by Sarah Morgan
Daunted by the prospect of trying to find something to wear, Meg picked up the phone and rang Ellie. ‘You’re taking me shopping. Since you’re the reason I’m going to this stupid ball, the least you can do is help me choose a dress that doesn’t make me look awful.’
The fact that Ellie agreed immediately confirmed Meg’s suspicions that her friend and colleague was matchmaking.
They met in the shopping centre a short drive from the hospital.
‘This is going to end in tears, you know that, don’t you?’ Meg scowled as Ellie virtually danced up to her, a smile lighting her whole face.
‘It’s not going to end in tears.’ Ellie slid her arm through Meg’s. ‘It’s going to end in romance. And great sex.’
‘Perhaps you should speak a little louder. I don’t think those toddlers at the far end of the shopping mall quite heard you.’
‘What do you have against sex?’
‘El, you’re doing it again. A few octaves lower would be good here, otherwise we’re going to be kicked out before we’ve bought anything.’
‘Sorry. I’m just so excited that you’re going to the ball!’
‘That makes one of us.’
‘You’re not excited? Seriously?’
‘I’d rather sing the “Hallelujah Chorus” while standing naked on London Bridge in the rush-hour.’
‘Gosh, you are weird.’ Ellie bounced up to an exclusive boutique. ‘It’s a good job I’m excited enough for both of us.’
Meg took one look at elegant dresses in the window and stepped backwards, narrowly missing a mother with a pushchair. ‘If you’re even thinking of this shop, forget it. I can’t afford it.’
‘Look at the sign. Early sale. This is your lucky day.’ Ignoring Meg’s protests, Ellie tugged her through the revolving glass doors into the daunting hush of the upmarket designer boutique. ‘You’re going to look perfect. This is going to be a real Cinderella moment.’
‘Are we talking about the moment where her clothes fall off or the moment where she loses a shoe?’ Meg muttered, but Ellie was already sifting through dresses. Envying her confidence, Meg stood awkwardly, waiting for someone to ask her to leave.
‘What colour do you look good in?’ Ellie squinted at her and Meg shrugged, hideously embarrassed.
‘No idea. My thermal top looks OK on me—that’s a sort of emerald green.’
Ellie rolled her eyes. ‘Stop talking about thermal tops. On Saturday night you are not Meg, wolf-girl, you are Meg, sex-girl.’
‘We are definitely going to be arrested.’
‘You should be thinking silk and satin.’
‘I’m thinking get me out of this nightmare.’ Meg caught the eye of one of the shop assistants. ‘Ellie—can we go somewhere more anonymous? We’re the only people in this shop and those women are looking at me, wondering what on earth someone like me is doing in here.’
‘Rubbish. You’re their only customer and they’re thinking, I hope she buys something.’ Ellie was rifling through the rails. Occasionally she paused and narrowed her eyes before moving on. Finally she pulled a dress out and held it up. ‘All right. This is the one. It’s stunning.’
‘It doesn’t have any straps. How does it stay up?’
‘It’s fitted at the waist and your boobs will keep it up.’
‘That’s not reassuring. Ellie, I really don’t think—’
‘Try it. It’s really sexy. You could wear your hair up. Do you have a necklace of some sort?’
‘No.’
‘Well, what do you normally wear around your neck?’
‘A wool scarf.’
‘I meant when you go out.’ Ellie was laughing. ‘What do you wear around your neck when you’re not trudging through mountains?’
‘Nothing.’ Meg shrugged awkwardly. ‘I don’t really wear jewellery. Where would I wear jewellery? If I’m not in the mountains, I’m with my son.’ She frowned. ‘Actually, I do have something, now I think about it. Mum gave me a gold necklace that used to belong to my grandmother but I’ve never worn it. It’s been in my drawer for seven years.’
‘Sounds perfect.’ Ellie thrust the dress towards her. ‘Try it. Changing room is over there.’
‘But—’
‘Go. I’ll find you some shoes to go with it.’
‘Make sure they’re flat.’ Meg threw an embarrassed glance at the sales girls and gestured to the changing rooms. ‘All right if I—?’
