Page 103 of Hale Yes
“Hi, Nicolette,” she says, her little voice raspy. “I got a shot, so Uncle Helix got me ice cream and a teddy bear and new shoes.” I notice a bag from the Nike store hanging off Helix’s arm.
“New shoes make pretty much anything better,” I tell the cutie pie, standing and walking toward them.
Helix backs up a step into the hallway. “It’s strep throat, so she’s contagious. You might not want to get too close.”
Chuckling, I say, “I did a rotation in emergency medicine. I’m pretty much immune to everything except the bubonic plague.” I reach forward and press my hand against Reece’s forehead. She’s pretty hot but not dangerously so. “How are you feeling, sweet girl?”
Her face is a precious pout. “Pretty icky, but Uncle Helix said I could sit in his office and draw. That way I don’t spread germs to all the lab people.”
Her uncle kisses her forehead. “I think we have some popsicles in the refrigerator if you want one later. Let’s get you settled. I’ll leave you my phone because your daddy said he would call you again in about an hour to check on you.” He turns around, and I giggle at the sparkly dragon backpack slung over his shoulder.
I’m still laughing when Helix returns a few minutes later. “What’s so funny?” he asks, washing his hands and forearms at the sink.
“You look cute with a glittery backpack.”
He cuts me a glare. “Keep on pushing me, woman.”
I bite into my bottom lip and wait for him to join me. “I think I solved the issue with the new fragrance,” I tell him, trying to contain my excitement. “Well,wesolved it because I used what you came up with.” I flip through my notebook and hold up a page of his scrawled writing.
He takes it from me and scowls. “I thought this one didn’t work.”
“It didn’t by itself but flip to the last six pages. That’s what I’ve been working on while you were gone.”
He does and I watch as his face changes. Lowered brows, raised brows, lips twisted to one side and then the other before rolling in between his teeth. Finally, his lips part, and his eyes widen. He flips through the pages again, and a smile broadens across his face.
“Dammit, Nic, this is fucking brilliant.” His eyes meet mine. “You’rebrilliant.”
“You are too. It was your original idea that spurred my own.”
He shakes his head in awe. “But your brain is at another level. I never would have thought of this in a million years,” he tells me, flapping the notebook in my face.
“It was a team effort, and I think we should apply for a patent together.”
“This was your baby though. You thought of the idea for it before you ever even came here.”
“And you gave me the resources to make it happen.” I bite my cheek, feeling a little emotional. “Including your confidence in me. I probably wouldn’t have pursued it if not for you.”
Helix picks me up around the waist and spins me in a circle, his eyes sparkling with happiness. “You really want us to apply for the patent together?”
“I really do,” I laugh, cupping his face with my hands and kissing him. “There’s no one I’d rather share it with.”
He puts me down and begins pacing, his fingers tapping against his lips. This is what he does when he’s deep in thought. “We’ll have to do some testing first.”
“And clinical trials, of course,” I add.
“Yes. We should have the patent ready to be filed by spring of next year.”
“Your birthday is in March. What if we file it then?”
I can tell he’s touched by the suggestion because he binds his lips together and nods tightly. “Okay.”
“I know you’re dying to run some analyses on it, so go ahead. I sent everyone else to the micro lab to work on mascara so we could have the place to ourselves.” I hand him a small vial of clear liquid.
“I also want to see if I can replicate it. It seems like it would be pretty easy to mass produce.”
“It is. Production wouldn’t need to buy any new equipment, so it’s definitely cost-effective.”
He nods knowingly. “And that’s the thing. So many good ideas end up on the drawing room floor because the product would cost more to make than the market allows.”
