Page 30 of Falling for the Felid
There’s a little pause, and then Griffiths makes a humming sound. “You know, I don’t think I’ve seen any research on that either.”
My stomach sinks. No. I can’t tell Felix that he’s doomed to be horny in public for however much longer this takes. I want to solve his problems for him.
But Griffiths is still talking. “…probably because it’s not considered to be a problem. Violent outbursts are dangerous to others, and a lot of people become uncomfortable when someone is openly emotional, so those would have been areas of research to prioritize. Increased sexual appetite in adults is regarded as either a minor nuisance or a good thing and can generally be solved without expert intervention.”
Without expert… “Do you mean it can be solved by having sex?” That’s an obvious answer, but?—
“Yes, or by self-gratification,” he says matter-of-factly. “But I’m guessing that’s not what you wanted to hear.”
“It’s not so much that I don’t want to hear it, Doctor. The thing is, it’s not always a practical solution. My friend gets painfully aroused in nonsexual situations in public places, and my understanding is that it doesn’t go away easily. Isn’t there something he could add to a training or management plan that would reduce the frequency and severity of…” I trail off, because I’m running out of ways to sound professional about this.
“That’s a good question,” he muses. “It’s not one I’ve had to factor into my research, because this is a sex study. Some of my data might…” He trails off, and I wait patiently for a few moments.
And then a few more.
My patience begins to thin.
“Dr. Griffiths?” I say at last, a little worried that the call might have dropped out.
“Yes. Can you leave this with me? I’m afraid I don’t know of any resources that address this, but I’ll ask around with some of my colleagues who might. I also want to have a look at my data. I’ve never considered this question before, so it’s possible there might be something useful there that I never noticed.”
“Thank you, I’d appreciate that very much.” I exhale deeply.
“It’s no trouble.” He sounds amused now, probably due to my dramatic sigh. “This friend, he must be special.”
“He is, he’s—” Oh. “No, we’re just friends.”
“But you wish it was more?”
“No” sits on the tip of my tongue, but I can’t say it. Fuck. Why can’t I say it? Felix and I are barely even friends. A week ago, it wouldn’t have been a stretch to say we were… not enemies, I’ve had actual enemies before and it’s considerably different. But I wouldn’t have corrected anyone who said we didn’t like each other.
It’s different now.
“I see,” Griffiths says. “Well, I’m sure he’ll be grateful for the effort you’re making on his behalf, regardless. He’s going through so much right now that the support of his friends can only help.” He pauses. “And, you know, sometimes there’s a fine line between friendship and more.”
I swallow hard. “It’s not like that,” I protest, but there’s no conviction behind it. Damn him for being so perceptive. Aren’t scientists supposed to be so wrapped up in their research that they don’t notice things like feelings?
Dr. Griffiths doesn’t argue. “Text me your email address, and I’ll send over any resources I come across, but if I find anything helpful in my data, I’ll give you a call. It might take a week or so,” he warns. “I can’t give this priority over my other work.”
“I understand,” I assure him, relieved to be back on firmer conversational ground. “I really do appreciate your help, Doctor.”
The call ends, and my phone chimes with a new message.
Felix:
Dinner at Dáithí’s place because Eoin’s working tonight. Do you have the address? We’re meeting at 6:30.
Fuck. What was I thinking? If I go to this dinner, I’ll be facing an inquisition at work tomorrow. Sure, my bosses wanted me and Felix to get along better, but I don’t think they thought it would happen this fast—or be this successful. I can fob off questions from Rhys Griffiths, who I barely know, but Eoin will be much harder to deter.
I should back out of dinner.
See you there.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Felix
I wavethe printout of my new diet plan that Edison gave me, unable to help the grin that stretches across my face. “It’s so simple! Did you see how simple it is? I can easily follow this—it’s not too big a change from how I usually eat during the off season, anyway. More protein? I can do that!” I’m practically bouncing with excitement.
