by Lucy Clark
‘Not bad, not bad, dearie. Got a bigger crowd than usual, I see.’
‘Yes.’ Melody smiled back and started her spiel on Mrs Hammond’s injuries. Melody’s stomach was knotted up again and she worked hard to control her involuntary emotional response to seeing George again. Yesterday hadn’t been imagined. Her attraction to him was real. Very real.
After they’d finished the round, they returned to the discussion room, where Melody usually answered questions, as well as asking a few herself. She wasn’t at all surprised when many people asked their questions of George and she was pleased when he checked with her before answering them.
Mindful of George’s tight schedule, Melody checked her watch and called for a final three questions. He shot her a grateful look. Almost a minute later Carmel appeared in the doorway, ready to wrap things up.
As people starting filing out of the room, Carmel came up to her. ‘I need to speak to you,’ she said, her tone carrying a hint of annoyance, before she headed over to George. Melody wondered what on earth she’d done to annoy Carmel.
George was still talking to a few people and Melody needed to check on Mr Potter, who was still in the critical care unit under close supervision. ‘I need to check on a patient and then I’ll be in my office,’ she told Carmel.
She nodded then politely interrupted George’s conversation. Melody left, trying to figure out what was going on as she headed to CCU. Mr Potter’s compartment syndrome was showing no signs of returning and Melody was pleased with his progress. He would need to have his drains taken out in a few days’ time. She wrote up her notes, releasing Mr Potter back to the orthopaedic ward before heading to her office. No sooner had she sat in her chair than her door opened and an angry-looking Carmel stormed in.
‘I wasn’t at all impressed, Melody.’
‘With what?’ she asked, feeling her hackles begin to rise.
‘You started the ward round without George!’
‘What was I supposed to do? Wait for him?’
‘He is the visiting orthopaedic surgeon,’ Carmel pointed out.
‘Who just happened to be stuck in a traffic jam. It wasn’t my fault, Carmel. Besides, if it means that much to him, he can just come tomorrow.’
‘But he was scheduled to come this morning.’
‘And he did.’
‘You still could have waited.’
‘No, Carmel, I couldn’t. Firstly, I have patients who are in hospital for treatment. That means physio and OT appointments. It means social workers calling on them. Time for their family and friends to visit. Meals need to be served. Blood tests and X-ray appointments need to be organised. If ward round is late then everything else is thrown off for the rest of the day. Secondly, I was also trying to keep to George’s own schedule, which you’re so rigid about adhering to.’
Carmel opened her mouth but Melody was all fired up. After all, she was a redhead and once she got going it was hard to stop her. ‘Don’t you even think of blaming me for this morning. I had no control over George being late, and just because you’re angry and frustrated it doesn’t mean you can look to me as your scapegoat. Accept the situation, Carmel. Accept that the ward round started without George.’
‘But it was down on his schedule that he was to take the ward round.’
‘Take the ward round? No. Your schedule was wrong. As far as I was concerned, George was merely joining my ward round. I’m in charge of that ward, Carmel. Not you, not George. If I’m away, the job falls to my senior registrar, Andy Thompson. As a visiting dignitary, surely George would realise that he has no real say in the treatment of my patients?’
‘I do realise that,’ George said from the doorway, and both Melody and Carmel turned to look at him. Neither of them had heard him enter and she wondered how long he’d been standing there. His words made her feel a little better but she was still angry with the way this entire morning had been handled.
‘I’m glad to hear it,’ she snapped.
‘Why are you angry with me?’ He spread his arms wide.
‘Because you’re the VOS. You know how ward rounds and hospitals work and, therefore, you should instruct your team accordingly.’
‘You’re right.’ George crossed the room to stand next to them. ‘Carmel, you promised me you’d be calm. Delays happen.’
‘I am calm.’ The words were said between clenched teeth and George couldn’t help but smile. He placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. ‘Diana was asking for your help in the lecture theatre. The Bluetooth isn’t connecting properly today and one of the cables is missing.’
‘Ugh!’ Carmel growled. ‘I knew today was going to be one of the bad days.’ With that, George’s PA stormed from the room.
‘You’ll have to excuse her. She’s really a lovely person deep down inside but she’s overly efficient, overly organised and overly obsessive-compulsive when it comes to schedules. A typical type A personality who doesn’t know how to relax.’
Melody sighed, her earlier annoyance with Carmel dissipating. ‘My brother used to be a type A personality. Then he survived a heart attack and changed his ways, thank goodness.’
He smiled. ‘Thank you for understanding. It’s been a very strange morning. Carmel had one of her hissy fits when I got out of the car to see if I could help. Thankfully, no one was badly injured so I returned to the car.’ He tugged at the knot of his tie. ‘Sometimes I wonder why I’m putting myself through this.’
‘What? Wearing a tie?’ she joked, hoping to lift the serious frown that now creased his brow. He stopped pacing and looked at her, the corners of his mouth twitching up slightly.
