Page 136 of Hale Yes
My feelings are raw on the surface of my skin when I whisper, “I don’t want you to move to London.”
“Then I would happily apply to be your lab manager. Or whatever position you want me in. Would you like me to send over my resumé?”
I snort out a laugh. “You’ve officially lost your damn mind.”
“There’s no rush. Take your time thinking about it and let my father know when you’ve made your decision.” Helix rests a gentle hand on my cheek. “I love you more than anything in the world, Nicolette Bell, but that’s not why I’m doing this. I’m doing this because you’re the best person for the job.”
Inhaling a shaky breath, I say, “I’ll think about it.”
Taking a step back, he asks, “Would you like to ride home on the jet with me tomorrow?”
Of all the decisions I’m now facing, that one is the hardest to answer, but I finally say, “I think I need some space from you right now. I’ll just take my scheduled flight.”
Helix nods solemnly. “Whatever you want, queenie.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
The wooing
Nicolette
The day I get home from the wedding, I realize the wooing has already begun. I arrive at my townhome to find Calvin—the man who picked me up from the airport for my interview—waiting in his car with a huge bouquet of flowers.
They are bright and colorful, but what really makes me smile is the attached card.
To my beautiful Nicolette,
These may just look like flowers, but I think of each bloom as a promise from me to you. I selected each type because they all have individual meanings, which I listed below.
Red rose - love
Peony - happy life
Morning glory - affection
Lily of the valley - humility
Heliotrope - devotion
Red Chrysanthemum - I love you (because that one bears repeating)
I hope these brighten your day as much as you brighten my life.
All my love,
Helix
“Well played, Dr. Hale,” I say aloud, holding the card to my chest.
The next day, Calvin arrives on my doorstep again, this time with an enormous stuffed elephant. And when I say enormous, I mean almost large enough for me to ride on. It takes Calvin and I both to wrangle it into my living room.
Once he’s gone, I stare at the insane gift and giggle. The elephant has green eyes and is wearing glasses exactly like mine. It’s obviously been custom-made because there’s a tag on the butt that readsQueenie.
And so it continues for the next two weeks. Gifts arrive each day, delivered by Calvin. Some are funny, like the case of frozen corn dogs that arrived three days ago. That one had Calvin scratching his head, but there was no way I was explaining it to him.
Today I received a leatherbound journal, the pages filled with Helix’s distinctive handwriting. Some of them contain his thoughts, and there are even a couple of poems. I’ve read through it three times already and decided my favorite was a poem titledMargins.
You say you’ve been written in the margins of your life.
