she had never been tempted to join in. Until now. And she still wasn't going to play, however powerful the physical incentive. She was quite experienced enough to know that if she played with fire she was very likely to get burnt.
Oliver Spencer didn't want her. Not on any meaningful level. He thought she should make things up with Greg and reinstate her engagement. Maybe he was right. It would be far safer to abandon the fire the likes of Oliver Spencer represented and stay with the warm glow she had always previously been satisfied with. Safer and much easier. Sophie nodded slowly to herself. She would ring Greg. If he agreed, she would resign her registrar post and move back to Auckland. Take a job in the hospital or another general practice. She would put her life back on the rails. If she cut Oliver Spencer out of her existence now, any wound would soon heal. The danger lay in allowing the vulnerability to deepen, and Sophie was not about to become an emotional victim.
The phone in Sophie's office was internal so it couldn't be used for a toll call. The reception area was fortunately deserted. Toni was making her usual daily visit to the bank and post office just down the road. Janet was looking after the desk and the phones but was at present ushering a Mrs Kincaid into the treatment room for a flu shot.
'You realise you'll need to wait for twenty minutes after the vaccination, Mrs Kincaid?' Janet queried. 'That's just so we can be sure you're not going to have any kind of adverse reaction.'
'That's fine, Nurse. I've got nothing very important to do this afternoon.'
Sophie waited until the door of the treatment room swung closed. She picked up one of the phones on Toni's desk and dialled quickly.
'Could you page Dr Greg Hayes for me, please?' Sophie asked the operator. 'His beep number is 374.'
'Sophie!' Greg sounded astonished. 'Is something wrong?'
'No. I just wanted to talk to you.' Sophie found herself smiling at Greg's familiar voice. 'I...I've been thinking about you.'
'You're lucky you caught me. I'm just on my way to an ICU staff conference. The pace is frantic up here at the moment. We've got a patient overflow that's hitting crisis level.'
'Sorry. I know you're busy. I've tried ringing you at home a few times. You never seem to be there.'
'No.' Greg sounded embarrassed. 'I'm out a fair bit.' There was a short, awkward pause. 'Did you get the flowers?'
'Yes, thank you. It was sweet of you. That was really why I was ringing. I wanted to say I thought you might be...' Sophie searched for some way to tell Greg she had changed her mind, but the words didn't want to come out. Did she really believe that Greg had been right? Did she really want to put things back the way they had been?
'Missing you?' Greg broke the pause. 'Of course I am. But you were right, you know, Soph. When I really thought about it I realised exactly what our relationship had been missing, and...'
'And?' Sophie prompted. Suddenly she wished she hadn't made this call.
'And...ah...I'm not sure how to say this.' Greg sounded as though he also wished Sophie hadn't made the call.
'You've found someone else?' Sophie suggested. She tried to laugh. 'That was quick, Greg.'
Greg cleared his throat loudly. 'We've been working together for ages. I guess I'd been ignoring the spark between us but you made me take another look.'
Sophie couldn't help a faintly derisive snort. So she had been responsible?
'It would never have come to anything, Soph, if you hadn't decided... I mean, I don't want you to think I was cheating on you or anything.'
'No. That's OK, Greg. I understand.' Sophie was aware of Janet returning to the office area behind her. She could hear the files in one of the in-baskets being shuffled. She held the phone more tightly against her ear and lowered her voice.
'We'll always be friends,' Greg said gently. 'Very special friends. I do love you, Soph. You know that, don't you?'
'Yes, I know.' Sophie pressed her lips together
Oliver Spencer didn't want her. Not on any meaningful level. He thought she should make things up with Greg and reinstate her engagement. Maybe he was right. It would be far safer to abandon the fire the likes of Oliver Spencer represented and stay with the warm glow she had always previously been satisfied with. Safer and much easier. Sophie nodded slowly to herself. She would ring Greg. If he agreed, she would resign her registrar post and move back to Auckland. Take a job in the hospital or another general practice. She would put her life back on the rails. If she cut Oliver Spencer out of her existence now, any wound would soon heal. The danger lay in allowing the vulnerability to deepen, and Sophie was not about to become an emotional victim.
The phone in Sophie's office was internal so it couldn't be used for a toll call. The reception area was fortunately deserted. Toni was making her usual daily visit to the bank and post office just down the road. Janet was looking after the desk and the phones but was at present ushering a Mrs Kincaid into the treatment room for a flu shot.
'You realise you'll need to wait for twenty minutes after the vaccination, Mrs Kincaid?' Janet queried. 'That's just so we can be sure you're not going to have any kind of adverse reaction.'
'That's fine, Nurse. I've got nothing very important to do this afternoon.'
Sophie waited until the door of the treatment room swung closed. She picked up one of the phones on Toni's desk and dialled quickly.
'Could you page Dr Greg Hayes for me, please?' Sophie asked the operator. 'His beep number is 374.'
'Sophie!' Greg sounded astonished. 'Is something wrong?'
'No. I just wanted to talk to you.' Sophie found herself smiling at Greg's familiar voice. 'I...I've been thinking about you.'
'You're lucky you caught me. I'm just on my way to an ICU staff conference. The pace is frantic up here at the moment. We've got a patient overflow that's hitting crisis level.'
'Sorry. I know you're busy. I've tried ringing you at home a few times. You never seem to be there.'
'No.' Greg sounded embarrassed. 'I'm out a fair bit.' There was a short, awkward pause. 'Did you get the flowers?'
'Yes, thank you. It was sweet of you. That was really why I was ringing. I wanted to say I thought you might be...' Sophie searched for some way to tell Greg she had changed her mind, but the words didn't want to come out. Did she really believe that Greg had been right? Did she really want to put things back the way they had been?
'Missing you?' Greg broke the pause. 'Of course I am. But you were right, you know, Soph. When I really thought about it I realised exactly what our relationship had been missing, and...'
'And?' Sophie prompted. Suddenly she wished she hadn't made this call.
'And...ah...I'm not sure how to say this.' Greg sounded as though he also wished Sophie hadn't made the call.
'You've found someone else?' Sophie suggested. She tried to laugh. 'That was quick, Greg.'
Greg cleared his throat loudly. 'We've been working together for ages. I guess I'd been ignoring the spark between us but you made me take another look.'
Sophie couldn't help a faintly derisive snort. So she had been responsible?
'It would never have come to anything, Soph, if you hadn't decided... I mean, I don't want you to think I was cheating on you or anything.'
'No. That's OK, Greg. I understand.' Sophie was aware of Janet returning to the office area behind her. She could hear the files in one of the in-baskets being shuffled. She held the phone more tightly against her ear and lowered her voice.
'We'll always be friends,' Greg said gently. 'Very special friends. I do love you, Soph. You know that, don't you?'
'Yes, I know.' Sophie pressed her lips together
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