the clear domes. She looked around the room, taking in the string of chemical equations on the chalkboard across from them and the jars of strangely colored liquids in beakers on the next table. Suddenly she laughed.

  "Actually that makes way more sense than, you know, the other thing."

  Bennett smiled a little at that. “I saw you when you were disciplining your son that day. After dinner.”

  Katie nodded that she remembered. He’d asked her a lot of questions that evening, about whether she got frustrated correcting her children. It had definitely been a strange conversation.

  “Well, it occurred to me then that mothers correct their children a little at a time. They’re able to train them effectively because they’re usually present to intervene when they behave inappropriately. That’s exactly what I need.”

  “You need a mother? You already have a mother and she’s amazing.” Katie wasn’t sure where he was going with this because Julia was practically the blueprint for the perfect mother.

  “She is amazing. That’s not what I mean. I need someone to watch my behavior and correct me in the moment when I misstep.”

  “Sorry but I have to wonder, wouldn’t this have worked the first time when Julia was raising you?”

  Katie crossed her fingers that he wouldn’t take offense at the question. When he didn’t say anything, she could have kicked herself. “Stupid question? Never mind.”

  “Don't ever be afraid to question things. That’s the mark of a scientific mind,” Bennett mumbled, sounding like he was only half-paying attention to the conversation. He stroked his chin a few times and then his lips moved silently.

  Katie realized that he was talking to himself.

  “Bennett, are you listening?”

  “Hmm? Oh yes, I was just thinking about the fact that my mother’s birthday is coming up.”

  When he noticed the look on her face, he shook his head hard. “See, this is what I mean! I drift off in conversation, go off on tangents and I need someone to bring me back to things. Anyway, where were we?”

  “Wondering why you think this would work if it didn’t stick the first go around when Julia was raising you?”

  “My mother loves me too much to give me the harsh truth. She loves me as I am, even as strange as I am. She would never tell me something that she thought might hurt my feelings. But I need someone who can tell me the harsh truth.”

  “I don’t want to hurt you either, Bennett. I like you.”

  Bennett gaped at her. “You do? Why?”

  Katie laughed. “Um, you’re brilliant and you’re actually really funny sometimes. Maybe you just need to find more people who share your interests? Like, I don’t know … another scientist?”

  Bennett gestured around them. “Look around. I want more than just this in my life. All I do is work and sleep and then wake up to work some more. But the only thing I know how to do is approach problems logically. Getting a tutor seems logical to me. I know this is unorthodox, but will you help me?”

  Katie was pretty sure this entire thing had a high probability of being a terrible idea. But she discovered something about herself in that moment. She had a really hard time saying no to a handsome face and a sincere request.

  “I’ll help you. On one condition.”

  “What’s that?” Bennett looked wary.

  “You have to actually listen to what I have to say. If we’re going to do this, it’s not going to be easy and you’re probably going to hate the things I suggest but I have to know you’re serious about this.”

  He shrugged. “I dabble in genetic engineering of organic compounds. If I can do that then I should be able to handle this, right?”

  ♥

  Bennett watched Katie set up the workstation for his very first lesson on being normal. After she’d agreed to tutor him, they’d gone about the rest of the day as usual. He’d wanted to start right away but Katie said she needed some time to think about how to approach this.

  He could underst
and that. Whenever he started a new project, he liked to take time in the beginning to be sure he truly understood the project goals and objectives. Maybe Katie was approaching him like a project. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that but he had a feeling he’d have to get used to various indignities if he wanted to have even a shot of being with Olivia.

  Strangely enough, thinking about her right then seemed wrong. Bennett couldn’t pinpoint why but perhaps it was because he didn’t like to think of changing himself for a woman. Like most people, he’d lived for years with the belief that the right woman would appreciate him the way he was. However as the years had passed, he’d come to see how foolish that kind of thinking really was. Women only like you the way you are if you’re naturally handsome, smooth and rich, he thought.

