Page 25 of A Kiss for Carter (The Laws of Love 3)

Chapter 7

When Judith finally located Polly on Monday morning, she was typing up a report in the Echidna Ward staff office, her dark curls tugged into a tight knot on top of her head and her pretty mouth pulled into a grim line.

This was so unlike the usually ebullient Polly that Judith hesitated.“Is everything okay?”

“Yes of course.”

“It’s just you scooted off after the team meeting and you’ve kind of been…” Judith searched for words, feeling for some reason like she had to walk on eggshells.

Polly tapped her lips with her pen and lifted an eyebrow.“Been what?”

“A bit off,” Judith supplied lamely, then gathered her courage.“Since Carts’ birthday party, actually.”

Polly gave a shrug.“Just busy.”Then, narrowing her eyes, she went in for the kill.“But more importantly, how haveyoubeen since Carts’ party?”Judith felt her skin tingle with a blush as Polly pushed on.“Have you met up again?”

Judith had confided in Polly after Carts’ party about The Kiss (it always had capital letters in her head), so she guessed she only had herself to blame for Polly probing.She also knew that there was something Polly wasn’t admitting to, or rathersomeone, in the form of the handsome locum psychiatrist, Dr Solo Jakoby, but she was too completely overwhelmed with her own problems right now to focus on it.Sinking down in a chair opposite Polly, she sighed.“To be honest, I’m confused.”

Polly sat back, her face brightening.“Tell all.I need a distraction from writing this family therapy report.”As well as being a social worker, and renowned for her counselling skills, in her personal life, Polly was a matchmaker extraordinaire.She had an amazing knack for getting people to talk about the most intimate details of their lives.

Like now.

Judith stared at her hands.“I think I’ve scared him off.”She glanced up and, sure enough, Polly’s interest was piqued.

“Not possible.I saw how he hung around you at his party, he couldn’t even greet his other guests.Believe me, he’s got it bad.But I do need the deets if you want my advice.”

Judith squeezed her hands together.She really did need to offload; it had been going round and round in her head all weekend.“Okay, so we went out Friday on a date, and it was lovely.He took me to Blazers on Elizabeth Quay and insisted on paying, which I know is really old school, but it was nice because Mark never paid for anything, I even paid for my own birthday dinner last year.”She took a deep breath.“Anyway, afterwards we had gelati and we talked and walked, and then he—you know, we, um, cuddled andstuffand I kind of got a bit enthusiastic.”

“Go, you!”

Judith cringed.“No, no you don’t understand—it all went horribly wrong.”

“What did you do?Rip his pants off in public?”

“No, of course not.It’s just I remembered what you said a couple of weeks back, about how women need to call the shots more often.I wanted to show him I was all in.But I think I took things too far.”

“Uh-huh.”Polly sounded thoughtful.“In what way?”

Judith felt the colour suffusing her cheeks.“In the kissing department.”Her lips twisted into a rueful smile.“I even surprised myself.”

Polly lifted one foot onto the edge of the desk and rocked her chair back.“Carts hasn’t had a date for a year.You probably blew his fuses.”

“He did say that.”

“That you blew his fuses?”

“No, that he hasn’t dated for a while.”

“Oh dear.The poor guy’s a sperm bank waiting to happen.”

Judith’s eyes widened.“Polly!”

Polly threw back her head with a wicked gurgle.“I swear you are easier to shock than Alice.I think that’s why I love you, you two are so alike.Except she’s got two left thumbs when it comes to craft.She can’t even wrap a gift without sticking her fingers up with tape.”

Judith grinned.It was nice to be compared to Alice.It made her feel like she might have finally made it into Polly’s close-knit circle of friends.

“Anyway, I digress.What happened next?”

Judith sandwiched her cheeks with her palms.“Oh god, it’ssoembarrassing.Basically, he jumped away like I’d bitten him and said could we take it slow.Get to know each other first.”

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