Page 49 of A Smooth Operator

"For the next week, she's still at GeneVerse. She gave me her two weeks' notice."

I stared at my father. He winked at me. "Do me a favor, Remi, fix this so I don't lose my best scientist."

I grinned despite myself.

"I think, if you grow up, Remi and make yourself worthy of her, Echo and you will be a successful couple. You'll teach her to have fun, enjoy her life—and she'll teach you that being a Drake isn't important, being a decent man is."

"All that sounds good and dandy," I said sincerely, "Any thoughts on how I can make myself worthy?"

"Fuck if I know," Dad replied unhelpfully.

Chapter 19

Echo

Dr. Teresa Lynch was the head of the cardiac markers lab at GeneVerse. I respected her and had attended a few of her lectures. She was one of many colleagues to walk into my office after I resigned, demanding what the hell I was thinking. Martin had already told me where I could stuff my resignation—and was giving me the cold shoulder.

Dallas was upset. Like really upset. He told me to wait until I had another job lined up before I left. I agreed in theory, but in practice, I was tired of being called a charity case. I was a strong, independent, and capable woman—I didn't need any stinkin' favors.

"You and I are going out for a drink this evening," Teresa ordered.

I gaped at her. I didn't go out with people, and if I did, it was usually in a crowd, and I snuck away after the first half hour. It was my modus operandi for all social events, personal and professional.

"But—"

"I'm going to take you out for a drink, and you're going to let me convince you to stay at GeneVerse. Be ready to leave at six. I'll come and get you. And don't even think about not being here. I know where you live."

With that threat, the slender African-American woman with piercing eyes walked away.

Martin peeked into my office. "She's gonna cut you up into itty bitty pieces and feed 'em to the rats in her lab."

"You don't have to look quite so happy about it," I muttered.

Martin crossed his arms and leaned against my doorway. "I don't want to lose you. This lab isn't going to be the same without you. We need your expertise, your drive, and your intelligence."

Okay, so it felt really nice to hear him say that. This past week had been a revelation. People who I admired at work, who I didn't think even knew me, were trying to convince me to stay at GeneVerse. I, who had spent my life being invisible, hiding away, apparently had a fan base at work that I knew nothing about.

"Hey, Martin, Echo."

Dr. Jason Gerrard, another colleague of ours who worked on sickle cell anemia, greeted us.

"Hey. Jace, what's up?" Martin asked.

"I…I just heard that Echo resigned." Jason looked flustered.

He was a few years older than me, probably around Remi's age, and had always been nice to me.

"Yeah, she did. She doesn't even have a new job lined up. She's just being mean and abandoning us," Semu, another lab mate of mine who worked for Martin, called out as he passed by my office.

"Well…since you resigned, I was wondering if you'd like to go out for dinner with me Saturday night?" Jason smiled broadly.

Martin raised both eyebrows. "Are you asking my scientist out?"

"Yeah. If she isn't working here, I thought I should. I mean before anyone else does. Am I too late?" Jason looked around as if to see if there were men hiding in the lab waiting to proposition me.

"How many guys are waitin' around to ask Echo on a date?" Martin demanded.

Jason cleared his throat and looked sheepish. "Probably most of us, you know, the ones who are single. I don't know about any married guys."

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