  He had two of the three down pat, he supposed. He’d heard many times that he was attractive and he’d definitely saved a lot of money over the years from his salary and the various inventions that he’d licensed to major corporations. But all of that didn’t make up for the fact that he was seen as a bit of a weirdo.

  He gritted his teeth, remembering the last time he’d heard that. Jackson’s first wife had been talking about him, not realizing that he was in the next room. He’d never told his youngest brother what he’d overheard; what was the point after all? He couldn’t deny that it was the truth since the person she’d been talking to hadn’t objected to the characterization.

  “Okay, I think I’m ready.”

  Bennett turned to see Katie standing at his elbow. Her eyes sparkled as she set the tablet he’d assigned to her on the table between them.

  “I found a list of conversation starters online. I figured if we go over some ice breakers, it’ll help you learn to make conversation.”

  Bennett pushed up his glasses, the first tickle of worry starting. He’d never been great at making conversation but perhaps it was best to start where he was weakest.

  “Okay. I’m excited to start.”

  Katie touched the screen and then read the first topic. “The first conversation starter is ‘Where did you grow up?’ So you ask me.”

  Bennett felt incredibly stupid parroting back the words to her but he was determined to play along. “Where did you grow up?”

  “I grew up in Barbados, just outside of Bridgetown.”

  When he didn’t say anything, Katie leaned forward and whispered, “You’re supposed to ask follow up questions. Or offer some information about you.”

  Bennett crinkled his forehead. “Oh, right. Tell me about Bridgetown. What’s the median temperature there? Barbados is tropical so it must be a relatively mild climate?”

  “Well, yes. I guess so.”

  “I bet the vegetation there is spectacular. Do you happen to know what the average rainfall is during their growing season? Typically I’m trying to prepare for drought but I’ve been meaning to investigate how our new soil additives would fare in a tropical region.” Bennett patted his lab coat absently, wishing he had his phone or his own tablet with him so he could make a note of it. He must have left them in his office.

  Katie reached across the table and grabbed his hand. The shock of her fingers closing over his jolted him out of his musing.

  “Bennett! You’re supposed to be thinking about me. Not rainfall.”

  “Oh right. Of course. Um, do you like the rain?”

  Katie giggled. “Maybe we should try something else.”

  When she let go, Bennett flexed his fingers. Touching was always awkward but it hadn’t felt that way when Katie touched him. He found he kind of liked the sensation. She had very warm hands.

  “Let’s try casual conversations instead. Like things you might chat about at the grocery store or while in a waiting room.”

  Bennett tugged at the collar of his shirt. He was afraid he was already failing this portion of the lesson because he couldn’t understand why anyone would even want to talk under those circumstances. When he was grocery shopping he preferred to concentrate on his list so he didn’t forget anything. He certainly didn’t want to talk while at the doctor’s office, otherwise he might not remember the list of concerns he needed to discuss with his physician.

  Katie, however, didn’t seem to think there was anything at all odd about talking to perfect strangers while engaging in vital tasks.

  “Let’s say I saw you in the grocery store. I might say ‘Hello, Bennett. Lovely weather we’re having today.’”

  Bennett glanced outside. “Well, it’s spring time so the weather is generally between fifty and seventy degrees and we’re already past the rainy season—”

  “Bennett.” Katie shook her head.

  “Sorry. Yes, we are experiencing seasonally appropriate weather today.”

  Katie covered her mouth with her hand. “This is going to be harder than I thought.”

  Bennett wasn’t sure what to say to that.

  After a moment of silence, Katie sat up straight. “Maybe we should skip the general chatting and get down to more meaty conversations. That might work better.”

  For the next hour, Katie led him through various social scenarios. She tried explaining how to gauge when people were interested in what he had to say by reading facial expressions. That was a bust. Every facial expression looked pretty much the same to Bennett. After all, how was he to know if a facial expression was a signal or the result of indigestion or something?

