Molly felt sure that she had reconciled the situation in her head and definitely quelled any thoughts stirring in her heart. It was relief and gratitude turning her emotions upside down. Nothing more, she decided as she continued eating her lunch, glancing occasionally out through the rain-splattered window. The weather was still dismal and, on top of the rain, she had discovered when she’d dashed out to find lunch that the bitterly cold breeze had not abated. A patient had told her that falling branches and trees had knocked down power lines in the foothills. It was only slightly better in their location as a powerful gust blowing down the street cut through her thick coat during her mad dash out, once again chilling her to the bone. An arctic freeze, one patient remarked.
She was grateful she had taken the earlier dampness out of her hair with the hand-dryer in the restroom and borrowed an umbrella from Stacy or she might have brought the stirrings of a winter head cold back to the practice with her. But climate aside, Molly’s day had insurmountably improved from the rocky start. A month’s employment was everything she needed at that moment. She knew rent would be covered and she could save a little for unexpected bills. Finally, she could exhale if only for a few weeks and that brought her great comfort. As did her warm surroundings that she studied in a little more detail.
The lunchroom was brightly lit, with a round white wooden table and four matching chairs with red cushions and an arrangement of fresh red and yellow gerberas, which she knew must have been imported at that time of the year; a well-stocked wall-mounted magazine rack that was female friendly in choices; and the usual kitchen amenities, including a red enamelled espresso machine and red mugs. Molly had wondered if Lizzy might have had input into arranging the pretty room since there were many not so subtle splashes of red in the decor.
A few moments later Ryan made his way into the lunchroom, slightly startling Molly. She had assumed he had left the practice for his home rounds. There were five visits that afternoon and Molly discovered Ryan, unlike many GPs, didn’t use a locum service to meet his patients’ needs. He called in personally to monitor those who were housebound by various short-and long-term medical ailments, including those patients who had been admitted permanently to nursing homes. He seemed more like a country-style, hands-on GP.
‘Molly,’ Ryan said as he made his way to the refrigerator and collected milk. ‘I wondered if you might be in here.’
‘Just grabbing a bite to eat.’
‘Ah, soup,’ he said, peering into the bowl as he passed by. ‘Is it home-made?’
‘No, the local shop,’ she mumbled as she swallowed and pointed in the direction of the local bakery across the road. ‘I didn’t have time to think about breakfast this morning, let alone packing lunch.’
Ryan smiled in reply and made his way to the espresso machine. ‘I’m not much of a breakfast person, slice of toast on the way out of the door if I’m lucky, but I never go without my coffee. I’m addicted to caffeine, I can’t lie.’
‘It’s not a serious vice,’ she returned, happy their conversation was light and casual and he was on the other side of the room. Her emotions were in check and he was just a handsome doctor making chit-chat. It was easy, she told herself. She had clearly overreacted before to being in a new environment.
‘I agree, there’s worse,’ he said as he turned his back on the machine and faced Molly with his arms folded across his chest. ‘Before I head off for the afternoon, I wanted to say thank you for the changes that you made to the scheduling.’
‘You’re welcome. I like the software and you hadn’t been utilising all of the features.’
‘It’s great. I had no idea the software had that capability.’
‘I’ve seen it at a number of practices, and even some small country hospitals use it. The bigger ones not so much.’
‘So, you’ve done some country placements in admin too, then?’
‘As a nurse, I accessed the software for patient notes and was impressed so I looked into it further.’ As the words slipped from her lips she realised she had said more than she intended. ‘Keep it simple and short’ had been her plan. Since the break-up Molly just wanted to keep her life a closed book. Information to be provided on an as-needed basis. But again, she felt safe. Ryan was just her boss and things were professional and she didn’t need to worry.
Ryan swung around to collect his coffee, then back to Molly. ‘Nursing background? Now it makes sense.’ He nodded to himself. ‘I heard you speaking earlier to a patient, Jean Burton, and the level of detail in answering her questions about her blood-pressure medication was so much more information than an admin assistant or receptionist would, or for that matter generally could, provide.’
‘You haven’t seen my CV, then?’
‘No. The agency told me you were highly recommended but no in-depth details. To be honest I didn’t have the time to look through CVs last week. With Maxine’s accident I just needed a replacement asap so I had to trust them...and I’m glad I did,’ Ryan said as he pulled up a seat and put his freshly made coffee on the table before him. His long, lean fingers were comfortably wrapped around the hot mug.
It was at complete odds with how uncomfortable Molly was suddenly made by his decision to sit down with her. Everything she had told herself about him having no effect on her was being negated quickly.
‘Are you a registered nurse?’
‘I’m... I’m actually an anaesthetic nurse.’
‘Any reason you specialised in anaesthesia?’
‘I did a Theatre placement during my second year and realised that was where I wanted to be after graduating, so that’s what I did.’
He sat back in his seat, releasing his hands from the cup. ‘Then you are a very long way from home, Dorothy.’
His smile was wide and Molly sensed genuine. But it was also making her pulse pick up speed. She had to get it under control. She wasn’t sure how but she suspected distance might help.
