Breaking Her No-Dates Rule

by Emily Forbes

  ‘Where does that hurt?’ she asked.

  ‘My shoulder.’

  ‘Okay, we’ll leave your arm for now.’ Ellie touched his left leg, ‘Try to move your foot on this side for me. Can you move it around in a circle?’ She knew he’d done some damage to his right leg, her guess was a fractured tibia, but she wanted to know if his left side had escaped unscathed. Harry managed to complete that movement without significant discomfort just as Jess returned with a beach towel.

  ‘This was all I could find,’ she said as she draped it around his shoulders.

  ‘That’ll do,’ Ellie said.

  She could hear sirens approaching and she hoped that waiting for ambulances wasn’t going to become a regular occurrence for her. It was only a few weeks ago that she and James had waited for the ambulance in Kings Cross and Ellie could scarcely believe how much had happened since then.

  The ambulance turned into the street closely followed by a police car. As the paramedics emerged from their vehicle Ellie met them to hand over Harry’s care and Jess approached the police to give them a statement. Ellie saw the police breathalysing Jess and she thought it was lucky they’d been on their way to the wine-appreciation class, not on their way home afterwards, although she knew the few sips they had while tasting wouldn’t have caused problems. She knew they weren’t going to make the class at all now, there would be no point by the time they’d finished up here.

  The paramedics attended to Harry and took him off to hospital, where the police would get a statement from him later, but in the meantime they got a second statement from Ellie to confirm Jess’ story.

  ‘I saw him, but not in time to warn Jess. He just appeared from nowhere, well, from behind that van,’ Ellie explained, pointing to the white van behind them. ‘He ran straight out into the road, he didn’t stop to look. He had headphones in his ears, and was listening to music.’

  ‘How do you know that?’

  ‘Because when I got out to help him I could hear the music coming through his headphones. It was pretty loud, I doubt he would have heard our car coming.’

  The policeman jotted the details in his notebook before checking Jess’s breathalyser results. He turned to her. ‘Your blood-alcohol reading is 0.0. You’re free to go but you’ll both need to come into the station in a day or two to sign your statements when we’ve had a chance to type them up.’

  Ellie and Jess did a quick inspection of Adam’s car. There was a dent in the front passenger side panel but nothing that would stop them from driving home.

  Jess pulled a face. ‘Do you think he’ll go spare?’

  ‘No, it’s just a car. He’d be more worried about the kid we hit,’ Ellie replied.

  ‘I wonder how much it’ll cost to repair.’

  ‘I wouldn’t worry, his insurance should cover it. If we need to we can split the excess,’ Ellie said as she opened the driver’s door. ‘Come on, I’ll drive us home.’

  James headed straight for the orthopaedic ward in the morning. He was worried about Ellie. When she’d phoned to tell him about the accident he’d offered to leave the dinner he was having with his mother to make sure she was okay, he knew his mum would understand, but Ellie had insisted that both she and Jess were fine and the boy they had hit would be okay too. But still he’d been worried. He knew it could be several hours before the reality of the episode sank in and he was worried about the girls going into shock.

  Knowing Ellie and Jess had company in the form of Tilly and Ruby had eased his conscience slightly but he still wanted to see her this morning, just to make certain. It was Ellie’s sense of fragility that bothered him. That feeling he had that she needed looking after. He thought he knew the reason behind it now—her family history would have contributed, he was certain—and even though she had her surrogate family, he wanted to be the one she turned to. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be totally alone in the world and he wanted to be the one she could depend on.

  He wondered when he’d made that decision. At work he was happy to have that responsibility, he’d been trained for it. He’d done years of study to equip him for those situations but he didn’t want the same responsibility in his personal life. What if people depended on him and he let them down?

  But it was different with Ellie. At least for the moment. He was prepared to be the one for her, for now. Short-term commitment was all he was thinking about. It was all he could offer.

  He saw her the minute he stepped out of the lift. She appeared to be pacing the ward and the moment she sighted him she flew to his side.

