3. Leah
CHAPTER 3
LEAH
L eah woke in a good mood. It was Saturday, the spring weather was absolutely gorgeous outside, and her new drug was on a good path. Humming to herself, she put on her running clothes, pulled her hair back into a ponytail, and made her way downstairs into the fresh spring air. Around her, the trees were growing leaves, flowers were sprouting on every patch of ground, and there was a feeling of possibility and new beginnings in the air.
Leah began to jog. She wasn’t a big runner, but she knew the importance of fitness and was good at sticking to a routine and keeping healthy. She turned onto her usual three-kilometer route, which wove through her residential neighborhood and cut across a park before finishing back at home.
As she ran, she let her thoughts drift. Many of her friends ran while listening to music or podcasts, but Leah preferred her own thoughts. She found that she got her best ideas out in the fresh air.
Perhaps, now that Forenal was almost out of her hands, it would be time to start workshopping a new drug. If Forenal maximized a couple’s chance of conceiving in the first place, perhaps it was time to work on minimizing the chance of spontaneous miscarriage. Leah cycled through a few ideas about how to do this as she ran.
Yet, despite how exciting the thought of beginning work on a new drug was, Leah found that she wasn’t quite as invested in the idea as she’d been with Forenal. It felt hollow somehow, in a way that Leah’s work never had before. Perhaps, as she’d considered yesterday, it was time to invest a little more in her personal life and finally work on her dream of starting a family.
Leah picked up the pace. Although there were ways to become a mother without a man in the picture, she found herself struggling with the idea. Her parents were an amazing team who had always supported each other through their respective careers and through parenthood. Leah had always imagined that she might find that for herself one day.
So, perhaps it was time to start dating. Leah turned into the park, her stride stretching as her legs warmed up. The thought of dating was… not great. She had been on a few dates here and there over the years, but had never found anyone that she clicked with. Some men even seemed intimidated by her dedication to her career. Jumping into the dating pool didn’t seem like fun at all.
And then, Leah heard a child’s laugh. Her run slowed to a walk, then a stop, as she watched a little boy balance on a small bike without pedals. He was wearing a helmet that made his small head look comically oversized, along with a mismatched superhero T-shirt and shorts. He was probably around two years old. His face was open in a sweet smile, and his eyes were wide with joy as he zoomed down the sidewalk towards her.
She stepped out of the way. Her chest felt tight. The little boy flew past, followed by his mother, who gave Leah a friendly smile on the way by. Leah smiled back, but she felt heavy.
For years, she had worked tirelessly on a drug meant to give other people a better chance at having children. Now she worried that, in doing so, she might have missed her own chance.
Leah was strong and independent. She knew that a life without children or family could be beautiful and meaningful. She just didn’t want that for herself. She wanted to be a mother. She wanted to balance an important career with a family of her own.
She just worried that she’d discovered that too late.
After a few moments, she realized that she was standing in the middle of the path and that people were having to go around her. Embarrassed, she picked up into a light jog again. As she ran, she resolved herself — after the presentation next week, she wouldn’t throw herself into developing another drug as wholeheartedly as she had this time. Instead, she would take some time and figure out how to make her dreams of motherhood come true. With or without a partner. Probably without.
Leah finished her running route, but she felt more distracted than before. She was equally distracted as she took a shower and made herself a quick breakfast of toast with avocado and a cup of coffee. She was so distracted, in fact, that she almost forgot about her afternoon meeting with Dan to go over the presentation. At the last minute, she managed to throw on a spring dress and hurry out the door to the office. She wasn’t in her usual attire of either jeans and a lab coat or slacks and a blouse, but it was Saturday, after all.
As she hurried to the office, which was thankfully just a short bus ride away, Leah reached into her backpack for a hair tie to tame her red curls. She came up short, though. With a sigh of annoyance, she gave up the search. It looked like she’d have to have her hair down for the meeting.
When she arrived at the office, it was almost empty. Only a few cleaners and some particularly dedicated employees were here on such a beautiful and sunny Saturday. Leah rode the elevator up to Dan’s office, where she knocked on the door. A moment later, he opened it.
He seemed to have chosen a more casual Saturday outfit as well — he still had slacks on, but he’d rolled up the sleeves of his button-down and opened a few of the top buttons. He smiled at the sight of Leah and beckoned her in.
“Thank you again for making the time to work on this today.”
“Of course. No problem.” Leah entered and took a seat on the chair across from Dan’s. He had his laptop and monitor on and pivoted the screen towards her. She saw that her presentation was already on it. Surprisingly, Leah had trouble focusing on the presentation. Thoughts of babies and dating were still at the forefront of her mind. As was the fact that she was alone with the very attractive Dan.
“Shall we dive right in?” Dan asked.
“Sure.” That was for the best. It would be easier to keep things professional and not notice how handsome Dan looked in his casual attire if they were focused on work.
