Wednesday was Kimbra's day off, as EcoTech needed maintenance on its air conditioning unit. The entire staff refused to work in an oven, so Dr. Ainsley gave them the day off. It only set back the C.O.R.E project further, much to Kimbra's displeasure. But there wasn't anything she could do except work overtime to make up for it.

Nothing new to her.

What was new is that night, Trisha, a longtime friend of Kimbra's, invited her out for drinks. A white duck, with light blue eyes and brown hair, often held an annoyed expression upon her face. She was an ex-SHUSH agent (who was relieved from her duties due to an incident). EcoTech often supplied technology for SHUSH, so it's how Kimbra met her and their now ex-friend, Louis. The two agents had to work alongside Kimbra for a short period of time. She enjoyed their company and eventually befriended them and their other friend, Penelope.

Currently, Kimbra was running late, which wasn't her fault in the slightest. Traffic usually wasn't this busy this time of night. She didn't think to leave half an hour earlier, just in case.

Oh, well.

The busy sounds of chatter and clinking of glasses filled the crowded bar. Kimbra usually didn't spend her days off in a place like this. Too noisy, and her bar days were long over. But she couldn't turn down spending time with a close friend. It had been far too long since she sat down and just talked to someone outside of work.

Kimbra's blue eyes scanned the room for a familiar face. They eventually locked on a brunette duck sitting at the bar. The duck looked up and waved at the canine.

There she is.

The brunette immediately teased Kimbra, who made her way over. "Finally! I thought you'd never get here."

"Hi Trish," Kimbra sat beside the duck at the bar.

"I was waiting here for ages."

"Trish, c'mon, I'm only five minutes late."

"Ages."

"Okay, knock it off."

"How's everything?" Trisha asked after she let out a little chuckle.

"Fine. How long have you been here?"

"Bout an hour and a half."

"No you haven't."

"I'm just kidding around, Kim."

Kimbra smiled. Trisha was still the same as ever.

Nice to know that some things stayed the same.

An aged arctic fox approached the two from behind the bar. A small red towel hung over his shoulder as he rolled up his shirt sleeves to his elbows. "Can I start you ladies off with some drinks?" The name, Jack, boldly shown on his name tag.

"Whiskey," Kimbra said casually, while Trisha ordered a beer.

The aged man nodded and turned his back to retrieve two glasses and bottles. After he set down the glasses and poured their drinks, he excused himself to attend to other customers. It finally gave the two privacy to talk.

Trisha smirked, "is there something you need to tell me?"

"About what?" Kimbra took a sip of whiskey, and grimaced at the burn of alcohol down her throat.

"I haven't heard from you in forever, there has to be something new going on in that dull life of yours."

They barely kept in touch. Kimbra was to blame for that. She hardly found the time for a personal life. The canine then pondered for a moment over the question. She didn't like making people worry or actually talking about her feelings.

Might as well.

"Remember how I told you my project got approved?"

"Yeah?"

"We got a sponsor," Kimbra said, as if she's breaking bad news.

"Oh, congrats!"

"No, no, it's bad."

"Oh?" The duck raised an eyebrow, intrigued with what her friend would say next.

"Trisha, he is such a pain," Kimbra sighed, her voice edging on bitterness and misery. "Sometimes I just want to lock him in our janitor's closet and leave him there." She drained her glass and set it down.

"Who's the sponsor?"

"You watch TV, right?"

"Everyone does."

Smart-ass.

Kimbra refilled her glass as she spoke. "So you know that water bottle commercial?"

"Barksdale or Myerson?"

"No, Flud." She sat the bottle of whiskey down on the counter.

"Flud?"

"You know who I'm talking about. Bud Flud."

"Bud Flud?" Trish paused, trying to recall some memory of the name. "The black-haired guy with the bottle mascots?"

"Yes! Him!"

"Oh, that's your sponsor?"

The scientist nodded and put her face in her hands. "Yes, I just can't stand him. Trisha, I'm afraid I'll lose my job because of that jerk." She then gave her friend a quick summary of the past few weeks.

"He just seems a bit conceited, I don't think he's that bad. Maybe you're overreacting."

Kimbra looked up and gave her best friend a glare as she picked up her glass and took a drink. "Not all that bad?"

He was currently making her life a living hell.

"Yeah, he's just some salesman—"

Kimbra cut her off quickly, putting her drink back down. "He's the worst person I ever met, trust me on this."

