[This chapter is dedicated to Chloe_Hughes_6663. Thank you for picking up this book. Your support is greatly appreciated. Cheers!]

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Jess and Noah had already finished their lunch. Antonio ordered them the usual Chinese rice box from the Chinese restaurant where they usually order when Noah had some cravings for Chinese food.

"Can I use your bathroom to freshen up?"

"Sure," Noah stood up from the couch, "Let me show you." He dropped his used tissue inside the empty box of rice.

The receiving area of his office was just a few steps away from his personal bathroom but it's behind a wall. A wood panel tucked it away from other eyes.

"This way," he said, gently pulling her elbow behind the wood panel. He pressed his thumb on the electronic keypad on the wall that opened the wood panel to a hallway.

On the right was a mirror covering the wall, and across from it was a closet where most of Noah's emergency suit and other stuff he needed, without going home, was there. The hallway was narrow but the wall mirror gives the room an illusion of wider and bigger space.

The lightning also helps.

Noah walked further down the hallway where there's a marble lavatory counter. He opened the drawer underneath the sink and took out a new toothbrush for Jess, and some hand towels for her to use.

When Jess joined Noah on the lavatory counter, she saw on her right the shower and toilet. The door was made of glass with black metal frames. The bathroom tiles were also black granites.

"Do you want to use the toilet?" Noah asked when he noticed Jess looking in the direction of the toilet. "I can step out," he offered since it was made of glass, with him inside. She won't have privacy because he can see her do her private business.

"No, I'm fine. I'll just brush my teeth and fix my makeup," she smiled at him from the mirror, while she squeezed a pea-sized amount of toothpaste on her newly opened toothbrush.

Noah picked up his toothbrush that was on the lavatory counter, inside a sterilizer toothbrush holder. He put an ample amount of toothpaste on his toothbrush and joined Jess as she brushed her teeth.

The bathroom has enough space for Noah to move around, but with Jess inside the room, it got a bit cramped, not because of the lack of space but Noah making sure to stand too close to Jess that anyone that could see would think they were joined at the hips.

From the mirror in front of them, they watched each other as they brushed their teeth in silence. Jess was the first one to spit her toothpaste suds on the sink. But instead of gargling some water to clean her mouth of the toothpaste residue, she continued brushing her teeth.

Throughout the entire process, Noah stared at Jess brushing her teeth and found every movement fascinating as if he had never seen anyone brush their teeth before. This is the first time he joined Jess inside the bathroom.

Whenever she sleepovers at his house, Jess would always use the toilet alone. She would use his bathroom as a place in his house as a space for her me time, and to avoid his usual advances.

When they finished brushing their teeth, Noah leaned against the wall, with arms crossed over his chest, he watched Jess reapplied her lipstick and dust some powder on her already perfect face.

"What time will you finish work today?"

She looked at Noah in the mirror who had been watching her like a hawk. "I'm not sure. I was told that we have team orientation," she tilted her neck to her left side, smiled with satisfaction at her reflection.

She put her lipstick and powder back in her makeup pouch, stepped back from the lavatory counter, smoothen her dress, then removed her hair from the messy bun. She raked her fingers on her locks, shook them to get that natural look, tucked in some strands behind her ears, and she was done.

"You look breathtaking, Miss Zimmerman," he breathed a compliment that was mirrored in his blue eyes.

Jess blushed, hearing Noah complimenting her looks, she suddenly felt conscious with her looks. "You think so?" she asked, biting her lower lip.

Noah pushed his back away from leaning against the wall, he took a stride towards her, and cupped her face, "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever laid my eyes on."

Jess's already flushed face turned two shades redder. Noah knew how to make her lose her footing. She could feel herself melt into a puddle of mush on the floor. Her arms encircled his neck in an attempt to save herself. "You are such a smooth operator," she said.

Noah bent down and kissed her luscious lips. She can just reapply her lipstick all over again, but for now, he wanted to mess them up.

"Uhmp, Noah —" Jess's protest was stuck at the back of her throat. Noah kissed her vigorously, as though he wanted to claim everything that she was as his.

He dipped his tongue into her mouth and she stopped protesting and returned his kisses with the same fervor.

They won't stop and probably end up with something more if only her phone alarm didn't take them back to the reality, that Jess has an orientation at two in the afternoon, and it is now thirty minutes past one.

Jess set her phone alarm at one thirty because she knew that Noah can be difficult when it comes to goodbyes.

She gasped for air and blurted, "Time out!"

Noah chuckled, cradled her face in his palms, and pressed a kiss on her forehead. "Let me take you to the other building."

"I need to —"

"Do it in the car. I can't promise to be rational if we stay here any longer." He grabbed her purse that was on the lavatory counter, pulled Jess out of the bathroom. "You are a minx. You drive me insane."

Noah said those words like it was nothing. As though he was stating a fact as the weather. He has no idea how Jess had to suck in air through her mouth for her chest squeezed her heart too tightly with the words that came out of his mouth.

His words made her delirious with wants. She wanted to be irrational and begged Noah to do something about India. He has the power to change everything with a snap of his fingers.

But Jess kept all the irrational thoughts within her mind. She didn't dare open her mouth to let those selfish thoughts. Antonio was confused when they hurriedly came out of the restroom as if they were being chased by some demons.

Noah has a grim expression on his face, his right hand holding her wrist, while his left hand carried her purse. Jess, with a bewildered expression on her face, let Noah drag her out of his inner office, out to the outer office where Miss Garcia was working, and just like Antonio, she glanced up from her computer screen when they passed by her.

Miss Garcia said something to them, but Jess with her thundering heart had her eyes glued on Noah's broad shoulder as he walked a step ahead of her, didn't catch what she said.

Noah didn't say anything until they reached his car, fastened her seatbelt and he hunkered down on the steering wheel.

She was puzzled with how he was acting, touched his shoulder, and called his name, "Noah…"

"I'm losing it, Jessica." He scoffed, laughed mockingly with his face still buried in his arms that were resting on the steering wheel of his sports car. "I wanted to keep you here," he blew a breath of frustration. "I don't want you to leave."

Jess cleared her throat and wondered what Noah would do if she told him that their feeling was mutual. She blinked her eyes multiple times to shove the idea at the back of her head. "Noah, we are just going to be separated for just a few weeks," she chuckled lightly.

Noah finally lifted his face away from the steering wheel, turned on the car's ignition, and slowly drove the short distance between the administration building to the laboratory building.

"Those few weeks felt like an eternity," he uttered, with his eyes glued in front of the car.

Jess chose not to respond anymore. Nothing she would say would change anything. Being separated for the first time would be a challenge they have to conquer. It would be stupid to let their emotions take over.

It's work and it's not like they can be together twenty-four seven. It's unhealthy. It may sound sweet and all but the reality of life is far from it. They had a separate life that they had to live. They have responsibilities waiting for them.

They were still both quiet when they reached the basement parking of the laboratory building. Jess didn't move a muscle even when the car's engine was already off.

"I have to finish some work. I can't pick you up but if you are still awake later, I can drop by at your place."

Jess unclipped her seatbelt and with her hands tightly clenching her purse, she leaned to Noah's side and kissed his cheek, "Later, then."