“Because nothing makes me happier than making you happy, Dr. Hart.” She steps toward me and lifts her hands. By the time I realize she intends to touch my face, it’s too late to play cool. I jerk my head, my whole body, reacting as though her fingers are fire.

“Jeez.” She draws her hands to her chest in prayer position. “I thought—”

“Oh God. You thought wrong.” There’s bite in my words, but there needs to be, for clarity. I can’t manage anyone else’s drama and can’t afford to watch one more person go to pieces right in front of me. “I gave you the wrong impression somehow, and I’m so sorry. You are so important to me. It’s true. I value you immeasurably—as my assistant. Here. At work. Of course, you’re much more than that. You are the glue that holds things together here. Simone, look at me. Look.”

She lifts her eyes, but her affection has gone undercover. “I’m your office manager,” she says, “not your assistant.”

“I’m married.”

“I know. I thought—”

“Happily married.”

“Okay. Fine. Call me stupid. I thought you and Elizabeth were having problems—you know, because of the tin.”

“Because I’m not buying her diamonds?”

“Yeah. Because of that. And because you roll your eyes when she calls, and—”

“I do not.”

She laughs. “You do too. You roll your eyes when she calls, and you wink at me when I take a message without asking.”

“That’s because I’m amazed at how well you read my mind, Simone. I wink because you are great at your job. It’s like a thumbs-up.”

“It’s a wink.”

“It’s appreciation, but fine. I understand. You’re doing the right thing.”

“Yes, I know. I always do the right thing, all the time. I follow the rules. Maybe I’m late sometimes, but other than that, I do follow the rules.”

“I mean, I don’t have that many rules.”

“No, I mean the rules.” She shakes her head and puts her hands on her hips, and she’s stern when she says, “With everyone. I spend my whole life being a nice girl, thinking one of these days I’ll finish first, but where has it gotten me, huh? I’m almost thirty, I’m still single, still at the same job, still being nice. I’m so tired of being good all the time. I thought maybe you—”

“Simone.”

“Maybe I could be bad with you.”

“Okay,” I say, way past ready to wrap it up. “So now we know where we stand. This is good. Healthy communication. And I’m telling you, Simone, you just keep being yourself and you’re going to be fine. You’ll finish first, believe me.”