Louise breathed out and looked at him, the most diligent person she knew, and then he continued speaking.
‘You explained you are dieting because you have a photo shoot, that you know what you’re doing with your weight, and not once since then have I said anything. I was worried about you because my sister has been there but when you said you knew what you were doing, I accepted that.’
He had.
‘My ex …’ she didn’t want to say it here but it was time to tell him a little, if not all. ‘He was so jealous, he didn’t get that I could be friends with Rory. He didn’t even like Emily …’
‘And …?’ Anton pushed, but Louise shook her head so he pushed on as best he could, but he was a non-witness after the fact and Louise kept him so.
‘I would never come between you and your friends.’
‘You weren’t exactly friendly towards Rory on the night of the theatre do—you were giving him filthy looks.’
‘Oh, that’s right,’ Anton said. ‘And you were so sweet to Saffron. I was jealous when I thought you were on together, just as you were with me.’
Louise swallowed, she knew he was right.
‘I like your friends. I like it that you can be friendly with an ex. And you can flirt, you can be funny, and I have no issue with it, but what I will not do is go along with the notion that I like you going for IVF so early in our relationship.’
Louise turned to go.
‘Wrong word for you, Louise?’
It was.
‘I need to think, Anton,’ Louise said, and possibly the nicest thing he did then was not to argue his case or demand that they speak. He simply nodded.
‘Of course.’
Louise took handover and she was allocated Stephanie’s patients, all except for Emily, who was asleep when she went in to her.
‘Just rest,’ Louise said. ‘I’m only doing your blood pressure.’
‘When are you going for lunch?’ Emily asked sleepily.
‘About twelve. Do you want me to have it here with you?’
Emily nodded. ‘Unless you need a break from the patients.’
‘Don’t be daft—of course I’d love to have lunch with you.’
When lunchtime came Louise went and got her salad from the fridge and it was so nice to close the door and sit down with her friend.
‘It’s going to be strange, not having you around,’ Emily admitted.
‘I’ll be visiting, texting …’
‘I know,’ Emily said, ‘it just won’t be the same. Are you excited about your photo shoot tomorrow?’
‘I am, though you’re to promise you’ll text me if anything happens.’ Louise went into her pocket and handed Emily a business card. ‘This is the hotel I’m at, just in case there’s nowhere to put my phone!’
‘Louise, you are not leaving your photo shoot,’ Emily said, handing her back the card.
‘But I want to be here if anything happens.’
‘I know you do and I’d love you to be here, but I’ve got Hugh.’
Louise took back the card and stared at it.
Emily had Hugh.
Yes, Louise could do this alone and she would, but for a moment there she reconsidered. Hugh had been here every day, making Emily laugh, letting her relax, an endless stream of support.
It would be so hard to do this alone.
Louise cleared her throat. She didn’t like where her mind was heading. ‘Well, if you can hold off tomorrow, Christmas Day would be fine.’ Louise gave her friend a wide smile as she teased her. ‘At least that would get me out of dinner at Mum’s.’
Emily laughed,
‘Have you seen what you’re wearing for the photo shoot?’ Emily asked.
‘Oh, it’s so nice, all reds and black—Valentine’s Day stuff, seriously sexy,’ Louise said. ‘We’ve got the presidential suite and I think I’m his girlfriend or wife, the model’s Jeremy …’ Louise rattled on as, unseen, Anton came in and checked Emily’s CTG. ‘He’s so gorgeous but so gay. Anyway, we wake up and why I’m wearing a bra and panties and shoes at six a.m. I have no idea, but then there are to be photos with me waving him off to work …’
‘Still in your undies and shoes?’ Emily asked, and Louise nodded.
‘Then he comes home with flowers and I’m in my evening stuff then, and I think he takes me over the dining table …’
Emily wished Louise would turn around and see Anton’s smile as she spoke.
‘Everything is looking good,’ Anton said, and Emily watched as Louise jumped, wondering how much he had heard. Emily’s heart actually hurt that Louise expected to be told off for being herself, and she watched her friend make herself turn around and smile.
