Yeah, I didn’t work out at all. Like, ever.
“What about you?”
“What about me?” I asked.
“Your fitness routine. Do you just run or…?”
“You think I work out?” I asked incredulously. “Well, that’s very flattering, but no. Not my thing.”
“Really?” he asked in surprise. “So, you just look like that naturally?” He looked me up and down as he took another drink.
I was pretty certain he just complimented my figure, and I did my best not to let my cheeks redden and reflect the way I felt about it. “I guess.”
“Don’t tell anyone that,” he said with a chuckle. “People will despise you.”
No one had ever asked me about my workout routine, so I was safe. “Then I’ll get out of your hair. Have a good night.” I’d barely had a couple sips of the beer before I had to pour it out in the sink and head to the door. It would be easy just to invite myself on to the couch and linger, but I tried to make sure I never overstepped my boundaries with him. Yes, we were friends, but he was still my boss, and Cleo told me it was important to respect his private space as much as possible. Home was a sanctuary to people, the one place where they should be able to be inaccessible. If he wanted to talk at the office, that was one thing, but I couldn’t get chummy on his couch.
He walked me to the door. “I’ll see you in the morning, then.”
“Sure thing. I’ll have your breakfast and schedule on your desk at the hospital, and then I’ll see you later before you’re done for the day.” On his surgery days, I didn’t see him much. I used to purposely meet him before surgeries to ease his anxiety, but now that he felt comfortable, he didn’t really need my support anymore.
“Alright. Goodnight, Sicily.”
“Goodnight.” My look lingered longer than it should have before I forced myself to step out of his apartment without looking back. I walked down the hallway, heels tapping against the carpeted hallway. When I reached the elevator, I heard his door close.
I turned back around, wondering if he’d been staring at me that entire time.
I took a trip out to New Jersey, where Derek’s facility was. I met Emerson in her office, which was full of pictures of them together everywhere, their kids, and a couple with Derek and his rockets, candid photos of him in the control room at a launch, a collage of his career.
The pictures told me that she not only loved him, but she was also so proud of him.
Reminded me of the way I felt about Dex.
“Thanks so much for giving me some help,” I said as I sat in the chair facing her desk. “When Dex asked me to do this, I realized I have absolutely no idea where to start.” I hadn’t worked with Cleo long enough to learn any pointers from her either.
“No problem at all.” She sat behind her desk, and on the corner facing me was a photo of Lizzie and her two little brothers. They were seriously the cutest family ever. “I’m happy to do everything I can to help you, and by extension, Dex. He’s such a good guy. When I met him the first time, I instantly liked him. He’s great.”
“Yeah, he’s the best.” I spat out my feelings immediately because he really was an angel on earth. I wasn’t religious, but he made me religious, made me believe God was working through him to help people.
Her eyes softened as she looked at me. “You remind me of myself.”
“Well, that’s a compliment.” Because she was gorgeous and smart, friendly.
She chuckled. “Because you’re passionate about your job and your boss, the way I was when I started working with Derek. Except…Derek was kind of an ass, and he was an ass for a long time.”
“No way,” I said, genuinely surprised.
“Yes way. But he came around.”
“Well, Dex is pretty perfect.” It was awkward when the whole picture frame thing happened, but we moved past it. Sometimes he barked at me when we butted heads over work stuff, but it wasn’t personal. Five minutes later, it was like it never happened.
She gave me a smile. “He is. Alright, let’s get started. I think he would do really well with a TED Talk, talking about his work in surgery, what it took to get there, his values. There are a lot of eyeballs on that program, and potential donors could see that. I have the contacts to make that happen. I also think it would be really fun to do a documentary where people follow him around, like on a streaming platform or something.”
“You think that’s even possible?”
“Definitely. Derek was offered one once, but he rejected the idea…even though I tried my hardest to change his mind. With the way entertainment is now, people are always looking for new content, and Dex’s career and philosophy are fascinating.”