Out of Reach Read Online Free Page A

it as a freezer
pop,” I say.
    Laughing, Joe looks at me. “I can see the
headlines now: ‘Two children dead after ingesting Grandma’s
Alzheimer’s medication because they thought it was an Otter
Pop.’”
    I shrug. “Okay, so frozen food marketing is
out.”
    Continuing around the counter, I head back
to my workstation, grab my spiral-bound notebook, and rejoin Joe
and Charlie.
    “Tomorrow we are going to have to review our
available stabilizing agents again.” Meeting Joe’s eyes, I
continue, “I know what you’re thinking, but everything else about
the technique looks sound, and Charlie’s a pro.”
    This earns me a half smile from our head
technician. I rarely give out praise. It’s not that I’m a bitch, or
don’t believe in giving credit where it’s due—I just expect
excellence from everyone, myself most of all.
    “Right then!” Joe continues raising his
voice to be heard above the hum of equipment. “Gather up,
everyone.”
    Through the converging
bodies and over the scraping sound of chairs being pushed around, I
glance over at Joe, eyebrow raised, and flash him my You’ve got this! look.
He nods, shooing me away with his hand, and proceeds to begin our
evening staff meeting. It’s become a habit since Joe and I started
working together. Every day at 4:30p.m., thirty minutes before
quitting time, we regroup to review our progress and strategize for
the next day. It was actually an exercise recommended by management
for Joe and I because of some difficulties we had working together
in the beginning. When I started at Preston-Ward, I worked in Lab
1A under another team leader. When I was elevated to my current
position last year, I moved into Joe’s lab, 4B. He and I had never
worked together before and we both had our own way of doing things.
I didn’t delegate or communicate well in the beginning. I worked
independently and, by the end of the first week, Joe realized I was
completing tasks he had either delegated to a technician or was
working on himself.
    I had to learn to become a team player, and
fast. So we started meeting in the mornings to discuss our current
project and outline who was going to do what, then we would regroup
at 4:30p.m. to map out what needed to be done the next day. It
worked so well we started involving the whole team, and now it’s
become a daily ritual.
    But today I’m done. I linger in the lab long
enough to clean up my things and then head back to my office. I
know Joe has everything in order and there’s nothing new for me to
contribute. Exiting the lab, I hang a right and head straight
toward the elevator. I slip inside the second the doors open and
enjoy a silent respite on the short ride down. The office floor is
busy. People are scrambling to complete last minute details so they
can head home for the day. I bypass the commotion unnoticed, round
the first corner, and enter the sanctuary of my office.
    While I may share a lab, I
do not share an office, and right now the quiet atmosphere is very
inviting. I hang my coat on the hook behind the door, cross the
carpet, and set my notebooks neatly on my desk. After kicking my
ugly clogs under the desk, I rest my head in my hands for a moment
and close my eyes. Over and over I remind myself, You are near a break-through; you are near a
break-through.
    Halfway through my mental pep talk, Melanie
bursts through the office door, disrupting the peace. I slit one
eye open and peek up at her from my chair. She has a huge grin on
her face. In my frustrated and exhausted state, I hadn’t completely
forgotten what day it was, but I was having trouble channeling
enough energy to put on my fun face for the evening’s festivities.
On the second Monday of every month, the gang from work heads over
to McClaren’s after clocking out. It’s a sports bar and I love it
because it’s loud and there’s always a game of some kind playing
for people to focus their attention. The noise helps me to fly
under the radar on days I