  Polite conversation topics would have worked if they weren’t all so dull. Did people really care to discuss their children’s behavior, their lawn maintenance or whether the weatherman predicted a thunderstorm? He couldn’t understand how anyone could stand talking about such inconsequential things. He thought the point of conversing was to gain information. He didn’t gain any information at all by talking about what the weatherman had predicted especially since it was likely to be incorrect anyway.

  It didn’t help that he’d found himself distracted so many times by Katie’s mouth. He found himself mentally tracing the little bow of her lips and imagining how soft her lips would be if he were to brush his mouth against hers. What the hell was wrong with him? He’d never been this distracted by a woman before.

  Finally Katie turned the tablet off. “I don’t think this is working.”

  He sighed. There was no way around it. Bennett was a bad student for the first time in his life.

  He had to admit that he couldn’t fault Katie’s teaching. The things she’d tried to teach him, they were exactly the kinds of questions he heard on a regular basis so her research had been spot on. However, none of it addressed what he needed most, the why of it. Why did people have these conversations? It was difficult to participate in a situation when you didn’t understand the end objective for the other participant.

  “Thank you for trying. Maybe I’m just not meant to gain mastery in this area. Perhaps I should stick to the lab.” He tried to smile to reassure her. After all it wasn’t her fault but his lips felt stiff.

  How could he hope to convince Olivia that he’d changed when … well, he hadn’t?

  Was he just doomed to be alone forever?

  ♥

  Katie looked around the lab, unsure of what to do. None of the examples she'd used seemed to mean anything to him and she was honestly at a loss for how to move forward. How did you teach someone who didn’t think the same way you did?

  This reminds me of trying to deal with kids alone. She smiled. It often felt like her kids spoke another language and she was just doing her best to interpret it.

  “What?” Bennett questioned when he saw her smiling. “I’d have thought you’d be running out of here by now.”

  “I don’t give up that easily. I was just thinking this reminds me how I feel when my kids use some slang I’ve never heard of and I have to try to figure out the meaning. It’s like learning a new language.”

  Bennett looked thoughtful. “Yes, I suppose it is. Perhaps that’s why I thought this would be easier. I’ve always had an affinity for languag
es.”

  “Really? How many do you speak?” Katie had taken French in school but could only read some of it. She’d always been too self-conscious to practice speaking it the way she should have.

  “English is my native, I learned French in school and then Spanish from the Reyes family that lives a few acres that way.” He angled his head to the left.

  “Wow, that’s so cool—”

  “And then I thought it would of course be useful to study Latin so I can read that, and German scientists have been doing fantastic things in recent years so I started studying German.”

  Katie’s mouth dropped open. She’d known that he was smart. Obviously, she thought looking around at the lab. But it was more than a little intimidating when he spouted off thing like speaking multiple languages as if it was no big deal.

  “That’s so cool. Most people struggle to even learn one other language. The boys have a choice between French and Spanish at school but they don’t offer anything else. I’m sure if Don were around he’d want them to learn French.”

  Bennett suddenly stiffened. “Yes, your husband, right?”

  “Ex-husband. Extremely ex.”

  “Sorry. I thought I’d heard that but I didn’t want to assume. That must be difficult. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories."

  Katie shrugged. “It’s okay. It’s been more than a year now so I’m mainly adjusted to being alone. It’s not like he was around much before anyway.”

  Bennett looked shocked. “He left you alone? Well, all facts pointed to him being an idiot before but that confirms it.”

  Katie laughed. She hadn’t expected Bennett to stick up for her but it felt good to have someone in her corner. Even though a lot of people said the right things when they found out, there was always an undercurrent of judgment, like they thought she must have done something wrong for her husband to leave.

  “He’s not a total idiot. He’s a doctor so he’s pretty smart actually.”

  Bennett snorted. “I’ve met many idiot doctors. It’s entirely possible to have high aptitude in one area and be completely deficient in others.”