Page 24 of Fundamentals in Flirting

“Yes.”

“Busy night of call-outs?” Giles queried, taking in my damp hair and the granola bar I was hastily cramming into my mouth.

I nodded and swallowed. “Yes, tricky calving, but all went well in the end.”

“Good.” Giles shifted on his feet, limbering up for something. “So, um, we’ve had another complaint. From Mrs Wainscott this time.”

“Oh.”

Mrs Wainscott was a po-faced old lady with a grumpy dachshund called Bridgit. She had not been happy with me when I had growled ferociously at her little darling last week and called the diminutive canine a “vicious little grotbag”. In my defence, Bridgit had tried to bite me while I performed the joyous task of emptying her impacted anal glands, so she most definitely deserved the reprimand and had behaved perfectly after that. I admit that she had been a bit quivery when Mrs Wainscott had carried her out of the consulting room – or maybe it had been Mrs Wainscott who was quivering? Either way, I didn’t think my actions were wholly unjustified.

“I really do need you to work on how you’re addressing clients, Hannah. I don’t want this to be an insurmountable barrier. Perhaps you could take an interpersonal skills course or something?”

A course on how not to be a sour-faced cow. Right. I’d be sure to look that up on the internet. I rolled my eyes and Giles opened his mouth to say something when the bell above the clinic door rang. We both looked across the reception area to see which of our clients had turned up early for their appointment, and I was met with Teddy’s dazzling smile as he gave us a little wave.

“Morning, I’ve come in to check on my favourite feline and her amazing vet. How is everyone today?”

Jenny, Giles’s wife and our indomitable receptionist, jumped up from her seat and scooted over, gushing and fawning at him, while Betsy was speculatively eyeing up the huge box of chocolates and bunch of flowers in his hands.

Giles gave me a not-so-gentle shove.

“Now’s your chance to prove to me how accommodating you can be with your client.”

I glared at him.

“But not with Teddy Fraser, though?”

Giles nodded.

“But—” I shot Betsy a desperate look.Help me, I pleaded silently at her.

“You’ve got this, tiger,” she said with a grin.

“Yes, why not?” Giles asked.

“We have a history,” I hissed.

“Then you need to show me how professional you can be, and practise being happy-to-help Hannah, rather than here’s-the-door Hannah, ok?”

Giles looked inordinately pleased with his little play on words. It was nothing that a quick rap across the shins couldn’t have fixed, but I resisted the very real urge to kneecap him, instead balling my hands into fists until my nails dug into my palms.

Professional, see?

“Are you serious?”

“Yes, Hannah, I am. You could learn a thing or two from this chap about how to talk to other people,nicely.”

Teddy was schmoozing his way around Jenny who was giggling flirtatiously in his presence, then he glanced in our direction. “Hey, Betsy, lovely to see you again.”

“And you, Ted. How are the renovations coming along?”

“Good, thanks! I’ve still not got hot water, but at least the hole in the roof is mended.” He grinned broadly. “How’s Emily? Have you two managed to decide on that extension yet?”

Betsy and her partner, Emily, were planning substantial work on their house, and I was surprised that Teddy knew about it.

“Oh yes! Can we pop in to see you next week? We’ve ironed out the kitchen layout and could do with a few amendments to the drawings, if you don’t mind?”

“Of course. Let me know what works for you, and I’ll have the kettle on and ready.”

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