She found herself thinking about him. She hated his know-it-all demeanor. The way he somehow charmed his way into the hearts of others, usually with a few words and that smile of his. Just the typical entitled celebrity, thinking that the rules didn't apply to him. For someone his age, he behaved like a child. He was just a Z-list celebrity who wasn't worthy of her time.

Yes, he was quite despicable.

"You sound pretty obsessed with this Bud guy."

"I am not!" Kimbra quickly denied her friend's claims.

"And if you keep burning every bridge you cross, you'll eventually run out. You really need this sponsor, Kimmie."

"God, you sound just like my boss."

Trisha only shrugged. "Just saying, maybe you should try harder to make amends."

The white furred canine sighed as she leaned over the bar, staring into her glass. "I haven't even thought about how to get along with him."

"Well, then maybe it's about time you start giving it some thought."

Kimbra wasn't known for being friendly, after all. Why start now? She knew where she stood with the businessman. Or, at the very least, she thought she did.

Make amends with him. Apologize, get on his good side. Treat him with at least an ounce of respect.

She didn't want to, but she knew that she needed to. Her job was possibly on the line.

No child grew up dreaming of becoming a water bottle company CEO. It's what Bud told himself over and over these last few years. Sure, some children might dream of owning their own company someday, but certainly not one that bottles water.

You only did it to prove to dad that you could.

Harrison Flud, Bud's father and co-owner of Flud-Winston Enterprise, (a distributor of millwork) pushed his eldest son to follow in his footsteps.

"Bud, you'll never get anywhere in life if you're always off daydreaming instead of making something of yourself," is what he always said.

He openly expressed his disappointment in Bud. He didn't even want children to begin with. Bud knew, in his father's eyes, he was a mistake. A burden. The last time Bud saw his father was the day he left for university. He was only eighteen at the time and looking forward to getting his business degree. Not even Harrison was willing to admit that he was proud of his son for getting this far.

"I don't even see why you're going to university." Harrison watched as his son set his final bag in the car. "You'll most likely just drop out after the first week and keep working at that dry cleaners."

Bud bit the inside of his cheek to keep from saying anything he didn't mean. "I'm going to get a business degree like I intended."

"Or you'll find out you aren't cut out for it. Your grades will drop, and they'll kick you out."

Bud wished his father would be proud of him for once. "I'm not going to fail."

"You always say that." Harrison's nose scrunched up in disapproval.

Bud didn't notice his voice was beginning to rise. "I'm going to prove you wrong! All you ever did my entire life is be ashamed of me."

"Son, it's called being honest. I'm only trying to keep it realistic. You don't know how hard it is out there in the real world."

"Can you stop insisting you know what's best and listen?"

The older hound crossed his arms and went silent. He waited to hear what the high school graduate had to say.

Bud began, "you've always treated Francine and Nikolai so much better than me. You and mom never gave me the opportunities or support like you give them. You act like they're the favorites, and I'm just some disgrace to the family."

Neither Harrison nor Bud said anything for a brief moment. It wasn't until Harrison huffed and looked out into the skyline that Bud knew what he said was true.

"Like you didn't already know that." Bud muttered to himself as he shut the back door closed and made his way to the driver's side. Without another word, he got into the car and left.

Harrison would be so smug if Bud failed. Well, he refused to give his father the pleasure. He was going to make something of himself and, someday, shove it in the old man's face.

And that was the last he saw of Harrison. Neither his parents nor siblings ever bothered to contact him after that day. Bud hadn't bothered to connect with them either, nor did he ever plan to.

A deep voice pulled Bud back into reality. "C'mon he's not even listening."

Bud realized he was at the golf course with four of his closest friends. "Who's not listening?"

"You!"

He shook his head. "Sorry, I was thinking."

"About how bad your game is?" A tall raccoon said, causing the rest of the group to snicker in reply. That deep voice from earlier had come out of his mouth.

Juniper Golf & Country Club sat just on the outskirts of St. Canard. It's an escape from the world. From problems, responsibilities, and the struggles of life itself. Most of the upper-class community were members of the club. Bud joined solely for networking purposes, but he started being a regular after befriending a few other businessmen.

The four men—involved in who knows what type of illegal activity—often mingled with one another at the club. They met Bud through networking and welcomed him into their group with open arms. It made perfect sense in his mind. Befriending other businessmen and learning from each other. It was the perfect arrangement.

"Your game is just getting worse, Buddy," the raccoon, Samuel DeTelli, was the owner of the Aballava Casino.

