Page 18 of Private Exhibit
Mr. Bokin nodded. “Devon Campbell. He starts tomorrow.”
Andy locked his knees. “Harel–”
The man held up a hand. “It's a done deal. You're getting an assistant and that's final.”
But not him, Andy thought.Gods, not him!
“I'll quit,” Andy blurted out, then cursed and shook his head.
No, I won't, he thought with a bitter sigh. He couldn't. Andy glanced into the morgue, picturing Jess in her devastation. Picturing all the ghosts he'd counseled over the past few years. All those souls, no longer able to interact with their loved ones. Lost and adrift, facing eternity. He tried to picture Junior floating about the world, able to watch his family and friends but completely unable to reach them.
Hells, he didn't even have to work hard to imagine it. Even after four years, Junior still struggled with the fact that he couldn't talk to his mother.
Andy was beyond grateful, being able to see his son. Being able to be there so Junior wouldn't be entirely alone. So many other ghosts weren't so lucky.
Andy was all they had.
“No, you won't,” Mr. Bokin said with a chuckle.
Andy braced his hands against the counter and hung his head.Gods damn it all. Why him? Why Devon?Andy squeezed his eyes shut, then inwardly cursed each of the seven gods in turn.
He was just going to have to endure it. For however long Devon worked there, Andy was going to have to bear the torture of facing that perfect boy, knowing he could never have him.
Knowing Devon could die at any moment.
Chapter 7
DEVON STARED at his glossy new employee badge as he rode the elevator down to the hospital basement level. He had a job! It still didn't seem quite real yet. Probably wouldn't until his first paycheck landed in his bank account. After that horrible interview, he'd thought for sure that he was back to starting his job hunt all over again.
But he'd barely started browsing the listings when he'd gotten a call from Mr. Bokin himself. The job was his if he wanted it. Everyone else had turned it down.
Devon had jumped at it. He needed something.Anything. He had to have an income so he could keep a roof over their heads.
But how in the hells was he going to work for that man?
Devon trembled. Not so much in the memory of Dr. Gerard's fury—he'd dealt with worse—but in knowing that he was going to be working for a man who'd given him the most intimate moment of his life.
Gods. Devon squeezed his legs together, then held his breath.Do not get aroused. Do not get aroused. He's your boss now. Totally off-limits. You have to focus.
The elevator doors opened, and the cold, stark hallway snapped him out of his thoughts. Devon slowly exited the car, hoping his legs would hold up, and headed for the morgue office.
He found the door closed. Devon strained to listen but couldn't hear anything inside the room. He checked the time.His shift was supposed to start at nine, and it was already five-'til. Devon took a deep breath, gave the door a quick knock, then slowly eased it open.
The room was dark but it wasn't empty. Illuminated by the glow of a tablet in his hands, Dr. Gerard sat behind the desk, scowling at the screen. The man slowly looked up, his whole body going tense as Devon took a step inside.
You can do this. Devon swallowed hard. “Good morning.”
A beat passed before the doctor mumbled, “Good morning.” Out in the hallway, footsteps approached. The doctor scowled and said, “Shut the door.”
Devon hurried to obey, whirling around to push the door shut and then turning back to face the man. They waited in silence while the footsteps passed by and faded into the distance.
Dr. Gerard sighed, then slowly set down the tablet. He looked up, opening his mouth like he was going to say something, then shook his head and slumped back in his chair, gripping the armrests so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
Devon watched him, feeling an intense, coiled power ready to strike. He braced himself, waiting for the same fury as before, yet he wasn't afraid. If anything, something about the doctor made him feel settled in a way he'd never felt in his life.
Then the silence and dimness of the room finally registered, engulfing him in calm.
“Oh,” Devon gasped.
