Mind the Bleep

9 | One Big Act

Isaac was already seated in the café when Caliana arrived. A halcyon ambience to the scene as he selected a table by the open window, a menu encapsulating his attention. She was almost certain that he wasn't reading the contents though — no, definitely not, his nystagmic irises moved far too erratically from side to side for that to have been the case.

His folded arms perched upon the table as he resumed his facade. His tall, lean but broad-shouldered build was the oblivious recipient of several double-takes from people who entered the cafe before she had.

"You're late." He commented without a single glance upwards, sensing her presence before she had announced her arrival. Caliana dredged her cardigan more snugly around her shoulders after shrugging her terracotta-coloured raincoat away from her being. The seven a.m. wind was one she wasn't all too acquainted with, but it was hitting her with a wild vengeance.

"Oh god. Six minutes past seven?! How will I ever make it up to you for committing such an atrocity?" She feigned mock horror, smacking the dorsum of her hand against her forehead. Isaac shoved his tongue against his inner cheek in an attempt to smother a smirk, still shirking eye contact. "I mean, really? Give me a break, Doctor Rhys. It's seven a.m. Normal people are still in bed at this time on the weekend. I don't know why we couldn't have discussed the research project later this evening."

"You don't get to where I am in life by conforming to the acts of 'normal people'." He clarified rather coolly. "Besides, I couldn't have done tonight, I already have plans." Isaac continued before noting the waiter passing by their table from his peripheral field of vision and waving the young blonde man over to where they sat.

"Oh, really? Monica make an impression, did she?" Caliana muttered under her breath, but her words led to his sturdy build leaning forward, torso narrowly missing the table, leaving no doubt that he'd heard her snarky comment.

"Ready to order?" The waiter chirped away, flicking his notebook to a new page, preparing to scribble away.

Caliana peered upwards after a moment of silence, realising that Isaac was glancing toward her, awaiting for her to order first. "Oh, I'll just get a full English breakfast. And a glass of orange juice, please."

"I'll have the same. With a double Espresso. Thanks."

"Monica?" Isaac repeated once the waiter had skipped out of sight.

"The girl from the bar last night." Caliana explained. "You know, the one that asked for your number."

"Oh, you mean Monique?" Isaac's glacial blue eyes enlarged with genuine intrigue. "You know what her name is. You were there when she introduced herself."

"Yes, well...I struggle to pronounce my Qs sometimes." Caliana argued defensively, earning a knowing curl of Isaac's lip; an amused expression alit within his lustred eyes. "It's this lisp I have."

"Right. I must not be as attentive as I thought because I can't say I've noticed it." Isaac teased back. He inclined down towards his briefcase situated by his feet, opening it, gripping a thick wad of sheets, and placing them before Caliana. "Anyway, let's get to what we came here for. The research project."

"Yeah, sure." She nodded in agreement, scooping a coiled strand of chestnut-coloured hair between her thumb and forefinger, looping it around several times before arranging it back around the bun on her head.

"It's on the current management of basal cell carcinoma — the commonest form of skin cancer. An evaluation of the current treatment options, followed by a study into some of the new topical treatments on the market. It'll require some lab work, but it shouldn't take too long, a couple of months at most. Then, we can showcase our findings of whether the new treatment options prove more effective than those already available. We'll give a presentation at the International Medical Conference. It's being held in Greece this year. It's in three months time."