‘Not so far, really,’ she said matter-of-factly. ‘I’m still working in the field of medicine...’
‘You are and, believe me, I’m not complaining,’ he cut in as he once again leaned forward.
To Molly’s horror he made the distance between them even less. His forest-fresh cologne brought a sudden tingling sensation to her skin.
‘Your medical experience is a huge benefit to my practice, but may I ask why you stepped away from Theatre?’
‘Long story and I won’t bore you. Just say that the temp hours suit me better.’
‘I shouldn’t imagine the remuneration would so much,’ he said matter-of-factly with a frown forming, replacing the previous light-hearted expression. ‘I suppose we stand a chance of losing you, then. I mean, if a better-paid gig came along in line with your experience, with the hours you want, then I couldn’t, and I wouldn’t, blame you for leaving.’
‘You don’t have to worry about that happening,’ she said, hoping her racing heart wasn’t making her blush. ‘If I make a promise or commitment I always keep it. This suits me just fine.’
‘In the interim perhaps, but long-term maybe not so much—’
‘Let’s not fudge words,’ Molly cut in, wanting to end the conversation. ‘I’m barely dry after four hours and my typing speed is twenty-nine words a minute. The average for a temp is over eighty. My strength is my medical background and you’re offering good hours. So, if you’re happy, I’m happy. It’s a great trade-off for both of us.’
‘I think you’re selling yourself short. While I have to agree you arrived a little soggy—I couldn’t help but overhear the hand-dryer running for ten minutes straight earlier on,’ he told her as he leant back on the chair, his long legs stretched out in front of him, giving her the space she suddenly realised she needed. ‘But I need more than a great typist in this practice and I think you’ll fit in extremely well. I’m astute enough to see what you’ve accomplished in a cou
ple of hours. You’ve made changes I didn’t know were possible.’
‘It’s hardly rocket science but I’m happy you like what I’ve done. I’ve been here four hours so it wasn’t too difficult to make the changes. You had the software capability, it just needed to be utilised,’ Molly answered as she stood up. She had to create the space between them herself so she collected her bowl and cup, and made her way to the sink. She rolled her eyes at the way she had reacted having him so close. She dropped her bowl into the sudsy water in the sink. The unexpected effect he was having on her was absurd...and disconcerting. She wasn’t about to be swept off her feet. It was ridiculous. And risky. She had more to lose than gain by thinking that way about a man, let alone her boss, and she would never take a risk again.
‘Whether it’s been four hours or four weeks, you instinctively searched for ways to make improvements. It was like a four-hour quality-improvement audit. I never asked you to do that and no previous office manager has, no matter how long they were with me. But it was exactly what I needed. You, Molly Murphy, are exactly what I need and I would like to make it worth your while. In fact... I have a proposition for you.’
CHAPTER FOUR
A PROPOSITION?
Molly’s eyes darted about as she repeated the words in her head. What on earth could he be talking about? She felt quite sure it wasn’t the type of proposition that her body might be silently willing, if he got too close again.
It had to be business, but what? She had a job for a month. Once Maxine’s cast came off she’d return to work and Molly would leave. The practice was busy but not enough to warrant two in administration.
She turned around knowing she wore a curious look but she couldn’t hide it. His expression appeared serious and, damn, it made him look even more handsome. He was making her question so much about him and herself and it didn’t make sense. She was becoming even more unsettled and didn’t trust her reaction so she turned back to the sink. Grabbing for the sponge, she washed her cup and her bowl before she rinsed them both and placed them in the otherwise empty dish drainer. She needed something else to keep her busy and delay her turning back to him. Reaching into the warm shallows of the sink, she searched under the bubbles with her fingers for her spoon. Finding it quickly, she washed it thoroughly and rinsed it with the same attention before she put it in the drainer with the other things. Unfortunately, there was nothing else to wash and nothing else to do. There was effectively no way to stall.
She had no choice but to turn back around to the man who was stirring emotions she forgot she could feel. And those she never wanted to feel again. Hoping the feeling was fleeting and born from a mix of her initial job insecurity and gratitude to be in the role for a few weeks, Molly had hoped it would disappear as quickly as it had appeared. But looking at Ryan she knew it hadn’t gone or even dampened. It was still there. It felt a little like butterflies...and a lot like...she wasn’t sure. But she was confused. It didn’t make sense. She barely knew the man and she had sworn herself to a life without one. Men, particularly handsome, confident men like Ryan, brought only trouble into her life and she didn’t need any more. She also knew how bedraggled she appeared but for some reason the way he looked at her at that moment made her feel unexpectedly beautiful.
She quickly decided her mind was playing tricks on her. How could she possibly see something in Ryan other than as her boss within a matter of hours of meeting? That didn’t happen in real life. That was the stuff of movies. He and she were so very different. He was clearly established and on track with his life, and hers had derailed and she wasn’t sure when or even if it would ever truly be travelling in the right direction. Thanks to the man who she had planned to marry.
And she didn’t need to have her heart broken again.
Once was more than enough.