  ‘James!’ She grabbed hold of his arm. ‘Come with me.’ She pulled him into the doorway of the doctors’ lounge, out of the way of the main corridor and out of the way of the passing parade of people.

  ‘What’s the matter?’

  ‘That boy we hit last night, he’s been admitted to the ward.’

  He knew the boy had sustained orthopaedic injuries and it was no surprise that he would be in this hospital, Eastern Beaches was the closest facility, but Ellie’s brow was furrowed with concern and there was a small crease above the bridge of her nose. James wondered if the boy’s injuries were more serious than they’d first thought. He wondered if that was going to cause a problem for Jess. ‘Is there a problem?’

  ‘I’m not sure. His name is Harry, Harry Leonardi. Do you know him?’

  ‘Leonardi?’ They had the same surname? James thought for a moment before shaking his head. Harry Leonardi wasn’t a name he was familiar with. ‘No, I don’t think so.’

  ‘Oh, I thought he might be related to you.’

  ‘I’ve never heard of him. I’m sure there are plenty of Leonardis in Sydney.’

  ‘But he looks just like you.’

  ‘In what way?’

  ‘He’s got the same build as you, he’s quite lean and his eyes are dark chocolate brown, like yours.’

  ‘That could describe about a quarter of the males in Australia,’ James said.

  ‘I guess so,’ she agreed.

  ‘Was that all?’ He should have bitten his tongue but it was too late, the words were out. He shouldn’t have asked. He didn’t want to know. But Ellie was telling him.

  ‘It must be more than that ’cos he definitely reminds me of you. His smile is different but maybe the shape of his face…’

  ‘Well, it doesn’t really matter how similar we look, I’ve still never heard of him.’

  ‘It’s weird, though. He’s almost the spitting image of how I imagine you would’ve looked at the same age.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘He could be a younger version of you.’

  James could feel the blood drain from his face. ‘How much younger?’

  ‘He’s fifteen.’

  Fifteen years younger.

  The hollow feeling in his gut was back. A feeling he’d first experienced eighteen years ago. As though someone had punched him hard enough to wind him and at the same time had ripped his heart out. He swallowed hard and forced himself to take a breath.

  ‘Fifteen? What’s he doing on our ward—shouldn’t he be in Paediatrics?’ He tried to concentrate. This ‘Harry’ wasn’t an adult, he shouldn’t be here.

  ‘His growth plates are fused, and in Orthopaedics that means he’s treated as an adult.’

  James knew that was hospital policy but the shock had made him overlook the obvious explanation.

  ‘Who is the admitting doctor?’ he asked, mentally holding his breath while he waited for the answer, hoping it wasn’t Rob Coleman. That could mean he could end up being responsible for this patient. Responsible for a fifteen-year-old boy with an identical surname.

  ‘Bill Abbott,’ Ellie answered.

  Good. With any luck this Harry Leonardi would be a random stranger and nothing at all to do with him.

  ‘Which room is he in?’ he asked. There was no reason for him to cross paths with this patient or with any of his visitors but he’d make sure he kept well out of the way. Just
in case.

  ‘He’s in Bed Twelve. Did you want to see him?’ Ellie offered.

  ‘No!’ he replied as his pager buzzed on his hip. He’d heard enough about Harry Leonardi. He wanted nothing to do with him. ‘I’d better answer this, I’m due in Theatre,’ he said as he backed away quickly, leaving Ellie standing in the corridor with a slightly puzzled expression on her face. Perhaps she thought he was behaving strangely but he wasn’t about to explain himself. ‘I’ll catch up with you later,’ he said to her as he fled the ward in favour of Theatre. If theatre was as far away from Harry Leonardi as he could get then that’s where he’d go.

  Hours later Ellie was still puzzled about James’s strange reaction to her ponderings about Harry Leonardi. She couldn’t understand what the big deal was. She shrugged. So she thought James looked a bit like the kid. It wasn’t a major drama yet James had reacted as if she’d handed him a live grenade. She wondered if he would mention the incident again tonight.

