Phoenix Heart Read Online Free PDF Page A

came here.”
    “God help us. Put simply, she’s using radioactively-labeled
phosphorus to mark DNA fragments.”
    “Oh,” I said and nodded, “of course.”
    “When you finish Heinzinger’s Cell Biology, you’ll know what
I’m talking about.”
    “Oh, sure.”
    I followed him into the other two rooms, even more subdued
and nervous than when I’d first come into the lab. He introduced me to three
other grad students, all who had been there at least two years and seemed
comfortably familiar with the routine and each other.
    As we walked back out into the main lab, Chuck stopped and
looked at me intently.
    “Stop it,” he said.
    “Stop what?”
    “You’re thinking about your Uncle’s donut shop again, aren’t
you?”
    “No,” I said. “I gave up on that idea a long time ago.”
    “Good.”
    “No, I was thinking about the opening at the bank for a
Teller II. Lousy pay, hard work, but, you must remember, there’s no future.”
    “It’ll be okay,” he said. “Everybody feels this way at
first. You’ll get used to it.”
    I smiled, grateful that amid all the wisecracks he could
take the time to try to put me at ease. I looked up into his light blue eyes.
    A nice guy. With the shaggy
hair not exactly perfect, but a nice guy.
    “Thank you,” I said. “You know, I guess I’d better start
getting used to things around here. Are there some articles or reports or
something I can read up on?”
    “Tons,” he said, “but after lunch, ok? And speaking of
lunch, my stomach says it’s time. You want to go over to that little cafe
behind the dorms and get a bite?”
    “Uh.”
    He does wear glasses. Probably
nearsighted.
    Cheryl’s
voice came back to me: And even if he was interested, then you’d
convince yourself you’re not worthy, too unattractive, whatever.
    “Sure, great, food,” I said. Then I groaned. “Oh, wait, I’m
sorry. I’m meeting a friend.”
    He smiled. “Oh, okay. Some other time, then. See you after
lunch.”
    He started for the front door.
    Courage, Melanie.
    “Uh, Chuck? If you’d like, you could have lunch with us,” I
said.
    He turned back and grinned. “Thought you’d never ask.”
    We headed out the front door and I heard the ding of the
elevator arriving. The doors swept open and Andrew Richards’ deep voice could
be heard talking to someone. My heart stuttered, then started again, drumming
against my breastbone hard enough that I looked down to make sure my blouse
wasn’t vibrating there.
    “Annie, my darling,” he was saying as he stepped through the
doors, “that paper has to be typed before Federal Express leaves today.” He was
wearing a white Oxford shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of worn blue
jeans. On his shoulder perched a white rat. A rat. This I hadn’t seen in People .
    “Dr. Richards, you gave us no warning. It’s thirty-five
pages long. There are seven tables and four graphs. We’re all working on Dr.
Massara’s funding proposal. It also has to go out in Fed Ex tonight.” Annie was
no more than five-feet tall, buxom, and wore the most god-awful purple floral
dress. She held out a sheaf of papers to Dr. Richards that he studiously
avoided looking at or reaching for.
    “Annie, we don’t have a choice about this. It has to go.”
    “Dr. Richards, we can’t do it.”
    “Damn it, Annie! Are you listening? It goes today!”
    The rat flinched, Annie’s eyes widened, and I even heard a
small murmur of protest from Chuck. We’d both stopped just outside the door,
not able to retreat, and not willing to walk forward into the middle of the
disagreement.
    Even as his angry words echoed down the hall, Dr. Richards
seemed to realize how sharp they were. His face softened and he reached out to
touch the woman’s arm. “I’m sorry, Annie. That was uncalled for.”
    Her lips were set in a tight white line. Her shoulders
shifted in the slightest shrug.
    “Annie, love, it really has to go today. I apologize for not
giving you any notice,