Page 57 of The Naughty Professor

I sighed, pushing my glasses up the bridge of my nose.“We’re not selling it.We’re perfecting it.”

Her shoulders slumped dramatically.“Ugh, you’re such a buzzkill.”

“I’m a scientist,” I said.“And you’re my assistant.So get your ass over here and help me perfect the serum before I lose my mind.”

She grumbled something, and then snapped on her gloves like she was about to perform surgery—or commit a felony.“All right, Doc.What’s the problem?If you ask me, it’s already perfect.”

“It works,” I said, staring into the swirling blue.“But not for long.I need it to hold.Permanently, or at least longer than a few hours.”

“Like Viagra but for personality?”she said.

“Please don’t put that on a business card.”

She peered at the flask, fascinated.“So what’s your plan?”

“Grab the stabilizer compound from the top shelf.”I snapped.“Tonight we’re making magic happen.”

ChapterNineteen

Felix

“Don’t take this the wrong way, Dr.Sterling,” Juniper said, “but if this thing starts glowing again, I’m running for the hills.”

“It’s supposed to glow,” I said.“That blue luminescence indicates molecular stability.”

“Uh-huh.”She tilted her head.“And if it glows more, that indicates we’re about to meet Jesus?”

“Less sarcasm, more stirring, please.”

She sighed and picked up the glass rod.“You know, normal people unwind after work with Netflix, not self-experimentation.”

“I’m not normal people.”

“Clearly.”She paused, eyes flicking to the swirling blue in the flask.“You really think this version will last longer?”

“It should.I replaced the temporary bonding agent with a polymerized—”

“English, Dr.Sterling.”

“It means it will hold together.”

She gave a small, nervous laugh.“Right up until it doesn’t.”

I tried not to smile.Juniper’s snark had always been my favorite form of background noise; it kept me human.But underneath her jokes was fear, and I could feel it tightening the air.

“I know what you’re thinking,” I said.

“That you’re insane?”

“That you want to see if it works.”

Her mouth twitched.“You’re really going to stick that in your arm, aren’t you?Great.I’ll queue up another round of ‘How Not to Panic When Your Boss Stops Breathing.’”

I adjusted the flame instead of answering.The serum deepened from sky blue to cobalt.

Juniper groaned.“You’re really going to do it.”

“It’s the only way to know if the stabilization holds.”