‘Sweet,’ he replied. ‘Prime real estate. Although I wouldn’t have been able to run to it when I was studying… they must pay student midwives well.’
He even knew her profession. She had imagined that if he’d even noticed her he would have no idea that she was a midwife, let alone on placement.
‘It’s not as much as I imagine the modern places around here would normally cost. They’d definitely be out of my league. My apartment is quite antiquated and tiny but I like it and I just go without other things to live here. It’s a small sacrifice. I drive a twenty-year-old car but wake up to million-dollar views.’ Suddenly her nerves were abating and she felt comfortable talking to him. She noticed him smile, the most gorgeous smile, and then he removed his sunglasses and she noticed his dark, charcoal eyes with thick black lashes were smiling back at her too.
‘Wise choice, Felicia. A car for a location like this, it’s a great compromise. Who wouldn’t want to live here and wake up to the ocean view every morning?’
Flick was taken aback again. His comment resonated with someone very down to earth. He just happened to also be extremely handsome. She couldn’t help but notice a scar that ran down his chest, ending just above his belly button. Her eyes were drawn to it but she looked away quickly. It was faded and she imagined it was from an operation performed years before but it was significant in size. The fact that he didn’t hide it, she assumed, meant that the scar was perhaps by now only on the outside but she wasn’t about to test that hypothesis by making mention of it.
‘Looks like the hospital has given us both the day off … or are you playing hooky?’
Flick laughed, a little awkwardly. ‘No, not playing hooky, I’m on an RDO.’
Tristan fell silent for a moment, as if he was taking a moment to really think about his words before he spoke. Flick wasn’t sure if the lull in conversation was her cue to leave so she smiled and turned to walk up the sand towards her apartment before it became uncomfortable.
‘Don’t go,’ he called to her. ‘I was wondering if you would like to join me for a coffee or juice. There’s a café just up the road and they have the best coffee and smoothies.’
Flick turned back when she noticed that his voice seemed a little unsure. She was surprised by both the invitation and the tone. Before today, the man asking her to share a coffee had never even spoken to her. He had acknowledged her with little more than a nod in the corridor and now he wanted them to spend additional time together. She didn’t want to refuse but she also didn’t want to sit in the café in her shorts and bikini top and bare feet. She was happy to be on the beach dressed that way but would feel self-conscious in a restaurant filled with the lunch crowd while she was so scantily clad and shoeless.
‘I make a pretty good coffee too, I’m not even close to barista standard, but I can promise it won’t be instant either,’ she called back to him. ‘Would you like to come up to my place and I can make us both a cup.’
‘I don’t want to impose … or cut short your walk.’
‘You wouldn’t be doing either,’ she reassured him, feeling a warmth rush over her. She wanted to be near him. ‘I was heading back anyway and I don’t have any plans for the next hour or so and I’d feel more comfortable at home dressed like this.’
‘I suppose my gear’s not really befitting a restaurant,’ he remarked, looking down at his shorts and sports shoes as he caught up to her. ‘Although you look sensational, so there wouldn’t be any complaints from patrons or management if you waltzed in dressed like that.’
Flick smiled nervously. ‘Follow me,’ she said, half-wondering why she had suggested they head to her place. She barely knew Tristan but something about him made her feel safe. It was crazy, she knew, but her intuition was pushing her in a direction that reason would never normally have chosen. ‘And by the way,’ she said, ‘if we’re ditching protocol, my friends call me Flick.’
They talked for more than an hour, sitting on the narrow balcony of Flick’s apartment. She wasn’t fussed that she hadn’t finished cleaning. She was too relaxed to care. More than once, she joked it was more like a wide ledge than an actual balcony. The weather-beaten outdoor furniture had seen better days, but it served its purpose and allowed them to enjoy both their coffee and an uninterrupted view of the beach. Sharing the tiny, sunny space was a three-tiered planter box filled with herbs that Flick used for cooking. Basil, she told him, was her go-to herb that turned average into sensational. And oregano was her landlord’s favourite, so she would give him a small bunch every Friday morning when she paid the rent.