A man Bud had come to trust with his life. His best friend, someone he always went to when things got rough. What many people didn't know, the casino was a front for the DeTelli crime family. Only Samuel's close friends and associates were aware. It didn't bother Bud in the slightest. He highly respected Samuel and his opinion, often going to him for business advice.

Bud smirked. "Still better than yours, DeTelli." He took out a cigarette from his back pocket and lit it.

Samuel frowned. "I thought you quit smoking."

The cigarette smoke loosely curled towards the blue sky. He did quit, temporarily.

"Well, I dunno Sammy, maybe somebody stressed me out to the point I had to start again."

"Is it Andy?"

A gray hyena with black hair looked up from his golf clubs. "Hey!"

Andy Stryker was St. Canard's director of public works. A pushover. Easy to manipulate and use. He didn't have a bone in his body. Maybe it's why Samuel kept him around. Just a pawn in his game of crime. Andy didn't seem to mind. He thoroughly enjoyed spending time with the men and doing their bidding.

Bud shook his head. "No, it's work related."

"We're listening," a smirk formed on Samuel's face.

"It's not a big deal."

"I've never seen you get this worked up before." He chuckled. "It's gotta be a big deal."

"Okay, so there's this woman I've been working with—"

Andy spoke up, deciding to stop fooling around with his clubs. "Oh, so girl problems?"

The corner of Bud's mouth curled upwards. "Funny, but no, it's not like that."

Andy laughed, a full-on laugh, assuming it was really plain ol' girl problems like before. It earned him a glare from the water bottle salesman. Bud didn't think his life problems were that amusing.

He cleared his throat. "Proceed."

Bud continued. "So I sponsored this project of hers, ya know, ... to help my company."

"Ah, that old move. Smart... smart." Samuel said, looking at the other men, who all nodded their head in approval.

A breeze blew through, ruffling Bud's black hair. The sun washed over the green course, basking the group in a warm blanket.

But Samuel looked closer at Bud. "I'm noticing a pattern, Flud."

"What pattern?"

"You're bad with women."

"Women adore me," Bud snorted in denial, despite all evidence to the contrary.

"What about Karen?"

"I cut that off because she's annoying."

"Debbie?"

He mulled over it for a second. "It was a Friday, and I was just bored. It didn't mean anything."

"Lillian?"

"Okay now that one was entirely my fault."

"You are terrible with the opposite sex, my friend."

"Why does it even matter? I'm not looking for anything long term." Bud said, taking a puff of his cigarette.

"You always say that."

"And I mean it, marriage is a sham."

No response.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot some of you here are married." Bud replied in an incredibly sarcastic voice.

Andy winced. "I mean, ... marriage isn't all that bad."

"You're single, how would you know?" Bud then motioned to Samuel. "And you're cheating on Ardwin with three other women. Your opinion is invalid in this matter."

The crime boss only shrugged.

Bud then started to call out their other two friends, a boar named Ray Eilberg, the state senator and a lion, Sylas Miller, St. Canard's cutthroat loan shark. But Sylas cut him off.

"Don't you even think about commenting on my marriage."

"Well, it's not for me," Bud said, so quietly they had to lean forward to hear him. He wanted to leave it at just that.

All this talk of love made the canine sick to his stomach.

"Fair enough." The senator picked up his clubs, and they moved on to the next hole.

"So, what's wrong with the sponsorship deal?" Samuel inspected the course ahead, as it was his turn.

"She thinks I'm this awful person who only cares about profit and is just using her."

Samuel set a golf ball on a tee in the ground. "Aren't you just using her?"

"Well... yes."

"Then why do you care what she thinks?"

"I don't know."

"Because he wants her to like him." Andy called out teasingly. That earned the hyena several glares. He immediately closed his mouth.

Samuel patted Bud's shoulder. "Just get her to like you, then it'll be smooth sailing from there."

Bud scoffed. "That's easy for you to say, she hated me before we even met."

And one can only have so much patience.

"Tell us about the girl, then." The raccoon swung his club, hitting the ball, which shot it across the course, a few feet from the hole.

"Why?" Bud asked, looking between the four people across from him.

"So we can figure out a way to get you on her good side." Andy went on with his pathetic fantasy. "Then maybe a friendship will blossom—"

Bud snorted at how ridiculous the idea sounded. "We can never be friends."

Andy whined. "Stop being so negative."