“Great. So, I had a look through your presentation. It’s looking really good. I just had a few questions about some of the finer points, then we can work on what we’re going to say. Does that work for you?”
“Certainly. I also prepared a few notes here.” Thankfully, Leah had remembered about this meeting the day before and had taken the time to print out a few index cards’ worth of information on Forenal and on the people they’d be speaking to. She handed a small stack of cards to Dan, who accepted them with a pleasant smile.
They spent the next hour or so going through the presentation. Leah answered a few questions about the specifics of Forenal and was impressed that Dan seemed to understand the science behind the drug — she’d thought some of the particulars might go over the head of someone who wasn’t trained in science.
“So, just to be clear, Forenal can be taken in conjunction with other drugs without side effects?” Dan finished.
“Yes.” Leah nodded. “Since Forenal is mostly derived from natural ingredients, clinical trials have shown that there are relatively few drug interactions. Patients are simply advised to avoid using it alongside birth-control pills, since they could cancel each other out.”
“That makes sense.” Dan took another look at the presentation, then nodded. “I think I understand the drug more or less at this point. Do you have any questions for me before we move on to the speech portion?”
“I’m good.”
“Okay, then. Shall we take a quick break for lunch?”
Leah hadn’t realized that she’d been starting to get hungry, but at the mention of food, she realized that it was getting into the afternoon.
“That would be nice.”
“As promised, I’ll arrange to get something delivered. How do you feel about Chinese?”
“I feel good.”
“And do you have any dietary restrictions or preferences?”
“I’m vegetarian.”
“Great.” Dan tapped a few buttons on his phone. “Lunch is on the way. It should arrive in about twenty minutes.” He set his phone down and smiled at Leah. “Shall we take a break until then?
“That sounds good. I’ll go make myself a coffee. Can I get you anything?”
“I’ll come with you.” Dan stood and stretched, a masculine gesture that showed off the muscles in his upper arms. Leah looked away quickly, a little embarrassed, then got to her feet and led the way to the kitchenette at the end of the floor.
As she started the coffee machine, Dan leaned against the counter beside her. Leah struggled to come up with a topic of conversation and landed on the rather bland, “Do you have any nice plans for the weekend?”
“I’ll be spending most of today here with you.” Dan smiled. “Which I would count as a nice plan.”
Leah’s heart fluttered slightly at that. “Sure, but I was asking about your time outside of the office.”
“In that case, I don’t have much planned. I visited my parents yesterday, which is always an experience.”
Leah chuckled. “How are they doing?”
A flicker crossed Dan’s face, but then he seemed to shake it off. “They’re well. My father is getting really interested in gardening, and my mother has started volunteering at the library.”
“It sounds like they’re making the most of retirement.”
“Actually, my father isn’t retired yet. He’s still the official head of RMA.”
Leah blinked in surprise. “Oh, really? I—” Then she realized that she had better be careful while speaking with her boss. “I didn’t know.”
It was Dan’s turn to chuckle. “Not many people do. My father isn’t as involved as he used to be by any measure, but he isn’t quite ready to let go either. Anyway. Does your family live close by?”
“Unfortunately not. My parents live in Madison, which isn’t too far, but it is a long drive for a casual weekend visit.”
“How long have you lived in Chicago?”
“Almost ten years now. I got a job at RMA right after graduation, and I’ve worked here ever since. I’m done with the machine if you’re ready.” Leah took her cup of coffee and stepped back to give Dan some space. “You’ve been here your whole career too, haven’t you?”
“I have. I always wanted nothing more than to follow in my father’s footsteps and build on the amazing legacy he created.”
“He must be very proud of you. RMA is really thriving under your leadership.” Leah felt her face turn red and cursed her light skin that showed every fleeting emotion. She didn’t want Dan to think she was buttering him up.
“Well, if it is thriving, it’s only thanks to people like you. Forenal is a really amazing drug. I think it’ll be one of our big earners next year.”
“And it’ll help a lot of people. I hope.” Leah felt the need to add that. She didn’t like the thought of her drug being used to coerce desperate, hopeful parents into giving up their hard-earned savings — even though, as an employee of a major pharmaceutical company, she knew that was most likely what her creations would be used for.
“Of course. That’s the most important.” Dan took his cup of coffee from the machine and checked his phone. “Just a few more minutes.”
They strolled back to the office. When they arrived, though, Dan didn’t sit. Instead, he strode to the large picture window that looked out over the city of Chicago and the lake far below. After a moment’s hesitation, Leah joined him. Even though this was a work meeting, even though they’d spent all afternoon working on the presentation, even though they seemed to have very different ideas about the importance of her drug, Leah felt her heart flutter slightly at Dan’s nearness.
But then she saw his face. The corners of his mouth were tugged down, and his gray-blue eyes were steely. He looked… sad.
Leah looked away, feeling as though she’d intruded on a private moment. She had no business wondering why Dan was sad. At the end of the day, he was just her boss. They were just colleagues. Yet Leah didn’t like to see anyone unhappy. Perhaps she could do something about it.
