The Visiting Surgeon

by Lucy Clark

  ‘I wanted to thank you for assisting me.’

  She smiled. ‘It should be I who’s thanking you for the opportunity. Or should I thank Mr Petunia’s emergency?’

  Jackson chuckled. ‘Either way, it was great to be able to work with you.’

  ‘You made everything easy for me…and the rest of the staff,’ she added. She looked at him for a second, tilting her head to the side. ‘Are you always so…direct in Theatre or is it just because you have an audience?’

  He nodded. ‘The audience, although I’ve become accustomed to having people watch me.’

  ‘Well, you’re certainly very good at what you do. You almost make me want to change my sub-speciality.’ She idly shifted some paper around before placing her hands palms down on the desk in an effort to control her wayward emotions.

  ‘Really? Now, that would be an accomplishment worth noting on my résumé.’ He smiled at her and Susie felt all warm and gooey inside.

  ‘Almost,’ she pointed out. Her intercom buzzed and she pressed the button. ‘Yes, Todd?’

  ‘I’m going now, Susie. Was there anything else you needed?’

  She glanced around her desk, checking her in-tray. There were three pieces of paper in there. ‘Do I need to do these things in my in-tray now?’

  ‘Not urgent,’ he told her. ‘Do them after ward round tomorrow.’

  ‘All right. See you tonight, Todd.’

  ‘Yeah, but only if I can tie that bow-tie thing straight. Who made it a formal dinner, eh?’

  ‘We can blame Richard,’ Jackson called loudly, and Todd chuckled before saying goodbye. ‘He’s good,’ Jackson said. ‘How long has he been working with you?’

  ‘No.’ Susie shook her head. ‘The question you should be asking is how long have I been working with him? He’s been the secretary to the head of orthopaedics for the past three years. I only started nine months ago.’

  ‘How old is he? He looks about seventeen.’

  ‘Shh.’ Susie giggled. ‘Don’t tell him that. He’s still trying to fight his cute baby-face looks. He’s twenty-four and an excellent secretary.’ Susie pulled her bag out of a drawer before locking her desk. ‘When the head of department was taken ill at the beginning of this year, it was Todd who helped me find my feet. Without him, I’d have gone down the gurgler ages ago.’

  ‘So you’re not into hospital politics? Administration?’

  ‘Not really.’ Susie stood and motioned to the door. ‘We’d better make a move or I’ll end up being late for dinner.’

  ‘Sure.’ Jackson followed her out of her office and waited while she locked it. Susie turned and bumped into him. She hadn’t realised he’d been standing so close.

  ‘Sorry,’ she mumbled, and quickly took a step to the side. She glanced down at the floor, trying desperately to control the mass of tingles that were now raging rampantly throughout her body. Susie kept her head down as she moved a few steps away before raising her head to look at him. One of her curls had managed to escape from its bonds and swung down beside her cheek.

  With a feather-light touch, Jackson reached out and gently tucked it behind her ear. The feel of his skin against hers caused her to catch her breath as she gazed up at him. Further down the corridor, a door closed with a thud and Susie jumped in fright.

  ‘Ah…Are you…? I mean…do you…um?’ She stopped and forced herself to take a steadying breath. ‘How are you getting back to the hotel? Do you need a lift?’

  Jackson nodded, a slow smile forming on his lips. ‘That would be great. Thanks.’

  ‘Car park is this way.’ Without waiting for further communication from him, Susie headed off down the corridor and turned right at the end. She opened a door and started heading down the stairs. She was acutely aware of Jackson following her and it wasn’t until they’d gone down three flights of stairs that she pushed open the door that led to the street.

  ‘I’m parked over here,’ she told him as they walked side by side.

  ‘So, the previous head of ortho. You said he was taken ill?’

  ‘Yes, in February. Myocarditis. He was working out this year and had planned to retire at the end of it. Now he’s retired early.’

  ‘So he’s not coming back?’

  ‘No. He’s officially resigned from the hospital.’

  ‘Which leaves you in charge?’