‘I can see you have a love of cooking and walks on the beach, but what is it that you love about being a midwife?’
Flick didn’t have to think about her reply. ‘Everything. It’s a privilege to travel the journey with a woman to the birth of her baby and then a little beyond that and see how the new family member is adapting to life. And how quickly everyone falls in love with the little person.’
Tristan noticed her face become animated as she spoke. Her love of her work was palpable.
‘Do you prefer attending home or hospital births?’
Again her answer was spontaneous. No debate needed. ‘Home births. I love working in MMU, but for me being out in the community and assisting with home births, that’s what makes it all worthwhile. It’s all about continuity of care,’ she said. ‘The mother feels safe that she knows us, and we’re like part of the family from around sixteen weeks into her pregnancy until six weeks after the birth. It’s an amazing time and I feel so blessed to be a part of such a beautiful experience.’
Tristan watched her face continue to light up as she spoke. It was definitely her calling and she’d needed no prompting as to why she’d chosen that career. They continued to chat about the hospital, their careers and the gala ball that they discovered they were both attending that night. Tristan became aware of how much of Flick’s time he had taken up and reluctantly he knew he had to leave. He didn’t want to outstay his welcome and he suspected she would want to get ready for the evening’s event.
‘Can I drive you to the gala tonight?’ he asked as he stood. ‘I could swing by and pick you up if you haven’t arranged transport.’
Tristan seldom went out socially and even less often accepted an invitation to a woman’s apartment so the day was by no means a regular in any way for him. He had met a gorgeous young woman on the beach, who he knew a little about from the hospital, he had accepted her suggestion of coffee at her apartment and now he wanted to take her out. He wasn’t sure what was happening. Logic reminded him that it wasn’t a date, she already had a ticket and he was merely offering to be a friendly chauffeur, but his heart was warming in a way that he hadn’t expected.
He’d already known before they’d shared a chat over coffee that Flick was naturally gorgeous and now he added fun, intelligent and passionate about her career as a midwife. The hour had passed like a few minutes, and he didn’t want their time together to end. He wanted more. He felt as if he had just touched the tip of a beautiful iceberg and although he had always kept his personal life very separate from the hospital, he suddenly wanted to throw that rule away and to know everything he could about her.
And his libido had also joined the debate.
‘That’s very kind of you but I’ve made plans with my friend Sophia, she’s a caseload midwife, and I’m shadowing her during my placement. I couldn’t let her down, she’s hired a limousine to take us there.’
‘I completely understand. My car, nice as it is, couldn’t compete with a limousine.’
Flick’s lips curved to a smile. ‘That’s not the way I meant it to sound.’
Tristan returned a friendly smile but his body was imagining what it would be like to kiss her. It took all of his self-control not to pull her to him and feel the softness of her mouth on his. He had no doubt her kiss would be as sweet as she was, but he sensed there would also be passion in her lips … and her body.
Reaching
for the chilled water on the table beside him, he gulped the entire glass in the hope of bringing himself to his senses. He watched her walk barefoot inside her apartment and put her glass and cup in the sink. She was so naturally sexy, just watching her silhouette made him want to feel her body against his, and thinking that way was out of character for him.
Swallowing hard, he followed her lead and placed his glass in the sink on the way to the front door. He was fascinated by her. He had never felt this way in such a short amount of time. The midwife dressed like a beach bunny had definitely crept under his skin.
He walked down the outside steps that led to the road below, leaving Flick at the top of the steps, but he couldn’t resist turning back for a second. ‘Maybe I’ll convince you to dance with me before the night is over.’
Flick smiled back at him in silence. She knew it wouldn’t take much convincing.