"It's called being realistic." Bud made air quotes with his hands.

"Are you attracted to her?" Samuel chimed in.

"What? No!"

He continued to tease. "Your eyes say otherwise."

"Okay, she's attractive, but I'm not attracted to her." Bud actually didn't mean for that thought to escape. That he found the scientist attractive.

Great, now the teasing will only get worse. Way to go, moron.

"That's what you want to tell yourself." Samuel sneered, with a tone too light to be at all threatening.

Seriously, don't they have something else to talk about?

Bud really didn't know a thing about Kimbra besides the small bits of info here and there. Well, ... except for the fact that she annoyed him and held a grudge against successful businessmen. He truly knew nothing else about her.

Or at least he wasn't listening if she told him anything.

The thing is, he genuinely wanted to know more about her. Learn about why she hated him so much. Sure, she said something about being against capitalists, but she had some personal vendetta against him.

Bud decided against asking. It was his turn anyway. He wouldn't dare make matters worse. She'd find something to take offense and would snap at him yet again.

The four men talked over one another, arguing about how their friend could spark a friendship with the mystery woman.

It was pointless. Why bother?

Bud's eyes flicked down just for a second to the ball, and back to the hole. He swung the club, hitting the ball and making it fly across the green.

It was going and going...

Gone.

It landed in the pond with a small splash.

"Dammit," he swore, almost under his breath.

It rose a chuckle out of Samuel. "Your game is terrible today."

"Shut up," Bud clenched his jaw, trying to hold back his temper. "I'm just distracted."

"No shit, Sherlock."

The golf game continued on, regardless of the four men's teasing towards Bud. Occasionally, he'd shake his head in apparent disapproval of what he was seeing. Andy couldn't play well, even if his life depended on it. The public works director somehow managed to fall into the course pond. The man didn't have much skill when it came to golf, or well... anything.

Bud was laughing so hard at their friend, he had to put his hands on his knees.

While the other three pulled Andy out of the pond, the water salesman found himself heavily pondering over the Kimbra situation.

He knew where he stood with her. Bud can't risk damaging his reputation if the project fails. Who knows what people would say? Or how badly it'd affect his sales? He selfishly hoped he would never have to find out. He did everything he could to stay on good terms with her. Whereas it seemed that Kimbra only resented him even more. It wasn't his fault. He didn't intend to make her hate him. Yes, he might have bought a billboard and plastered his face on it out of spite. That was payback for how immature she was acting. Their arguments went back and forth, almost like a tennis match. The two just weren't meant to get along.

None of it was his fault. She got under his skin on purpose.

Was a normal conversation between two adults too much to ask for? She owed him that, at least. Without him, this project of hers would be a bust.

Usually, the salesman knew exactly what to say and how to act. Bud thought, just for a second, that maybe Kimbra could like him. But he had his doubts.

Hopefully, she could.

The possibilities of what it would be like to win Kimbra over consumed his mind. C.O.R.E would be much easier to work on. He wouldn't dread going to EcoTech every day. Hey, maybe even his constant heartburn would stop.

How pathetic to be so hung up over a woman who hated his guts.

Things have to change. Now, Bud sure as hell wasn't going to change who he was just for some lousy project. Yet, he was willing to make amends and co-exist with the scientist. They didn't have to be enemies. They didn't have to be friends either, just find common ground and learn to tolerate each other until the project came to an end. Bud could never picture Kimbra having friends or actually being social. She seemed more distant and resentful towards the world. Trying to be her friend was out of the question. He just had to get along with her (which he knows that's not an easy task to accomplish).

But whether she'd change her behavior was out of his control.

In the meantime, he'd avoid being alone with her as best as he could. The less he had to see her, the better. Just wait and see what happens.

All he ever seemed to be able to do was wait.

And if all else fails, there's always the option to file for bankruptcy.

The sun rose, painting the empty halls of EcoTech a soft orange. Kimbra came into work a few hours early, despite her frustration and fatigue. She had yet another large pile of paperwork on her desk to get through. Currently, a quarter of it had been completed, but Kimbra needed a break.

She needed coffee.

Minutes later, the bitter aroma of coffee beans wafted through the break room. For a moment, she had forgotten about the ordeal with Bud Flud. That she had to make amends with him, so he'd stick around and throw money at EcoTech. She could string him along all summer, make him think he was getting somewhere with her. It'd give her the upper hand. She supposed that's what she wanted to believe.

The question was, could she do it?