She noticed his jaw flick as his eyes slowly pulled away from hers. She sensed he hadn’t wanted to look away and that made her confusion grow and those damned butterflies in her stomach flutter manically. It was more than ridiculous. He was her employer, for goodness’ sake. Molly had noticed the absence of a wedding ring although she didn’t know why she’d registered that fact. She no longer cared about a man’s marital status. They were all off-limits in her mind. She couldn’t go there. She couldn’t let her feelings get the better of her. There was only room in her life for one man and that was Tommy. He had to be her sole focus. No one would ever get close enough to ruin their lives again. Her mind was racing and she appeared to have no control over her thought process.
Without warning, and with purposeful steps, he moved closer to the exit.
‘Molly, I can see you’re preoccupied, and I’ve got to get to my home visits, but I want to let you know that I’m proposing a thirty per cent pay increase immediately, I’ll call the agency from my car and let them know. And they’re not getting a cent of it—it’s all yours. You earned it and I hope that might keep you on board and not headhunted. I think you could make a real difference here. If I have anything to do with it, and if I can stop you from getting bored, you might just be with me long after this assignment.’
With that Molly watched Ryan walk from the kitchen as relief and confusion washed over her in waves. Huge waves.
While the logical side of her brain was happy, in fact over the moon, with the pay rise and the idea that the job could be ongoing, her heart, for some crazy, unexplained reason, was even more elated by the prospect of being with him long after the assignment.
Her emotions could not have been more jumbled at that moment. And she had no control and that worried her. Hadn’t she learnt her lesson? She had been resolute in her determination to keep men at arm’s length and out of her life and suddenly she was overjoyed by both aspects of his proposal.
It was a mix of stupid and ludicrous in equal amounts, and she knew it, but, no matter what her logic and reasoning were reminding her, her heart was definitely beating a little faster than normal and her tummy was doing gentle somersaults. Romantic nonsense. It had to be from the excitement due to the pay rise, the security of a long-term job. Whatever it was, it was immaterial. She had to get a grip and ignore the happiness that was growing inside. She had to think logically. Her clothes were dry and she had a job that could potentially go far longer than the month. Tommy was settled in his job and they had a roof over their heads. She didn’t need anything else.
And she didn’t want anything else.
She had an outcome to the day she could never have imagined from the soggy start. Brushing the crumbs of bread roll from her skirt, she gathered her wandering thoughts hurriedly as she made her way back to the desk. Ryan had just given her a thirty per cent pay increase so she would forget the sausages and mashed potato she had planned. Molly would be buying Tommy’s favourite fish for dinner that night, and if the long-term position was realised then she could potentially look for a new home for the two of them. Goodbye Joel and his advances and the derelict accommodation that she and Tommy had been forced to call home.
If she could just get her heart to slow down and the butterflies to leave, her life would be close to perfect.
* * *
Tommy was dropped home fifteen minutes after Molly had raced from the bus stop in the drizzling rain. She’d had enough time to change into her comfortable stretch jeans and a thick baby pink sweater and dry her hair, which had been rained on again on the way home, before she heard her brother putting his key in the door.
Tommy’s job didn’t pay much at all but it made him happy and that was more than enough for Molly. He couldn’t wait to get to work every day and was at the front door early, dressed in one of his two pairs of favourite jeans, a brightly coloured shirt, and in the colder weather he would add a sweater and jacket. He also wore an expectant smile. He liked routine so every day into his backpack he placed a lunch box in which he’d packed a sandwich and a piece of fruit the night before, and which he’d put in
to the refrigerator. Each morning the bus arrived promptly at seven forty-five, filled with his equally excited friends and work colleagues. Molly and Tommy’s house was the last pick-up before the driver finished his round and headed to the workplace with his eager fellow passengers.
Molly had noticed over the previous few weeks that Tommy was beaming a little more than usual as he waited by the door. He spent just a few extra minutes combing his hair and always checked he didn’t have his breakfast down the front of his shirt or his trousers. She suspected that as he grew older, Tommy wanted to do his best to be independent. She was so proud of everything he managed on a daily basis and she encouraged him to try new tasks. Each one he accomplished brought him added confidence.
During the previous four weeks, his demeanour had been a mix of excitement and nervousness as he’d waited and she hadn’t been completely sure she understood why. But had decided not to ask. As long as he was happy and looking forward to each day, then Molly was happy too. Whatever the impetus for his new-found joy, she knew in time he would tell her. Her baby brother had something in his life that made him feel a level of happiness that Molly had been scared he would never feel again when they had lost their home.
That morning she hadn’t heard the driver beep his horn to let Tommy know they were waiting outside, nor had she heard his deep voice calling out to her to say goodbye. Not even the front door being slammed closed as Tommy had run to the gate had disturbed her. He must have been so excited to get on the bus that he’d forgotten to hug her goodbye. He had been a man on a mission.
And Molly had slept through all of it. The worry of finances had kept her counting bills, not sheep, into the early hours. It was a worry she couldn’t halve by sharing it with him. His happy disposition didn’t need to be brought down by seeing her concerned so Molly kept a brave face until he was in bed.
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