Flick stepped from the limousine and onto the red carpet, wearing a strapless floor-length gown of midnight blue satin with a crystal-beaded bodice. The price tag had made her gasp, but she had decided that the dress she wore to her first ball would be one she would remember for ever, so she bought it anyway. Her hair was down and in loose curls that skimmed her bare shoulders. She wore kitten-heel slingbacks and small crystal stud earrings, and carried an evening purse that she had bought to match her dress. If she had already blown her budget, she decided she may as well have the accessories. She was generally careful with her money, something she had learnt to do during her studies, so she could afford to splurge once in a while.
‘Ooh, red carpet, very nice,’ Sophia said, as she too stepped out of the limousine, wearing a long cream silk gown that also skimmed her shoulders and was a stark contrast against the rich mahogany curls of her hair. Very high-heeled gold shoes were only just visible at the hemline. She was quite petite, almost six inches shorter than Flick, so had decided to teeter all night in the name of fashion, and a little bit of vanity.
Sophia walked alongside Flick, smiling as they entered the ballroom that was abuzz with the noise of the guests’ chatter and a live jazz band.
‘Let’s see what tonight brings, then, shall we?’ Sophia said as she linked her arm through Flick’s.
They were seated at a round table of eight with a vascular surgeon and his wife, two single nurses and two medical students, who were also single and more than a little smitten with the attractive nurses. Unfortunately they were only first-year students and not exactly husband material in the young nurses’ eyes, so their advances were politely ignored.
The table decorations were simple but effective: huge square-cut crystal vases on each table filled with twelve long-stemmed white roses tied with a large cream organza bow. The tablecloths were black, as were the napkins. It was without doubt the most elegant affair that Flick had attended and she was very happy she had worn a dress befitting the event.
A delicious salmon entrée was followed by a main course of lamb in red-wine jus. When the plates from the second course were being collected, Flick tried not to appear obvious as she looked around the room for Tristan. She had not seen him when she’d arrived for pre-dinner drinks, neither could she find him in the sea of elegantly clad guests when everyone was seated. Her heart sank a little and she surmised that it was more than likely he had been called to an emergency at the hospital. She was surprised when a wave of disappointment washed over her and threatened to dampen the entire evening.
He was all she’d been able to think of while she’d showered, dressed and applied her make-up and during the limousine drive to the ball. While being attracted to him was a little exciting, the thought of acting on it scared her to the core. But something was still drawing her to him despite being scared. It was an odd feeling, one she had definitely never experienced before.
Flick suddenly felt fabric brush across her back and assumed it was the waiter bringing more wine.
‘No, thank, you. One glass is enough for me,’ she said, placing her hand over the rim of the glass.
‘I’ll remember that, Flick. Now you’ve cleared it up, I won’t randomly pour wine into your glass each time I pass by you.’
Flick recognised Tristan’s voice from the time they had spent together that afternoon and she turned to find him smiling down at her, all six feet two of him dressed in black. While in his scrubs at work he was undeniably attractive and the near-naked, swimsuit look that morning had been amazing, her breath was stolen when she saw him in his black tuxedo. The crisp white shirt exaggerated his tan further and his jaw was freshly shaven. She even noticed the platinum and black cufflinks and his highly polished patent-leather shoes. He was a vision of a male model, only better. And the scent of his cologne made her very aware of just how close he was to her.
‘I hope you’re enjoying the evening.’
‘Very much,’ she replied, still absorbing just how handsome and how close he was to her. ‘And you, are you having a nice time?’
He nodded his response, acknowledged the others at the table and then walked away without saying anything more. Flick looked ravishing and it validated his earlier decision to arrive late to the event. When he’d left her apartment that afternoon he’d known that his attraction to her was undeniably strong. And nothing good would come of it. But while he didn’t want to become involved, he couldn’t stay away. As he had sat on his bed, looking at his tuxedo hanging on the door, he’d told himself firmly to step back. Let Flick meet another man that night. There would be a number of eligible doctors who could give her what he couldn’t.
But then, looking at his watch and knowing the evening would be over soon, his feet hit the floor and he grabbed his suit. There was no turning back.
