A Few Weeks Into The Job, Afternoon...

It had been a few weeks now into the job and she was settling in well. She did wish she had a nice position that came with a view though. The R&D room she worked in, although spacious, felt very secluded from the world, with only a few windows for natural lighting. This day was no exception.

Lyla sighed.

"Bored already?" a familiar voice asked.

She perked up and looked behind her and saw Jack walking in with a cup of coffee in each hand, she imagined he must still be playing the gentleman. "I just haven't found what I'm looking for yet." She said as he gave one of the coffees to her. She smiled widely at him and took the drink gratefully.

"What do you mean?" He asked while sipping his drink.

"Well, it's been a couple weeks, I thought I was going to be rotated around and get a grasp on everything ADE represents or something. I mean, I feel like I don't really know what I'm doing here." Lyla answered back before taking a sip. It was heavenly, as usual. Caffeine in the afternoon is always a blessing.

He nodded, "Yeah, I get it. You're tired of seeing my ugly mug every day. I asked good 'ol Emmett to keep on his promise to let you see more of the company, but, well, he says I need an assistant, otherwise I won't get my work done."

Lyla pointed at him and smirked. "Just like college right?" She said with a giggle.

He shrugged and grinned, "Maybe, maybe not." Jack looked down into his cup, it was empty now. "I miss college sometimes." He tossed the cup behind him and it landed in a bin.

She saw him looking off into space and she knew he was most definitely not thinking about college, but rather the good times that came with that. "Are you talking about Maria?"

He shook his head. "No...yes." He paused for a moment and then looked at Lyla, his eyes showed something that she couldn't quite place. "I still haven't forgotten that night." He continued.

Lyla blushed, "Oh..." She said as she put down her coffee. The sexual tension was definitely there. The two of them did have many different experiences together, especially when they were both under the influence. She knew exactly what he was talking about.

Jack nodded again. "Yeah." He was silent for a few moments before he spoke again. "You know, she never talked to me again after that night you and I slept together." Jack took out a cigarette from his lab coat and lit it. "And after that night...it all seemed so fuzzy to me. You know what I mean? Like it didn't really happen, but it did, and my life's course was changed forever." Jack took a puff on his smoke.

Lyla remembered that Maria was Jack's fiancée in first year, they even had a kid together a year before when they were sweethearts before college. Jack kinda ruined that whole relationship by being quite the party boy, he slept with many women behind her back.

"I'm sorry, Jack." she said softly. Lyla remembers the night they were caught by his fiance at a party. It was exactly what it looked like, but completely done in drunken stupidity.

Jack just shrugged it off. "Yeah, me too." He shook his head before putting out the cigarette. "Even though it has been about 3 years now, it still eats at me."

Lyla bit her lip and sighed. "I know...me too." She took a deep breath before speaking again. "How come we never became a thing?" She asked.

The question didn't take Jack by surprise. "Well, we've always been two different people Lyla. You're smart, bookish, clean. Me? Well, I've always been too fun for my own good. I don't regret it one bit either, you know that. Maria knew that too as well. I mean, if she didn't catch us fucking, she would've caught me with someone else." He paused, thinking about the other women he had been with. "You're weren't like those girls I usually hooked up with."

"Yeah, I know...I think. I mean, we never really went out after that night." Lyla said as she fidgeted with her fingers. "You don't resent me for why you and Maria broke apart, do you? I mean, because of me..." She trailed off before looking back up to him.

Jack just shook his head at her question, "Maria was a beautiful woman, still is. She did find someone after me to take care of our daughter. It all works out Lyla, it's fine." He gave a smile as he patted her on the shoulder. "You're probably the most decent person I've ever slept with, aside from Maria."

"Oh, uh...well thanks!" Lyla said back quickly. "You were my first time too so...uh..." She felt awkward. He was her first for so much.

He laughed at that, "Yeah, I remember." Some silence passed and he put his hand on her shoulder. "Well, we should stop reminiscing and get to work, shall we?"

"Yes!" Lyla said excitedly. "You can start now by getting me another coffee!" she said with a wide smile.

"Will do, beautiful." Jack said with a chuckle as he headed to the elevator.

Lyla went back to her paperwork.