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that I’ll manage,” Mike said as her looped Lexi’s arm around his neck. He led Lexi to the stairs and to her bed.
    “Thank you,” Lexi said as she pulled the covers over herself.
    “No worries, Lexi. Besides, you’re no worse than carrying a sack of potatoes at the restaurant,” Mike said with a laugh.
    Lexi made a fake laughing sound. “Sack of potatoes? Listen, you. If I wasn’t so weak…”
    “I’ll see you later. Ashley is right downstairs. Just call if you need her,” Mike said as he left the room.
    “Thanks,” Lexi said in a forced whisper to Mike’s back as he left.

2

    We Meet Again
    L exi pulled into the Hale Health parking lot thirty minutes earlier than the time she’d been scheduled to begin work. She yawned after she parked the SUV. She’d have to start drinking black coffee to give her some much-needed energy. Lexi tapped at the corners of her eyes with a tissue to wipe away the tears that yawning had brought on.
    She’d only get one chance at making a good first impression. She’d uncharacteristically fussed in the mirror this morning with the intention of looking as close to perfect as she could. The one thing she couldn’t tame was her hair. She wore a tightly fitted teal camisole with a white denim short-sleeved jacket, a teal-and-white chevron-patterned maxiskirt, and thong sandals that buckled in the back, but the dressing on her foot had discolored and frayed from wear. Today Lexi would ask one of the doctors to take look at it for her since she couldn’t take care of it herself. Lexi smiled into the visor mirror. Nothing was in her teeth, so she grabbed her lunch and purse and limped to the staff entry.
    The back parking lot was edged with trees, which only added to the rural feeling of the area. The office was still technically in Caribou, but like everything else here, the building looked like it belonged on this plot of land. The office was a one-story, aged-brick building, the doorways rounded and welcoming. The buildings in Tampa didn’t have the same appeal and felt forced on their surroundings, but here, nothing seemed forced. The pine trees that surrounded the employee parking lot provided a sweet perfume. Lexi inhaled deeply as she walked to the back door, and then she sneezed. Whatever the spores were in the air, they tickled her nose.
    She knocked a couple of times—the door was locked even though there were a few other cars in the parking lot already. A gal with the name tag Yvette Wade opened the door and ushered Lexi inside.
    “Welcome, Lexi. We’re so excited to have you here. Let me show you where to put your stuff.” Yvette signaled Lexi to follow her.
    “Thank you, Ms. Wade,” Lexi said. She tried to keep a smile on her face, but it was forced and unnatural. Lexi trailed behind the secretary, who wore her hair in tight brown curls close to her head and was clearly older than Lexi.
    “Just call me Yvette. It’s just easier,” Yvette said. She then led Lexi to the employee break room.
    Lexi put her lunch bag inside the full-sized refrigerator. She looked around the break room but was pulled from her observations as Yvette prompted her to follow. Yvette stopped a short way down the hall, opened an office door, and turned on the overhead fluorescent lighting.
    “This is your office. Just above the computer is a locked cabinet. You can keep your purse there.” Yvette handed Lexi two keys, one to open the door at the employee entry, and the other to open her cabinet. “Keep the keys on your key ring. You’ll need to keep them handy.” Yvette smiled.
    Once Lexi had locked away her purse and put the keys on her personal key ring, she toured the office. Yvette introduced Lexi to Linda Muller, sitting in the reception area and already busy at work. Linda gave Lexi an obligatory nod. They stopped at the nurse practitioner’s office. A woman with highlighted blond bobbed hair sat at a desk. Her overall appearance was put together and trendy. A tall, handsome