Page 31 of Prognosis Bad Timing

What the hell had she been thinking?

She had to work with him. Probably put him out of business if the books were anything to go by. It was unprofessional. Probably unethical.

It sure as hell was a complete conflict of interest.

Gah! She buried her face in her knees. How was she ever going to face him again?

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But face him she did. In her usual no-nonsense, tackle-things-head-on, hard-headed businesswoman manner.

‘Morning, Charlie,’ she said briskly on Monday morning, striding into his office, standing her briefcase on his desk. ‘Don’t say anything. Just listen. Friday night was a mistake. We both know it. Let’s just mark it down to temporary insanity and forget it ever happened. OK?’

He blinked. ‘OK...’

‘Good.’ Then she picked up her briefcase, pivoted on her heel and strode out of his office.

Charlie stared after Carrie for a long time. He was still staring when Joe waltzed in with two mugs of coffee, throwing himself down in the chair opposite.

‘One week to go,’ he said cheerily.

Charlie refocused on his friend’s face. ‘What?’

‘One more week,’ Joe repeated, pulling up a chair, propping his feet on the desk and leaning back. ‘You know. The blood test.’

‘Oh, that.’

Joe sat up straighter. ‘Yes, that. You know the Hep B thing? The thing that’s thrown you for a loop, put your life on hold for six months?’

‘Mmm.’ Charlie said, preoccupied by thoughts of Carrie’s moan when he’d pressed his knee hard against the apex of her thighs. Thoughts he was supposed to be forgetting every happened.

Joe cocked an eyebrow. ‘OK, what’s up?’ He blew on his drink and took a sip.

Charlie didn’t consider not telling his best friend what had gone down. Joe had always been his sounding board. ‘I ended up in Carrie’s bed on Friday night.’

Joe coughed and spluttered as he struggled to swallow another sip of his coffee. ‘What? I hope you’ve started carrying condoms again.’

‘Nope.’

‘Hell man, did you...?’

‘No. We were interrupted...thank God.’

Joe whistled. ‘So I guess it’s going to be weird around here now?’

‘Apparently not. She’s just marched in here all prim and proper and announced that it was a mistake. That we should forget it ever happened.’

‘Well, that’s very mature of her.’

Charlie saw the amused twinkle in his friend’s eyes and shook his head. ‘Pain in the butt. Both of you.’

Joe laughed. ‘So it was good, huh?’

Charlie threw his friend a quelling look. ‘That’s not the point.’

‘Come on, man. Between the breakdown of your marriage and the divorce and the Hep B thing it’s been a long time between drinks for you. It must have been sweet.’

Heat bloomed in Charlie’s loins at the stir of memories. Sweet as fairy floss. ‘That’s not the point,’ he reiterated.

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