  ‘Well, they have to advertise the position. I’m only Acting Head until the end of this year,’ she told him as she stopped by her white Jaguar Mark-II. She unlocked the door. ‘So, when you finish your tour, do you want a job?’ she chuckled.

  ‘This is your car?’ Jackson frowned in disbelief.

  ‘Yes. Why? You sound surprised.’ Susie climbed in and reached over to unlock the passenger door.

  ‘Sorry.’

  ‘Aren’t women allowed to drive sports cars?’ she teased with a smile. The smile soon disappeared as she surreptitiously watched him sink down into the seat. The way the fabric of his trousers was pulled taut over his quadriceps made her breathing increase. He had a good body. No denying that. She quickly turned in case he should see her gawking at him, and concentrated on putting on her seat belt.

  ‘Of course not,’ he replied.

  ‘Do you like Jaguars?’ Why did her voice sound so husky? She cleared her throat and put the key into the ignition before starting the engine.

  ‘I drive the Mark-V. Well, when I’m in Melbourne,’ he clarified.

  ‘And not jet-setting around the world, showing off your brilliance,’ Susie couldn’t resist teasing lightly. Oh, my gosh, she thought. I’m flirting with him! Jackson laughed and the sound washed over her with joy. She had made him laugh.

  ‘So how long have you been a Jaguar fan?’ he asked as she navigated her way out of the car park.

  ‘For as long as I can remember. My father and brothers have always had a passion for them. They restored this one for me.’

  ‘Wow. That’s something I’ve always wanted to get into. Restoring vintage cars.’

  ‘It can get very messy. I’ve lost count of the number of times my mother said she’d throw things away if they didn’t clean up. In the end, my dad built a huge shed in the back paddock of the property they live on, and every night the “junk”, as my mother affectionately calls it, is locked up out of her sight.’

  ‘Your entire face lights up when you speak about your family.’ Jackson’s tone was soft and intimate, making Susie extremely conscious of the small space they were in. ‘It’s great that you have such a loving relationship with them,’ he continued a few seconds later.

  ‘We’re a close lot.’ She paused for a moment before saying, ‘You sound close to your sisters.’

  He laughed. ‘Yes.’

  ‘Do they live near you?’

  ‘Cindy’s in Melbourne, but Candy’s in New Zealand. Since my father died, my mother spends her time alternating between the two of them. Six months in NZ and six months here. Well, in Melbourne,’ he clarified again.

  ‘Of course.’ Susie smiled. She stopped at a red light and turned to look at him, only to find him studying her. To her surprise, he didn’t look away.

  Slowly, he reached out and tucked the same stray curl behind her ear. ‘You’re a very beautiful woman, Susie.’ The deep resonance of his voice washed over her. Her heart doubled its rhythm and she felt her hands begin to perspire.

  He’s married, he’s married, he’s married, she chanted to herself.

  Jackson’s fingers gently caressed her cheek, lightly touched her lips. Susie breathed out heavily, unable to believe the mounting tension spiralling within her. Abruptly, he broke the contact, his arm jerking back to his side as though burnt. He looked away. ‘Light’s green.’

  ‘Wh—? Oh.’ Susie frowned in confusion before returning her attention to the road. The atmosphere in the car was now one of strained silence. What should she do now? Should she ask him why he thought she was beautiful? No. That would look as though she was fishing for a compliment. Oh, she was n
o good at this. She was no good in romantic situations.

  Jackson cleared his throat. ‘I gather you won’t be applying for the job you’re doing now?’

  Susie tried to focus her thoughts. ‘Probably not.’

  ‘You really don’t like the administration, do you?’

  ‘Not particularly. How about you?’

  ‘It doesn’t bother me. Especially after this year.’

  ‘I guess you don’t have much time to relax.’

  ‘Not really. Depending on where we are or what we’re doing, I sometimes get a bit of free time, but nine times out of ten Richard will plan something else.’ Jackson shrugged, as though he didn’t really care one way or the other.

  Susie didn’t envy him at all. In fact, she felt quite sorry for him and his wife. It was no way to conduct a marriage as far as she was concerned. No way could she stand for her husband to be away for twelve months with only the odd phone call here and there. For a moment she wasn’t sure what to say and the silence began to stretch. Say something, she told herself. Anything to break the awkwardness that was enveloping both of them. ‘So I guess the VOP definitely cuts into your family time.’