‘Hiya,’ Louise said. ‘I’m just asking Emily to cross her legs tomorrow, but any time after that is fine.’
‘How Emily’s temperature?’
‘All normal. I’m actually on my lunch break.’
‘Oh,’ Anton said, and left them to it. ‘Sorry for interrupting.’
‘Why won’t you give the two of you a chance?’ Emily said. ‘Why can’t you believe—?’
‘Because I stopped believing,’ Louise said. ‘I want to believe—I want to believe that we might be able to work, that we’re as right for each other, as I sometimes feel we are. I just don’t know how to start.’
‘Have you told him what happened last Christmas?’
‘I don’t know how to.’
‘He needs to know, Louise. If you two are to stand a chance then you have to somehow tell him.’
Louise shook her head. ‘I don’t want to talk about it ever again.’
‘Why don’t you ask Anton to come along tomorrow?’
‘Good God, no!’
‘Think about it—you at your tarty best. What would Wesley have done?’
‘I shudder to think,’ Louise said. ‘Look, I know Anton’s not like that. I’m just so scared because I’d have sworn Wesley wasn’t like that either.’
‘Well, there’s one very easy way to find out.’
‘I think he’s working tomorrow,’ Louise said. ‘Anyway, don’t you want him here?’
‘Oh, believe me, if I go into labour I’ll be calling him, so you’d know anyway, but please don’t leave your photo shoot for me. I know how important it is to you.’
‘Okay,’ Louise said. ‘I still want to know, though.’
‘Ask Anton.’
Louise shook her head. ‘He’s not going to take a day off for that.’
‘He’s not going to if you don’t ask him.’
Louise checked on a patient who was sleeping but in labour and she put her on the CTG machine and took a footstool and climbed up onto the nurses’ station where she sat, watching her patient from a distance, listening to the baby’s heartbeat.
Anton walked onto the unit and saw Louise sitting up on the bench, back straight, ears trained, like some elongated pixie.
‘What are you doing?’ Anton asked, as he walked past.
‘Watching room seven,’ Louise said, and smiled and looked down.
‘Are you okay?’ Anton said, referring to their conversation in the kitchen that morning.
‘I don’t know.’
‘I know you don’t and that’s okay.’
‘Can you help me down?’ Louise asked cheekily, and watched as he glanced at the footstool. ‘Whoops!’ She kicked away the footstool and Anton smiled and helped her down. The brief contact, the feel of his hands on her waist stirred her senses and made her long to break her self-imposed isolation. She just didn’t know how.
‘I know we need to talk,’ Louise said. ‘I just don’t know when.’
‘That’s fine.’
A patient buzzed and he let her go.
‘Hello, Carmel,’ Louise said, and then saw that Carmel wasn’t in bed but in the bathroom, and the noise she was making had Louise instantly push the bell before even going to investigate.
‘There’s something there,’ Carmel said. She was deep-squatti
ng and Emily pulled on gloves with her heart in her mouth. Carmel’s baby was breech, and if it was a cord prolapse then it was dire indeed.
Louise pressed the bell in the bathroom in three short bursts as she knelt.
Thankfully it wasn’t the cord. Instead two little legs were hanging out. ‘Call Stephanie,’ Louise said, as Brenda popped her head in the door.
‘She’s delivering someone,’ Brenda said. ‘I’ll get Anton and the cart.’
‘You,’ Louise said to Carmel, ‘are doing amazingly.’ The baby was dangling and it was the hardest thing not to interfere. Instinct meant you wanted traction, to get the head out, but Louise breathed through it, her hands hovering to catch the baby.
She heard or rather sensed that it was Anton who had come in and she went to move aside but he just knelt behind Louise. ‘Well done, Carmel,’ Anton said.
Louise felt his hand on her shoulder as patiently they waited for Mother Nature to take her course.
It was just so lovely and quiet. Brenda came in with the cart and stood back. There was a baby about to be born and everyone just let it happen.
Patience was a necessary virtue here.