They waved her in and she slid into one of the cubicles and closed the door, cursing Ellie for getting her into this mess. It was one of the coldest winters on record and she was about to strip off and try on a strapless dress for an evening she absolutely didn’t want to attend. Rolling her eyes, Meg removed her coat and pulled her sweater over her head. Pulling on the dress, she stared at herself sulkily. ‘I look stupid.’
Ellie opened the door of the cubicle and looked at her. ‘That’s because you’re wearing boots on your feet. Take them off and try these.’ She held out a pair of gold stilettos. ‘They’ll look really sexy. The dress is completely gorgeous. Meg, no kidding, you look stunning. Is your cleavage real?’
‘Of course it’s real. You think I got a boob job when no one was looking?’ Snappy and irritable, Meg toed off her boots and wriggled her feet into the gold shoes. ‘Ouch, ouch, ow! They hurt. Do people seriously wear these things?’
‘Yes, because they look fantastic.’ Ellie stared down at Meg’s feet. ‘They also look tight. I’ll fetch you a bigger size. Wait there. Don’t go anywhere.’
‘Trust me, I’m not going anywhere wearing this totally embarrassing dress with these things on my feet. There’s half a metre of snow on the ground. I’m going to get frostbite.’ Wincing, Meg dragged off the shoes and flexed her toes. ‘Why do women do this to themselves?’
Fortunately the next pair Ellie brought her was an improvement. ‘How do they feel?’
‘As if I’m tipping forwards. I’m going to fall on my face.’
‘You just feel like that because you’re not used to heels, but you’re going to be fine. Now, hair…’ Ellie pulled a clip out of her bag and twisted Meg’s hair into a knot at the back of her head. ‘Looking good.’
‘Looking weird.’
‘It looks weird because you’re just not used to seeing yourself like that. Meg—you’re really beautiful. Why do you hate the way you look?’
Meg thought for a moment. ‘Actually, I don’t hate the way I look. Not really. It’s men who hate the way I look.’
‘You’re talking about one man, Meg, not men in general.’ Ellie’s voice was tight and there was a flash of anger in her eyes. ‘One man didn’t like the way you look. And if I ever bump into him I’ll break his nose and reposition his features.’
‘You won’t bump into him. You have two kids and he’s allergic to anything remotely domestic.’ It pleased her that finally she could talk about him without feeling as though she was going to fall apart. ‘Last thing I heard, he was living it up in Ibiza. Dancing on the beach every night with women who spend most of the day getting ready for the night.’ The sort of women she’d never understood.
Ellie pulled her into a tight hug. ‘With any luck he’ll catch some vile disease and his vital organs will drop off. He’s history, Meg. It’s over and done. And you’ve protected yourself for long enough. Get out there. Have fun.’
Meg stood frozen in her grasp. ‘It isn’t fun for me. I can’t make people understand that. To me, a ball, a dance, a party—whatever—just isn’t fun. It’s non-stop stress. Am I wearing the right thing? Is everyone staring? Is everyone laughing at me? The answer to the first is almost always no, and the answer to the second two is almost always yes.’
Ellie sighed and tightened her grip. ‘You’re as rigid as my cat in a temper. Hug me back. It will make you feel better.’
Knowing when she was beaten, Meg hugged and instantly felt better. Friendship, she thought. Friendship was good. ‘For a girl who straightens her hair and wears make-up
, you’re all right, Ellie.’
‘I’m more than all right. And you’re going to be more than all right, too. Dino isn’t taking you because of your hair or your make-up, Meg. He’s taking you because you’re you. It’s you he lo—likes. Remember that.’
Meg pulled away. ‘Stop turning this into a big romance. It’s one night, that’s all. El, this dress is too tight. I can’t sit down.’
‘It’s not tight. It’s perfect. And you won’t be sitting down, you’ll be dancing. Or kissing. I want to be there when Dino first sees you. I know you don’t wear much make-up, but this dress needs some make-up.’
‘That’s the dress’s problem, not mine.’
‘Do you even own make-up?’
‘Of course.’ Meg thought about the ancient tubes at the back of the bathroom cabinet. ‘Somewhere. Everything has probably dried up by now.’
‘If you haven’t worn it for years, it will be the wrong make-up. We’ll start fresh. Not because you need it, because you don’t, but because wearing it will make you feel better.’