  He glanced at her and frowned. Oops. Had she overstepped the mark? She was just about to apologise for her statement when he said, ‘It’s not too bad. I managed to see Candy when I was in New Zealand so that was a bonus.’

  It was Susie’s turn to frown as she pulled into the entrance of the hotel. Why was he talking about his sisters? She’d meant the family life he shared with his wife. A valet attendant opened the passenger door for Jackson, thereby ending all conversation.

  ‘Thanks for the lift.’ He looked into her eyes and smiled politely. ‘See you in a few hours.’

  ‘See you then,’ she replied, just as politely.

  They were strangers, Susie reminded herself as she drove towards her house. What had she expected? He thought she was beautiful—so what? Why couldn’t a man tell a woman she was beautiful and leave it at that? Probably because, apart from family members who didn’t really count, very few men had said those words to her.

  She’d been the little girl with red hair and freckles when she’d been younger. Her mother had always raved about the colour of her hair, calling Susie her auburn beauty. As she’d grown older her hair had darkened but, when placed amongst raven-haired sisters, Susie had often felt inadequate. Not that they’d ever made her feel that way—quite the opposite.

  Susie pulled into her driveway and garaged her car. She sat there for a few minutes, thinking about Jackson Myers. He was a nice, charming man. Gorgeous and intelligent. And he was leaving at the end of the week!

  Jackson scanned the crowded outer room which was starting to fill up. The dinner this evening was in his honour, as were most of the dinners he attended. When he’d first started on the VOP tour, he’d been astounded at the number of dinners he would have to attend. Now, though, he was becoming an expert at them.

  At least in his medical lecturing he’d been able to write new lectures. Sharing and passing on information he’d learnt during his tour. He was thankful for the variety it offered.

  His gaze scanned the room as people started making their way through to the ballroom whilst others were just arriving. He checked his watch. Five minutes late already. Richard would be having a fit. Where was Susie? They couldn’t start without her. She was the MC.

  He looked around again and realised he’d been unconsciously searching for her from the moment he’d walked in. Someone came up, introduced themselves and shook hands with him. Jackson listened to the questions being asked of him and gave the usual replies, allowing his gaze to flick to the door every few seconds.

  ‘Excuse me,’ Richard said. ‘It’s time to begin.’

  Jackson shook hands with the person he’d been speaking to and allowed Richard to lead him away. ‘Susie’s not here yet,’ Jackson pointed out.

  ‘If we wait any longer, we’ll be getting to bed after midnight.’

  ‘We’ll be getting to bed after midnight, anyway. We’ll wait for her,’ he told Richard firmly. His aide gave him a look that said he wasn’t happy with the situation but acquiesced. Most of the time, Jackson considered himself a reasonable man and usually allowed himself to be ‘looked after’ by his staff. After all, if one event ran over time they were out for the rest of the day, but at this time of the evening it really made no difference whether they started early, late or on time.

  He checked his watch again. Ten minutes late. He started to worry, hoping nothing bad had happened. Jackson shook his head. Alison had been three hours late and he’d been telling himself then not to worry, and all the time she’d been…He stopped his train of thought. This was no time to be thinking about Alison.

  Todd came through the doors and Jackson almost pounced on him. ‘Do you know where Susie is?’

  ‘She’s not here yet?’ Todd asked in surprise.

  ‘No.’

  ‘OK,’ he said, and pulled out his mobile phone. A few seconds later he left a message on her voicemail. ‘Phone’s off. She could be at the hospital.’

  ‘Of course,’ Jackson replied, starting to relax again. He waited anxiously while Todd rang the orthopaedic ward and spoke to someone there. He nodded to Jackson. ‘She’s just left?’ Todd said into the receiver. ‘Good. Thanks.’ He disconnected the call. ‘She left the hospital a few minutes ago. She shouldn’t be long now.’

  ‘I hope everything’s all right.’

  ‘Knowing Susie, it will all be under control. She’s a great doctor.’ Todd shook his head mockingly. ‘Not so great a head of department, but a great doctor.’

