Zoe chuckled. “There’s more to it than that. And yes, Iamsurprised that you don’t want to be the next Doc Tory or Hope’s Clinic, but I respect it.”
Shedidn’trespect it, but this was all part of the sale — as was dropping names of a few famous doctors.
“Thank you.” Nathan sat back in his chair. “So, you’ll help me get things back to normal?”
“Yes,” Zoe said easily. “If that’s really what you want. But I’m not so sure it is.”
“What do you mean?” There was an undercurrent in Nathan’s tone now, and he’d stopped polishing his glasses.
“Isn’t there anything you want that feels out of reach?” Zoe asked. “Anything that you dream about? Traveling, maybe?” She would certainly want to travel if she lived in a town like Islingburn. “Finding love? Becoming the champion of a specific cause?”
Nathan shook his head firmly. Then he paused, slipping his glasses back on. “I suppose I would like to grow the clinic. I’ve been wanting to expand for years, ideally hire more staff and build an extension. More patients are coming all the time, but we don’t have the capacity to help all of them. I’ve had to turn people away and shorten appointment times, both of which Iswore to myself I wouldn’t do. I just don’t have the funding, though.”
“Okay, then.” Zoe’s heart lifted and she leaned forward. This was it. This was her in. “I can help you do that.”
“How?”
“By expanding your online presence,” Zoe said. “Let people see who you are. Let them see what you’re passionate about. Let them see the great work you do in the clinic. And while you’re doing that, you’ll be earning the money you need to expand.”
Nathan sighed. “You’re a good saleswoman, Zoe.”
“Thank you.”
“That wasn’t a compliment.” He shook his head. “The last thing I want is to be someone like Doc Tory. She’s turned her practice into a circus, and I don’t know how she gets anything done.”
“Really?” Zoe asked. “The last thing you want is to be like her? Because Doc Tory doesn’t have to worry about funding. You say you care about your patients, right?”
“Of course I do. They’re my top priority.” Nathan’s blue eyes narrowed, as though he were annoyed that she even dared to ask.
“Well, doing this would help them,” Zoe said. “You’d have enough funding for more staff, a larger premises, everything you need to give the best patient care possible. I know you don’t want to be famous. I know it would be a sacrifice on your part. But can you really turn this opportunity down if you want to help them?”
Nathan began polishing his glasses again, and Zoe got the feeling that he was buying time to think about what she was saying. The glasses were plenty clean already.
“I’m sorry,” Nathan said. “I do want to help my patients, but I’m not sure this is the way.”
He still seemed very hesitant, and Zoe couldn’t help feeling like she was going to lose him. She couldn’t let that happen, not when she’d come so far and gotten so close. Not when her career was on the line.
“Anything that will help you help your patients is the right thing.”
“And are you really the person who can help me?” Nathan asked. “I’m sorry, but to me, you’re just a stranger who showed up in my waiting room.”
“I understand,” Zoe said, fighting more than a little annoyance. She’d helped him clear the waiting room, after all. “I worked with one of the biggest PR companies in New York City for almost ten years, including a lot of big-name clients. I have a proven track record of increasing engagement and selling book rights and TV series, as well as managing social media accounts.” This was all true. During Zoe’s time at Vassallo Variety, the company her old boss ran, she’d worked with numerous clients on exactly this kind of thing. She really could do this.
“And you’ve worked with medical professionals before, right?”
Zoe froze, her chest tightening. She hadn’t. She’d worked with everyone from makeup-tutorial influencers to reality-TV stars to the youngest mayor of a town in Delaware and a pro basketball player. But she’d never worked with a medical professional. Andadmitting that would mean losing Nathan when he was already on the fence.
“Of course,” she found herself saying. Her chest clenched at the lie, but it was too late to snatch it back. She was committed. “I’ve worked with Tory Stevens from the showDoc Tory, and Esperanza Ramirez who runs the Hope Clinic’s Instagram page.”
Another pang went through Zoe’s heart, and her chest grew tight. Why had she just done that? She hadn’t even thought it through. She’d simply seen that the scales were about to tip away from heragain,ruining her last best chance of actually making something of herself, and she’d said something she shouldn’t have. Now, Zoe just had to hope that Nathan didn’t know enough about either of the famous doctors to know that she was lying.
“That is impressive,” Nathan said quietly. “But you have to know that I have plenty of reservations about this. I don’t want to be recording content all day to the detriment of patient care.”
“Of course not.” Zoe tried to breathe through the tightness in her chest. He hadn’t called her out on the lie — at least not yet.
“I need some time to think about it,” Nathan said.
“I’m sorry.” Zoe shook her head. “But I have to advise you that that would be a mistake. We only have a short window here. Once it closes, it’ll be almost impossible for you to gain a foothold. I need an answer from you today.”
