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He raised his shoulders in a shrug. “Any other thoughts?”

Sage stared at her list. Everything she said was going in one ear and out the other. Not one item on her list seemed like it would go any further than coming from her mouth. If she mentioned that the staff was threatening to walk, then he would shrug it off and that would be one less employee he had to fire.

“Is there a reason you won’t get the staff more involved and allow them the courtesy of coming up with cost-based solutions?” Sage tossed the list down on his desk. “We have a great team, and I don’t think the hospital will be what it has been built into, if we lose some of this staff. Keep that in mind.” She got up from her chair and turned, leaving the office before Noah could even give a rebuttal. She had said her peace, but with someone that stubborn, it was hard to get him to hear the voice of reason.

Gina watched her as she left the office. Marcus and Lena were still out in the hallway and both of them jumped up from their chair and stared at her. She slowly shook her head.

“It was pointless,” she stated. Lena and Marcus groaned. “He tried to back out of the meeting, again. When I wouldn’t leave, he said he’d listen, but that was about as far as it went. He’s so damn bullheaded, but it is what it is.”

“No,” Lena argued. “We can’t just say it is what it is and shrug it off. Something has to be done.”

“What?” Marcus asked.

Lena shook her head. “I haven’t figured that one out but give me time.”

Sage glanced at her watch. “I have to get to work. I have a patient coming in. I’ll see you guys later.” She hurried to the elevator and rode it up to her floor. When she got off the elevator, Stassi stood at the nurse’s station, her eyes directed in that direction. She stood up straighter and hurried over to Sage.

“I was on break and hoping you’d be back. How’d it go?”

Sage shook her head. “It didn’t. He didn’t want to hear me out. He listened but didn’t seem too concerned. I just don’t know that I’ll be able to see this hospital again as the place where one cared about the employees,” she sighed. “Maybe it’s time I go to work someplace else.”

Stassi frowned. “Don’t say that. I see the way you deal with these patients and they all genuinely like you. Don’t give up on them.”

Sage gave a weak smile. She wanted to be in the same mindset, but it was hard when the place she’d worked so hard for, to succeed, was quickly crumbling in front of her.

“If I didn’t have a patient, I would pull you into a room and have mad, passionate sex.”

Stassi laughed and then looked around before she caught a quick kiss. “If you didn’t have a patient and I didn’t have to get back to work, I’d allow that. But later?”

“Definitely.” Sage watched as Stassi went back to the front desk. She had to try to be positive, but all she saw were ways to fail in the current situation. She turned and headed to the room. With her patient waiting, she had to think about that later, as now wasn’t the time.

Stassi

Sage

I miss you.

It’d only been two days, but it was nice to see the message pop up in Stassi’s text. I miss you, too. Stassi stretched out in her arms and left her apartment, making the morning jog per usual. The past couple of days, they had been working opposite shifts, leaving it impossible to get to spend time together. She had to tell herself, that when they were finally together, it would make that intimacy all the better.

As she reached the corner, she heard another text message ding on her phone. She grabbed it from her pocket to find another text from Sage.

Sage

I’m off tomorrow. You are, too, right? Let’s plan a day of it. I can pick you up at 6.

Stassi sighed. Now would be the time when she would have to remind Sage that she had a modeling shoot the next day. She had been steering clear of the topic because she got the idea that Sage wasn’t all too pleased with Stassi’s choice of side hustle.

Stassi

I’d love to spend the day with you tomorrow, but…

She stared at the phone and quickly deleted her message.

Stassi

Sounds good, unfortunately, I have plans tomorrow.

It wasn’t a lie. It wasn’t exactly truthful, though, because it was vague, and Stassi felt guilty the moment she typed it out. She quickly deleted it. How could she be honest and not start another potentially hazardous conversation.