“Well…once.”
“Are you still together?” he teased, trying to lighten the mood.
I rolled my eyes again. “It was like a year and a half ago. Poker player.”
“Really?” he asked in interest. “Did you meet at a tournament?”
“Yes. I took his money, and he asked me out afterward.”
“Romantic,” he said with a chuckle.
“I tried to keep it casual, but he said he wanted more, though it was all bullshit. He just wanted to tie me down until he got bored with me. I fell for him hard…and he broke my heart.” I dropped eye contact and brought my drink to my lips, reliving that moment I’d gotten dumped on the phone, on the goddamn sidewalk, while my family waited in the restaurant.
He turned serious once he read the sorrow on my face. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry about yours too.”
He looked down at his drink.
The music played overhead, but it felt silent between us, tense like we were in the office working on our patients. Neither one of us knew what to say to circumvent the heaviness of the topic.
“So, what’s it like working with my dad?”
He raised his chin and looked at me, his features tightening in consternation. “An honor.”
“Come on, I’m being serious.”
“I mean it. He’s the most brilliant, dedicated, hardworking person I’ve ever met.”
“He told me he thinks you’re smarter than him.”
“Not true.” He tilted his head back and took a drink. “At a certain level of intellect, it can’t really be quantified. I graduated high school a couple years younger than he did, have more PhDs and residencies than he does, but that doesn’t mean anything. I was the new star on the scene, but it’s just because I was given the spotlight.”
“I guess you aren’t as arrogant as I thought.”
“No, I am,” he said quickly. “Just not in this regard.”
I chuckled. “At least you’re honest.”
“When I got a position at your father’s company, I was unsurprised. But when he personally invited me to work with him side by side, I couldn’t believe it. When I was a boy, I was watching his videos online, following his career, fantasizing about having a Nobel of my own. They say you should never meet your heroes because you’ll always be disappointed. Well, Dr. Hamilton is a lot more than I ever imagined he would be.”
My eyes softened and my heart turned to pudding as I listened, immensely proud of the man who raised me, of the man who would always be my role model. Despite his success, he was so humble, and the only reason his Nobel Prize hung on the wall was because Mom insisted. His identity didn’t come from his success but his drive to help people. He would come home miserable when he lost a patient—every single time.
“You’re very lucky to have that man as your father.” When he looked at me, his expression was different, his gaze more intense than it’d ever been before. It even seemed like there was a hint of envy there.
“I know.”
“I can tell he’s a good dad.”
“Oh, the best.” I shook my head, unable to verbalize the testimonials I could share with him. “It didn’t matter how busy he was. He always dropped his life’s work for us. And we never had any pressure to be ambitious or have successful careers. I could have been anything else, and he would have loved me the same. I would still be his favorite.”
He gave a slight smile. “That’s beautiful.”
“What are your parents like?”
He held my gaze, and the affection in his eyes slowly faded, darkening to midnight.
“Atlas?” A feminine voice emerged beside me.
A cute blonde stood there, wearing a skintight dress and with big tits. She glanced at me, a little cold, and then looked at Atlas again. If he weren’t a hunk, she probably would have just walked out when she saw him talking to someone else, but she was definitely determined to fight for him.
I respected that. I’d fight for a guy I wanted.
“Yes.” He extended his hand to shake hers. “Lovely to meet you.”
Her eyes lit up at the sound of his British accent. “Lydia.”
Been there, done that.
I grabbed my drink. “Well, I gave it my best shot. Guess I’ll find another guy…” I stepped away after making Atlas seem to be in high demand and moved behind Lydia.
His eyes shifted to mine.
I gestured with my hands, showing her big tits and curvy frame as I mouthed, “She’s hot.” I gave him two thumbs up.
He couldn’t hide his smile.
10
Atlas
I skipped the workout that morning and went to the lab early.
It was hard to juggle all my responsibilities, so I had to cut deeper and deeper into my sleep and play catch-up on the weekend. I got all the machines going before I headed down the hallway and made my way into my office.