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“Has anyone ever told you that you’re the worst?”
“Oh, frequently, Amy.”
She didn’t react to that. Maybe she was right. Maybe she wasn’t going to be so easy to maneuver. He’d sort of hoped that calling her by her first name would soften her up a little after all, but it hadn’t seemed to. And if that wasn’t going to work, it was possible that nothing would.
Well, maybe that was a good thing. “You can work with me and still hate me,” he said. “That’s the epitome of professionalism. You don’t have to let your feelings get in the way here.”
She nodded. “It’s only because I know you’re right about that that I’m even considering this,” she said. “Itisa very interesting case. And you’re right, a lot of people stand to benefit. It would be wrong to let this opportunity go to waste.”
“That’s the spirit.”
“You’re going to have to talk to me with a bit more respect than that if we’re doing this.”
“So wearedoing this?”
“I haven’t decided,” she said. “But I’m thinking about it.”
“Okay, well, I’m kind of on a timeline here.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to take ten years to think about it,” she said. “Don’t be so dire. I might take the weekend. If you think you’ll live that long.”
He had to admit, he was impressed. He almost laughed. No one had joked with him about his condition since he had been diagnosed, but Amy didn’t seem to be afraid of dark humor. Maybe that was what he needed right now. It was certainly better than no humor at all.
And maybe it was time to cut her a little slack. He knew he had been out of line, treating her the way he had.
“All right,” he agreed. “Take the weekend.”
“I’ll contact you,” she said. “Can I have your phone number?”
“Never thought you’d be asking for my phone number.”
“If you’re going to be that way, Iwon’tcontact you,” she said. “I’m not so intent on doing the right thing for people with Barks-Howard’s that I would put myself through hell for it.”
He pulled out a business card and handed it to her. “You can keep the file, too,” he said. “Those papers are all duplicates.”
“I really am going to consider this,” she said. “You’re right. I don’t want to let personal feelings get in the way.”
“I know,” he said. “If there’s one thing I’m sure of about you, it’s your professionalism.”
He nodded to her, got to his feet, and left the coffee shop, feeling really hopeful for the first time in months.
CHAPTER7
AMY
“It’s like finding a unicorn, Amy,” her friend Megan said later, over coffee in the break room at the hospital. “A real Barks-Howard’s patient? Ayoungone? Who’s still in the early stages of the disease, and hasmoney? I can’t believe this is even a conversation.”
“I told you what happened, though,” Amy said. “I told you what he did.”
“Yeah, you told me. And if he was trying to date you now, I’d be telling you to kick him to the curb. But he wants tofund your research. I mean, come on. This is everything you’ve wanted. Don’t tell me you’re going to say no to it because the guy who’s offering it is a jerk.”
Amy sighed. “You don’t think I’m overreacting about what he did?”
“Hell, no. He shouldn’t have slept with you, knowing who you were, knowing that there was going to be contamination of a professional relationship. He should have atleasttold you who he was so that you could make the decision of whether to let that happen or not having all the information at your disposal.”
“But you still think I should work with him.”
“I absolutely do. It’s not like he’d be able to do anything like that again. Right?”
