Caroline Anderson - Picking up the Pieces

Instantly better. With the spangled tights and the high, strappy sandals she felt ready to dance the night away, and that was just what she was going to do!

She was just doing a last twirl in front of the mirror when she heard a firm stride stop at her door, and then a sharp knock.

She opened the door, and totally forgot her nerves.

He looked stunning. She had thought he was attractive tired and rumpled at the end of a long night’s operating — like this, freshly showered and shaved, with a sparkling white shirt, silk bowtie and dinner suit, he was devastating.

He was also standing in her doorway with his mouth hanging slightly open — much like hers.

She collected herself and found a smile, suddenly shy. ‘Come in.’

‘Ah — um …’He cleared his throat and met her eyes again. ‘You look…’ He shook his head slowly. ‘Are you ready?’

She nodded.

‘Come on, then, I’ve got a taxi outside.’

His hand on the small of her back was firm and warm, and he didn’t remove it until he opened the car door and ushered her in.

They went to a club she had never been to, but Nick was clearly known. The woman behind the desk almost oozed over the top.

‘Hello, there. Long time no see. Thought you’d deserted us.’

‘Would I, Janet?’ he said lightly, and placing his hand firmly in the small of Cassie’s back again, he guided her towards the restaurant.

‘Nick — good to see you again. How was Suffolk?’

‘Fine — Carlo, this is Cassie Blake. She’s very special. I hope you’ve saved us somewhere romantic.’

Carlo winked at her. ‘Always the romantic — you known this guy long?’

She smiled self-consciously. ‘Twenty-four hours?’

‘Ah — love at first sight! For you, I have the best table…’

It was, indeed, wonderfully romantic, screened by lush plants and bathed in soft music. Although it was still very early by London standards, it was already busy, but tucked away in their leafy nook they could have been quite alone.

They ate, and drank, and talked softly, though what food and drink and words crossed her lips Cassie couldn’t say. She was totally absorbed in Nick, to the exclusion of anything and everything else.

And later, when the tempo changed and the music grew lively, he led her on to the dance-floor and they danced for hours.

He was incredible, but so easy to dance with. His movements were fluid, his body graceful, but always in tune with hers, sometimes leading, sometimes following, always together. It was like being in Theatre with him, she thought, perfectly attuned, anticipating each other as if they had danced together for years.

After a few dances the band struck up a rock ‘n’ roll number, and Nick pulled her close. ‘Can you jive?’ he asked.

She laughed in delight. ‘Can a bird fly?’

He kissed her briefly and then threw her out to the end of his arm, reeling her in again and twirling her under before turning her to face him.

She matched him move for move, and, as his steps grew more complicated and daring, so she kept up without missing a beat.

As the dance finished he pulled her close and kissed her soundly. ‘You’re fantastic!’ he laughed breathlessly. ‘Oh, Cass…’

They jived again and again, and then when the tempo slowed they came together, swaying gently in each other’s arms, trapped by the spell of the music and the magic they found in each other’s eyes.

At last he led her back to their table and asked Carlo to call them a taxi.

‘You wanted an early night,’ he said apologetically.

She realised with amazement that it was almost three o’clock, but she didn’t care.

‘It doesn’t matter,’ she said softly, and there were stars in her eyes.

‘Cassie…’

He took her hand and wrapped it in his, then led her to the door.

The receptionist gave Cassie an envious look but she ignored it, too wrapped up in Nick even to notice.

There was no question in her mind, no doubt, no hesitation.

As the taxi dropped them off at the hospital gates, Nick turned to her.

‘I don’t think I’d better come to your room with you tonight. I made you a promise — somehow I have a feeling I’ll end up breaking it.’

She slid her hand up his arm and on to his chest, feeling the heavy beating of his heart against her palm. Her own heart was beating faster, too, racing against her ribs and making it hard to breath. Her voice was soft, deep, a little husky.

‘What if I release you from that promise?’

He swallowed convulsively. ‘Cassie…’

‘Come on.’

She slid her hand back down his arm and threaded her fingers through his. They tightened protectively, and she felt a wave of tenderness wash over her.

It would be wonderful. He would be gentle, and caring, and the heat would flare between them, melting away any last reservations and leaving them complete …

‘I have to get something from my room,’ he said softly, and they walked swiftly down the corridor, impatient to be alone.

He paused at his door, a frown of consternation on his face as he read the note pinned to it.

Oh, damn…’

‘What?’

‘I’m needed in Theatre for some reason. I’ll have to go.’

‘Trevor,’ she said heavily. ‘Again.’

He turned to her, his eyes still dark with passion. ‘Cassie, I’m sorry…’

She swallowed her disappointment. ‘There’ll be another day.’

‘I must go…’

She watched him stride away, his legs eating up the corridor, until he turned at the end and was gone.

Because New Year’s Day had been a Saturday, the following Monday was a bank holiday and so the hospital didn’t get back to its normal routine until Tuesday, and it was Tuesday morning in Theatre before she saw Nick again.

As he walked in, her heart stopped in its tracks and then crashed back to life again, and he headed straight for her, a smile lighting up his eyes.

‘Hi.’

‘Hi, yourself. How’ve you been getting on?’

He laughed shortly. ‘Busy. I seem to have alienated Trevor — whenever he’s supposed to be on call, he shoves off and tells them to get me.’

‘Doesn’t that make you sick? Just because his father’s a big shot he thinks he can do whatever he likes.’

‘Who is his father?’ Nick asked curiously.

‘Old man Armitage? He’s the top cardio-thoracic surgeon — and he’s a big wheel in the trust, as well.’

Nick groaned. ‘That’ll teach me to open my mouth.’

‘What?’

He laughed softly. ‘He threatened me the other day — told me not to make waves about him being drunk. I told him I didn’t frighten easily, and ever since then he’s gone AWOL. Maybe I ought to report him.’

Cassie snorted. ‘Not if you want to survive. You’ll find your contract abbreviated or your budget cut or your beds disappearing if you do that.’

Nick looked incredulous. ‘Are you joking? The guy’s a total waste of space.’

‘He’s also Daddy’s golden boy, and nothing and nobody gets away with anything.’

Nick snorted in disgust. ‘We’ll see. Right, let’s get down to work. We’ve got a nice, steady list this morning — a hip, an arthroscopy and a thumb.’

‘How boring!’

‘And amen to that! Frankly, after the weekend I could do with being bored. I’ll see you in there.’

He left for the men’s changing-room, and Cassie finished scrubbing and went into the operating-room.

The first patient was a woman of thirty-seven, who was having a hip replacement following deterioration of her joint with recent pregnancies. She had had Perthes’ disease as a child, and after she had slipped and fallen out of a tree at the age of eleven the subsequent displacement of the head of the femur had been corrected with surgery.