Shit shit shit! Hastily she yanked her hair up and re-clamped the hairgrip, pulling the soft strands severely back from her face.
“Guess I’ll go back to work soon.” Damien laughed. “Time is money. I was on my way to a date, you know,” he added, transferring his gaze to Cherry. “Molly Jones. Have you heard of her?”
So much for confidentiality, Damien. Involuntarily Cherry looked at Rick, only to find the doctor’s gaze intently studying her. She blushed. “Um, no, I don’t know her.”
“That night cost me four hundred dollars.”
“Really?”
“Yep.” Damien shrugged. “Ah well. Plenty more where she came from.”
“I’m sure there is,” Cherry said tartly, a little stung by his cavalier attitude. “The phone must run hot.”
“Molly Jones,” Rick said slowly.
Cherry’s gaze flew up to his and she could feel the blood leave her cheeks. For an awful second she thought he recognized her, knew who she was, and she was surely going to faint, but she wasn’t the fainting kind and thank God he still had a faintly puzzled look on his handsome face.
“Anyway, if I’m going home in the morning I need to catch up on some sleep. Haven’t had much lately with all the pain.” Damien smiled at Cherry. “Turn the main light off on your way out, will you, sweetie?”
“Of course.”
Rick bid Damien goodnight and moved out ahead of Cherry. Thankful the ordeal was over, she flicked the main light off on her way out the room, only to find him waiting in the corridor. As he turned to face her, some idiot turned the passage lights off. The only thing lighting the corridor now was the dim light in the room behind her.
Total recognition flashed across Rick’s face.
Cherry quaked and took off in a very fast walk that was almost a run.
Beth came around the corner and snapped on the lights as she did so. “Sorry, Cherry. Leo got up and was wandering around, turning off all the lights. Oh, Dr Reed, good timing. Your other patient, Mitch, in room thirty four. He’s complaining of abdominal pain and I was hoping you could see him while you’re here.”
The doctor had no choice but to comply. Thank God for professionalism. Cherry continued on to the treatment room and leaned against the wall, her eyes closed and her breathing a little ragged.
Her nightmare had come true. Rick Reed had recognized her! Damn Damien for making her hair grip come out, and damn Damien for wanting the light off, and damn Leo for turning the corridor lights off. The dimness combined with her hair having fallen down – of all the dumb, rotten luck. She felt like crying. Rubbing her eyes with trembling hands, she moaned.
“Cherry?” Dropping her hands, she found the afternoon coordinator looking at her in concern. “You don’t look so good. Do you feel sick?”
“I – yes. My head pounds, and I feel really sick.” Really, really sick. She wanted to go home before Rick came back out into the ward and to the nurses’ station. Grabbing the opportunity with both hands, she added, “I think I’m coming down with something.”
“I think you should go home.” The coordinator glanced at the watch pinned to her shirt. “It’s knock-off in another hour. We’ll hold the fort until the nightshift comes on. Get your things.” She’d obviously thought of something. “Dr Reed is here looking at some patients. We could get him to have a look at you while he’s here—”
“No!” Hell no! “No, honestly, I’ll be okay. I just need to go home to bed.”
“Well, if you’re sure.” The coordinator stepped back. “Will you be okay to drive?”
“Fine. Honestly.” Straightening up from the wall she was leaning against, Cherry left the treatment room and walked to the nurses’ station.
The coordinator checked the roster as they passed, forcing Cherry to stop in politeness. She almost died on the spot when she saw Rick and Beth approaching from the opposite direction.
Rick looked directly at her, his features grim as he mouthed ‘wait.’
Like that was going to happen.
“You have two days off from tomorrow anyway,” the coordinator said. “So if you’re coming down with something, it’s nicely timed.” She laughed.
Cherry didn’t think it was amusing.
Rick rounded the nurses’ station desk and looked directly at Cherry. “Sick, are we?”
To the stomach. She could barely meet his cool gaze. “Just a little something,” she managed, staring at his chin.
That very strong chin. That jaw line with the shadow of beard. The muscle that ticked in it. She gulped.