An hour later they were sitting in a coffee shop surrounded by bags.
‘I honestly can’t see myself wearing glitter on my eyes. I’ll look like something that fell off the Christmas tree.’ Meg poked the foam on her cappuccino. ‘And the lipstick is too dark. I look like a vampire.’
‘You look great. I’m really excited! I’ve been dying to see you take a chance on a man.’
‘I’m not taking a chance. I’m just going to a Christmas ball, for goodness’ sake. We’re talking about one date, not a future.’
‘Every future starts with one date. You’re so wary of everyone, Meg. Matt from Orthopaedics asked you out loads of times, but you said no. Last year it was that really nice doctor from New Zealand whose name escapes me—Pete, that’s it. You turned him down too. This is the first time you’ve said yes. You must really like Dino.’
Meg’s palms were damp. Realising that she did really like Dino made her want to hyperventilate with panic. How had that happened? How had she lowered her guard enough to let someone in? ‘Dino?’ Her mouth was dry and she struggled to keep her voice casual. ‘He’s fine.’
‘Fine? Fine? He’s completely, insanely gorgeous. Do you know how many of the nurses are trying to get his attention all the time?’
Meg pushed her cup away, feeling slightly sick. ‘Yes. Yes, I do know.’
‘So you should feel really special. He wants to go with you. He really likes you. You have so much in common. For a start, you both love the mountains.’
‘Yes, but being in the mountains is different from being on a date. I’m not worrying about how I look all the time. I’m just me.’
‘And it’s just you he’s invited to the ball,’ Ellie said logically. ‘So it’s no different. It’s just that you’ll be doing it in a dress. And it’s a gorgeous dress. You’re going to have a great time. I know you are.’
Meg gave up trying to make Ellie understand. Instead, she shifted the focus of the conversation. ‘What are you going to wear?’
‘No idea. I have a red dress that I bought before I had the children so if I can still fit into it, I might wear that. Then I have a black one that is good for “fat” days.’
‘Wow. More than one dress.’ Meg made a joke of it, but deep down she was in full-on panic mode. Maybe she could develop flu. Or maybe her mum could be persuaded not to babysit. Or maybe… With a sigh, she slumped in her chair. It was no good. She was going to have to go.
The whole thing was her worst nightmare.
CHAPTER FIVE
AT LUNCH TIME on the day of the ball, Dino slammed his way through the doors of the emergency department, his bleep sounding and his phone ringing simultaneously. ‘Is someone trying to get hold of me?’
‘Dino, thank goodness.’ Unusually flustered, Ellie pushed equipment into his hands. ‘There’s a car stuck in snow on the Wrynose Pass. They can’t go forwards and they can’t go back. You need to go and help. Meg is going with you. I’ve packed everything I think you’ll need.’
‘How about a winch?’ Dino lifted an eyebrow. ‘Since when did we start operating a vehicle recovery service?’
‘It’s not the vehicle you’re recovering, it’s the woman inside. She’s very pregnant. She was on her way over the pass to stay with her mum, because it’s closer to the hospital and she’s afraid of being snowed in, but she’s now stuck in the snow. Before you say anything, no, it isn’t funny.’ Ellie stuffed two more blankets into his arms. ‘Do you want the rest of the good news?’
‘That was good news?’
‘This is her second baby. The first one was a precipitate delivery. Thirty minutes from start to finish.’
Dino rolled his eyes. ‘In that case, she needs to be airlifted.’
‘The helicopter has just been grounded—they’ve found a fault. They’re trying to get another one but in the meantime the only vehicle that can get you up there is the mountain rescue ambulance. Meg’s already outside, waiting for you, revving up the engine.’
Dino strode towards the door and flung the extra equipment into the back of the four-wheel-drive vehicle that was used by the mountain rescue team. ‘I’m driving.’
‘No way.’ Meg fastened her seat belt. ‘I’m already sitting at the wheel. Get in, macho man.’
‘I’ll get in when you move into the passenger seat,’ Dino drawled, leaning across and undoing her seat belt. ‘Move over. I’m not kidding.’
Meg tightened her grip on the wheel and refused to move. ‘Chauvinist.’