Flick was surprised and a little disappointed when Tristan left so quickly but imagined there were a lot of VIPs he needed to rub shoulders with at an event of this scale.
She noticed his table wasn’t far from the podium at the front of the ballroom.
‘Flick?’ Sophia leant in and whispered, with one eyebrow raised as she studied her friend’s face.
Flick smiled back nervously.
‘When did the most eligible but elusive cardiothoracic surgeon at the Victoria start calling you Flick and not Felicia or Midwife Lawrence?’
‘This morning, at the beach,’ Flick answered quickly, then, changing the subject, she reached for the menu. ‘I wonder what’s for the main course?’
‘We just finished main course,’ Sophia said, as she gently eased the glossy menu from Flick’s fingers and dropped her voice again. ‘At the beach this morning? You didn’t mention anything on the drive here tonight. What exactly happened? You’re not getting out of this one that easily, Flick. I confide in you and you keep your rendezvous with Dr Oh-My-God Gorgeous to yourself.’
Flick turned to Sophia and in an equally quiet voice responded, ‘I was walking on the beach, he was jogging, we started talking and he had coffee with me on my balcony. End of story.’
‘Excuse me … end of story? I don’t think so. I think it’s just the beginning. I saw the look in his eyes. It’s so obvious he has the biggest crush on you. So you, my single, gorgeous friend, are going over to his table right now to pick up where you left off this morning.’
‘I can’t leave you alone,’ she argued, as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
‘Flick, I know a zillion people in the room. So you’re not leaving me alone.’
‘But Oliver Evans has just sat down with him. I’m not about to interrupt their discussion. It’s probably something quite important and of a serious medical nature.’
‘And that is exactly why you are going over to rescue Tristan from a long-winded medical discussion at a social event. He can chat about all things medical tomorrow. Tonight he should be having fun and so should you. How often do we get to let our hair down and enjoy ourselves?’
‘I’m not sure, Sophia.’
Looking straight into her friend’s eyes, Sophia smiled. ‘Believe me, he needs saving. You�
��re the only one who can do it! Stop hiding away, Flick. You have to grab life with both hands.’
Sophia’s words struck a chord, and reminded her of her sister’s phone call that morning, but it was the feeling stirring inside her that made Flick rise from her chair. ‘I hope I don’t regret this.’
Sophia rested back in her chair and took a sip of her wine as she watched Flick make her way to Tristan’s table. ‘I’ve got a feeling you won’t regret anything about tonight, Flick Lawrence,’ she muttered.
Tristan’s face lit up as Flick approached and his elated expression wasn’t lost on Oliver.
‘I think I’m needed back at my table,’ Oliver said as he stood to leave. ‘I’ll catch you in your office tomorrow, Tristan. Enjoy your evening.’ He smiled at Flick before he walked away.
‘I hope I didn’t scare Dr Evans away.’
‘Flick, this is a compliment and I hope you take it that way. You couldn’t scare a mouse, let alone Oliver Evans. He wouldn’t run from a stunning woman. He’s being polite in leaving and I will thank him for it tomorrow.’
Flick blushed as Tristan pulled out a chair for her next to him.
As they chatted over the fine wine and the key lime dessert that arrived a short time later, she found she had his complete attention and he had hers. Then later, as she rested back against his strong hand in the curve of her spine as he guided her effortlessly around the dance floor, she felt there was definitely more than just a professional connection between them. There was chemistry and sparks. Everything that had been missing with the men who had held her before was obvious in Tristan’s touch. He was bringing her body alive with little effort.
‘Would you allow me to drive you home tonight?’ he whispered, as she rested her head on his shoulder during a slow number. ‘Or do you have a limousine booked?’
Flick had seen Sophia leave the ball half an hour before. Her friend had waved and sneaked out early, and Flick felt so deliciously comfortable she didn’t lift her head as she spoke. ‘There’s no limousine. I would love you to take me home.’
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