Page 58 of Ruining His Smirk
“Not every day we get to watch an international joint operation,” Captain Birch announced. “The ship is quite proud of being involved.”
“Ah, of course.” I rubbed the back of my neck.
“Since we have such a broad mix, I’ll take everyone quickly through the recovery from the seafloor all the way to surface transport. I apologize in advance when my colleagues and I start pulling it apart section by section. The technical details might not make sense to some of you.”
“I’m quite sure we won’t.” Nate grinned at the room.
Then he turned to the screen and waved. “Dr. Braddock here.”
Shit, I should have introduced him formally instead of admiring his fucking sweater.
He continued, “I had the opportunity to look over some of the calculations earlier, and I haven’t the faintest idea what was on those pages. I, for one, am very glad we have Mr. Landry’s expertise to guide us. And thank you all for being so generous with your time.”
I blinked at him stupidly. Was he being sarcastic like usual or was this something new after we had…? Well, he had called me handsome while I was drowning, but later when I thought about it, I had chalked that up to him trying to stop me from thrashing. However, last night he’d called me handsome again and said a bunch of things that didn’t sound sarcastic at all. What was I to do now?
Was he still my arch-nemesis even after I had literally fallen asleep in his arms with my damn dick inside him? Or was I one of those men, after all, who thought with their dicks and threw all their principles out the window once a beauty had graced their beds?
Because I’d not forgotten his cheating. And he had not denied it either. Not really. He had insisted he had not cheated, but he had been equally mad at me when I had landed here first. Why would someone punch another if they truly had no beef? And yet… he had been thoughtful and shown me kindness again and again. I was so fucked up.
“Ahh… Mr. Landry?” Nate’s eyes were wide, and a slow blush crept up his cheeks.
I blinked. Jesus. I almost died of mortification. Everyone was staring at me because I had been staring athim.
I quickly got on with the explanation and prayed to anyone listening in the skies above to wipe out everyone’s memory of that awful lapse in my focus.
An hour later, as I thanked everyone and the meeting was wrapping up, a hand rose beside Nate. I stared at my brother. “Dexter, did you have something to say?”
He nodded nervously, then stood and faced the screens. “I’m aware this is an unusual question, but has anyone’s research station recently lost its supply of tater tots?”
For one long second, nobody spoke.
I groaned inwardly.
Goddammit, Dexter!
After another fifteen minutes, the meeting concluded and almost everyone left the room or signed off.
The captain walked up to me and thumped my back. “Excellent work there, young man. I’d heard high praise from your station chief, but to see it with my own eyes today was an absolute honor. Some of your colleagues looked several decades older than you. Despite that, you held your own well. I see a very bright future ahead, Landry.”
“Please call me Garrett, sir.” I felt like strutting around like a rooster. It was rare for someone like him to say such words to me. I wasn’t looking for the praise, but damn, did it feel good. “And thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I’m also pleased to see you and Nate getting along. Wonderful.” He clapped his hands once. “I was worried about the submersible dive, but I see now there’s no reason to be. Well, let me—”
“Sorry? What dive?”
“The submersible dive.” He gestured at Nate, who was deep in conversation with Keith and Dexter across the room. “Now that the design has been approved, you’re scheduled to take a look at the site, correct?”
Was I?
I stared at the captain.
“Don’t worry.”
How could I not worry if I was supposed to be going hundreds of feet underwater inside a bubble?
“Nate is an excellent submersible pilot. It will be just you and him, so there shouldn’t be any issues.”
With that bombshell, he walked away, whistling some loony tune.
