Page 8 of Only for Christmas

‘You must be mistaken. No barking. Only…’ She blinked furiously, as if trying to figure something out. ‘The TV! Yes, that’s it. It must be the TV. Or maybe an echo. Battersea Dogs Home isn’t far from here. Perhaps a bark caught on the wind and travelled here. You know, on the breeze.’

Okay, so his neighbour was cute as hell, but also batshit crazy. Maybe she had more in common with Mrs Kelsey than he’d thought. Shame, as she really was extremely pretty.

‘If there’s nothing else?’ Her fingers tapped impatiently on the door.

He backed away. ‘No, nothing else, just wanted to say hi.’

‘Well… hello to you too, but I need to go… and do chores. Yes, that’s it. I have… chores. Very important chores. Time-critical chores.’ She started closing the door. ‘Goodbye.’

‘You have a name?’

She stilled. ‘Sorry?’

‘Your name? You know, in case we bump into each other again.’

‘Oh… Sarah.’

‘Great to meet you, Sarah. Maybe see you around?’

‘Maybe.’ The door slammed shut.

Well, that told him.

Letting out a long whistle, he rubbed the back of his neck. What the hell? He’d only been here a day, and so far he’d been caught in the middle of a domestic, yelled at by one neighbour, and annoyed another… who had then offered him sugar. Was sugar a euphemism for something? Drugs? Sex? Was she a hooker? Oh, hell, maybe sugar was code for something in England. He’d best do some research.

Either way, it wasn’t a great start to his trip.

Welcome to the UK.

Chapter Three

Monday, 5th December

Sarah could think of a dozen other things she’d rather be doing on a Monday afternoon than being stuck inside the new medical director’s office getting grilled about staffing contracts. Even pulling her teeth out with a pair of rusty pliers would be preferable, especially when there was nothing really to discuss. The staff contracts adhered to current employment legislation and were reviewed annually, but Stephen Stokes had insisted on a meeting. He wanted an opportunity to meet with the team and find out more about them, which was the last thing Sarah wanted. The less people knew about her, the better.

‘That’s the boring stuff dealt with,’ Stephen said, rocking back in his large leather wing chair and smiling. He looked pleased with himself, like they were playing some kind of mind game and he was winning. ‘Now for a more informal chat. Tell me a little about yourself, Sarah.’

It was an innocuous enough question, but one she hated. Talking about herself wasn’t something she felt comfortable doing. Still, if she stuck to details about her work life, she’d be fine.

Clearing her throat, she crossed her legs and tried to look composed. ‘As you know, I’m head of human resources. It’s a position I’ve held for over four years. Prior to that, I had various positions in payroll, finance and HR support. I have a degree in business psychology, and I’m involved in various hospital committees, including the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion working group.’

‘Impressive.’ He tapped a cream folder lying on his big leather-topped desk, something he must have had recently delivered, as the previous medical director hadn’t owned anything so grand. ‘But all of that I could’ve found out by reading your personnel file. I’m interested in who you are away from work, Sarah.’

She tried to keep her expression neutral, unnerved by the way he’d said her name; it sounded far too intimate.

He came around to her side of the desk. ‘I like to know what makes my team tick. What motivates them, what are they passionate about?’ He perched on the edge of the desk, his leg brushing against hers. ‘For instance, are you married? I don’t see a ring.’

Instinct made her touch her ring finger. A diamond engagement ring had once sat so proudly there, and even though the dent in her flesh had long since faded, the humiliation hadn’t.

‘I don’t see that my personal situation is relevant to my ability to carry out my role,’ she replied defensively. Her tone was prickly, but he’d touched a nerve. She should be married, and she wasn’t.

‘That’s where I disagree.’ One corner of his mouth quirked into a smile. ‘I find single people are usually more career-motivated. They have less distractions away from work. They’re less likely to leave the office early, or skip work to look after the kids. I’m sure as head of HR you’ve come across such issues.’

Her first assumptions about Stephen Stokes had been correct. He was a dinosaur. Outdated and a misogynist. He wasn’t referring to ‘people’ in the workplace; he was airing his views about working women.

Despite huge improvements in equality laws, it was still women who were most likely to have their working day disrupted by childcare issues. Something she was trying to address by improving the hospital’s policies concerning not just childcare commitments, but carers in general. She wanted to ensure that as employers they offered reasonable adjustments in the workplace to allow for anyone needing additional support.

‘Do you have children?’ His eyes dipped to her knee.

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