  She looked in the mirror as she dusted eye shadow over her eyelids. She could see James’s reflection in her bedroom mirror as she applied her make-up. He was lying on her bed, watching her get ready. He was dressed in an immaculate dark suit, a brooding contrast to the white linen of her bed and the colourful array of her discarded clothes that surrounded him. She’d tried on half a dozen outfits before finally choosing a simple black dress, which was now hanging on her bedroom door. She was wearing a bra and matching knickers. James was fully dressed. She leant forward to brush mascara onto her lashes and she could feel his eyes on her backside.

  She looked at his reflection again and her heart skipped a beat. His eyes had darkened, they were almost jet black now. Their colour intensified in direct proportion to an increase in his level of desire. He didn’t look like he was thinking about Harry Leonardi.

  She wished she had time to take advantage of the hunger she could see in his expression but they were already going to be late for dinner. Normally that wouldn’t bother her but it was a work dinner and she didn’t want to turn up looking as though they’d just climbed out of bed. And she knew that was how she’d look. Her eyes would be bright, shining with satisfaction, her cheeks would be flushed and her lips would be swollen from James’s kisses.

  He was perfect. He was smart, gorgeous and kind. He was funny, gentle and honest. He was delicious. He was everything she’d ever dreamed of except for one thing. His only flaw was that he was a committed bachelor. But that was only a flaw in her eyes.

  She knew he was only going to be a temporary man in her life yet she couldn’t imagine her life without him any more. That was when she knew he was going to break her heart when he left her. And he would leave. If he didn’t, she would. She would have to. She still wanted to get married. But first she’d have to get over him. But she didn’t need to get over him just yet.

  She watched as he shifted his gaze from her backside to her face, meeting her eyes in the mirror. She forced herself to break eye contact. James seemed to be able to read her mind and they really didn’t have time to fool around before dinner. She picked up her lipstick and applied the colour to her lips, capping the stick as James checked his watch. He got up from the bed and crossed the room. He kissed the back of her neck and his hands were unusually cool on her shoulders. ‘You’d better get dressed—we don’t want to be late.’

  Ellie let him zip her into her cocktail dress before she slipped her shoes on and took his hand to walk the short distance to the Coogee Surf Lifesaving Club for dinner to say farewell to the retiring CNC from the orthopaedic ward.

  After main course had been served and eaten, Ellie stepped out onto the balcony that overlooked the Pacific Ocean. The balcony was deserted save for one solitary figure. As her eyes adjusted to the gloom Ellie realised it was Rob. James was fetching their dessert and bringing it to her but she had no idea how long he’d be and she had no desire to be alone with Rob. He was the last person she wanted to be trapped on a balcony with.

  ‘Sorry, I didn’t realise anyone else was out here,’ she said and turned to leave.

  ‘You’re welcome to stay. Don’t feel you need to leave on my account,’ Rob said.

  ‘It’s okay, I’m going to go and get my dessert.’ Ellie made an excuse and turned around and almost collided with Penny Coleman as she tried to make her escape. She had just enough time to see Penny register her face before she looked at her husband and judging by Penny’s expression she didn’t look happy with the situation. Ellie had thought being on the balcony alone with Rob was bad but it seemed the only thing worse was being out there with Rob and his wife. She tried to step around Penny but she blocked her path. Ellie stepped to the other side but Penny blocked her a second time. Ellie stopped.

  ‘What are you doing?’ she asked.

  ‘I have something to say to you,’ Penny replied. ‘Stay away from my husband.’

  Ellie frowned. Being on the balcony with Rob had been perfectly innocent. ‘What on earth are you talking about?’

  ‘I’m warning you, I don’t want you anywhere near him.’

  ‘I—’

  Penny cut her off. ‘I didn’t come halfway around the world to find my husband in bed with another woman, and if you think I’m going to ignore the fact that you were having an affair with him then you’re sorely mistaken. I’m warning you—stay away from him.’ Penny punctuated her words with a pointed finger, stabbing Ellie in the chest with her final few words.

