by Chris Taylor
“You’re new, right?” someone said from behind her.
Startled out of her thoughts, Shelby blinked and turned. The sparkle in the other nurse’s friendly brown eyes eased some of the tension that held Shelby taut.
“Y-yes. I started this morning.”
“Ally Beckwith.” The nurse held out her hand.
Shelby shook it. “Shelby Gianopoulos,” she replied.
Ally’s eyes twinkled. “That’s a bit of a mouthful.”
Shelby laughed. “Yes, it’s Greek.”
Ally nodded in understanding. “I guess that accounts for your coloring and great skin. I’d kill to have skin like that.” Ally touched her mousy brown hair self-consciously.
“Thanks.” Shelby smiled, but was a little embarrassed by the other girl’s praise.
“Have you ever worked on a delivery ward?” Ally asked, closing the door to her locker.
“Yes, of course. I’ve been a midwife for nearly three years. I’ve been working at the Prince of Wales Hospital in the eastern suburbs. It’s close to where my parents live in Bondi.”
“So, what made you take a job across town? It’s a fair commute from Bondi.”
Shelby nodded. “You’re right. I moved out of home a few weeks ago, right after my twenty-seventh birthday. I figured it was probably time to get a place of my own.”
Ally smiled. “And did you?”
Shelby chuckled. “Kind of. I moved into a house with three of my siblings.”
Ally shook her head in disbelief and her eyes glinted with laughter. “Oh yeah, I’d say that was a pretty big move. Did you even move out of Bondi?”
“Of course!” Shelby exclaimed in mock outrage. “What sort of twenty-seven-year-old, trying to stand on her own two feet, do you think I am?”
Ally’s grin widened. “How far did you go?”
“I’ll have you know, I moved all the way over to North Sydney.”
Ally’s expression was filled with mock surprise. “All the way to North Sydney? Wow! That’s like, almost an hour away from your parents!”
“Probably more like forty minutes,” Shelby murmured cheekily.
“Ah, but that doesn’t take into account traffic snarls.”
“You’re right,” Shelby agreed. “I did move an incredibly long way away.”
“Just as well you still have family close by.” Ally winked.
“Exactly!” Shelby said. “I knew there was a reason I decided to move in with my brother and two sisters.”
“You must be close,” Ally said, her expression wistful.
“Yes, we are. When we’re not trying to kill each other. My brother, Dimitri can be—”
“If you ladies are finished gossiping in here, perhaps you’d like to join us for the ward round. Doctor Munro has arrived. We’re about to begin.”
Shelby took in the stern visage of her boss and clamped her mouth shut. Hurriedly closing the door to her locker, she picked up her pen and notepad and followed Ally from the room.
CHAPTER TWO
Samuel scanned the patient list and waited for the nursing staff to gather. It was customary to begin the day with a ward round wherein he would be given an update on the progress of each of his patients and he would thereafter dispense orders. It also gave him a chance to speak with his patients before and after the exciting arrival of their newborn. He was able to reassure those who’d come in for a planned induction or who were in the early stages of labor, as well as congratulate, once again, those mothers who’d given birth.
The Nursing Unit Manager came to a halt beside him. “We’re ready when you are, Doctor,” she said, her voice all business.
“Thank you, Geraldine.”
Only minutes earlier, he’d been forced to jog the final few yards to the ward and had rounded the corner slightly out of breath. Geraldine was seated behind the desk at the nurses’ station and stood when he entered. Her gaze had zeroed in on the stain on his white coat and her lips had tightened when she frowned, but she’d remained silent about the questionable state of his attire and he’d been spared from providing any further explanation.
He waited for her to precede him and then fell into step beside her. A small gathering of nurses followed behind them. They entered the first room. According to Samuel’s list, the woman due to give birth had a long history of hypertension and had been admitted for a planned induction. He smiled at the patient in greeting.
“Caroline, you’re looking great. How are you feeling?”
