Page 51 of Gideon
I nod. “He did,” I say sadly.
“Sounds like your perfect match, then.”
“What?”
He smiles. “Eli, you like looking after people. It’s why you’re as good at your job as you are. Combined with his other attributes, which you’ve always said you look for, he sounds perfect.” He pauses. “Apart from the grumpiness. I’ve never heard you express a penchant for that before.”
“It’s a new thing for me,” I say wryly and then sigh. “I can’t do anything.”
“Of course not,” he says calmly. “It would be totally wrong.”
“I know.”
“But you’re not his nurse now and you won’t be his nurse again. There’s also hopefully plenty of time to pass between you both leaving the ship and dying.”
I jerk. “What the fuck? You should be a motivational speaker.”
“I’ll leave that to Charlie Sunshine.” We smile at the thought of our other flatmate, Charlie, who is happiness personified and perennially cheerful.
“So, what are you intending to do?” He sneaks a look at me and pushes the hair back from his face. “I hope you’re not thinking of doing something self-sacrificing and quite frankly fucking stupid.”
“No,” I sigh. “I’m going to give it a few months and then see. That’ll give him the chance to work out that there are much better options around for him than a broke nurse.”
“Fucking hell, Eli. Do you want me to bake a cake for your pity party?” I snort and he punches me lightly on the arm. “That’s better. Now listen to Jesse. You go away and give him space, but if he still wants you after that, you are to fucking go to him. Bugger everyone else’s opinion. You’re an amazing person and a bloody good best mate. He couldn’t do any better than you. Fuck the bills. You got those by being brave and working for the Red Cross, not placing bets at Ladbrokes.”
“Thank you,” I say softly, grabbing his hand and squeezing it. “You always make me feel better.”
“I make everyone feel better,” he says somewhat dolefully. “It’s in my job description.”
“But not your life description,” I say sharply. “You need to remember that.”
Jesse is a born people pleaser with an absolute shit ability to pick men. His exes have all been horrible.
“No,” he says slowly and not entirely convinced. “No, I suppose not.”
A companionable silence falls, and I grab my laptop from my rucksack.
“What are you doing?” he asks.
“Emailing him. I promised him we’d be friends and keep in touch that way.”
“That’s more like it,” he says approvingly. “Keep it clean, though. No dick pics, young man.”
His laughter as I pinch him rings around the car as I start typing.
GIDEON
I wake up the next morning, unsure where I am for a second. Then I feel the weight of the sheets and blankets on me and see the sandblasted beams in the low ceiling and remember that I’m in the cottage. I relax back against the pillows. I fell asleep with the window open last night, and instead of the noise of the sea I’d heard the steady beat of rain on the roof and smelt the sweet scent of rain on dry earth. I look out the window. The sky is a merry cornflower blue now and the air filled with the sound of birdsong.
I stretch and hear the beep of my phone. For a second I hesitate. I don’t want Frankie or my job in this place, as if they’ll somehow contaminate this peace. Then I realise it was the beep of my email and hope seizes me, making my fingers shake as I grab at my phone, almost dropping it before I check my email and see one from Eli.
To: Gideon Ramsay
From: Eli Jones
I hope you got to your brother’s home safely.
I wanted to give you some tips for your health. I’m smiling as I type this because I can tell that you’re already rolling your eyes. However, you only left me a few hours ago and my contract doesn’t finish until tomorrow, so I still feel quite able to be your nurse and tell you what to do.