‘That’s it,’ Louise said. ‘Put your hands down and feel your baby,’ she said, as the baby simply dropped, and Carmel let out a moan as her baby was delivered into her own and Louise’s hands.
‘Well done,’ Anton said, as Brenda went and got a hot blanket and wrapped it around the mother and infant.
Stephanie arrived then, smiling delightedly.
‘Well done, Carmel!’
It had been so nice, so lovely and so much less scary with Anton there—a lovely soft birth. Louise’s eyes were glittering with happy tears as finally Carmel was back in bed with her husband beside her and her baby in her arms.
It was lovely to see them all cosy and happy.
‘It looks like you might get that Christmas at home after all.’ Louise smiled.
‘Oh, I’m going home tomorrow,’ Carmel said. ‘Nothing’s going to stop us having the Christmas we want now.’
Later, in the kitchen, pulling a teabag from her scrubs to make Carmel her only fantastic cup of hospital tea, she saw the hotel card that she had brought in to give Emily.
Was it a ridiculous idea to ask him to be there tomorrow? Did she really have to put him through some strange test?
Yet a part of Louise wanted him to see the other side of her also.
She walked out and saw Anton sitting at the desk, writing up his notes.
‘Are you working tomorrow?’ Louise asked.
‘I am.’
She put the card down.
‘It’s my photo shoot tomorrow from ten till seven—see if you can get away for an hour or so. I’ll leave your name at Reception.’
Anton read the address and then looked up but Louise was gone.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
IT REALLY WAS the best job in the world.
Well, apart from midwifery, which Louise absolutely loved, but this was the absolutely cherry on the cake, Louise thought as she looked in the mirror.
Her hair was all backcombed and coiffed, her eyes were heavy with black eyeliner and she had lashings of red lipstick on.
All her body was buffed and oiled and then she’d had to suffer the hardship of putting on the most beautiful underwear in the world.
It was such a dark red that it was almost black and it emphasised the paleness of her skin.
And she got to keep it!
Louise smiled at herself in the mirror.
‘Okay, they’re ready for you, Louise.’
Now the hard work started.
She stepped into the presidential suite and took off her robe and there was Jeremy in bed, looking all sexy and rumpled but very bored with it all, and there, in the lounge, was Anton.
Oh! She had thought he might manage an hour, she hadn’t been expecting him to be here at the start.
He gave her a smile of encouragement and Louise let out a breath and smiled back.
‘On the bed, Louise,’ Roxy, the director said.
‘Morning, Jeremy.’ Louise smiled. She had worked with him many times.
‘Good morning, Louise.’
It was fun, though it was actually very hard work. There were loads of costume changes and not just for Louise—Jeremy kept having to have his shirt changed as Louise’s lipstick wiped off. Cold cream too was Jeremy’s friend as her lips left their mark on his stomach.
And not once did Anton frown or make her feel awkward.
As evening fell, the drapes were opened to show London at its dark best, though the Christmas lights would be edited out. This was for Valentine’s Day after all.
‘He’s just home from work,’ Roxy said. ‘Flowers in hand but there’s no time to even give them …’
‘Okay.’
Jeremy lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his hips and crossed her ankles as Roxy gave Jeremy a huge bouquet of dark red roses to hold.
‘A bit lower, Louise.’
Louise obliged and as she wiggled her hips to get comfortable on Jeremy’s crotch she made everyone, including Anton, laugh as she alluded to his complete lack of response. ‘You are so-o-o gay, Jeremy!’
Anton had stayed the whole day. Louise could not believe he’d swapped shifts for her and, better still, clearly Emily’s baby was behaving.
At the end of the shoot she put on her robe, feeling dizzy and elated, clutching a huge bag of goodies and ready to head to a smaller room to get changed. Anton joined her and they shared a kiss in the corridor.
‘Do you want me to hang up my G-string?’ Louise asked, between hot, wet kisses.
‘God, no,’ Anton said.
‘You really don’t mind?’
‘Mind?’ Anton said, not caring what he did to her lipstick.