The woman winced and rubbed her swollen stomach. “Much better after I deliver this one,” she replied. A soft smile played around her lips.
“Well, don’t worry about that. Hopefully your baby will be here before the day is out.” He turned to Geraldine. “Let’s get that IV started. The sooner, the better.”
“Yes, Doctor.” The woman turned to the group of nurses who’d gathered behind her. “Shelby Gianopoulos, this patient is yours. Make sure the IV is up and going right away.”
The nurse who’d been spoken to nodded and turned to look in Samuel’s direction. He started in surprise. It was the woman who’d spilled his coffee. She was every bit as attractive as he remembered from his fleeting encounter with her downstairs. Her gaze found his and widened and he could tell she’d also made the connection. A faint blush stained her cheeks and he suppressed a smile. She was adorable. He made a mental note to seek her out after the ward round.
* * *
Shelby tried hard to ignore her embarrassment. Of all the people to run into… He could have worked on any other ward in the hospital and yet, here he was, on the maternity ward. With her. Great.
Surreptitiously, she peeked at him through her lashes and noticed the coffee stain was now a yellowish-brown. The area looked damp, like someone had made an attempt to launder it. A fresh wave of embarrassment washed over her and she bit her lip against a groan. She could only hope he wouldn’t say anything in front of her colleagues. It was her first day. She couldn’t bear the thought.
To top it off, he was drop-dead gorgeous. From the moment she’d stared into his baby blues, her pulse rate had taken flight. His thick blond hair was sun bleached, like he spent a lot of time outdoors. With his tanned skin and white, even teeth, he looked the typical Australian surfer poster boy.
He turned to speak with one of the other nurses who blushed and tittered under his regard. Shelby could well understand the girl’s reaction. Her own stomach felt like mush. Her glance slid to his large tanned hands and she noticed his ring finger was bare. Her heart skipped a beat.
Of course, he might be one of those married men who preferred not to wear their wedding ring to work. After all, he specialized in delivering babies. Sometimes it got dirty.
And then he was nodding a farewell to the patient in the bed and heading out of the room. Shelby’s boss and the other nurses followed suit. Shelby trailed behind them, trying hard to get her equilibrium back under control. So what if he was sexy as all get out? She’d met good-looking men before. What was so special about this one? She didn’t know, but what she did know was that this was her first day on the ward as a new staff member. It was important she impress and she couldn’t do that with her head in a spin about one of the doctors who worked there.
With a determined shake of her head, she forced all thoughts of the delectable Doctor Munro from her mind and steadfastly got on with her job.
* * *
Samuel saw the nurse coming toward him and hurriedly stepped into her path. “Nurse Gianopoulos, do you have a minute?”
Her eyes widened at the sight of him—or was it because he’d pronounced her last name so easily? From the look of surprise and pleasure on her face, he was pleased he’d paid attention.
He’d been shooting glances in her direction all morning but apart from their earlier exchange she’d staunchly ignored him. Perhaps he was the only one who felt the undeniable connection? The thought sobered him, but he refused to let it put him off. Despite the fact he usually we
nt for fun and flirty blonds, she intrigued him and something urged him to get to know her better.
“Yes, Doctor?”
He saw the grip on her pen and notepad tighten and noticed a pulse beating in her neck. He was filled with a surge of satisfaction. She wasn’t as oblivious to him as she pretended.
“Shelby, isn’t it?” he asked.
She nodded and glanced away. “Yes.”
“I was wondering if you’d like to go out to dinner.”
If his forthrightness surprised her, she didn’t show it. Her expression was neither shocked nor unamused. Instead, she peered up at him from beneath impossibly long lashes and offered him a slow smile. “Dinner? Why would I want to do that? I barely know you.”
“True,” he conceded and shot her his most beguiling smile, “but there’s only one way we’re going to fix that. How about Lucifer’s? My treat.”
Her eyes flared wide with curiosity at the mention of the expensive Italian restaurant situated on the waterfront at Circular Quay. “Really?” she murmured, her lips curving into a wider smile.
