Page 70 of Only for Christmas

Thursday, 22nd December

Lucas finished his last shift at the Queen Adelaide Hospital with mixed emotions. He’d enjoyed working as a locum GP; it had been relatively stress-free, and certainly less demanding than his previous medical positions. He’d miss Carla and her insights into his love life and Americanisms, and he’d miss dealing with the patients. What he wouldn’t miss was Stephen Stokes.

There had been a tense moment today in the canteen where they’d stared at each other like competing lions in the wild, fighting over territory. With narrowed eyes and threatening looks, they’d stood their ground, neither one prepared to back down and walk away. It was only when people had started to notice that Carla had intervened and invented a medical emergency that required his immediate attention and given him a good excuse to escape.

It had taken the edge off his leaving do. Instead of feeling sad, he’d mostly felt relieved to be out of there.

‘How was your last day at the hospital?’ Sarah asked, bringing him back to the present, almost as if she’d read his mind. They were heading out of the crowded Tube station and making their way towards the Hyde Park Winter Wonderland event. The crowds were out in force tonight, the pubs and restaurants full of festive parties.

‘Uneventful.’ He didn’t want to upset her by telling her about his standoff with Stephen. ‘Except for Carla hanging a good luck banner in the consulting room, and insisting I eat her homemade zucchini cake. What do you call it again?’

‘Courgette.’ Sarah smiled as she pressed the button on the crosswalk. ‘I wouldn’t have thought it was a suitable cake ingredient.’

‘It wasn’t. But I appreciated the gesture.’ The traffic lights changed and they crossed the busy road along with all the other people heading for the park entrance. It was a relatively mild night compared to the low temperatures of last week, helped by a lack of wind.

Sarah pointed ahead. ‘Oh, wow! Look at that car.’

Parked by the entrance was an old green car with a stack of wrapped gifts piled on top. There was a lit wreath on the front fender and the whole thing was wrapped in a gold ribbon and shimmering fairy lights. ‘What kind of car is that?’

‘A Morris Minor, I think. They were very popular in the fifties and sixties. I think my gran had one. Cute, isn’t it? Perhaps not as robust as the Bentley.’ She laughed, and he was relieved to see her enjoying herself. Especially after last night.

They’d gone from the trauma of dealing with Stephen’s unexpected visit, to making curry, to messing around on the sofa. A situation that had abruptly ended when he’d mentioned fruity body lotion. The memory made him smile. It was fun to tease her. If nothing else, he had a great curry recipe to take home with him to the US.

Despite the chill lifting, Sarah was kitted out in her woollen hat and scarf, looking snug in her winter coat and walking boots. She looked relaxed and comfortable, less rigid than when she was dressed in her formal workwear.

‘What car do you have back home?’ she asked, removing her hat and stuffing it into her coat pocket. ‘I imagine something big and flashy, like a fancy powder-blue Cadillac with chrome bumpers and tinted windows.’

‘You mean, like a pimp?’

She laughed. ‘I watch American movies.’

‘Exactly. The movies. Not real life.’ He gave her a gentle nudge. ‘I had a Chevy Silverado pick-up. Good for off-roading.’

‘A Chevy?’ She nudged him back. ‘That’s more of a cliché than a Cadillac.’

It was her turn to tease him. Payback for last night, no doubt. ‘So what car do you own? I can imagine you driving one of those Morris Minors. I bet it has fluffy dice in the window and a nodding toy dog on the rear shelf.’

She laughed. ‘Sorry to disappoint, but I don’t have a car. No need when you live in London. It’s easier to use public transport. Besides, I’ve never actually learnt to drive.’

He stopped walking, nearly causing the family behind to bump into him.

By the time he’d caught her up, she’d paid for their tickets and had entered the park, where they were immediately engulfed by a wave of colour, lights and music. The skyline was filled with numerous fairground attractions, pulsating with strobe lighting.

‘How come you never learnt to drive?’ he asked, as they walked past stalls selling candyfloss, toffee apples and popcorn.

‘I kept meaning to, but it was never the right time. I didn’t need a car at uni, and then I went straight into a job in London. I’ve always lived close to where I work, so I’ve never had the incentive to learn. I will one day, I guess.’ She headed over to the carousel.

‘You’d struggle to survive in the US without a car; everywhere is so spread out.’

Her head bobbed along as she watched the wooden horses circle past. ‘That settles it. If I ever move to the US, I’ll learn to drive.’

He leant on the fencing, imagining her in the States. It wasn’t an unpleasant thought. ‘You have a reason to visit there now. I’d love you to come over.’

‘Maybe I will someday.’ She gestured to the carousel. ‘Fancy a ride? Even I can manage a static horse.’

‘Wow, a few weeks ago changing boroughs gave you the jitters, now look at you! We’ll make an adventurer of you yet.’

‘Stranger things have happened,’ she said, laughing. They shuffled through the gate and climbed onto the carousel, selecting two horses on the outside. ‘I’ll be glad when the Stephen situation is sorted. It’s like waiting for an operation you know you need, but don’t want to have. Painful, but necessary.’

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