They were deep, deep kissing and she loved the feel of his erection pressing into her, and then she pulled back and smiled—they must look like two drunken clowns.
‘I’ve booked a room,’ Anton said.
‘Thank God!’
They made it just past the door. Her robe dropped, her back to the wall, Louise tore at his top because she wanted his skin. Louise worked his zipper and freed him, still frantically kissing as she kicked her panties off. Anton’s impatient hands dealt swiftly with a condom and then he lifted her. Louise wrapped her legs around him and crossed her ankles far more naturally this time. She was on the edge of coming as she lowered herself onto him but he slowed things right down as he thrust into her because what he had to say was important.
‘I am crazy for you, Louise, and I don’t want to change a single thing.’
‘I know,’ Louise said, ‘and I’m crazy about you too.’
She couldn’t say more than that because her mouth gave up on words and gave in to the throb between her legs. The wall took her weight then as Anton bucked into her, a delicious come ensuing for them both. Then afterwards, instead of letting her down, he walked her to the bed and let her down there.
‘We’re going to sort this out, Louise.’
‘I know we will.’ Louise nodded, except she didn’t want to ruin their day with tales of yesterday and it was Christmas tomorrow and Louise didn’t want to ruin that again, so instead she smiled.
‘I need carbs.’
They shared a huge bowl of pasta, courtesy of room service, and then Louise, who had been up since dawn, fell asleep in his arms. Better than anything, though, was the man who, when anyone else would have been snoring, lay restless beside her and finally kissed her shoulder.
‘I’m going to pop into the hospital,’ Anton said. ‘I’ve got two women—’
‘Go,’ Louise said, knowing how difficult it must have been to swap his shift today. ‘Call me if something happens with Emily.’
‘You don’t mind me going in?’
She’d have minded more if he hadn’t.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
TWO PATIENTS WERE on his mind this Christmas Eve and Anton walke
d into the ward and chatted with Evie.
‘Hazel’s asleep,’ Evie said, as he went through the charts. ‘I’d expect you to be called in any time soon, though.’
‘How about Emily?’
‘Hugh’s in with her, he’s on call tonight. Stephanie looked in on her an hour ago and there’s been no change.’
‘Thanks.’
He let Hazel sleep. Anton knew now he would be called if anything happened but, for more social reasons, he tapped on the open door of the royal suite.
‘Hi, Anton,’ Hugh said. ‘All’s quiet here.’
‘That’s good.’
‘How was your day off?’ Emily asked.
‘Good.’
‘I was just going to check on a patient.’ Hugh stood and yawned.
‘I could say the same,’ Anton said, ‘but I wanted to check in on Emily too.’
‘Is this a friendly visit, Anton?’ Emily asked when Hugh had left.
‘A bit of both,’ Anton said, and sat on the bed. ‘How are you?’
‘I don’t know,’ Emily admitted. ‘I think I’ve given up hoping for thirty-three weeks.’
‘Thirty-one weeks is considered a moderately premature baby,’ Anton said. ‘Yours is a nice size. I would guess over three pounds in weight and it’s had the steroids.’
‘How long would it be in NICU?’
‘Depends,’ Anton said. ‘Five weeks, maybe four if all goes well.’ He knew this baby was coming and so Anton prepared Emily as best he could. ‘All going well with a thirty-one-weeker means there will be some bumps—jaundice, a few apnoea attacks, runs of bradycardia. All these we expect as your baby learns to regulate its temperature and to feed …’ He went through it all with her, and even though Emily had been over and over it herself he still clarified some things.
Not once had she cried, Anton thought.
Not since he had done the scan after her appendectomy had he seen Emily shed a tear.
‘You can ask me anything,’ Anton offered, because she was so practical he just wanted to be sure there was nothing on her mind that he hadn’t covered.
‘Anything?’ Emily said.
‘Of course.’
‘How was the photo shoot?’
Anton smiled. ‘I walked into that one, didn’t I?’
‘You did.’
Unwrapping Her Italian Doc Page 12