Against the Odds

Chapter 12

I'm standing a few yards away from the reception desk at Fairview Pharmaceuticals feeling like a dumbass. The drive over here gave me some time to think. And I think I might have overreacted. I mean, Hunter and I have only gone out a few times, is he really obligated at this point to share his relationship history? I sure as heck don't want to share mine, at least not yet.

Ok, so he was engaged to my new boss. That's fine. Right? It doesn't need to be awkward. As long as I don't think about them being together, then it's fine.

I just can't believe that they were together!

Although I can see how they might have been a good pair, they both seem very rigid. It's like they were two icicles that fell in love.

That sounds a little mean, Hunter is actually quite warm when he starts to open up. Camille on the other hand, cold as an iceberg. A particular iceberg. The one that sunk the Titanic and killed Jack and left Rose all alone. Oh my God. She's going to sink me and Hunter.

Our love boat has yet to even set sail and she's going to sink it, with her painted pointy fake nails.

I have gone crazy. I need to leave. He'll tell me when he's ready.

I spin on my heel and take a step forward, immediately crashing into a cart full of vials, one of the tubes falls out of the rack, rolls slowly off the cart and shatters on the ground. Oh my God!

"Please don't be anthrax, please don't be anthrax," I whisper to myself.

"You watch too much TV," a familiar voice says. "Most research labs don't have the clearance to carry vials of infectious disease, and if they did they wouldn't be leisurely rolling it through the office."

I lift my gaze from the broken vial on the floor to the man pushing the cart.

"Jack!" I exclaim. "What're you doing here?" He's wearing a blue lab coat, with J. Carlisle etched on the breast pocket. Does he work here? I thought he was a doctor, like a medical doctor.

"I could ask you the same thing." Jack grabs a roll of thick blue paper towels and a spray bottle from underneath the cart and starts cleaning up the spilled liquid and broken glass. Should I help? I lower myself down and reach for a piece of glass. "Whoa! Lilah, stop!"

My hand freezes over the glass and my eyes dart to Jack's face, his expression aghast. "What? What did I do?"

Jack lifts both his hands in the air. "Gloves! It's not anthrax but you still need to wear protection." He shakes his head. "Also, what is it with you and broken glass?" The fundraiser.

"These things just sort of happen to me." My cheeks burn up. "Sorry," I murmur.

Jack tosses the soiled paper towel and shards of glass into a small bin below the cart labeled 'hazardous material'.

My eyes expand with fear and Jack rolls his eyes. "Will you relax? It's not airborne or toxic. You will live." I flash him a penitent smile. "What are you doing here anyway? Are you here to see Hunter?"

Think of something, something fast. "Uh-" Say words. Right now! "I-yeah, I am uh here, to see-to say... hello to Hunter. Yes." And that is my audition for speechless girl #1.

"Ok," Jack hesitates. "Well, his office is down that hallway on the left. Office 1A. Do you want me to walk you there? Or can you find it yourself?"

"No, no. I can find it myself." Guess I have to actually go and see Hunter now. I take a deep breath and smile. "Thanks, Jack, see you around, yeah?"