Phoebe downed the rest of her drink and stood. “Come on, Cinderella. I shall be your fairy godmother and help you get dressed for the ball.”
Panic set in and her palms grew sweaty. What if Phoebe saw Alex at her apartment building? What if she was still there when Alex came to pick her up? If only she had his phone number to tell him not to bother, that as she said last night, she would make her own way.
But when Phoebe had an idea, it was impossible to shake her out of it. She’d have to take the risk that she could get Phoebe out of her house by six at the latest.
“Come on, Sophie, you don’t want to keep everyone waiting.”
“We came in separate cars, Phoebe. You don’t have to wait for me.”
“Well, that’s where you’re wrong,” Phoebe said smugly. “I caught the train in. I’ll call for a taxi from your place when you leave.”
Sophie had to stifle the groan that threatened to erupt from her. There was no way now Phoebe wasn’t going to see Alex when he came to pick her up. She could only hope that together they could fool Phoebe into believing they were merely work colleagues who happened to live in the same building, and realized the sense in traveling in one car to the dinner. And she just saw a pig taking flight above her.
She picked up her packages and shoved them toward Phoebe. “Here, you made me buy half this stuff. You can carry it.”
She set off in the direction of where her car was parked. With her mind on the traffic and the upcoming evening, she managed to tune out Phoebe’s inane chatter.
As they pulled into her building’s undercover parking area, Sophie’s cell phone trilled in her handbag.
“Do you want me to grab that?” asked Phoebe.
Some instinct was telling Sophie it was Alex on the other end of the phone. There was no way she was going to let Phoebe answer it.
“No, it’s fine. It’s probably my dad wanting to find out how my week was. I’ll call him tomorrow. I usually do.”
Her reply satisfied Phoebe and the sound of the phone abruptly stopped as Sophie pulled into her car bay.
They extracted the parcels from the backseat and headed toward the lift.
Fate was obviously on her side this time as the lift was empty when she and Phoebe entered it. They had a nonstop trip to her floor as well.
“Help yourself to any food in the fridge while I shower,” Sophie said as she tossed her handbag on the couch.
Nerves were starting to flutter in her stomach like tiny butterflies. There was so much at stake with this one simple dinner. Sophie stood under the shower and let the water pound down on her. She had to make sure no one suspected she and Alex had more than just a professional relationship. No one must know they’d shared a passionate night together. She had to make sure Alex understood this. Her career was her life now. She didn’t want to jeopardize it in any way.
As Sophie dried off, she thought she really wasn’t in any position to demand anything. She was probably worrying over nothing. There was no way Alex wanted anyone to know about their past liaison. Well, she hoped he didn’t.
After securing her hair in a style that looked complicated but was easy to handle, she applied her makeup with deft hands. The smoky gray eye shadow she’d used was a perfect foil to the midnight blue of her dress.
“I thought I was supposed to be helping you?” Phoebe’s voice sounded behind her.
Sophie twirled and almost lost her footing. “Don’t ever sneak up on a girl while she’s trying to put three inch heels on.”
“Why didn’t you call me to help you get into your dress? Or help you do your hair? It’s why I came back.”
Guilt flooded through Sophie at the hurt tone in Phoebe’s voice. She was so used to dealing with events like this that she’d gone into autopilot.
“Sorry, Phoebs. I just go into, I don’t know, a trance I guess. I do what I have to do and I’ve done it so many times it’s now automatic.” She tried to lighten the moment and held out her foot Cinderella style. “Would you mind doing up my shoes? I don’t want to crease the dress unnecessarily.”
Phoebe’s mouth twitched and it wasn’t long before the both of them were laughing. “You’re too much, Princess Sophie.”
“I know, but you love me.”
Phoebe finished tightening the shoes and straightened, giving Sophie a hug. “Absolutely and I’m always here if you need me.”
There was something in Phoebe’s tone that drew her attention. But she was prevented from delving further by the ringing of the doorbell.
All at once, the small butterflies had grown into monsters. She clenched her stomach in an attempt to stop them from overtaking her.
“Do you want me to get it?” asked Phoebe.
What she really wanted to do was to keep Phoebe as far away from the front door as possible. But, inevitably, Phoebe would find out who exactly was picking her up and escorting her to dinner.
“Sure, I need to sort out my bag. Thanks, Phoebs.” She paused briefly. “For everything.”
Sophie watched as Phoebe rushed off to open the door as the bell sounded again. She transferred her cell phone, house keys, small purse, and lipstick to her evening bag. She gave herself one last look in the mirror and went out to greet Alex. She figured it would be him at the door but the high-pitched “Dr. Scavoni?” that came from Phoebe confirmed it for her.
She walked into her living room and her heart skipped a beat. She’d forgotten how handsome Alex looked in formal wear. She’d had a lot of experience seeing men in tuxedos, but Alex … he was the best she’d ever seen.
Their eyes met and held. She could see the fire burning in the depths and an answering fire lit in her belly, smashing the butterflies to smithereens.
She was in trouble.
