needed and left them to it. With two members of staff off sick, it promised to be another busy day. Thankfully, she was working the early shift and shouldn’t see very much of Max. Unless there was a crisis, then, she’d be able to avoid him.
She sighed as she made her way back to the delivery room. Although her head told her that it was a good thing, her heart definitely didn’t seem to agree.
Lucy stayed on after her shift should have ended. Although Amanda had managed to find someone tocover the evening shift, she hated to leave them in the lurch, so it was gone three by the time she felt able to leave. She went to the staffroom for her coat, smiling when she found Cathy in there, nursing a mug of tea.
‘You look as though you needed that.’
‘Tell me about it.’ Cathy took a swallow of her tea then groaned appreciatively. ‘You can forget about sex. I’d rather have a mug of tea any day of the week!’
‘I’m sure your boyfriend would be thrilled to hear you say that,’ Lucy replied, laughing.
‘Oh, Neil knows exactly how I feel,’ Cathy assured her. ‘We wouldn’t have lasted this long if he hadn’t been so understanding, believe me.’
‘How long have you been together?’ Lucy asked, slipping on her coat.
‘Almost two years, although I’ve known him since we were at school together. Don’t tell him I said this but I wouldn’t swap him for the world, although I might just consider it if George Clooney came knocking on my door!’ she added, grinning.
Lucy laughed. ‘You and a million other women.’
‘Hmm, good point. I don’t think I’d fancy going out with a guy who dozens of other women lusted after, would you?’
‘No, I wouldn’t.’ She didn’t realise how sharp she’d sounded until she saw Cathy look at her in surprise.
‘That came from the heart. Do I take it that you’ve had a bad experience?’
‘You could say that.’ Lucy shrugged. ‘My ex was considered to be heart-throb material. The problem was that he knew it too.’
‘Is that why you split up?’ Cathy asked sympathetically.
‘No. I could have coped with the female adulation. What I couldn’t handle was him seeing other women while still professing his love for me.’
‘Ouch!’ Cathy grimaced. ‘It sounds as though you had a lucky escape, if you ask me.’
‘I suppose so.’
‘There’s no suppose about it,’ Cathy said firmly, standing up. She went to her locker and took out her bag. ‘What you need is to have some fun and forget about him, and I know the perfect way to do it.’ She handed Lucy a ticket. ‘It’s the staff Christmas party tonight. I was supposed to be going with Joanna but obviously she won’t be able to make it now, so you can have her ticket.’
‘Oh, I don’t know if I should,’ Lucy began.
‘Rubbish! Of course you should! It’ll be fun, trust me. And you never know, you might meet someone who’ll take your mind right off your ex!’
Lucy laughed as she took the ticket. However, as she left the staffroom she couldn’t help thinking that it wasn’t Richard who had occupied her thoughts recently. She sighed. She had a feeling that it was going to take more than a few hours of fun to stop her thinking about Max all the time.
Chapter Nine
M AX wasn’t planning on going to the Christmas party, even though he had bought a ticket months ago. After his last disastrous date, he had given up on the idea of socialising for the moment. However, as the day wore on, the prospect of spending the evening on his own held even less appeal. He knew what would happen. He would spend the time thinking about Lucy and it wouldn’t help one little bit. The Christmas party could turn out to be the better option.
He went home to shower and change then drove back to the hospital. The party was being held in the staff canteen and there was quite a crowd in there when he arrived. He got himself a drink from the makeshift bar and went to find the others, stopping en route to speak to
She sighed as she made her way back to the delivery room. Although her head told her that it was a good thing, her heart definitely didn’t seem to agree.
Lucy stayed on after her shift should have ended. Although Amanda had managed to find someone tocover the evening shift, she hated to leave them in the lurch, so it was gone three by the time she felt able to leave. She went to the staffroom for her coat, smiling when she found Cathy in there, nursing a mug of tea.
‘You look as though you needed that.’
‘Tell me about it.’ Cathy took a swallow of her tea then groaned appreciatively. ‘You can forget about sex. I’d rather have a mug of tea any day of the week!’
‘I’m sure your boyfriend would be thrilled to hear you say that,’ Lucy replied, laughing.
‘Oh, Neil knows exactly how I feel,’ Cathy assured her. ‘We wouldn’t have lasted this long if he hadn’t been so understanding, believe me.’
‘How long have you been together?’ Lucy asked, slipping on her coat.
‘Almost two years, although I’ve known him since we were at school together. Don’t tell him I said this but I wouldn’t swap him for the world, although I might just consider it if George Clooney came knocking on my door!’ she added, grinning.
Lucy laughed. ‘You and a million other women.’
‘Hmm, good point. I don’t think I’d fancy going out with a guy who dozens of other women lusted after, would you?’
‘No, I wouldn’t.’ She didn’t realise how sharp she’d sounded until she saw Cathy look at her in surprise.
‘That came from the heart. Do I take it that you’ve had a bad experience?’
‘You could say that.’ Lucy shrugged. ‘My ex was considered to be heart-throb material. The problem was that he knew it too.’
‘Is that why you split up?’ Cathy asked sympathetically.
‘No. I could have coped with the female adulation. What I couldn’t handle was him seeing other women while still professing his love for me.’
‘Ouch!’ Cathy grimaced. ‘It sounds as though you had a lucky escape, if you ask me.’
‘I suppose so.’
‘There’s no suppose about it,’ Cathy said firmly, standing up. She went to her locker and took out her bag. ‘What you need is to have some fun and forget about him, and I know the perfect way to do it.’ She handed Lucy a ticket. ‘It’s the staff Christmas party tonight. I was supposed to be going with Joanna but obviously she won’t be able to make it now, so you can have her ticket.’
‘Oh, I don’t know if I should,’ Lucy began.
‘Rubbish! Of course you should! It’ll be fun, trust me. And you never know, you might meet someone who’ll take your mind right off your ex!’
Lucy laughed as she took the ticket. However, as she left the staffroom she couldn’t help thinking that it wasn’t Richard who had occupied her thoughts recently. She sighed. She had a feeling that it was going to take more than a few hours of fun to stop her thinking about Max all the time.
Chapter Nine
M AX wasn’t planning on going to the Christmas party, even though he had bought a ticket months ago. After his last disastrous date, he had given up on the idea of socialising for the moment. However, as the day wore on, the prospect of spending the evening on his own held even less appeal. He knew what would happen. He would spend the time thinking about Lucy and it wouldn’t help one little bit. The Christmas party could turn out to be the better option.
He went home to shower and change then drove back to the hospital. The party was being held in the staff canteen and there was quite a crowd in there when he arrived. He got himself a drink from the makeshift bar and went to find the others, stopping en route to speak to
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