Absolute Zero Read Online Free PDF Page B

finally stated, shaking his head.
    Go away.
    She didn’t respond. She was seriously considering excusing herself from the room. It was too small and getting smaller by the second, at least in her mind. The walls were closing in; her lungs were becoming squeezed. The pressure building within her brain was starting to become unbearable.
    Her hands gripped the side of the table, ready to push the chair back before the woman wandered in again. She looked much calmer than she did when she left. She probably went somewhere to collect herself, maybe give herself a mental pep talk in order to deal with the annoying man seated across the table.
    Who was he? Why did he show up late to his own orientation? When he walked in, he did so unapologetically. Maybe he worked here already? But if he worked here, why was he sitting in this extremely boring and unnecessary training session? Why do I even care? She’s back.  Ignore him and concentrate on her.
    “All right, sorry about that. Where were we?” she stated in a perfectly cool voice.
    “No fraternization.” Anne piped up before shooting a sideways glance at him. He shot one back, although his eyebrows were raised in amusement.
    “Sir?” An attractive young woman poked her head in through the open door, her eyes fastening on him immediately.
    He looked from Anne to the new arrival.
    “Cyril Hendrick from Probst Labs is on line 3 for you. He says you’re expecting his call,” she stated in an almost sheepish voice.
    “Hmm…” he muttered to himself as he looked at the woman. She immediately averted her eyes toward the floor.
    “Well, Anne, you enjoy the rest of your orientation, eh?” he stated as he pushed away from the table and stood. “It was nice to meet you.” He extended his hand across the table for her to shake, apparently. She reached her own hand out after an awkward hesitation.
    “The pleasure was ALL mine, right?” he stated with a smirk as his warm hand clasped and surrounded hers, applying a slight squeeze before he let go. His eyes were still on her even as he backed away toward the door.
    She opened her mouth to respond before quickly shutting it. What do you say to that?
    He gave a slight nod toward the woman at the front of the room before disappearing around the corner.
    Anne’s eyes shifted toward the woman as a strange sound could be heard from her general direction. She blew out a rather noisy breath and was staring down at her computer.
    “I am so sorry about that. He’s never done that before.” She stated before her gaze locked with Anne’s.
    “Who is he?” Anne asked.
    The woman’s eyes widened. “You don’t know?”
    Anne shook her head and shrugged.
    “ That was Ian McClellan.” She stated simply before Anne’s stomach decided to drop.
    “Shit. I mean…shoot.” Anne quickly amended under her breath.
    “He never comes here anymore, he hasn’t been in this facility for almost a year and then he shows up out of the blue. He makes us all a bit…nervous.” The woman confided as she clicked her mouse button and the next page showed up on the screen.
    “Did I make a complete fool of myself?” The woman asked as her green eyes locked with Anne’s. She honestly looked scared.
    “Umm…no?” Don’t lie . “Well, sort of…” Anne said before giving a slight shrug of her shoulders.
    “Oh god. What did he say to you? Did he say anything about me? Did he say why he came in here?” she asked.
    “No.” He just asked prying questions, I made reference to the fact that he was an ape, basically threw the ‘no fraternization’ policy in his face … “No, he just asked me some questions, that’s all. Nothing about you.” Oh, except that part when I told him you lost your mind. She kept that to herself. Her hands were fidgeting under the table nervously.
    “All right. Ok. Well, I’m sorry about all that. I guess we should continue, huh?”
    Actually, I’d rather not . “Sure,” she stated instead.
    *****
    “And this