The Cinderella Project (A Comedy of Love, #1) by Stan Crowe

trees about twenty yards from where I’d asked Moiré to go.
    “I’m sorry,” she said and I could see it in her face. “I honestly wasn’t trying to make a joke about this. If you need me to just go back to the lab instead .…”
    I shook my head again. “No, no. Nothing like that. I’m not trying to get rid of you by splitting up.”
    She seemed relieved and I gave her a reassuring smile.
    “Have you ever sketched nudes, Moiré?” I was embarrassed the second the words came out.
    “Yes. I have a bulging portfolio from my time spent at the Adonis Colony, back in oh-six.”
    I wasn’t sure what shade of red my face turned then. I wasn’t sure whether it was the idea of her frequently examining chiseled, naked males, or whether it was some sort of unexpected jealousy.
    “A-Adonis… Colony?” I asked, carefully.
    “Yes,” she said plainly. “It’s on a small island just off the coast of Denver.”
    I made to speak and then stopped, mouth hanging open like an idiot. Moiré bit back a laugh. I realized what was going on and shook my head at my stupidity.
    “Okay, so maybe that wasn’t the best metaphor,” I groaned. “What I was trying to get at was that multiple perspectives are more likely to give a clearer view of the overall picture. That’s why we’ll be sitting in different locations, even though we’re watching the same things.”
    “I’m sorry.” She still fought her laughter. “It’s so much easier to be serious in the lab with the formaldehyde in the air from upstairs.”
    “It’s okay. Really, I don’t mind the jokes. I’m just… still getting used to them.” I looked at her more seriously and added, “You’ve honestly been the best, most professional research assistant I’ve ever had and the work you’ve done in this past week really tells a shining tale about your competence and intelligence. Don’t worry about a joke or three. Besides, my sisters used to tease me all the time, too. I guess I’ll just think of you as another one of them.” I immediately regretted saying that, but hid it anyway.
    “Cool. Then we’re blood.”
    “Something like that,” I muttered. “Let’s go to work.”
    The time in the park was productive, though I regretted splitting from Moiré. We both sat where I’d assigned us, trying to look casual as we spied on people and made notes about the various, intimate things they were doing. When I first started these observations, I had felt like a low-life voyeur. Time salved that feeling; I reasoned that if I could manage to conduct the kind of experiments that required The Chair with maturity and poise, that benevolently stalking random strangers should be a cakewalk by comparison. And so it had become.
    I forced myself to keep my mind on the task at hand and I was proud that I only glanced at Moiré twice and only to see if she appeared to need any help. She’d been kind enough to not even acknowledge that she was with me; I’d told her we needed to do that to avoid attracting attention to ourselves. I was pleased with my self-control.
    Two hours later, Moiré perched herself discreetly behind me. I glanced backward and noticed her stowing her items in her bag. She avoided looking at me as she spoke.
    “Hey, Nick? I know we might not be quite done here, yet, but I need to take off. Is that okay?”
    I nodded. The words “Hot date?” were out before I could think. I mentally cringed at the slip.
    She winked. “I promised I wouldn’t tell. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything you wouldn’t.”
    Whoa. “Um… Moiré?”
    She laughed. I kept falling for this why?
    “Actually, I need to get going myself.” Ella would be expecting me and I wasn’t about to disappoint her.
    Moiré finished packing, zipped up her backpack and stood lithely. “See you Wednesday?”
    I got on my feet. “You know the place. I’ll see you then. Have fun! And, don’t forget, Friday we start observations of dinner dates.”
    She smiled, but I managed to