Page 11 of Not In The Contract
Paula had known me long enough to know that sometimes the minutes and seconds ran away from me.
“Don’t be silly.” She laughed. “It’s not like you’ll have to memorize her meetings. You just have to follow her around for a few hours a day. It’ll be easy, I promise.”
The anxiety clawing at my insides eased up a little and I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Good to know,” I said, conscious of Tamera’s expectant gaze on my face. “Did she say when and where she wants to meet?”
“Tomorrow at twelve-thirty,” she answered. “I’ll text the location to you. I made sure it wasn’t too far from campus because I know you’ll be here all day. Sound good?”
“You’re a lifesaver, Paula,” I said, and I meant it. We may not have seen eye to eye in the beginning, but she’s been more helpful than any of my other professors.
And I intended to make her proud.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said and hung up.
Tamera waved her hands frantically. “Well?” she insisted. “What’s the verdict?”
“Alex agreed to let me shadow her,” I said, locking my phone and setting it down. “And she wants to meet me tomorrow.”
Tamera let out a low whistle. “What time?”
“Twelve-thirty,” I said. “I’ll finish my morning classes at around eleven-forty-five, so I’ll have time to get to wherever it is I’m meeting her.”
“I’ll call you just to make sure,” Tamera added.
“Thanks.”
“You’ll be okay,” she said. “I know you’re nervous about it, but just think! Two months from now, you’ll be handing in your manuscript and be on your way to being a doctor!”
“Let’s focus on getting through the next two months first.” I giggled.
4. The Coffee Shop Meetcute
Alex
Theimpatienttap-tap-tapof my shoes rang in my ears as I stirred the now-dissolved sugar into my cooling coffee. I was on edge, that much was painfully obvious. I wasn’t in the habit of meeting new people, much less new people who I might be living with.
For two months.
My chest constricted at the thought alone and I forced a breath into my shriveled lungs. Surely I was overreacting? I sipped my coffee, staring holes into the table. No. There was nothing wrong with my reaction. Anyone in their right mind would be daunted by the prospect of a strangerlivingwith them for two months. Especially when it would inevitably involve having to open up about things I’d rather leave buried.
I shifted a little in my seat, the discomfort worming its way into my gut. The seconds trickled by as I waited. There were at least a dozen other things I could have been doing instead of waiting on a college student in a coffee shop.
The door chimed and my eyes lifted. I had no idea what the student looked like, Paula had only divulged her name.
Devon Sanders.
A pretty name.
It would be interesting to find out what caught Paula’s eye. I smirked to myself and glanced down. Paula had a knack for spotting talent; no matter the field, she knew what to look for. A little like Taylor, in a way. Although, unlike Taylor, Paula needed a hand withnurturingthe talent she found.
Lost to my musings, I didn’t notice the young woman standing a few feet away, shuffling from one foot to the other.
“Alex Bell?”
I looked up and blinked. “Yes?”
The young woman smiled, and it knocked the air out of my lungs.
