Page 17 of Gideon
“Maybe a little,” I say cheerfully and wander over to the wardrobe and fling back the doors. I blink at the meagre contents. “You have no clothes.”
He huffs and throws himself back on the bed, scrubbing his hands down his face. “I left them in the hotel.”
“Do you want me to arrange to have them shipped?” I say instantly. I feel antsy this morning. Gideon isn’t so ill that he needs me all the time. He was up in the night coughing and I made him a hot lemon drink and sat until his cough calmed, but I’m not on the brink of action all the time the way I’ve been with other clients. Gideon doesn’t seem at the risk of dying from a drug overdose or old age, which are my usual parameters. He’s just perennially grumpy. I smile as I look back at him.
He opens his eyes and shakes his head. “No. I’ll just buy more.” He shrugs. “It’s what I normally do.”
“You leave your clothes behind when you move hotels and buy more at your next stop?” At his nod I whistle incredulously. “That’s a bit Marie Antoinette, isn’t it? Only with stubble and a head,” I finish hesitantly as he looks like he’s brewing for a temper tantrum. To my astonishment he laughs.
“I suppose so. I never understood the cake business myself. I’d have suggested a cheese board.”
I laugh. “They’d have rioted a lot sooner if you were in charge and gave them Boursin.”
He grins. “That’s an absolutely horrendous French accent. Okay, you have my attention. Why are you waking me up at this ungodly hour?”
“It’s eight o’clock,” I say. “Sun’s been up for ages.”
“Oh God, you’re one of those disgusting people who loves the morning, aren’t you?”
“Yep,” I say unrepentantly. “And you’re going to turn into one as well.” He shoots me a disbelieving look and I nod confidently. “I’ve woken you up so we can have breakfast and then we’re due on deck at nine.”
“Are we walking the plank?” he asks hopefully.
“Only you would think that was an improvement on a luxury cruise,” I say tartly. “No, we have to attend the safety lecture.”
“Can’t you go and take notes for me?”
“No. The captain requires all passengers.” I look at his wardrobe again. “And then I think we’d better see what clothes shops there are on the ship because I’m pretty sure this isn’t a clothing-optional cruise.”
Gideon folds his arms, looking entertained. “They have those?”
I nod. “One of my patients went on one a couple of years ago.”
He grins. “And did you?”
“No,” I say, scandalised. “I’m a very relaxed person normally, but I can’t be a nurse naked. How can I administer medicine with my penis swinging in the air? That would be terrible.” He looks like he might argue but I shake my head. “It was a very stressful trip. My patient was ninety. I spent the entire time terrified he was going to have a heart attack.”
He throws his head back and laughs merrily, and I look at him surreptitiously as I move to pick up his robe. He looks a different man when he laughs. All the discontent and moodiness vanishes and his whole face lights up with a huge smile.
I dismiss the thought and chuck his robe at him. “Come on. What do you want for breakfast? We’ll eat in the suite this morning, but I think once you start to feel better we should eat at one of the restaurants.”
“It’s like being with Gillian McKeith, but bossier,” he says.
I laugh. “Shower and meet me in the lounge. I’ll listen to your chest then. I’ve got your medicine all set up.”
An hour later I wheel him down the corridor, the expensive carpet muffling the sound of my footsteps but not his whinging.
“I am perfectly capable of walking to the deck.”
“I don’t think so,” I say in a singsong voice. “The fact that you were swaying by the time you reached the door makes that a big old fib.”
“That was just my muscles gearing up for exercise,” he says glibly and I snort.
“Okay. You’re the expert.” I pause. “I’m sorry that I had to stop you fainting. If you’re that keen to live so close to the edge I could always do a few wheelies.”
“The only edge I want to be close to is the deck when I throw myself off this bloody cruise ship,” he grumbles. He cranes his head to look at me. “You can do wheelies?”
I nod. “I’m a professional. I can do anything.”