What the hell was he doing? He didn’t even know the girl! Surely a drink at his local watering hole would suffice? But something inside him refused to listen to the thoughts inside his head. Instead, he heard himself saying, “Why not? They serve great food, the atmosphere’s always good and the service is excellent. What more could you want?”
“I take it you dine there often?”
He shrugged and told the truth. “Often enough. I like Italian food. Don’t you?”
She laughed. “Yes, of course. Pizza, pasta, tiramisu. What’s not to like? But just so you know, I’m Greek. Not Italian.”
He chuckled, slightly embarrassed. From her coloring, he’d guessed she had Mediterranean heritage. He hadn’t been sure which country her ancestors originated from. “Greek, Italian, Lebanese. Who cares? It makes no difference to me.”
“I guess that’s one way of looking at it.”
“So you’ll come?” he persisted, still uncertain as to why he felt so drawn to her,
She appeared to mull over his question. “I’m not sure I get it. I spilled coffee over you. I’m the one who should be offering some sort of reparation. Why are you the one asking me to dinner?”
“Does it matter?”
She looked at him with her dark-chocolate eyes and he waited for her answer. He could hardly believe his luck when she nodded.
“All right. Dinner it is. But I’m the one buying.”
He opened his mouth on an instinctive protest. He’d been raised to act chivalrously and that meant paying the bill.
“My treat, or I’m not coming,” she said, her jaw set in a stubborn line.
He stared at her in surprise and then at last, slowly shook his head. She’d just become even more intriguing. “Okay, have it your way. I’ll pick you up at seven.”
Once again, she appeared unsurprised by his boldness. After exchanging details, she gave him a quick smile of farewell and continued on her way. A surge of anticipation went through him at the thought of the evening to come. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d so looked forward to a date. He’d agreed to meet up with the Martin twins later in the week, but spending time with those girls paled to insignificance at the thought of an evening sitting across the dinner table from the exotic Shelby Gianopoulos—and that was altogether unsettling. What the hell was he doing?
* * *
Shelby checked her appearance in the mirror for the tenth time and patted an errant strand of curly dark hair into place. It sprang forward again and she frowned.
“You’ll get wrinkles doing that,” her sister Athena stated, walking unannounced through the doorway of their shared bathroom.
Shelby poked her tongue out and resumed her efforts to tame her hair. It was at times like this she wished she’d been blessed with the kind of silky golden locks she saw on the shampoo models on TV. Hair that always looked perfect and shiny and never out of control. Hair that she could never inherit from her Greek parents. Athena’s hair was the same.
“Here, let me have a go.”
Shelby threw her younger sister a look of gratitude. Athena had a knack with hair. Somehow, she was able to make her thick, wavy mass behave itself, regardless of the time of day or the weather.
“Thanks, sis. I’d really appreciate it.”
Athena took hold of the brush Shelby had abandoned on the vanity and began to work it through her hair.
“So, who’s this guy you’re going out with?” Athena’s eyes gleamed with curiosity.
Shelby shrugged. It was a first date. She wasn’t going to make a big deal of it. “Just a guy from work.”
“What’s his name?”
“Samuel.”
“Mm, that’s a nice name. What does he do?”
Shelby debated whether to answer. She knew how her sister would react if she did. But what did she have to hide? It was a first date. It didn’t mean anything.
“He’s a… He’s a doctor,” she murmured, keeping her voice casual.
Athena pounced. “A doctor! How interesting.” She flicked Shelby a glance and continued working on her hair.
Shelby caught the calculating gleam in her sister’s eyes and ground her teeth together. She should have kept her mouth shut. “Yes, Athena. He’s a doctor. I work at a hospital. Most of the eligible men I come across are doctors. It’s no big deal.”
“Who said it was a big deal?”
Shelby wasn’t fooled by her sister’s insouciant tone. Athena’s next words confirmed her suspicions.
