Chapter 12

“You must be Rob,” he said. He pushed the stool back and stood up. He was on the shorter side, with a stocky build. A white lab coat covered dark slacks and a button-down shirt. He walked over to Rob and extended his hand in greeting. “I’m Alex. It’s nice to meet you.”

Rob accepted the handshake gratefully. “Likewise.”

Alex gestured around the room. “Welcome to the lab. I’m sure Jack’s told you all about how I hate to be disturbed. You may ignore all of that.”

“Oh.” Rob chewed on his lower lip. “I mean, I don’t want to disturb you…”

“If I don’t want to be disturbed, I’ll let you know,” Alex said calmly. “Jack is…overprotective.” His eyes twinkled as he continued, “And I suspect he wanted to keep you on your toes. Test you.”

Rob wasn’t sure what to make of that. He didn’t like the idea of being tested, but he also couldn’t fault the others for being wary. He certainly preferred Jack’s methods of testing compared to Anya’s maddening questions or Aaron’s avoidance.