“It’s a really beautiful day, isn’t it?” she said.
Dan glanced at her. He looked a little startled. Then his gaze settled back on the landscape outside and he nodded, slowly. “It is.”
“I love Chicago in the springtime,” Leah pressed on. “The cherry blossoms are so beautiful. And the lake always looks lighter somehow. It feels like a time for new beginnings, you know?”
“It kind of does.” Dan shot her a smile. “Are you always this cheery?”
Leah laughed. “I try to be. Though it isn’t always easy.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without a smile on your face.” Dan tilted his head. “Not even when I see you working after the end of business hours, which usually puts everyone in a bad mood.”
Leah’s heart fluttered slightly at the thought that Dan had noticed her, but she set it aside.
“Well, we have our jobs to do. Some days I’ll be staying late to retest contaminated lab samples or compare trial data — whether I’m happy about it or not. I might as well make the best of it.”
“That’s a good attitude.”
“Well, it seems you feel the same way. You seem pretty cheery about being in the office on a sunny Saturday yourself.”
“There are certain benefits to being here.” Dan shot her an unreadable look. “And the company helps.”
Leah felt her cheeks warm. It seemed like Dan was talking about her. “And I’m sure it also helps that Forenal is such a knockout,” Leah suggested.
Dan chuckled. “True. We have a winner there. Anyway, lunch is almost here. Shall we get back to work while we eat, since we’ve had a break now?”
Leah wasn’t quite ready for the conversation to end, but she nodded. “Okay.”
The food arrived a few minutes later. Dan had ordered far too much for the two of them, which became apparent as soon as the delivery man carried three full bags of food up to the office.
“What’s this?” Leah asked with a laugh. “Are you feeding an army?”
“When I work on the weekend, I like to order a little extra food for the employees who are here. You can pick what you’d like, and I’ll distribute the rest.”
Leah’s heart warmed. It was such a considerate thing to do, and it raised her opinion of Dan even more. He really was an interesting guy. He seemed mostly interested in Forenal for the money, yet he also made sure to feed his employees. She’d noticed that takeout sometimes arrived in the kitchenette when she was working weekends, but she never would have guessed that profit-oriented Dan was responsible.
“How sweet.” She reached for the bag and selected a box of kung pao tofu and a small paper container of rice. Dan took a box of noodles and selected some spring rolls to share. Then he excused himself to take the rest of the food to the communal kitchen.
When he returned, Leah had everything set up to continue working. Dan sat across from her, and they began bouncing ideas back and forth for what to say and how to engage the audience, which would be comprised mainly of doctors and pharmaceutical reps. Leah found that she enjoyed the conversation with him. He listened to her ideas and asked numerous follow-up questions, which showed that he really cared about her point of view. Leah was also impressed by the ideas Dan shared and the way he could pull together complicated thoughts into a concise phrase or two.
They worked long into the afternoon, practicing the presentation until they could both have given it in their sleep.
After a final practice, Leah said as much. “I think we’re ready now.”
Dan hesitated. “I think we might need one more practice session.”
“Really?” Leah tilted her head to the side. “I mean, I’m happy to practice, but is there something wrong with the presentation so far?”
“No.” Dan smiled warmly. “I just think that practice makes perfect. And it’s such an important presentation.”
“Okay, then. One more practice session it is.”
“How about Monday afternoon?” Dan suggested.
“That works for me. My calendar is fairly open now that the development stage is complete.”
“Perfect. I’ll set up a meeting.”
They agreed on a time, then Leah got to her feet and held out a hand to him. “It was a pleasure working with you on this.”
“You as well.” Dan stood and enveloped Leah’s hand in his. Once again, the contact made her heart flutter. His hand was so strong and warm and large. Leah quickly let go, not wanting to draw out the connection any further.
“See you on Monday.”
“See you then.”
Leah left the office feeling a little confused. The presentation practice seemed to have gone perfectly, yet Dan wanted another session. Perhaps he wasn’t satisfied with some part of her speech or his own. Or maybe, just maybe, he wanted to spend more time with her. The thought was thrilling — and a little concerning.
You’re getting ahead of yourself, Adams. It would just be a business meeting, like they’d had today.
Yet, as Leah headed home, walking instead of taking the bus, to enjoy the fresh spring air, she couldn’t stop thinking of Dan. He’d seemed different today, both a little sadder and a little more real than the confident, assertive CEO she’d grown familiar with over her years at RMA. It had been refreshing.
But Leah had her goal. She’d decided only that morning to focus on herself and her family. Even if, by some strange coincidence, Dan did return her feelings, Leah didn’t know that much about him. She couldn’t let herself get distracted from her future.
She would have to be careful.
The rest of the walk home, her thoughts drifted from the children she saw around her and her dreams of becoming a mother to the time she’d spent with Dan. Today had given her a lot to think about.