Kimbra made her way down to the lobby after a few more hours of work. She wanted to get the whole amends thing over with as soon as possible.

It would be so much easier to simply—

The familiar tall figure in a brown suit quickly caught her eye. He was walking past, towards the staircase that led up to the corridors and elevators.

Ah, there he is. The devil himself. World-Class Pain in the Ass Number One.

Was he still angry?

"Morning," Kimbra attempted to start a conversation with him. Maybe she could apologize and stop this feud, for Ainsley.

Bud passed by without even glancing at her.

Without a word.

Yeah, he's still mad.

She heaved a sigh of disappointment. He'd have to face her eventually. The CEO had been ignoring her ever since she went off on him at his office.

It didn't make sense for him to keep trying to act like she wasn't there.

Kimbra ducked her head away from the curious gazes of fellow staff members. She endured the stares from her boss and her colleagues on a daily basis. It reminded her of the rumors that continued to grow. People always whispered behind her back, assuming she and Bud had something going on despite their bickering. They didn't think she knew, but oh she did. It's why she put her foot down and started being stricter on the staff. If they wanted to talk, then fine.

'Looks like Flud and Wulfe are having another lover's quarrel.'

'She hates him, don't be ridiculous!'

'C'mon, you see the way they look at each other. Dr. Wulfe has been here for years,, and I've never seen her look at anyone the way she looks at Mr. Flud.'

That was just the tip of the iceberg of what Kimbra overheard from her so-called co-workers.

A guard stopped Bud at the top of the staircase, asking for identification. Probably since he wasn't accompanied by an EcoTech staff member this time.

He held up his ID badge. "I'm Bud Flud. The C.O.R.E project's sponsor."

"You..." the guard trails off, clearly recognizing him. "You are."

A tug on her lab coat sleeve pulled her focus from the two. She turned and there stood Neil.

"Hey," he grinned. "You sure are fixated on Buddy up there."

She frowned at what he was insinuating. "Neil, I might get fired. This isn't some joke."

"What did you do this time? Is the federal government breathing down your neck again?"

Don't remind me of that.

"No, Dr. Ainsley wants me to make amends with Bud, or he's dropping me from C.O.R.E, I think he might even go as far as firing me."

"Then make up with Flud and you won't lose your job."

"I tried! I gave it my best shot. "

"I'm sure you did." Neil sarcastically replied.

Kimbra huffed at the lion's response. "It's not my fault he's such a stubborn pain in the ass."

"Well, you know," he eventually concluded. "You did start this whole little feud."

Okay, maybe Kimbra did start it. In her defense, Bud Flud was a selfish, egotistical, no good capitalist. She didn't trust him. She couldn't trust him. If she turned her back on him, who knows what would happen.

But if you don't at least try with him, you're off the project.

Anything was easier than this.

Kimbra caught up to Bud as he was leaving EcoTech. He managed to avoid her most of the day. At least that's what it looked like. Every time she finally found him, he'd happen to become busy or immersed in a deep conversation with another EcoTech employee. Now that business hours were over, he didn't have any other choice but to talk to her.

The Samoyed paced beside Bud down the sidewalk in front of the large dark green EcoTech building. Any attempts to ignore her now would be unsuccessful.

"Can you please talk to me?"

Bud stopped, his expression stern. "Why? So, you can slander me and my company again? No, thanks."

"No, I want to apologize."

That caught the salesman by surprise. "Apologize?" He tilted his head, faint curiosity in his dark eyes. Disbelief hung heavily around him.

Kimbra knew it'd take a lot to convince Bud she meant well. "Yeah."

"Tell me what you have to say then."

This is going to be painful. But what else is she supposed to do?

"I want to apologize for how I acted with you." She said, with a bit of remorse. Kimbra felt herself cower, not used to the full force of Bud's attention. He usually barely paid her any mind, now he was actually listening to her.

"And?"

Great, he's one of those people. He wants a full-blown, heartfelt apology.

She continued. "I don't want to finish the project without you." The words that flowed from her mouth next made her question herself. "You're a vital aspect to this project, and my behavior towards you was immature and inappropriate. I'm sorry."

She told him what he wanted to hear.

Because there's no use in trying to argue with a narcissist.

Then again, she didn't know what else she expected. You never knew what response you'd get from the sparkling water salesman.

"You actually don't want to finish this without me?"

"Well..." Kimbra paused, carefully articulating her response. "Yeah, I don't want to do this without you."

