activity. He didn't usually get lonely, except at around
Christmas.
He knew what they called him on the
department. Scrooge Carson, the grumpy old man and various other
names which attested to his abrupt and blunt manner. He'd heard
about the book running on whether he'd smile before New Year.
Perhaps he should place a bet. He'd make a killing!
Snorting, he gave up on the files, leaning
back in his chair to run a hand through his close cropped, dark
hair. His admin assistant, Pat, wouldn't thank him for messing them
up, he'd better not fiddle with them anymore. She might never
forgive him.
He should get going. Take a cruise through
the department and check everything was okay... he sighed. Okay, so
he wanted to check and see if Jo had received the earrings. He'd
been holding off going down all day and asking what she'd received
in the Secret Santa. He knew she had to have opened them by now. He
wanted to see the look on her face, hopefully a glow of
happiness.
He liked Jo, felt for her. She had a sadness
around her that pulled at his heart, an organ he'd long thought
dead. When he'd pulled her name out of the hat he hadn't been able
to resist trying to lift that sadness a little.
And he'd known the perfect gift. When he'd
been in Keystone’s dropping off his watch for a repair the other
day he'd spotted her looking in the window. Absorbed in her study
she hadn't seen him. But he'd seen her and the wistful look on her
face as she'd looked at the earrings on the central display. So
when he’d pulled her name he'd gone right back to the jewellers and
brought them.
He hoped she did like them now and he
hadn't misread her expression. Drew was the first to admit he
wasn't the most astute when it came to women. They were a whole
different species. A weird species, especially nurses who always
seemed to burst into tears around him. Although he hadn’t managed
to make Jo cry. Another reason he liked her; calm and efficient,
she dealt with his outbursts in trauma without so much as batting
an eyelid.
A soft knock at his door brought his hands
down and he straightened up. “Come in,” he called out, quite
unprepared for the woman who'd just been occupying his thoughts to
sidle into the room. She closed the door behind her with a small
click.
“I'm not disturbing you, am I?” She had one
hand behind her back as though ready to escape, leaving him alone.
Whatever else Drew wanted, it wasn't to be left alone. Not by this
woman.
“No, no, come in.” He ordered, his voice
brusque. Great, nice one Drew, he berated himself as she
stepped back a little.
“Please,” he added, trying to soften his
tone. The whole department knew she'd been through a messy divorce
and had a restraining order out on her abusive ex. Hell; he'd even
rung here to threaten her. After that Drew had security keep a
special watch out for her car in the staff car park. Watching to
make sure she got to her car without incident. The one thing Drew
couldn't understand was a man who hit a woman. His anger rose at
the thought. Men like that weren't men at all, they were cowards
and bullies.
“What can I do for you Jo?” He asked into the
silence, waiting for her to speak. She didn’t chatter much, at
least not to him. But he’d noted she had friends amongst the other
staff so he hung around the nurses’ station as he made his notes,
listening to the chatter. He liked to listen to her voice. God,
that made him sound so pathetic. Brushing the thought off in
irritation he focused his attention on her.
“Ermm, I was supposed to get you a Secret
Santa gift,” She looked uncomfortable and started to gabble. “I was
going to go out at lunch but then the RTA came in and everything
went manic and…”
Drew levered himself out of his seat, his
lips quirking a little as he realised what she was trying to
say.
“You didn’t manage to get out and you
forgot?” His prompt was voiced gently as he rounded his desk to
lean against the front edge, arms folded
Christmas.
He knew what they called him on the
department. Scrooge Carson, the grumpy old man and various other
names which attested to his abrupt and blunt manner. He'd heard
about the book running on whether he'd smile before New Year.
Perhaps he should place a bet. He'd make a killing!
Snorting, he gave up on the files, leaning
back in his chair to run a hand through his close cropped, dark
hair. His admin assistant, Pat, wouldn't thank him for messing them
up, he'd better not fiddle with them anymore. She might never
forgive him.
He should get going. Take a cruise through
the department and check everything was okay... he sighed. Okay, so
he wanted to check and see if Jo had received the earrings. He'd
been holding off going down all day and asking what she'd received
in the Secret Santa. He knew she had to have opened them by now. He
wanted to see the look on her face, hopefully a glow of
happiness.
He liked Jo, felt for her. She had a sadness
around her that pulled at his heart, an organ he'd long thought
dead. When he'd pulled her name out of the hat he hadn't been able
to resist trying to lift that sadness a little.
And he'd known the perfect gift. When he'd
been in Keystone’s dropping off his watch for a repair the other
day he'd spotted her looking in the window. Absorbed in her study
she hadn't seen him. But he'd seen her and the wistful look on her
face as she'd looked at the earrings on the central display. So
when he’d pulled her name he'd gone right back to the jewellers and
brought them.
He hoped she did like them now and he
hadn't misread her expression. Drew was the first to admit he
wasn't the most astute when it came to women. They were a whole
different species. A weird species, especially nurses who always
seemed to burst into tears around him. Although he hadn’t managed
to make Jo cry. Another reason he liked her; calm and efficient,
she dealt with his outbursts in trauma without so much as batting
an eyelid.
A soft knock at his door brought his hands
down and he straightened up. “Come in,” he called out, quite
unprepared for the woman who'd just been occupying his thoughts to
sidle into the room. She closed the door behind her with a small
click.
“I'm not disturbing you, am I?” She had one
hand behind her back as though ready to escape, leaving him alone.
Whatever else Drew wanted, it wasn't to be left alone. Not by this
woman.
“No, no, come in.” He ordered, his voice
brusque. Great, nice one Drew, he berated himself as she
stepped back a little.
“Please,” he added, trying to soften his
tone. The whole department knew she'd been through a messy divorce
and had a restraining order out on her abusive ex. Hell; he'd even
rung here to threaten her. After that Drew had security keep a
special watch out for her car in the staff car park. Watching to
make sure she got to her car without incident. The one thing Drew
couldn't understand was a man who hit a woman. His anger rose at
the thought. Men like that weren't men at all, they were cowards
and bullies.
“What can I do for you Jo?” He asked into the
silence, waiting for her to speak. She didn’t chatter much, at
least not to him. But he’d noted she had friends amongst the other
staff so he hung around the nurses’ station as he made his notes,
listening to the chatter. He liked to listen to her voice. God,
that made him sound so pathetic. Brushing the thought off in
irritation he focused his attention on her.
“Ermm, I was supposed to get you a Secret
Santa gift,” She looked uncomfortable and started to gabble. “I was
going to go out at lunch but then the RTA came in and everything
went manic and…”
Drew levered himself out of his seat, his
lips quirking a little as he realised what she was trying to
say.
“You didn’t manage to get out and you
forgot?” His prompt was voiced gently as he rounded his desk to
lean against the front edge, arms folded
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