She blew out a long breath. “I have to get my head in the game.” Gil didn’t respond. He barely moved. His eyes held hers. “What are you thinking?”
“That you’re remarkable.”
Whoa.
Before she could process that, he continued, “And if you’re ready to talk about what’s going on, I can answer most of your questions.”
He’d been waiting for her to be ready to talk. He’d given her the space to process. Was it possible the real Gil Dixon might be every bit as awesome as she’d hoped he would be? Maybe she didn’t need to be afraid anymore that the dream wouldn’t match the reality. “I’m as ready as I’m going to be.”
His expression held something beautiful. Like he was proud of her. “Okay, Dr. Collins. Let’s do this.”
GIL WAITED WHILE IVY SITUATEDherself at the end of the sofa. Her cute little feet tucked under her. Her left hand wrapped around her drink, some fruity-smelling decaf herbal tea he kept on hand because Faith liked it. Her shoulders straight. Her eyes wary.
“Should I get a pen and paper?”
“If it makes you feel better, I’ll get it for you.”
She considered this, then shook her head. “No. Give it to me in one go. I’ll write my thoughts out when we’re done, condense them, and synthesize them.”
Did she realize she bit down on her lower lip when she was concentrating? Probably not. And it would be best if he didn’t look at her biting down on her lip while he talked.Concentrate, you idiot.“First, I need to ask you a few questions.”
“Shoot.”
“Tell me more about this grant proposal. I’m not trying to be obtuse, but you told us you have access to twenty million dollars. Why are you applying for a grant?”
She shifted deeper into the sofa. “First, because it’s smart business. Twenty million seems like a large sum until you start thinking about manufacturing a prosthetic. Manufacturing equipment, even small scale, is exorbitantly expensive. And while, sadly, there is always a need for prosthetics, in the early days we’ll be making each one custom. At least that’s the plan. Sinking a large sum of cash into the business is a given. In the meantime, we still have other research ongoing. I employ six PhD bioengineers who have a strong predilection for receiving their paychecks without delay.”
Gil could barely fight back the laughter. “Can’t say I blame them.”
“Indeed. It’s crucial I keep many income sources flowing into my business while I’m preparing for a significant outlay of resources. It’s true you have to spend money to make money, but while I would be willing to live on beans and rice again, my staff would not.”
“Again?”
“In grad school, I was broke. I spent my stipend on supplies to build a prototype of the prosthetic we’re ready to run trials on. I ate a lot of ramen, beans and rice, and lentil soup that year.”
“But what about—?”
She raised a hand and cut him off. “I started college at sixteen. Finished undergrad in three years. I was nineteen when I started grad school. Dad was still alive. He helped with school. Paid my rent, tuition, books, etc. But the settlement money was socked away, and I had no reason to ever believe I would have access to any of it for my work.”
Ivy pulled a throw pillow onto her lap. “I was excited. Passionate. I was taking an enormous class load working on my MBA and my master’s in bioengineering at the time. I had this concept for the prosthetic, and I finally had the skills and access to the equipment needed to make it. I devoted hours to working on it.” She grinned at him. “I’m letting my nerd flag fly, aren’t I?”
“Buttercup, you can let whatever you want fly whenever you want to. It’s adorable.”
She blushed from her neck to her hairline, but she didn’t stop talking. “I can become rather animated when I talk about my work.”
“Is that a problem?”
“It’s not always professional to be so ebullient.”
At that, Gil lost his hold on his humor and laughed. “Ebullient?”
She flushed again, even deeper scarlet than before. “Yes, it means—”
“Over the top enthusiasm. I know, Buttercup. But I’m not sure I’ve heard anyone use it in conversation before.”
Her eyes dropped to the pillow.
“That’s not a bad thing.” He gentled his tone. “I like it. You’re very specific about your word choices. I imagine you’re also very specific about your work and your plans. Those are admirable qualities.”