Not like she had a say in the matter.

Bud thought over what she said. The silence was nerve-wracking. Did this actually work? She could dare to hope.

He finally gave her a response. "I guess together we can work this out."

"Really?"

He nodded. "I also accept your apology."

That was easy enough.

A wave of relief hit her like a freight train. She managed to save her job, for now. Unless Bud managed to infuriate her and make her snap. She refused to accept any responsibility for her actions then.

"But you gotta do a better job at getting along with others, sweetheart." His mouth was close enough for her to smell the cigarettes off his breath.

Ah. Hold that thought.

She scrunched her nose. "I thought you stopped smoking."

"I started again, it helps with stress. Stress, because I care about this project and the head of it has been a thorn in my side."

There's no way in hell he actually cares about this project.

"Smoking is bad for you."

"Oh? Does little Dr. Wulfe care about me?" Bud stepped back from her, studying her face.

No. Of course not.

"I just think it's just gross," she said in a forced-casual tone, not wanting to make a big deal out of this.

"It's my health, let me worry about it."

"Fine then, if you want to kill your lungs, then that's your business."

"You're right, it is my business," he replied swiftly. "How come you're always so mean? Since we're currently being so open about things."

"Because you're always being a scam artist or a conceited ass."

"I'd say being a conceited ass is the lesser of two evils," he gave her a small smirk.

"It doesn't hurt to try to be a better person."

"I'd listen to my own advice, darling. You haven't been all warm and welcoming to me either."

"That's different."

"How?"

"Because you deserve it. Unlike you, I don't set out to make people's lives hell."

He sighed at her. Sighed as if she's being dumb. "Now you're just being hypocritical."

Kimbra didn't reply, only staring into Bud's dark eyes. A snappy reply didn't come to her mind, so she resorted to glaring at him.

Occasionally, it was better to just keep your mouth shut.

He rolled his eyes. "Let's just pretend we like each other at least. Surely, we can do that for the next few months."

"I can do that." Kimbra agreed, figuring the quicker they got this over with, the quicker they could get back on with their separate lives.

"I'm sure you can."

She caught the skepticism in his voice, but didn't let it bother her. She doesn't really have a choice. Dr. Ainsley made it perfectly clear that if she pulled any stunts, she'd be off the project team.

"You're infuriating."

That made him smile. "You're not any better."

She smiled back. "I know."

"Want me to walk with you into the parking deck?" Asked Bud, as he was almost to the deck to attend to his affairs.

Kimbra declined his offer. "That's very gentlemanly of you, but no. I gotta work late as usual."

"Alright, night then."

"Night, Bud."

The black-haired hound walked away without another word. Kimbra watched him disappear into the large parking deck. She headed back to EcoTech to finish her work and speak to Dr. Ainsley.

It only took half an hour to find him. The night janitor mentioned the elderly man hiding away in one of their labs. Her fingers clutched at the folder in her hands as she strolled down the corridor. Her heels clicked against the floor, disrupting the silence. She eventually came to a door that had a sign hanging on it with the words Authorized Personnel Only, in bold red words, written on it. She opened the door and stepped in without knocking. He was expecting her, so she found no need for it. They're the only remaining employees left in the building anyway (not counting the janitor).

Dr. Ainsley looked up from his work, an array of beakers and bottles filled with colorful liquids. Just as the doc was about to say something, Kimbra did.

"So you'll be glad to know that I apologized to Bud and made amends." She dropped the folder on the table in front of him.

The reptilian held up the beaker in his hand to the light, inspecting it. "You did?"

"Yes sir."

"See? Aren't I always right?" He gave her a smile and set it down. "In no time you two will get along well."

She nodded to show she understood. "So I'm still on the project?"

"Yes, under one condition."

Great. There's a catch. There's always a catch.

"Stay on Mr. Flud's good side."

"Seriously?" She half-hissed through clenched teeth.

There was a slight shake to his head. "Yes. You only have to work with him for several months, and I want him to feel welcome here."

"Yes sir," she wanted to avoid arguing with him. It'd just dig her grave even deeper.

Before Ainsley left the lab, folder in hand, he gave her a smile. "I'll be in my office if you need anything. I have some work I wish to finish before tomorrow. The night is still young, so don't do anything I wouldn't do." It was more of a statement than a request.

Kimbra didn't really know what the reptile meant by that. "If you say so, sir."

The old scientist gave her a slight nod before retreating to his office.

Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea, after all.