middle?
Her fingers tightened around her glass and she thought of Nikos, and of how angry he was with her.
They’d been together for six months and yet he’d never mentioned his wife and child.
She’d thought they were close.
With a bitter laugh, she took a sip of her drink. Physically, they’d been close. But not emotionally. He hadn’t confided in her.
And she hadn’t confided in him either, had she?
Ella rubbed her aching forehead with her fingers, wondering why life always had to be so complicated.
At least she wouldn’t see him again until tomorrow. She had time to think about what to do for the best. The truth was she didn’t want to let Ruth down and she didn’t want to leave her job. But today had proved that she wasn’t capable of working with him.
‘Unless you want lots of questions, you should smile.’ Helen joined her, a heaped bowl of crisps in her hand.‘You look as though you’re contemplating jumping head first into the water. Judging from your expression, I’m guessing the reunion wasn’t what you were hoping.’
Her stomach churning, Ella refused the crisps, aware that she was the object of speculation. ‘You’ve heard that he’s here, then. Is everyone gossiping? Do they all know?’
‘That you’re involved with the gorgeous Greek? Of course. He was kissing you as though it was your last moments on earth. I have to say that if a man ever kissed me like that it probably would be. I’d die of ecstasy. The sparks have been crackling between the two of you all afternoon. It’s like pouring water onto chip fat.’
Ella stared at her friend. ‘What are they saying?’
‘Well—you know what the department is like.’ Helen was obviously searching for the most tactful response. ‘Everyone is desperate for light relief. It probably took less than four seconds for everyone to find out that the two of you are involved. From then on they were drawing straws as to who could go and help out in Paeds Emergency so that they could spy on the situation.’
‘Great.’ Every muscle in her body was tense, her head ached with endless thinking and her senses still hummed from a day spent within touching distance of Nikos.
Helen was steadily munching her way through the crisps. ‘I told them you moved down here first because Nikos couldn’t get away from London and that you didn’t mention it because you didn’t want people feeling awkward.’
‘Thanks. That was kind of you.’ Ella picked a piece of ice out of her glass. ‘I’m sorry I yelled at you earlier. You’ve been so good to me. I didn’t mean to be a grouch. I overreacted. I know you were only trying to help.’
‘ I’m the one who’s sorry. Sorry for what I did.’
‘I didn’t tell you the whole story, so in a way it was my fault.’
‘Well, I’m still sorry.’ Helen pulled a face. ‘ Obviously when I wrote that letter I didn’t think for a moment that he’d actually take a job here. Hospital management must have thought it was their lucky day, finding a doctor of his calibre.’
‘I’m sure they did.’ Ella thought about his clinical skills—about the way he was with every child he treated. ‘And maybe you did me a favour. At least now I don’t have to spend another night agonising about whether to tell him or not.’
‘So how did he take the news that he’s going to be a dad?’
Ella tightened her grip on the glass. ‘Well, it was hardly a loving reunion, if that’s what you’re asking.’ And she was still shocked by how angry he was.
She’d been naïve, she realised, to think he might have apologised.
He wasn’t the sort of man who ever felt the need to apologise because he never entertained the possibility that he could be wrong about anything.
Helen put the bowl of crisps carefully down on the wall. ‘Ella, he came after you. What’s the situation with his wife? Did you ask him? Are they heading for divorce or something?’
Ella glanced at her colleagues, all laughing at
Her fingers tightened around her glass and she thought of Nikos, and of how angry he was with her.
They’d been together for six months and yet he’d never mentioned his wife and child.
She’d thought they were close.
With a bitter laugh, she took a sip of her drink. Physically, they’d been close. But not emotionally. He hadn’t confided in her.
And she hadn’t confided in him either, had she?
Ella rubbed her aching forehead with her fingers, wondering why life always had to be so complicated.
At least she wouldn’t see him again until tomorrow. She had time to think about what to do for the best. The truth was she didn’t want to let Ruth down and she didn’t want to leave her job. But today had proved that she wasn’t capable of working with him.
‘Unless you want lots of questions, you should smile.’ Helen joined her, a heaped bowl of crisps in her hand.‘You look as though you’re contemplating jumping head first into the water. Judging from your expression, I’m guessing the reunion wasn’t what you were hoping.’
Her stomach churning, Ella refused the crisps, aware that she was the object of speculation. ‘You’ve heard that he’s here, then. Is everyone gossiping? Do they all know?’
‘That you’re involved with the gorgeous Greek? Of course. He was kissing you as though it was your last moments on earth. I have to say that if a man ever kissed me like that it probably would be. I’d die of ecstasy. The sparks have been crackling between the two of you all afternoon. It’s like pouring water onto chip fat.’
Ella stared at her friend. ‘What are they saying?’
‘Well—you know what the department is like.’ Helen was obviously searching for the most tactful response. ‘Everyone is desperate for light relief. It probably took less than four seconds for everyone to find out that the two of you are involved. From then on they were drawing straws as to who could go and help out in Paeds Emergency so that they could spy on the situation.’
‘Great.’ Every muscle in her body was tense, her head ached with endless thinking and her senses still hummed from a day spent within touching distance of Nikos.
Helen was steadily munching her way through the crisps. ‘I told them you moved down here first because Nikos couldn’t get away from London and that you didn’t mention it because you didn’t want people feeling awkward.’
‘Thanks. That was kind of you.’ Ella picked a piece of ice out of her glass. ‘I’m sorry I yelled at you earlier. You’ve been so good to me. I didn’t mean to be a grouch. I overreacted. I know you were only trying to help.’
‘ I’m the one who’s sorry. Sorry for what I did.’
‘I didn’t tell you the whole story, so in a way it was my fault.’
‘Well, I’m still sorry.’ Helen pulled a face. ‘ Obviously when I wrote that letter I didn’t think for a moment that he’d actually take a job here. Hospital management must have thought it was their lucky day, finding a doctor of his calibre.’
‘I’m sure they did.’ Ella thought about his clinical skills—about the way he was with every child he treated. ‘And maybe you did me a favour. At least now I don’t have to spend another night agonising about whether to tell him or not.’
‘So how did he take the news that he’s going to be a dad?’
Ella tightened her grip on the glass. ‘Well, it was hardly a loving reunion, if that’s what you’re asking.’ And she was still shocked by how angry he was.
She’d been naïve, she realised, to think he might have apologised.
He wasn’t the sort of man who ever felt the need to apologise because he never entertained the possibility that he could be wrong about anything.
Helen put the bowl of crisps carefully down on the wall. ‘Ella, he came after you. What’s the situation with his wife? Did you ask him? Are they heading for divorce or something?’
Ella glanced at her colleagues, all laughing at
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