Page 80 of What Happens in Dubai

‘Well, yeah, less secret, more … surprise. Honestly, he’d do my head in, constant updates. He left me in charge,’ I shrugged.

‘If you think that’s for the best.’

That night we ordered Chinese and squatted down on the clinic floor to plan. Tom set up his laptop and demonstrated the fundamentals of facial balancing, the techniques, the symmetry, the measurements. I took notes and began studying and understanding the method. Ashley flicked through her phone, searching décor ideas, selfie walls and inspiring artwork we could use to transform the bare clinic walls. It was the first excitement I’d seen in her eyes since her break-up. Tom seemed captivated by this project too, and his cool persona had lifted entirely. It felt refreshing to see his teaching side shine as he explained procedures in detail and patiently answered my questions. He was a terrific listener and put my mind at ease. I had built him up as the bad guy for so long, I had forgotten about this side of him entirely.

‘Have you done rhinoplasties before?’ Tom asked.

I sighed, kneeling up and, shifting my position while sipping on my Diet Coke. ‘I’ve done the basic one, like across the bridge of the nose, but I’ve never lifted the tip yet.’

Tom shuffled towards me, placing his talented hands on my face. ‘There is a significant artery that comes off here.’ He used my face as a map and demonstrated areas to avoid by slowly running his fingers across my nose. ‘Therefore, you have to be very careful injecting here and here impartially.’

I was holding my breath in case the smell of my curried noodles knocked him out. But inside, my stomach churned. I’d forgotten how gentle his touch could feel. His hands were strong but soft. I’d painted him like the worst person imaginable, but maybe he was just a guy who’d made a bad mistake.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up on end as he took his hands off me and continued the lesson.Jesus, why did I have a vague twinge from my vagina?What was happening?I hadn’t thought about Tom like this for a while and had completely dismissed any feelings for him. Obviously my vagina hadn’t got the memo as she drizzled like a custard doughnut, soaking my inner thighs throughout the session. I glanced at Ashley, who was smirking at her phone, clearly having seen the whole thing.

‘I think another day of this and we’ll be good to start practising on the public! What do you think, Zara?’ Tom asked, diving back into his chow mein.

‘Yeah, I mean, the principle of injecting is still the same, just the approach is a bit different. Not like, “A mil in the lips”, “Right, three hundred quid, hen”. More, “You have great lips, but perhaps we should pull your chin out slightly, giving you a more sculpted look”.’

‘One hundred per cent. It’s more about taking our time and evaluating each person.’

‘Yes, assessing is key. I also think it’s really important to complement other features that the client has. Make it a positive experience to encourage their confidence.’

Tom smirked. ‘And what if there’s nothing to complement? I mean, occasionally we do get a couple of absolute munters!’

I rolled my eyes. ‘Well, to complement their eye colour or shoes or something. Fuck’s sake, Tom!’ I tittered, trying to stay professional.

‘Aye, and I bet you’d still stick it on them, Thomas!’ Ashley cried out.

We laughed together, and for a second, it felt like the old times, like everything that had happened between us hadn’t happened yet, and he’d never left at all. His fun, cheeky energy was welcomed back to the clinic, even though the dynamics had shifted.

That night Tom offered to drop Ashley and me off, and for once, I accepted. The hectic day had distracted me from the encounter last night with Luke, but I didn’t feel brave enough to risk the walk yet. So, instead, I jumped out of Tom’s car and skipped up the stairwell with Ashley hot at my heels, feeling fatigued but motivated and for the first time in my life, full of inspiration.

Chapter Twenty-Six

The next day, Ashley and I landed at the clinic earlier than usual. We set up the projector, which was hidden in one of the staff-room cupboards from earlier training days, and I connected my laptop, anticipating Tom’s arrival. I had prepared a slideshow highlighting the key changes we were about to initiate at Individualise. Tom burst through the door ten minutes early, holding coffees for us all, wearing a crisp white T-shirt and jeans.

‘Morning, ladies. Sleep well? Here you are,’ he said, delivering the drinks.

‘Aww, thanks, Tom,’ Ashley said. ‘Oh aye, I had a great sleep, thanks. Zara’s an outstanding wee spoon!’

‘She is that,’ he said.

My heart quickened at the sudden flashbacks of steamy nights being spooned by him and his devil dick.Jesus, stay focused, Zara. Be professional.

‘Tom, I’ve prepared a quick PowerPoint recap of the main points from yesterday. Just to make sure we’re all on the same page,’ I said.

Tom looked impressed. ‘Absolutely! Nice work.’

I wandered over to the laptop and pressed the button to play the slideshow.Shit.Nothing happened. I hit the button a little harder, hoping for a better response.

‘Everything OK?’

‘Yip! I think I just need to connect to the clinic’s Wi-Fi. Maybe because I was using mine, it’s all out of sync.’ I was opening and closing the settings menu when Tom marched over.

‘Allow me.’ He leaned across me, and the sharp, sexy smell of him ignited an impromptu thought.

‘Eh, no, it’s fine. I’ll sort it,’ I said, quickly taking back control of the laptop.

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