‘You know what I mean. Just between you, me and the gatepost, I’m sick and tired of being handled all the time. It took a while to get used to and most of the time I can accept it, but on mornings such as these, when things are out of our control, Carmel goes off on one of her tangents.’ George raked his hand through his hair and then shook his head. ‘I probably shouldn’t be talking to you about it. Sorry. I didn’t mean to burden you with my problems.’
She didn’t comment. She didn’t want his confidences—they were too personal, and that was the last thing she needed, but who else did he have to talk to? ‘Surely the professionalism between us can also extended to me offering my services as a sounding board?’
‘Thank you.’ He stared into her green eyes and she was glad she was still seated behind her desk as butterflies seemed to take flight in her stomach, twisting her emotions into nervous knots. How did he evoke such a reaction within her when she hardly knew him?
The tension between them was almost palpable, and it scared her. She didn’t want this. She didn’t want to become involved with a man who would be gone at the end of the week. Regardless of how he made her feel, he would leave and she would be left in limbo.
‘I’d better go,’ he said abruptly, breaking eye contact. Melody looked away as well, dragging in a deep breath.
‘Yes.’
He walked over to the door and then stopped, turning to look at her. ‘Are you coming up to the lecture theatre now?’
‘Ah…’ She stalled, knowing she should as his lecture was due to start within the next few minutes. ‘I’ll be along directly,’ she told him.
Without another word, he left her office and Melody slumped forward over her desk. ‘Why?’ How was she supposed to find the strength to get through this week? No. She could do this. ‘Pull yourself together,’ she demanded. She tried to focus her thoughts on the work in front of her but her mind refused to budge from thoughts of George.
With one hypnotic glance, she was lost. He had a lovely smile, he had a great personality and he made her feel as though she was not only a woman of worth but also a woman of beauty. No man had ever made her feel that way before and that made George Wilmont different. The sensations he evoked were intensified, powerful and dynamic and that was very different from anything she’d felt before—very different.
CHAPTER SIX
‘M
ELODY!’ RICK’S VOICE made her spring up from her chair and glare at him standing by the door. ‘You’re supposed to be upstairs at the lecture.’
‘How late am I?’ How long had she been sitting there, thinking about George?
‘It started ten minutes ago and the last thing I need is an angry text coming in from Carmel.’
‘Carmel texted you asking where I was?’
‘No.’ Rick frowned. ‘But I’m expecting one. That woman is crazy OCD when it comes to her scheduled events.’
‘You can say that again,’ Melody remarked as she shrugged into her suit jacket. ‘I don’t know why it should matter whether I’m a few minutes late. I’m not introducing him today. I’ll just sneak in up the back and no one will notice.’
‘George will,’ Rick pointed out. ‘He seems very…attentive towards you.’ Her PA’s tone was suggestive.
‘He’s just being a polite professional,’ Melody countered.
‘Ha! You should have seen him last night, pacing around with concern because you were late.’ Rick waggled a finger at her. ‘That was not a polite or professional man.’
Melody sighed and shook her head. ‘I don’t have time to debate this with you.’ As she headed out her office door, she pointed towards his desk. ‘Do some…work stuff, will you?’
Rick chuckled and spread his arms wide. ‘All done. This department is a well-oiled machine, thanks to me.’
Laughing at her PA’s antics, Melody rushed to the lecture theatre, pushing Rick’s comments from her thoughts and focusing on how best to sneak in. She didn’t want George to think she wasn’t interested in what he had to say because she was. When she arrived, he was just walking to the podium and she quickly sat down in one of the back seats. He looked up, his gaze melding with hers, as though he’d instinctively known where she was sitting, and her heart slammed wildly against her ribs.
Taking a breath, he began his talk, his gaze now roving over the audience before him. Melody found herself completely drawn in as he explained and illustrated, with the assistance of a detailed visual presentation, a new technique that could be adapted for both hip and knee arthroplasty. Afterwards, he was again inundated with questions and answered them patiently. He was brilliant. Handsome, successful, brilliant, and lived in a different city.
She should continue to recite that to herself over and over until Friday evening when her time with him would come to an end. George would leave here, just like all the other places, and she would do well not to let her thoughts have flights of fancy.
Melody returned to her office and collected her bag then headed to the restaurant across the street where they’d again be having lunch. This time there were only about thirty people, rather than the hullabaloo of yesterday, which meant they were in a smaller, more intimate function room.
‘I didn’t think you’d make it in time for the lecture but you did,’ George commented as he sat down next to her, the warmth from his body, combined with his spicy aftershave, creating havoc with her senses.
‘Sorry about missing the preamble.’
‘No need to apologise. I thought an emergency might have come up after I’d left.’
‘Nothing so justifiable. Just admin work.’
‘Not your favourite, if I recall correctly.’
‘I’ve learned if I keep on top of it, it isn’t all that bad.’
‘True.’
‘Did you have to do a lot of admin work in your job prior to taking on the VOS?’ Surely his work at Melbourne General Hospital was a safe topic. That way, she was finding out a bit more about him—but only in a professional capacity. She told herself that the questions she asked him should be the same questions she’d ask of any colleague and not just the colleague who was causing goose-bumps to pepper her skin at his nearness.