  ‘I guess that’s what’s important.’ Jackson smiled, feeling more relaxed. ‘Why don’t you go on in and tell Richard what’s happening?’ he suggested. ‘I’ll wait for her.’

  ‘You just don’t want to face Richard,’ Todd said with a knowing nod, and Jackson laughed.

  ‘Caught me out.’ As he watched Todd go, he knew facing Richard wasn’t the reason he didn’t want to go in. He wanted to see Susie with his own eyes. To make sure she was OK. There were still other people trickling in so she wasn’t all that late, even though his aide would disagree. Jackson walked over to the wall and looked unseeingly at a painting. Why? Why was he so concerned about her? He’d been astounded at his reaction to her when she’d driven him to the hotel.

  He’d wanted to kiss her!

  The knowledge had shocked him and he’d told himself sternly that it was just a physical attraction. Nothing more. Besides, he was leaving at the end of the week, with six more weeks left of the tour. Nothing could happen between him and Susie, even if he wanted it to. And then there was Alison.

  ‘Jackson?’

  At the sound of Susie’s voice, he spun on his heel and gazed at her.

  ‘What are you doing out here? I thought we were supposed to have started by now.’

  Jackson felt as though he’d just been slugged in the solar plexus. She looked…stunning. Dressed in an off-the-shoulder, black-beaded dress that shimmered when she walked, Susie was a vision of loveliness. The dress was expertly cut, falling to mid-calf and moulded superbly to her shape. Her auburn tresses had been wound on top of her head with a few loose tendrils springing down. She wore a necklace with a small square-cut diamond pendant attached and matching diamond studs in her ears.

  ‘I wanted to wait for you.’ His tone was thick with desire. ‘I’m glad I did. You look…beautiful…breathtaking.’

  At his words, Susie floated up to the clouds. His words held sincerity and the way he was looking at her backed them up. Jackson really thought she looked breathtaking. She took a small step closer, her gaze never leaving his. ‘Thank you, Jackson. That’s the nicest thing a man has said to me in a long time.’

  She was still trying to come to terms with how incredible he looked in his tuxedo. When she’d walked in her knees had almost given way. As she was wearing three-inch heels, the result would have been disastrous. Thankfully
, she’d been able to hold onto a vestige of control.

  He gazed at her, wondering whether it would be inappropriate to devour the MC by smothering her with kisses. Instead, he indicated the ballroom. ‘Shall we?’

  They crossed the floor and entered the ballroom which had been set up according to her seating plan. Several people were still finding their seats and as Jackson and Susie worked their way towards their table, they were stopped by people wanting to meet the famous Professor Myers.

  As they continued to move towards their seats, Susie walked ahead of him. It was then that Jackson realised her dress had a split at the back, revealing a generous amount of her leg—her shapely calves, the indent of her knees and a brief glimpse of her thighs.

  He swallowed and ran a finger around the collar of his shirt, forcing himself to look away. He concentrated on the carpet, but once they reached their table he held her chair while she sat, sneaking one last glance at her sexy legs.

  Ten minutes later, she was standing to give her welcome speech while Jackson forced himself not to lean back in his chair to sneak another glance at her legs.

  Susie was very conscious of Jackson sitting beside her, the warmth radiating from him making her feel parched. She forced herself, however, to continue but was grateful to hand over to Jackson and sit down again.

  Jackson stood and spoke with ease to the two hundred or so people gathered in groups at their round tables. His deep, melodious tone washed over her and Susie admired the way he threw in little anecdotes, working his way through what he wanted to say without the prompting of notes in front of him. Then again, she remembered he’d had a lot of experience standing up in front of people.

  ‘You didn’t do too badly,’ Todd said later as he crouched by her chair. She was completely surrounded by males as she was the only female seated at her table. Although the dinner had been open to consultants and their partners, many had come by themselves. As Susie was currently the only female orthopaedic surgeon in Brisbane, she was used to feeling a little outnumbered!

  ‘I could say the same thing for your bow-tie. How long did it take you to do that?’ she asked as she adjusted it.