Count on Me (Bayview Heights Trilogy) by Kathryn Shay Page A

Shondra.
    Erica’s anger was obvious to everybody.
    She should just get over it and get on with things.
    o0o
    EMOTIONS SWIRLED in Erica like the paint on a Van Gogh canvas. Tom between doing what was right and her dislike of the man behind the desk, she sat stiffly in the chair and tried to be civil.
    “Can you type?” he asked without preliminaries.
    “Of course.”
    “Good. Then you can type some of the weekly and monthly reports I have to do for the city and state.”
    “I didn’t know I’d be a secretary.” She winced at her tone. She really was going to try harder.
    Lansing either didn’t catch it or ignored it. “I thought it might help you understand the workings of the clinic.”
    “Oh.”
    “And you can sort through my mail. Separate junk from what needs my attention.”
    “So I can see how the place runs.”
    He smiled as if she’d said something smart. Like her father did— only when she said something smart. “Exactly.” Leaning back, he crossed his arms over his chest. “And I thought you might do crossover checks for supplies. All of this will give you valuable business experience.”
    “Sounds okay.” She fidgeted with the strap of the purse her aunt had bought her for Christmas. Erica knew she was going into business like her father, had known since she was little, but she also wanted to help people. Big business sometimes took advantage of the public.
    She and Ms. C had talked about that a lot. Once while they were shopping for shoes and stopped at Starbuck’s for coffee, Ms. C had gone on about how much she loved teaching…
     It’s so rewarding, Erica. I hope you get into a profession that gives you as much satisfaction.
    CEOs probably don’t feel like you, Ms. C.
    So, you don’t have to be a CEO.
    Tell that to Jackson Case , Erica had said…
    “Do you like running clinics like this?” she asked Lansing.
    “I love it.” He studied the half-empty bookshelves, the bare walls and the boxes stacked in the corner. “It gives meaning to my life.”
    “You like it better than practicing medicine?”
    “I still practice, though not as much as before. But, yes, I like starting programs that help people. I like the excitement of running a clinic.” He cocked his head. “Is that what you want, Erica? To run a business?”
    “I guess. The money’s there.”
    “Is money important to you?”
     It’s important to my father. It’s the only measure of success to him.
    “Yeah, but...” She trailed off.
    “But?”
    She scowled. What was she doing sharing personal stuff with this guy? “Look, can we talk about my schedule? I have to rearrange some things to work here.”
    He scanned her résumé. “I can tell. Is there any club you’re not in?”
    She smiled in spite of herself. “I think I missed the chess club.” She sobered. “Extracurricular activities are important to get into college.” He looked like he was going to object, so she cut him off at the pass. “The schedule?”
    He glanced back down. “Fine. Let’s hammer it out.”
    It took a half hour. When they were done, he nodded at it. “Looks good to me.”
    She stood. “Okay.”
    His shoulders sagged as he rose, too. And his face was lined with fatigue. She glanced around—his office was still a mess. Yet he’d spent a lot of his time accommodating her. “Um, thanks for taking the time to do this.”
    “You’re welcome. I’m sure you’ll be a real help here, Erica.”
    Pleasure shot through her. Her dad never said things like that. “I will be.”
    She turned and headed for the door. He followed her. She was feeling okay about him—until she found Ms. Caufield in the waiting area.
    o0o
    DÉJÀ VU. ALMOST A YEAR AGO today, Zoe had sat in Kurt’s New York waiting room, blissfully happy—and totally unaware that her world was about to fall apart. This place even smelled the same—coffee brewing in the corner, the faint scent of cleaning fluids and antiseptic. Well, that was the past. She was done with