Love Reaction
Patricia Cardwell has been hung up on her last boyfriend for years even as she pushes herself in her lab work. She always likes a challenge and doesn't think she minds the workload, but her supervisor is worried about the long hours wearing on her health and tells her she needs to get out of the office to have a break for a few days. She protests at first, but he insists, and she gives in, deciding to go home.
Patricia leaves the lab and on her way out of the offices, she spots Grant Gruber, one of the lab's more recent arrivals. Grant is a biologist who has been thinking of approaching her for a while now. He chats with Patricia by the doors and she is noticeably a little more upbeat to him. Grant suggests how disastrous office romances can be at the end of another anecdote, but winks at Patricia. He asks if Patricia wants to share lunch sometime soon, but she tells him she is going to be out of the office for a while because of the supervisor's orders.
Grant sees the chance to get closer to Patricia after all the times she's brushed off his subtler advances. He resolves to do what he can to break through her defenses and sweep her off her feet. He tells her at the door that it's even better that she's got some time off. They can meet up outside of work.
They meet the next night for dinner and end up spending more time together throughout the following week. Patricia is elated at the attention he is giving her, but hides her excitement from Grant. They agree to meet at a restaurant in the city the next day.
That night, Patricia visits with her parents and gets an earful of all the things her four siblings have been up to lately. She is not very close to her many siblings and, therefore, tunes out and wonders why Grant asked her out now of all times. He seems so confident most of the time, but he seemed to act differently towards her.
Patricia has one sibling she is close to, her older sister Marlene. After leaving her parents' house, Patricia calls Marlene, who she thinks understands men better than her and asks for advice on how to approach Grant. In reply, Marlene tells her that if she plays her cards right Patricia might not have to let Grant dangle on the line long at all.
Patricia and Grant go to a restaurant. While they wait for their food, Grant asks Patricia how she got into the job she is doing now. She is noncommittal. She went through college and grad school with her head down, never noticing anything or anyone except academics. Grant tries to probe, but doesn't push too terribly hard.
Patricia asks Grant a lot of questions about himself and his life, as he got his degree at a younger age than she did, and has actually been in the work force about as long as her. Grant answers most of Patricia's questions, but withdraws from questions about his parents. He is otherwise open about his life and childhood. Patricia begins to think Grant may be the right kind of guy for her because he is so genuine, even vulnerable at times.
On the same night as their dinner, they go back to Patricia's place and have a few drinks and sit around talking in the living room. Patricia has been lonely for a long time and not even realized it. She wants to spend more time with him, but he seems to withdraw more the closer that she tried to get to him. Patricia and Grant kiss on the couch for a long while, and eventually Grant begins to opens up more. They talk into the night and it leads to a night of passion.
The next day, Grant leaves early to get back to the lab before Patricia wakes. He is in a hurry, and doesn't think to leave a note. He has an important deadline that has to be met so even when he realizes what he has forgotten on the way to work he can't turn around to tell Patricia. He wants to turn around and go back, but his supervisors are waiting for him to show. He still values his professionalism at his job too highly to jeopardize it so early in his career at this new lab.
Patricia wakes up and finds Grant gone to her dismay. She assumes he was always planning on making her a one-night stand and gets angry with him. She calls him and lets the phone ring, before repeating the call. With others around he can't answer any of the calls she puts into him at the office and she becomes nervous and stressed out at his apparent lack of care. She wonders if it was her or if he is just a lady's man who is always after only one thing.
Patricia goes to the lab to work away her worries and stress, and so she can forget the fact that no one ever seems to react the way she wants them to react to her. She is working in a different part of the lab from Grant, but she knows he is there. She thinks he must have just been using her and she becomes depressed about the whole situation. How could she have given in so easily? What kind of woman did that make her? She gets so frustrated she spills some ingredients all over the counter and onto the floor. Some of the ingredients are dangerous, but she is able to safely contain them.
While she is finishing her cleaning up, Grant comes in. He has realized how much Patricia means to him and how bad she must feel that he has been forced to ignore her all day. She gets angry when she sees him, but he won't back off. He keeps telling her he has feelings for her, insisting that they really do have something. He tells her he doesn't need an office romance, but a lab isn't an office and he cares about her too much to ignore her any more. They kiss and she tells him she cares about him, too.
She thinks with a smile that she finally got the right reaction in the lab.
CHAPTERS
Chapter One
Patricia Cardwell desperately wants to forget her past boyfriend, but she's been hung up on him for years and doesn't know how to get away. She buries herself in her work as she has in the past. Her work has been dragging lately, and her supervisor tells her to take some time off, just get out of the lab for a few days.
Chapter Two
Patricia is forced out of her lab, but on the way out she sees Grant Gruber, the team's new biologist, coming in from the parking lot. They chat briefly by the doors. Grant mentions the disastrous office romance at the last place he worked, but with a wink at the end. Then he asks Patricia if she wants to meet for lunch sometime. She tells him the supervisor doesn't want her working right now.
Chapter Three
Grant remembers all the times Patricia has brushed him off. He sees this as his chance to finally get to know her better. He tells her just before she heads out the door that it is even better that she has some time off, they can do more. Patricia is a bit nervous because of his forwardness. She says fine, however.
Chapter Four
Patricia and Grant spend more time together over the next week. The next night, they go to a restaurant and make begin to communicate more. Patricia doesn't have much to say, but she asks Grant a lot of questions. Grant is a little withdrawn, but has a lot of fun. Patricia begins to think Grant may be right for her.
Chapter Five
Later, on the same night they go back to Patricia's place and have a few drinks and sit around talking in the living room. Eventually, Patricia finds herself sitting across Grant's lap and they eventually make love on the couch.
Chapter Six
The next day, Grant leaves early to get back to the lab before Patricia wakes, and doesn't even leave a note. Patricia wakes up and finds him gone. She assumes he thinks she was a one-night stand and gets angry. He doesn't have a chance to answer the calls she puts into him at the office and she becomes overly stressed out at his apparent lack of care.
Chapter Seven
Patricia goes to the lab to work away her stress and so she can forget the fact that no one ever seems to react the way she wants them to in the end. She gets so frustrated she spills some ingredients. While she's cleaning them up, Grant comes in. He has realized how much Patricia means to him. She gets angry when she sees him, but he won't back off. He tells her he doesn't need an office romance, but a lab isn't an office and he truly cars for her. They kiss and she tells him she also cars for him, too.
CHARACTERS
Patricia Cardwell
Age: 30 Height: 5, 3 Hair: Brown Eyes: Blue
Family: Parents, 2 brothers and 2 sisters Occupation: Laboratory Chemist
Grant Gruber
Age: 28 Height: 6, 1 Hair: Black Eyes: Green
Family: Parents, Younger Sister (Gloria) Occupation: Biologist
SETTING
Chicago Illinois and the nearby lab