Page 63 of Best Served Hot
Nicole pulled her into a hug, leaning her head on Alex’s chest. Alex rested her chin gently on top of Nicole’s head.
‘He can’t,’ Nicole said into Alex’s hair. It smelled like strawberries. ‘You know, when I found you at that café and you told me what happened, it didn’t take long to see you were telling me the truth. I wasdesperateto hate you. But when I looked into your eyes, I couldn’t. It was impossible not to see the goodness in you. I think that’s what they call a sign. I don’t think I’ve ever had a sign about someone before.’
Alex was quiet. It concerned Nicole, still buried in Alex’s comforting hair. Until she said, ‘Is it OK that I’m falling in love with you?’
Nicole didn’t care that they were in a dusty storage cupboard or that they’d failed to thwart a blackmail attempt just minutes earlier. It was the most romantic moment of her entire life.
She pulled back to look up into Alex’s beautiful cat-like eyes. ‘I’m falling in love with you, too,’ Nicole admitted. It felt good to say it. It was coming out one way or the other and soon.
‘Youare?’ Alex asked, surprised.
‘I thought that was obvious,’ Nicole laughed.
Alex smiled, and then it faded all too soon. ‘You don’t think it’s just… your marriage just ended, and even if it was tohim, I guess I worry that I might be…’
‘What?’ Nicole asked. ‘Arebound?’
Alex was dismayed. ‘I don’t mean to… I hope I haven’t just ruined a lovely moment. Ilovethat you said it back. I guess it’s hard not to be scared. It feels like there’s a lot at stake.’
Nicole reached up and took Alex’s face in her hands. ‘Alex, you couldn’t be a rebound. If anything, Ethan was a pre-bound.’ She rolled her eyes at herself. ‘I realise that’s not a real thing. But it’s just how I feel.’
Alex leaned back in, and they held each other for a moment. ‘So, what do we do now?’ Alex asked.
‘Well, we finish up the episode, leave this place, and get on with our lives together,’ Nicole said. It sounded great.
‘And Ethan? You think he’s just gonna go away?’ Alex asked.
‘Maybe. All we can do is try to forget him. Do you think you can do that?’
Alex took a thoughtful pause. ‘Yeah. I think maybe I can.’
‘Me too,’ Nicole said and kissed Alex again, long and deep.
She hoped they were right, that they could forget Ethan,andhe would let them.
Thirty-Six
‘CLEAR!’
Everyone took their hands off the patient, and Dr Manus applied the pumps. The body jerked as electricity flowed through it. The doctor looked at the monitor. The pulse had not restarted.
‘CLEAR!’ Dr Manus screamed, and everyone stepped back. She shocked the body again and waited. Flatline.
‘Doctor, it’s time to call it,’ another physician, Dr Sharpe, suggested somewhat angrily.
‘You have somewhere you need to be?’ Dr Manus asked him sceptically.
He did indeed. He was supposed to be shagging an intern in a cupboard right now, an intern who definitely wasn’t his wife because that was Dr Manus. And she clearly suspected him. But she had bigger fish to fry right now.
‘CLEAR!’ Dr Manus yelled, and she pumped the body one last time.
They waited for an age, and then the heart monitor gave one small beep. And then another. And another.
‘We got him back,’ Dr Manus breathed, relieved.
‘Thank God. Because he’s needed at the reactor right now,’ a nurse said.
‘He’s still unconscious,’ Dr Manus pointed out.
