“I agree.” Finn sketched out a drawing on the pad before him, then turned it toward Ellie and the others. “We’ll design standardized rooms, where every medical element is in the same place, no matter what floor or wing, yet also give each room its own flair. Install ambient lighting in addition to the harsher lighting needed for procedures, and soundproof the space so patients aren’t bothered by constant pages and hallway traffic. Studies have shown that a warmer, quieter space speeds patient healing.” Finn filled in another section of the drawing, sketching in fast movements, limited in details, focused on getting the bare bones on the page first. “We should also provide a small visiting area in each room for family members. Nothing huge, but something far superior in comfort and flexibility to the current models in today’s hospitals.”
“What about pricing? That kind of thing is going to raise the costs.” Larry scowled. “Piedmont will not be happy.”
“Easy,” Finn said. “We call the vendors and tell them that they’re going to be part of a groundbreaking new hospital. One that will have plenty of media coverage. They’ll be jumping at the opportunity to be a part of that, and be very amenable to lowering their pricing.”
“In other words, beat them up until they cave?” Larry said.
“I think it’s a good strategy,” Ellie said. “Thanks, Finn.” She clapped her hands together and faced the room. “Okay, what else?”
As if a wall had been dismantled, the room erupted with ideas, people from both teams exchanging and brainstorming, no longer separated into an “us” and “them,” but becoming one cohesive unit, brimming with creativity. Ellie got to her feet and jotted the ideas on the whiteboard behind her, quickly covering the wall-length space. Finn pulled out his computer to take notes, his fingers moving rapidly over the keys of his laptop. It occurred to him somewhere into the first hour that he and Ellie made a good team. Neither tried to outtalk the other or prove their idea the best. Their thoughts seemed to merge, with her suggesting one thought, and him finishing it. He was so used to being the one in charge, the one who had to pull the team together and take the lead, that suddenly sharing the job was … nice. When the group broke for lunch, Finn stayed behind in the room.
“We work well together,” he said, rising and crossing to Ellie. He picked up a second eraser and helped her clean off the whiteboard.
She smiled. “We do indeed.”
Out in the hall, the team was whispering and exchanging glances in the direction of the conference room. “Seems we’ve got people talking,” Finn said.
“It was bound to happen. Though I thought we’d have a little more time to …”
“Work out our story?”
“Yeah. We should have talked about it more last night. I really didn’t think that part through.”
“Me, either. I was too focused on work.”
She laughed. “I know what you mean. That’s how my days have been, too.” She moved away from him, then stretched, working out the kinks in her back. He was tempted to offer her a massage, but instead he kept his hands at his side. A massage was definitely not part of this … partnership.
“You pulled it off well,” Finn said. “Hell, even I believed …”
She cocked her head. “Believed what?”
“That you were wildly in love with me.”
She laughed, and that told him that there was no doubt she’d been acting earlier. Finn told himself he was glad. “Well, I’m glad it worked. Anyway, I guess I’ll see you back here in a little while.”
“Wait. Do you have lunch plans?” he asked, then wondered what he was doing. Was he asking her on a date—a date with his wife—or a simple lunch meeting to discuss the project? He told himself it was just because people would expect them to eat together. He was keeping up the facade, nothing more.
“I have one of those frozen dinners in the office refrigerator.” She gave him an apologetic smile. “I usually eat at my desk.”
“So do I.” Outside the sun shone bright and hazy, a warm day with the promising scent of spring in the air. Inside, all they had was climate controlled air and a sterile office environment. The same kind of place where he spent five, sometimes six, days a week. He thought of the calls waiting to be returned, the emails waiting to be answered, the projects waiting to be completed. Then he looked at Ellie, and wanted only a few minutes with her, just long enough to hear her laugh again, see her smile. Then he’d be ready to go back to the To Do lists and other people’s expectations. “Let’s go have lunch on the plaza. Get out of here for a while. I think both of us have spent far too many afternoons at our desks.”
“Two days in a row, taking time off? My, my, Finn, whatever will people say?”
Damn. He was really starting to like the way she said his name. “Oh, I think we’ve already given them plenty to talk about, don’t you?”
She looked up at him, and a smile burst across her face. It sent a rush through Finn, and he decided that if he did nothing else, he would make Ellie smile again. And again.
“Oh my, yes, I do believe we’ve done that in spades, Mr. McKenna.” Then her green eyes lit with a tease and she put her hand in his. “What’s a little more?”
As time ticked by and the afternoon sun made a slow march across the sky, Ellie was less and less able to concentrate on her sandwich or anything Finn was saying. On her way into work that morning, Ellie had called Linda and left her a message telling her that she had gotten married, and now the wait for Linda’s return call seemed agonizing. Thank God for the meeting, which had taken her mind off the wait, and for Finn, who had convinced her to leave the office and get some fresh air. Still, she had checked her cell at least a dozen times.
Finn had taken two calls, and she’d been impressed with the way he handled business. Efficiently, with barely a wasted word. He argued with a contractor who wanted to make a change that Finn felt would compromise the building’s structure, and negotiated a lower price on materials for another project.
“I can see where you got the nickname,” Ellie said when Finn hung up. “You’re relentless.”
“I just like to get the job done.”
“Yeah, but negotiating a discount, while at the same time moving up the deadline, I’d say you pulled off a miracle.”
“Just doing my job.” He seemed embarrassed by her attention.
“You do it well. Does that come from being the oldest?”
“I don’t know. I guess I never thought about that. Maybe it does.”
“Well, it seems to be working for you.” She felt her phone buzz and checked the screen, then tucked it away.
“Waiting on a call yourself?”
She nodded. “From the agency. I told my adoption coordinator that we got married. I’m just waiting to hear back.”
He unwrapped the sandwich they had bought from a street vendor, but didn’t take a bite. “How are you planning on doing this?”
“Doing what? The interview? It should be relatively straightforward.”
“No, not that. This whole—” he made a circle with the sandwich “—raising a child alone thing.”
“People do it every day.”
“Not people who also happen to be CEOs of busy, growing companies.”
“True.” She glanced at the park across the street. It bustled with activity. Children ran to and fro, filling the small park with the sound of laughter. Dogs chased Frisbees and couples picnicked on the grass. “I’m sure it’s going to be hard.” That was an understatement. She’d worried constantly that she wouldn’t be able to juggle it