Steph had spent almosttwo hours alone with her dad and although he was obviously tired, they had laughed lots and talked even more, starting with some reminiscing.
Then Roger asked her bluntly, “What’s the big secret with Jon?”
“No secret,” she’d replied a little too quickly she thought with hindsight.
“Come on, Stephie, I am not stupid, pumpkin, and I know that you are a grown-up and can make your own choices,” replied Roger. “You seem very happy with him and him with you, but there just seems something off about the whole thing.”
Steph considered giving her dad a full and frank account of her relationship with Jon, but something stopped her so she settled for a partial truth that she hoped would be enough. “He is Charlie’s friend and we met through Charlie, you know that, but we soon hooked up and at a meeting I found out that he was Jon Brooker, my big new account at Bakers and after I left there I went to work for him, so it’s a bit weird still.”
Roger looked ready to push further, but the bell to signal the end of visiting rang and a very relieved Steph was able to avoid further scrutiny, for now.
Steph was waitingfor the lift to arrive, but as she was at the back of a very large group of other visitors she decided to take the stairs instead. She was just approaching the landing for the second floor when the door to it opened and she was almost flattened by the door and then Chris coming through it.
“Sorry,” he said sincerely before realising it was her. “Steph, sorry, you okay?” He rested a hand on her shoulder.
“Yeah fine thanks. You’re in a hurry,” she noted smiling.
“I have just finished after a very long couple of days, so I am wasting no time at all.” His hand remained on her shoulder, but he wore a grin on his face now.
“Ah,” she grinned back and noticed that he was wearing very flattering black jeans and a black V-neck t-shirt.
“Shall we?” Chris gestured for them both to continue their descent of the stairs.
Steph made no reply but continued towards the stairs. Chris removed his hand from her shoulder and now rested it in the small of her back.
Once in the foyer of the hospital Chris nervously asked, “Unless your large, rich boyfriend is about to appear, do you fancy a drink? Actually, even if he is, do you fancy a drink anyway?” He grinned cheekily.
“Sure, why not.” Reminded suddenly of her boyfriend, her married boyfriend, Steph decided that if Jon could choose to go home either to Daddy or Lucy, who was also his breakfast companion for the morning, then she could certainly have a drink with an old friend, well boyfriend, but that was neither here nor there. She liked Chris, always had. The fact that he had been seriously hot and a great shag were incidental, or at least that’s what she told herself.
“Great.” Chris sounded a little surprised that she had agreed so readily. “I know a place round the corner.” Taking her hand, he led her towards the main road.
Steph settled herself at an outside table in the large beer garden that looked like it belonged at the rear of a country pub, not in the middle of the city. She looked around at the trees and shrubs that surrounded the open space and was so absorbed in her observations that she jumped when Chris sat next to her.
“Are you okay?” He looked across at her nervously.
“Yeah, fine, it’s just been an odd couple of days I suppose.” Suddenly feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, she changedtack. “Tell me what you’ve been up to for the last, what is it, seven, eight years?”
“It really is that long, isn’t it? How time flies. Well, let’s see, professionally I qualified as a doctor, worked my arse off to get myself through the long hours and crappy jobs, dropped dead lucky when I got myself hitched to Mr Wright’s coat tails and have made my way to be his registrar and hope to become a consultant in the next five years unless I piss your boyfriend off again.”
“Very impressive until you got to the bit about my boyfriend and then you lost me, Chris.” She frowned her confusion.
“He didn’t tell you that he threatened to lay me out and have me taken off your dad’s case then?” he asked seriously.
“No, that must have slipped his mind,” she replied sarcastically. “What for?” she asked and then immediately answered her own question. “Because you touched me, oh and kissed me. That would do it,” she told him.
“Mr Wright added burying me in paperwork until I retire if I so much as looked at you again. Your boyfriend is very rich and influential,” Chris said slightly disparagingly.
“Yes, he is, but despite his warnings and those of your boss you’re here, with me,” she pointed out with a wry smile.
“You were always a bad influence on me, Stevie.” He returned her smile at his use of the name that he’d given her years before.
“Thank goodness you didn’t call me that in front of Jon. I am not sure he would like you having your own name for me,” she said thinking what an understatement that was but also questioning the wisdom of being here with Chris. The last thing she wanted to do was give him the wrong impression and in turn jeopardise his job or career, let alone his health, and she had no doubt that Jon would follow through with every threat he had made.
“A name, memories and our own song.”
Steph offered him a fleeting smile, but decided this could be dangerous and she needed to move on from what they had been and what they might have had. “So what about you? Is there a Mrs Patterson or just a long queue for that privilege?” Turning the conversation back to Chris and away from her was her sole mission now.
“Alas no. Junior doctors make shit husbands because they are more married to the job than their spouse, but I have had lots of insignificant relationships,” he admitted smiling with an arch of his brow.
