we’ve come from and where we think we’re going.
‘What do you think of the music?’ Matt asks eventually, when the quartet have finished their first set.
‘It’s different, but it isn’t really my thing,’ I say tactfully. ‘I prefer pop and rock.’ I smile at his crestfallen expression. ‘Matt, I’m glad you brought me here.’
‘It’s a great place for a first date, isn’t it?’ he says, his eyes flashing with amusement because he knows exactly what I’m going to say about that. We both start laughing.
As the music plays on, I catch the sound of the Scissor Sisters’ track ‘Only the Horses’ coming from my bag.
‘That’s my mobile,’ I say, rummaging for my phone. ‘I’m sorry, Matt. No one ever calls me.’ I cringe when I realise what I’ve said. I sound like Billy No-Mates, though I do have many friends all over the place but we tend to communicate via Facebook, unless we’re planning to meet up. ‘I won’t answer it.’ I glance at the screen, which tells me it’s my sister calling and I change my mind. ‘I need to get this.’
However, when I accept the call the line is dead.
‘Is there a problem?’ asks Matt.
‘Do you mind if I …’ My finger hovers over the CALL icon on the screen.
‘You go ahead.’ He stands up. ‘I’ll go and see if I can find the menu for dessert.’
I haven’t heard from her for ages, and of all the times to choose to call me my sister has chosen now. I listen for her to pick up, but there’s no reply and the familiar voicemail cuts in.
‘This is Cheska here. Please leave a message and I’ll get back to you asap.’
My heart sinks because I appear to have missed an opportunity to catch up with her to check she and the children are safe and well and happy.
‘What’s up?’ Matt passes me a menu when he returns from inside the restaurant and sits back down beside me.
‘My little sister. She’s … Oh, it’s a long story. I won’t go into it now.’ I look at the menu. ‘What are you having? I’m not sure I can eat dessert as well.’
‘We could share,’ he suggests, moving so close I can feel his breath against my cheek.
‘Do we have similar tastes?’
‘What’s your favourite?’
‘Something chocolatey. How about the profiteroles?’
Matt calls the waiter over and orders two profiteroles.
‘I thought we were sharing.’
‘We are. I’ll eat mine and share yours.’ He raises one eyebrow. ‘I have a good appetite.’
‘Hey, I hope you’re not—’
‘Here we go again – “This isn’t a date.” Nicci, what’s the problem? I feel like I’m getting mixed signals, as though you’re attracted to me and you’d like to bemore than friends, but something’s holding you back.’ He hesitates. ‘Don’t you … well, you know …’
‘Fancy you,’ I say for him. ‘Yes, I do,’ I add, but I don’t think he hears me.
‘If you don’t want me to pursue you, I can stop. I don’t want to, but—’
‘I don’t want you to stop,’ I say quietly as the waiter arrives with two bowls of profiteroles and hot chocolate sauce. Suddenly, I’m really not hungry. ‘Matt, I’m a doctor. I can’t date one of my patients.’
‘It doesn’t worry me.’
‘The principle is there to protect patients and doctors, not that I’m saying you need protecting from me, or vice versa, but I do believe in it. It prevents vulnerable patients being exploited.’
‘I’m hardly vulnerable, and I like the idea of you exploiting me.’
‘Matt, please, I’m being serious here. It protects doctors too, from accusations of taking advantage of their patients.’
‘It’s an anachronism. This is the twenty-first century.’ He pauses to wipe chocolate sauce from the corner of his mouth. ‘Anyway, who is going to bother about us? Neither of us is married.’
‘I don’t like the idea. I don’t mean the idea of going out with you.’ I lower my voice. ‘I like that very much, but I work in the community. If someone
‘What do you think of the music?’ Matt asks eventually, when the quartet have finished their first set.
‘It’s different, but it isn’t really my thing,’ I say tactfully. ‘I prefer pop and rock.’ I smile at his crestfallen expression. ‘Matt, I’m glad you brought me here.’
‘It’s a great place for a first date, isn’t it?’ he says, his eyes flashing with amusement because he knows exactly what I’m going to say about that. We both start laughing.
As the music plays on, I catch the sound of the Scissor Sisters’ track ‘Only the Horses’ coming from my bag.
‘That’s my mobile,’ I say, rummaging for my phone. ‘I’m sorry, Matt. No one ever calls me.’ I cringe when I realise what I’ve said. I sound like Billy No-Mates, though I do have many friends all over the place but we tend to communicate via Facebook, unless we’re planning to meet up. ‘I won’t answer it.’ I glance at the screen, which tells me it’s my sister calling and I change my mind. ‘I need to get this.’
However, when I accept the call the line is dead.
‘Is there a problem?’ asks Matt.
‘Do you mind if I …’ My finger hovers over the CALL icon on the screen.
‘You go ahead.’ He stands up. ‘I’ll go and see if I can find the menu for dessert.’
I haven’t heard from her for ages, and of all the times to choose to call me my sister has chosen now. I listen for her to pick up, but there’s no reply and the familiar voicemail cuts in.
‘This is Cheska here. Please leave a message and I’ll get back to you asap.’
My heart sinks because I appear to have missed an opportunity to catch up with her to check she and the children are safe and well and happy.
‘What’s up?’ Matt passes me a menu when he returns from inside the restaurant and sits back down beside me.
‘My little sister. She’s … Oh, it’s a long story. I won’t go into it now.’ I look at the menu. ‘What are you having? I’m not sure I can eat dessert as well.’
‘We could share,’ he suggests, moving so close I can feel his breath against my cheek.
‘Do we have similar tastes?’
‘What’s your favourite?’
‘Something chocolatey. How about the profiteroles?’
Matt calls the waiter over and orders two profiteroles.
‘I thought we were sharing.’
‘We are. I’ll eat mine and share yours.’ He raises one eyebrow. ‘I have a good appetite.’
‘Hey, I hope you’re not—’
‘Here we go again – “This isn’t a date.” Nicci, what’s the problem? I feel like I’m getting mixed signals, as though you’re attracted to me and you’d like to bemore than friends, but something’s holding you back.’ He hesitates. ‘Don’t you … well, you know …’
‘Fancy you,’ I say for him. ‘Yes, I do,’ I add, but I don’t think he hears me.
‘If you don’t want me to pursue you, I can stop. I don’t want to, but—’
‘I don’t want you to stop,’ I say quietly as the waiter arrives with two bowls of profiteroles and hot chocolate sauce. Suddenly, I’m really not hungry. ‘Matt, I’m a doctor. I can’t date one of my patients.’
‘It doesn’t worry me.’
‘The principle is there to protect patients and doctors, not that I’m saying you need protecting from me, or vice versa, but I do believe in it. It prevents vulnerable patients being exploited.’
‘I’m hardly vulnerable, and I like the idea of you exploiting me.’
‘Matt, please, I’m being serious here. It protects doctors too, from accusations of taking advantage of their patients.’
‘It’s an anachronism. This is the twenty-first century.’ He pauses to wipe chocolate sauce from the corner of his mouth. ‘Anyway, who is going to bother about us? Neither of us is married.’
‘I don’t like the idea. I don’t mean the idea of going out with you.’ I lower my voice. ‘I like that very much, but I work in the community. If someone
Similar Books