‘I did. I was head of department, like you, but stepped down for these twelve months.’ George leaned in closer to her and said in a conspiratorial whisper, ‘And I’m not entirely sure I want to return.’
‘Oh?’ She tried not to stare at his mouth as he spoke. She tried to comprehend his words, the delicious scent he wore was creating havoc with her thoughts. ‘To the hospital? To your job? To Melbourne?’
George stayed where he was for another moment, glancing at her mouth before meeting her gaze, causing another wave of delight to wash over her. Then he eased back in his chair, breathing in and sighing audibly, clearing his throat a little. ‘I want to return to Melbourne, of course, and the hospital, but I’m not too sure about usurping the acting head as by all accounts he’s doing an excellent job and…’ George closed his eyes for a moment and shook his head. ‘And I think I just need a break.’
‘Understandable. The VOS is intensive and so is being head of a department.’
‘Hmm.’ He rubbed a hand over his chin, deep in thought. Melody watched him for another long moment, wanting to know his thoughts, wanting to be a sounding board for him, wanting to help him sort out this dilemma, but that wasn’t her role. From the corner of her eye she saw that Carmel was headed their way and belatedly realised that while they’d been talking everyone else had taken their seats, the waiting staff already bringing out the entrées.
‘Heads up,’ she murmured, and George instantly looked towards where Carmel was almost upon them.
‘Here’s your next speech, George.’ Carmel smiled encouragingly as she handed him some papers. ‘There’s no podium so—’
‘Just stand and give it here?’ he stated rhetorically and rose to his feet, putting the papers on the table in front of him and buttoning his jacket. As he did so, Melody reached for her water glass.
‘Don’t choke,’ he said softly, giving her a wry smile.
‘Funny,’ she returned, just as softly, before he started his speech. She was impressed with the way he was able to make each speech sound unique and still provide interesting information on the chosen speciality of orthopaedics. Soon everyone was clapping and the rest of their meal was being served. The person seated to her left was a theatre nurse she’d worked with several times and the two of them talked about a variety of topics.
The entire time, she was acutely aware of George sitting on the other side of her, filling her water glass or offering her a bread roll or passing the butter. He was so attentive and yet everything he did seemed quite ordinary as he would often pass bread or butter to other people as well. Was she reading too much into every little thing? Every little move he made?
A few times she managed to share a moment of conversation with him, or join in the larger conversation going on around the table, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that George was wanting to talk to her about something else, to continue their discussion about his position at Melbourne General or—Melody shook her head. She was going round the twist, trying to wrap her thoughts around the verbal and non-verbal conversations she and George were having. What she was completely conscious of, though, was the way just being next to him was increasing her awareness of him. How was she supposed to get the man out of her head when her body seemed to be tuning itself to his frequency?
Just as coffee was being served, Melody checked her watch and gasped when she realised the time.
‘Something wrong?’ George asked, a frown on his face.
‘If I don’t hustle, I’ll be late for clinic.’ She took a quick sip of her coffee.
‘I’ll walk back with you,’ he stated.
‘That’s not necessary.’ She drained her cup and stood. ‘Besides, it will take you ages to get out of here. Everyone wants to have a word with you.’
‘Well, they’ll have to wait. I need to have a word with you.’
‘Oh.’ Melody wasn’t quite sure what to say. She shifted away from the table and pushed her chair in as the nurse who’d been sitting beside her asked George a question. Melody watched as George turned from her and gave the nurse his attention, but instead of listening intently he actually fobbed the nurse off.
‘I’m sorry, I have an important meeting an
d I’m running late. Will you be at the dinner tonight?’
The nurse nodded.
‘How about we catch up then?’
‘Sounds great,’ the nurse replied, her eyes saying that she’d like to do more than just talk with him. George, however, seemed oblivious of the nurse’s intentions. It made Melody wonder whether George was a bit of a player, like Emir. She had no real reason to believe anything he said. She’d only met the man yesterday and already he’d told her that he was attracted to her. Wasn’t that odd? Sure, he’d be gone by the end of the week but perhaps his entire plan was to enjoy a night or two of hot, meaningless sex with her before he left. She had no idea.
As she left the room where they’d had lunch, she saw Carmel noticing George was trying to leave early. Chances were that Carmel would stop him from leaving and if Melody waited, it would make her even later for clinic. She was out of the restaurant and heading towards the pedestrian crossing when George caught up with her.
‘I thought I said I’d walk back with you.’
‘From the look of things, you were otherwise engaged.’
‘What are you talking about?’
‘Forget it,’ she said, angry with him for not knowing when women were throwing themselves at him. Surely an attractive man of his age knew how to reel in the females? She shook her head. He was no different from Emir. Emir, who’d had affairs with far too many female staff members at the hospital. Emir, who’d had such an easy, charming manner with women and used it to his best advantage. Well, she wasn’t going to be taken in by another womaniser.
‘So what did you want to talk about?’ she asked as the pedestrian light turned green. She headed off across the road with George at her side, both equally as huffy as the other.
