Mr. Park Lane (The Mister)

“What’s great about that place is that you don’t have to commit for the same time every week, like most places. I can volunteer around my shifts, which makes so much difference.”

“You’re a good person, Hartford.” There was no doubt about it—objectively, any stranger looking at how she spent her time would say the same thing. And that was an inspiration for me to do better at the Calmation campaign.

“That’s a nice thing to say. You’re a good person too.”

Was I? I wrote checks for charities but I couldn’t remember when I last spent time doing something altruistic apart from helping my friends, which didn’t exactly count. But there was no doubt Hartford was truly good. And clever. And beautiful. “I’m trying to be. Actually, you’ve been a bit of an influence on me, truth be told.”

She straightened her back. “I have?”

I nodded. “Yeah, my client has bought a pharma company and want me to pitch.”

“A pharma company?” She looked concerned, like I’d just told her I’d be wrestling with alligators.

“Yeah, and instead of being pissed off that I have to try to understand something that’s not luxury brands, I’m really enjoying it. It’s refreshing to be able to try to help people. It’s energizing.”

She frowned. “Big pharma doesn’t have a reputation for being altruistic.”

“Right? That’s what I thought, too. But the company I’m pitching for is all about trying to make medicines more affordable for people who need them.”

Her frown seemed to have set on her face. “Which pharma company are you pitching to?”

I shook my head. “It’s totally confidential, but these are the good guys. And it feels great to be on their side.”

Her frown melted into a shy smile and she took another forkful of cake. I watched as she chewed and swallowed. “I like that I’m a good influence on you.” Her voice had softened, bringing to mind her breathy whisper just before I’d kissed her.

I shook my head, trying to refocus. “Can I take up some of your free time and pick your brain about kids taking medicine?”

“What do you need to know?”

“As a kids’ doctor, you must have to prescribe medication. Do you have a problem with getting the children to actually take it? What happens if they refuse?”

A grin unraveled on her face like I’d just paid her the biggest compliment. “It can be a problem. Obviously, a lot depends on their age. If they’re old enough, it’s best to discuss it and tell them what the medicine is for and explain that it will make them better. But sometimes that doesn’t work or they’re too young. In that case, medicines can be mixed in with food or drink and disguised.”

“Does that ever change the effectiveness of the drug?” I asked. The idea I’d had was to change the current form of the drug from a pill to a sweet—some kind of gummy bear or something. The drug was there to help children, and they should feel good about taking it.

“Depends on the drug.” She paused and sliced off a forkful of cake. “You’d have to talk to your client. What kind of drug is it?” I didn’t get a chance to answer before she rolled her eyes. “I suppose you can’t tell me.”

“Sorry.”

“I don’t think pharma companies should have brands and marketing,” she said. “The government should ban it. Medicine should be medicine.”

“That’s probably true. At least this company and drug we’re pitching for is genuinely trying to do good,” I said. “It’s not the typical big pharma.”

She rolled her eyes. “I hope not.”

Eric had sent over a ton of background on Merdon and on Calmation. What they were doing was really impressive. Luca Brands was a step closer to helping them help children and parents. Talking with Hartford confirmed my suspicion that my task now was to make the drug appeal to children, and by extension, the parents who no longer faced a fight to get the medicine down. It might just be the sparkle we needed to make Eric realize Luca Brands could handle the Merdon account.

Hartford’s phone buzzed on the counter between us. “It’s Tom,” she said, her eyes lighting up. She was excited to hear from him. And that was good, right? I just had to ignore the churn in my gut.

She read the text and laughed.

“What?” I asked.

“He says, ‘Would love to see you again. Perhaps we can share some cake sometime soon?’”

“Well, he knows how to impress you.”

“What do I say?” she asked. “We didn’t negotiate our deal beyond first dates.”

“This isn’t just about our deal. It’s about you . . . extending your social circle. If you like the guy, say yes.”

Our eyes locked and for a second, I wanted to tell her to text that she wasn’t interested. I wanted to sweep her up into my arms and kiss her over and over.