“Umm, I think, ummm I’ll go.” The words stammered out of Phoebe. It was enough to break the spell between her and Alex.
Sophie realized she had said nothing since walking into the room. “Hi, Alex, thanks so much for offering to pick me up.”
She winced inwardly at the superficial tone of her words.
“Believe me when I say the pleasure is all mine.” He then turned his attention to Phoebe. “Hello again, Phoebe, not on duty today?”
Seeing the speculative look in Phoebe’s eyes as she glanced between her and Alex was enough for Sophie to realize she wouldn’t get off lightly this time. Phoebe would dig and dig and dig until she’d uncovered every bit of information.
“Nope, Dr. Scavoni, off duty for the weekend.” Phoebe walked over to where she laid her bag. “Right then, I’ll be off. You kids have a good time, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
Phoebe sauntered over to Sophie and gave her brief hug, whispering in her ear. “You will phone me first thing in the morning. I want to know everything.”
With a waggle of her fingers, Phoebe let herself out.
The door snicked close. “You look beautiful, Sophia.”
Heat suffused her body, starting at the bottom of her neck and rising up to her cheeks. “Thank you. You look very handsome, too.”
He inclined his head and then started toward her, stopping a meter from her. He reached out and gently cupped her cheek. “It’s going to be a long night.”
Chapter 7
She couldn’t deny it. It was true. To be so close to him and not be able to touch him was going to be the hardest thing she ever had to do.
“Yes.” She placed her hand over his, pressed quickly, then wrapped her fingers around his and pulled it away from her cheek. Coolness replaced the warmth his hand had generated. “Shall we go?”
He enfolded her arm into his bent one. “Your carriage awaits you, Cinderella.”
She had to laugh at the reference to Cinderella once again. It was as if he’d had some prior knowledge to her and Phoebe’
s joking around from earlier in the day.
“What’s so funny?” he asked as they took the downward journey.
“Phoebe was joking around earlier and calling me Cinderella. Now you are. Believe me when I say I’m far from being hounded by ugly step sisters and needing a fairy godmother to rescue me.”
“We all need someone to rescue us at one time or another.”
They reached a late model Mercedes and she waited while Alex opened the door for her. The smell of a new car assaulted her senses. It was as if Alex was starting afresh with everything in his life. New job. New car. New house. New woman? It was then she realized she knew absolutely nothing about him and she wondered whether she was going to be the new woman.
“Starting over are you, Alex?”
He didn’t say anything as he concentrated on maneuvering out of the car park and then merging with the early evening traffic.
“Why do you ask?” he replied.
“Well, you’ve started a new job and you have a new car as well as a new apartment. It looks like you’re starting over.” She was transported back to the conversation in their office the first day he’d walked into the emergency department. “Is your divorce recent? Is that why everything is new?”
• • •
Alex gripped the steering wheel a bit tighter. Her question couldn’t have been farther from the truth. But whenever someone asked about his divorce, regret pierced his soul. Oh, he wasn’t still yearning and in love with Amanda. He’d realized long ago that what he’d felt for Amanda wouldn’t have sustained a relationship anyway. The old adage worked well for them: Marry in haste, repent at leisure. It was fortunate Amanda had seen the light and had had the strength to walk away before they totally hated each other. They should never have married.
“I’m sorry, Alex, I shouldn’t have asked. You don’t have to answer it.”
He unclenched his fingers. “No it’s fine, Sophie. My divorce was nearly ten years ago. But, to me it’s a black mark forever etched into my life. I don’t like to fail at anything I do. And I failed Amanda and my marriage.”
“Nobody likes to fail, Alex. You must have been young when you married.”
“You could say that,” he muttered. He didn’t want to talk about the one thing he hadn’t been able to make work. “So are you ready to face the new CEO?”
If she was surprised at his abrupt change of subject, she didn’t let on. He had to admire that about her. She pretty much went with the flow and respected the decisions others made. Sometimes she set her jaw and he could see she didn’t agree, but she never set out to deliberately argue with someone.
“Yes, I’m ready. I’m used to meeting new and different people.” She sent a smile his way that caused his blood to heat and head south. He shifted slightly in his seat. “I’ve acted as my father’s partner on so many occasions it really is second nature to me. Also, by meeting so many people it helps with the job. There is nothing like meeting so many different personalities in the emergency department.”
“How come you act as your father’s partner and not your mother?”
“My mum died five years ago, ever since then I’ve been dad’s companion. He prefers me to attend functions than his latest lover. They’re usually younger than me and he knows I won’t embarrass him. But I do miss her.”
Alex’s hand gripped hers. “I’m sorry, Sophie. You don’t have to say anymore.”
“No it’s fine, Alex, I’ve nothing but good memories of my mum and talking about her keeps those memories alive.”
“So your dad must be proud of your achievements with your career?” There was a moment of silence and Alex wondered if he’d asked one too many questions. He was about to say something to lighten the mood but she continued on.
“You’d think so, but he is still angry that I didn’t marry into the ‘right’ family and play the socialite housewife like my brothers’ wives.”