“I mean, this is the first guy you’ve dated for like, a year or more. It’s been at least that long since Kostas dumped you. We’d almost given up on you ever dating again.”
Shelby opened her mouth on a protest and then closed it. Nothing she said would change her sister’s opinion of Shelby’s dismal love life. Besides, it was true; she hadn’t been out with anyone since her very public breakup with the man she’d once been head-over-heels in love with. She’d dreamed about his proposal, the over-the-top wedding that only a large Greek family could pull off; the tidy house in the suburbs with the over-sized backyard for their five or six children to play in.
Looking back, she realized she’d had a lucky escape. She would never have been happy with Kostas. He’d been looking for a trophy wife, a wife who nodded and smiled and agreed with everything he said. A wife who looked good on his arm, and was able to give birth to his children and run the household like a well-oiled machine. A wife who would only bother him with serious matters such as the household finances and the purchase of the family car. She couldn’t think of anything worse than living like that.
When Kostas eventually realized she wasn’t going to be as malleable as he’d first thought and that she was a little too opinionated for his liking, he’d taken decisive action. Upset at his error in judgement, he’d gone out of his way to humiliate her by breaking up with her in front of her entire family. It had happened at the christening of the baby of one of her cousins. Shelby still shuddered at the memory.
Aunty Maria, Aunty Sophia and Aunty Irene along with Uncle Theo had looked at her sadly with identical expressions of pity filling their old, wrinkled faces. It was all Shelby could do to stand there with a smile fixed to her face, pretending she’d known all along about the imminent breakup and praying desperately for the agony to be over.
“So, where are you off to?” Athena asked around a mouthful of hairpins.
“Lucifer’s.”
“Wow! That’s my kind of date.” Athena grinned and twisted Shelby’s now-tamed mane into a chic knot at the base of her neck. “And I have just given you the perfect hairstyle for such a swish place.”
After the style had been secured with hairpins, Shelby turned back to face the mirror and was both pleased and relieved to see that Athena had managed to work a miracle. Shelby looked stylish and elegant and the simple black dress she’d chosen to wear only enhanced the effect.
&nbs
p; “You look gorgeous, Shelbs.”
Shelby gave her sister a hug. “Thanks, sis. You’ve done wonders.”
Athena pulled a face and dismissed Shelby’s compliment with a wave of her hand. “All the necessary ingredients were already there. I just added some pizazz.”
“More than pizazz. You worked a miracle.”
Athena opened her mouth to protest again and Shelby held a finger up to her lips. “Don’t say another word. You have an amazing talent and I’m beyond jealous and will be grateful forever. Now, where are my shoes?”
Striding out of the bathroom, Shelby padded down the carpeted hallway and returned to her bedroom. Athena trailed behind her.
“What time is he stopping by?” her little sister asked as she wandered into Shelby’s bedroom.
Shelby opened the door to her closet, searching for her shoes. “Seven,” she tossed over her shoulder.
“You’d better get a move on, then. If he’s on time, he’ll be here in ten minutes.”
Shelby’s heart skipped a beat at Athena’s announcement and she was flooded with a sudden rush of nerves. She’d made some discreet inquires among the nursing staff. Doctor Samuel Munro was considered to be one of the Sydney Harbour Hospital’s most eligible bachelors. According to the rumor mill, he was regularly seen squiring one glamorous woman after another out on the town. She still couldn’t believe he’d asked her out. She—plain old Shelby Gianopoulos—was going out with a much-sought-after Adonis.
“There they are!” At last, she put her hands on the five-inch, open-toed sandals and slipped them on her bare feet. She was grateful she’d taken the time to paint her toenails the weekend before. The shiny, hot pink color peeking out from under the gold leather still looked fresh.
Hurrying back to the bathroom, she rifled in her makeup bag for her lipstick and swiped a matching pink color across her lips. With a last look at her appearance, she sucked in her belly, patted her hair and left.