‘Actually, you’re wrong. If it were Ben or Sean sitting in the driver’s seat, I’d still move them. I’m Italian. I don’t like being driven. Move, Meg, before this woman gives birth in a snowdrift.’
With a sigh, she flounced across into the passenger seat. ‘Fine. I’m only doing this because we can’t waste any more time. Just don’t come squealing to me for help when you’ve slid off the road because you don’t know the bends of the Wrynose Pass. If you’re in the wrong gear, you’ll never make it.’
‘I’ll make it.’ His hands confident on the wheel, Dino headed along the valley and turned onto the narrow road that led to the beginning of the pass. A snow plough had clearly been along the road before them and the snow was banked high against the stone walls that bordered the fields. ‘Why did they pick this route?’
‘Because they were desperate and panicking. The forecast for the next few days is really awful. They were afraid that if they waited any longer, they’d be snowed in. One of the disadvantages of living in a remote area.’ Meg tucked her hair under her hat and sorted through the equipment. ‘Watch yourself on this corner, the road suddenly gets a lot steeper and there’s only room for one car. There are passing places, but most of them haven’t been cleared since last night’s snowfall.’
Dino glanced at her. ‘How many times have you driven this road in winter?’
‘Plenty. See? You should have let me drive. I know every rabbit hole.’ She gave him a cheeky smile. ‘The best way to get good at something is to practise. I practised. Driving the mountain passes is one of the best forms of entertainment.’
He was tempted to suggest a few other forms of entertainment that were less life threatening, but he decided this wasn’t the time or the place. As they crested the top of the slope, he felt the back wheels of the ambulance slip and heard Meg gasp.
‘Relax.’ Dino handled the vehicle carefully, feeling the way it responded. ‘I’m going to put chains on for the next hill. It’s too slick and there’s a drop on the right.’ He jumped out and fastened the chains to the wheels. The landscape around them had been transformed by the heavy snow and a few abandoned vehicles lay half-buried by the side of the road. It took him less than five minutes to finish the job but that was long enough to freeze his hands.
The snow fell onto the windscreen in big fat lumps and Dino jumped back into the driver’s seat, flicked on the wipers and turned the heating up to full. ‘That should improve the
grip. It’s cold out there.’ He flexed his fingers. ‘I think the mountain rescue team will be called out tonight.’
‘If that happens, we’ll miss the ball.’ Meg checked her phone for messages and he had a feeling that was exactly what she was hoping would happen.
‘I’m flattered to know you’re looking forward to our date, tesoro.’
‘I warned you I wasn’t good at that sort of thing. Look, I’ve said I’ll go. What more do you want?’
‘Enthusiasm?’
She bit her lip. ‘I’ve bought a dress, so I suppose it would be nice to at least have the chance to wear it.’
‘A dress? Bene. I look forward to seeing your legs for the first time.’ Because he was concentrating on the road, Dino didn’t see her frown. ‘Is that the car? The red one.’
‘Yes, looks like it.’ Her voice was strange but when he glanced at her she simply glared at him.
‘Keep your eyes on the road or you’ll drive off it.’ She turned back to look out of the windscreen, narrowing her eyes to see through the falling snow. ‘The guy is waving. Why is he waving? He ought to just stay in the warm until we get there. There’s no reason to—’ She broke off and turned her head slowly. ‘Oh, no—do you think…?’
‘Possibly, knowing our luck,’ Dino gritted, ‘but if I drive any faster than this we’ll end up in the ditch alongside them. Get on the phone and check on the helicopter situation. Failing that, get the police to meet us at the head of the pass.’
‘Any excuse to break the speed limit.’
Dino smiled. ‘I’m Italian. That’s enough of an excuse.’
While Meg made the necessary calls, he negotiated the switch back turns of the mountain pass and finally pulled up by the red car. Normally it would have been a dangerous place to stop but today, with the world transformed into a white, faceless desert, they were the only people on the road.
‘Quickly.’ His door was dragged open by the man who had been waving his arms at them. ‘Are you the doctor? What the hell took you so long? I’m going to put in a complaint when all this is over. The baby’s coming. I’m not kidding. God, you have to do something.’ He choked the words out, hyperventilating, and Dino closed his hand over the other man’s shoulder, trying to calm him down, choosing to ignore the rudeness.