“You don’t like them?”
“No, I like them, they’re great girls, but what they want isn’t what I wanted. I can’t sit around and twitter about who wore what or who was seen with whom. I wanted a career where I make a difference.” Sophie gave a small sigh. “My mum would’ve been pleased, she had a career before marrying my dad. And dad, well he’s dad and I know deep down he is proud of me, in his own way.”
“I’m sure he is.” Alex replied softly.
“Besides, as I said, when I partner Dad I meet people like ‘Cruella de Vil’ which means I can deal with the types that come through the ER.”
He laughed at her comment. She was right; there were always different personalities entering the department. He’d seen her put out plenty of fires the past week. “You’re very good at your job — and I’m sure the new CEO will see that.”
“Well, whoever he is, he is bound to be a big improvement on the past one.”
Bitterness and something else he couldn’t quite place laced her tone. There was definitely some bad blood between Neil Buchanan and Sophie. Was it possible Neil was her ex-fiancee? Or maybe the ex-CEO thought Sophie was a socialite playing at being a nurse, like he had. Would she open up and let him in if he asked? He was just about to ask when she spoke.
“You know, you didn’t tell me why everything you own is new?”
It was her turn to change the subject — how could he badger her when he’d used the same tactic not that long ago?
“There’s no big secret or underlying reason why everything is new. It just turned out that way.” He paused as he indicated to enter the sweeping driveway of the casino complex. “I bought the apartment off the plan a while ago. But my father got ill so I stayed at the family home while he recuperated. I leased out the apartment in the interim. The lease came up and my father was well. So I moved in. Plus it was time to upgrade my car.”
• • •
Sophie digested all of this information as Alex handed over the keys to the valet parking attendant. Her door was opened by a white gloved man in tails and a top hat. She swiveled her legs around and before she stepped out, Alex was there holding out his hand for her. She hesitated momentarily before placing her hand in his. Electricity sizzled and zoomed through her blood. She felt alive.
He kept hold of her hand as they walked through the double glass doors of the complex. Sophie knew in her head she didn’t want to walk into the restaurant holding Alex’s hand. But part of her wished she had the strength to say, Yes, Alex. Let’s start over and get to know each other.
As if reading her mind, Alex let go of her hand, letting his fingers trail softly down her palm. Gooseflesh broke out over her skin and she shivered slightly.
“Smile, Sophie.” Alex whispered the words at her and she looked at him in surprise.
Why was he telling her to smile?
Her question was answered very quickly. “Good evening, Sophie. Scavoni.” Neil’s smarmy voice washed over her and a wave of revulsion chased away the gooseflesh.
As always, when backed against the wall, her mother’s social training kicked in. “Good evening, Neil. What a not so pleasant surprise to see you here.”
Good manners be damned. He stood there with the woman she’d found him with in his office. There was no way she was going to be all sweetness and light around him.
“Don’t panic, Sophie, I’m not here for the welcome dinner. It’s pure co-incidence that Sabrina booked a table at Quintent tonight. She wanted to surprise me.”
Sophie had to stop herself from gagging at the way he grabbed Sabrina and thrust his tongue down her throat. When they were together, he was never big on public displays of affection. Seemed he’d changed his tune.
“Don’t let us stop you, Buchanan. But I’d suggest you control yourself a bit. You’re acting like a hormonal teenager.” Sophie looked at Alex in surprise. Clearly he was as unimpressed by Neil’s dis
play as she was.
“Don’t be jealous, Scavoni. It must be hard having to work with a cold fish all day.”
She gasped loudly. Tears welled in her eyes. In all the time they had been together, Neil had never called her a “cold fish.” They hadn’t been intimate much in the last couple of months of their relationship. Now she was glad for it.
With a lightning fast movement, Alex had grabbed Neil by the lapels of his jacket. “It’s lucky we’re in a public place or otherwise you’d be lying flat on the ground.” He pushed Neil away like he was a piece of rubbish. “Don’t you ever, ever insult Sophie like that again. She’s got more class and style than you and your date could ever wish for. I suggest you dine elsewhere.”
With those parting words, Alex took her by the arm and led her down the hallway toward the restaurant. But she knew she couldn’t let Alex walk in with so much anger flooding his system.
“Stop, Alex.” He kept moving, so she pulled hard on his arm. “Alex. I said stop.”
Finally, her words penetrated his anger and he stopped. When she could see she had his full attention she spoke. “You can’t walk into that restaurant with steam coming out of your ears, and me running alongside of you. Calm down.”
She’d used her don’t-mess-with-me-I-know-best voice. The one she saved for patients who were being difficult.
“I’m not sure I can calm down.” Alex raked fingers through his hair, giving it a just-out-of-bed look. She reached out her hand to straighten it, but stopped herself. “What is the history between the two of you, Sophie? And don’t fob me off with a nothing, because I won’t believe you.”
She knew she couldn’t hide the truth any longer. Neil’s words still stung and she now knew why he’d sought pleasure from someone other than herself. Taking a deep breath, she told him her sordid little secret.
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