“Oh, yeah,” he said. “So, let me guess. He made his big pitch, they told him he was crazy, and he called you for some consolation after hitting the bar.”
“Not even close.” She paused, waiting for him to look up from
the papers that were askew on his desk.
“Well, what did happen then?” “He got three hundred companies.”
It took a moment for Wall to speak. “Say again?”
“Nick Harris just raised three billion dollars in the name of the
Kristen Foundation Project.”
“Holy mother of God! That boy is full of surprises!” He lifted his large frame from his chair. “Three billion dollars! That must have been one helluva speech, huh?”
“Apparently he really cares about the kids. Admit you might be wrong about him.”
“For that amount of money, I’d be happy to be wrong about
anything.” He smiled. “By the way, who else knows about this?” “Nick and his dad, the insurance group, you and me, and
probably Jerry.”
“What have we got into here, Shelly?” He walked toward her and offered one of his comforting hugs. She accepted.
“One wild ride, Doc,” she whispered in his ear. “One wild ride.” She stepped back. “Nick said he will inform the hospital board later. Let’s keep this quiet for now. We have a lot of planning to do.”
“We just raised three billion dollars, and we can’t tell anyone,” he said. “That about right?”
“That’s about it,” she said, grabbing her purse from the loveseat. “Oh, by the way, I thought you’d also like to be the first to know that I think I’m falling in love with Nick Harris.”
He watched as she left the office. “I was just about to say the same thing!” He sat back down and reclined. “Yes, sir, I’m really starting to like this young man.”
*****
Jerry checked his watch. Right on time. He followed the signs for arrivals and slowly cruised the pickup area, looking for Nick. With any luck, he wouldn’t have to swing around and make