My thoughts were a whirlwind. Andrew. The way his brow furrowed in concentration, the faint smile playing on his lips as he explained a particularly complex equation. The way his hand, surprisingly gentle, brushed against mine as we adjusted the equipment. Every detail, every interaction, replayed in my mind like a movie playing on repeat.
Louise, bless her heart, was trying to distract me. "Lynn, you've got to get Whiskers to the vet. He's been acting awfully weird all week, and the vet said it could be something serious," she said, her voice laced with concern. She held up a crumpled note; a reminder of how much time was left until the deadline for the project. The note, a stark reminder that the project remained in my hands, and her concern for Whiskers the cat, was getting nothing done.
I nodded, but my mind was elsewhere. In the lab, amidst the whirring machinery, surrounded by equations and diagrams, I could almost feel the thrumming energy radiating from Andrew, and I was acutely aware that he was aware of it too.
Louise sighed, her brow furrowed. "Lynn? You seem distracted. Is everything alright?"
"Oh, yeah," I mumbled, forcing a smile. "Just thinking about... well, about the project, really. It's just... a lot to keep track of." I didn't want to tell her about Andrew.
She looked at me, a knowing glint in her eye. "Look, you need to focus, Lynn. We can't keep delaying Whiskers' appointment." She held up a leash, the colour of which was almost identical to the shade of Andrew's shirt.
"Right," I said, picking up the leash. "Got it."
"You know," she said, her voice softening, "sometimes, when I'm lost in my own thoughts, I feel like I'm playing with the dragon's tail. It seems endless, and you can't really grasp the whole thing, but you're still drawn in by the mystery. It sounds exactly like the project, doesn't it?"
I smiled a little, feeling a small flicker of warmth spread through me. "Maybe. Maybe it's like that."
As we walked, I caught myself thinking about Andrew again. He was like that dragon's tail—enticing, full of hidden depths. I was drawn in to the possibilities and the challenges. I felt both excited and strangely nervous at the same time. And that's when I felt a shiver run down my spine. Perhaps I'd better get Whiskers to the vet and keep my focus on the now.