“Oh, right. Sure.” Alexandra scrambles to find a pen and some paper. “‘Kay, I’m ready.”
As Alexandra and I walk out of the office, Celine shoots me a curious look. I resolutely avoid her eye.
We take the stairs to the executive wing and arrive at the meeting exactly on time. Around twenty people are sitting around a big conference table. I recognize Heather Larkin and a couple of other managers, but most of the faces are unfamiliar.
There are only two empty chairs left. Alexandra hesitates, clearly unsure if she belongs at this table, so I pull out a chairand gesture for her to sit. I take the last empty seat, directly across from her.
“Great, we’re ready to start,” Heather says. “I’m Heather Larkin, and I’m so excited to be chairing the Multidisciplinary Strategic Communications Committee.”
Just my luck. This thing has grown from a meeting to a committee.
“We’ll get started with introductions,” Heather says brightly. “I’d like everyone to share their name and an interesting fact about themselves.”
I catch Alexandra’s gaze and give her a wink, and the corner of her mouth quirks up.
I hold my phone under the table and pull up a text thread to Alexandra Parker (assistant).
Me: We should have workshopped this. I don’t have an interesting fact.
“I’m Elaine Bainbridge,” says a tired-looking woman to Heather’s right. “I’m the Director of Inpatient Operations, and I’m so happy to be part of this committee.”
Heather smiles. “And an interesting fact?” she prompts.
Next to me, Alexandra pulls her phone from her pocket and holds it under the table to read my text.
“Oh, um . . .” Elaine chews her lip, trying to think of an interesting fact. “Uh, I have a kitten named Bubbles.”
“Great,” Heather enthuses.
Alexandra’s thumbs fly over her phone screen as a woman named Rupi tells us about her upcoming vacation to Punta Cana.
My phone pings.
Alexandra Parker (assistant): Say you can predict the future. You knew exactly how this meeting would start.
I press my lips together to smother a laugh.
Me: No one else would understand that.
A woman named Carlene tells us she’s recently taken up watercolor painting, which gets points for originality. I glance at Alexandra, who’s holding her phone under the table as a man named Scott tells us about his dog.
A moment later, my phone pings again.
Alexandra: Say you’re saving up for a gangster.
Me: ??
Alexandra: **hamster. Autocorrect fail.
Me: Gangster would be funnier.
I catch Heather’s eyes on me. Shit. “Dr. Malone, I think you’re next,” she says.
I try to pull myself together. “Right. Okay. I’m Drew Malone. I’m a neurosurgeon and the chief of surgery. And . . .” I trail off. This is when I’m supposed to say I’m excited to be part of this committee, but I can’t do it.
“And your interesting fact?” Heather prompts.
I glance at Alexandra, who raises her eyebrow a fraction of an inch. An unmistakable challenge.