  Penny’s grievance had nothing to do with tonight, Ellie realized, and she wondered how much Penny knew. She batted Penny’s hand away. ‘I think you should be having this conversation with Rob.’

  ‘I have discussed this with Rob,’ Penny said with a quick glare in her husband’s direction. ‘I’ve told him and now I’m telling you. Keep your hands off my husband.’

  Ellie wasn’t going to stand there and be bullied by Rob’s wife. She bit back. ‘I would never have got involved with him if I’d known he was someone’s husband. Did he tell you he forgot to mention he was married?’ Now it was her turn to glare at Rob. She couldn’t believe he was standing there, mute. He’d obviously told Penny a version of events that suited him, though why he’d told her anything at all Ellie couldn’t imagine. ‘There was no sign that he was married, no wedding ring, and there was not one photo of you or your daughter in the apartment. I never heard him take a phone call from you and he never said a word until the end. Nothing. When he did remember to inform me I refused to see him again.’ Over Penny’s left shoulder she could see James walking towards the balcony doors. She had to get out of there. Quickly. ‘I’m sorry that you two obviously have some issues and I’m very sorry that Rob has been unfaithful to you but I’m not the one to blame.’

  She stepped around Penny and this time Penny let her go, turning to watch her leave. But before Ellie could escape from the balcony James appeared, carrying dessert. The air was thick with tension and James walked straight into the middle of it. This was worse than being trapped out here with Rob and Penny. This was now her worst nightmare.

  James looked from Ellie’s panic-stricken face to Penny’s angry one. ‘What’s going on?’

  ‘Nothing.’ Ellie answered quickly, wanting to jump in before Penny had a chance to say anything. ‘Can you just give us a minute?’

  But Penny wasn’t so easily deterred. She looked at James. ‘They’ve been having an affair.’

  ‘What?’ James looked completely stunned. ‘That’s ridiculous. You can’t accuse someone of such absurd behaviour. Ellie is my girlfriend.’

  Oh, God, was he going to choose this moment to come to her rescue, to be her knight in shining armour? If the situation wasn’t so disastrous she would have been thrilled at his announcement but under the circumstances she feared that the status quo was about to change. She couldn’t bear to think that this was how James was going to find out about her affair. She’d thought it was probably inevitable but she didn’t want it to happen like this, in a public showdown with the wronged wife.


  ‘She might be your girlfriend now but who was she sleeping with before you? Ask her that! I don’t want her anywhere near my husband.’ Penny spat her reply at James before turning to Ellie. ‘I’m going to get you transferred. You’re going to be out on your tiny little backside.’ And with those vindictive words ringing in Ellie’s ears, Penny grabbed Rob’s arm and dragged him away, leaving Ellie and James on the balcony.

  Ellie was shaking. She couldn’t bring herself to look at James. She didn’t want to see the questions in his eyes.

  ‘Is it true?’ His voice was quiet but she could hear the hurt in his words. ‘Did you have an affair?’

  ‘Not exactly,’ she said. She looked over the balcony at the ocean. The moon was reflecting on the water and she thought how beautiful it would all be if her day wasn’t such a disaster.

  ‘What does that mean?’ James asked. ‘Were you involved with him or weren’t you? I would have thought it’s a simple question with a yes or no answer.’

  The truth was all she could give him. ‘We did have a relationship but I didn’t know he was married. No one did.’

  ‘And how is it that no one has been gossiping about you? You work in the same department, people must have known.’

  ‘Rob was adamant that his private life stayed private. He said he didn’t want to be fodder for gossip. No one knew we were dating. It was only when I found out he was married that I realised why he was so insistent on that.’

  ‘How did you find out?’

  ‘He told me a week or so before Penny arrived.’

  ‘What happened then?’

  ‘I called him all sorts of names and told him I wanted nothing more to do with him.’

  James smiled then and it wasn’t until that moment that Ellie realised how terrified she’d been that he wouldn’t believe her. That he’d think she’d willingly have an affair. ‘Were you ever going to tell me about it?’