“Any of those will do.” Nell fidgeted on her stool and then, seemingly unable to get comfortable, picked up her laptop and took it to the dining table. “You’ll be clocking up the air miles for sure. When does all of this start?”
“Next week. I’m flying to Strasbourg on Monday to connect with some colleagues based there.”
Nell’s mouth fell open. “That soon?”
“I’ll need to do a lot of prep work. Meet people, make new contacts, and so on.” Enthusiasm was causing her to speak far too quickly, but it didn’t matter. She wasn’t on TV right now. She was sharing her best news in a long time with a glorious woman. The fantastic weekend they’d shared in Bath had been just the tonic she’d needed.
“Will your lungs be okay with the regular flying?” asked Nell.
“The lungs specialist has given me the okay,” Mattie said. “I’ve been warned I might feel residual pain due to the lower air pressure in airplane cabins, but my journeys will be short-haul rather than long, so I don’t have to spend more than a handful of hours in the air.” She smiled and nodded when she saw the caution in Nell’s expression. “I’ll be careful.” But if her lungs couldn’t cope, the new job would be blown out of the water. Sheneeded to be fully fit, in mind and body. And her mind was fine, despite Shona’s mutterings. She rubbed her sternum, realising she’d eaten that lasagne too quickly.
“So our next date at the end of the month,” Nell said hesitantly. “Is that still on?”
Mattie sucked on her lower lip in the way she knew turned Nell on. “Oh, yes.”
Nell drew in a slow breath. “I can’t wait.”
Mattie made sure to focus on Nell for the rest of their call, asking for an update on her fundraising venture for the domestic violence charity and offering details on a contact she had with an investment bank that ran outreach programmes. Afterwards, she made a mental list of what needing doing before she took up her new post. Rosie’s visit to shadow her would have to be postponed for now, but she could still mentor her virtually. Lunch with Simon, who was passing through London on his way to a union conference, would have to be cancelled. And then there was Shona. Mattie clenched her jaw. They hadn’t texted or spoken in two weeks, not since their blowout when Mattie had abandoned her in a coffee shop. No way could she make all these changes in her life without telling Shona. It was time to smooth things over. Maybe offer her the theatre ticket that Mattie now wouldn’t be in London to use. No, Shona would want to talk.
Shona did indeed have a lot to say. Alot. At first, she hadn’t responded to Mattie’s heartfelt apology, which was unexpected. Shona had toasted cheese and ham paninis, and they’d chatted about random stuff, although not with their usual ease. At times, the only sounds were of them eating and Capital FM playing in the background. Mattie stacked her dirty dinner plate in the dishwasher.
“Don’t put that there. It’ll never get clean,” said Shona.
Mattie rolled her eyes. They had this conversation every time. “Control freak,” she said, but her teasing didn’t land.
Crockery clattered as Shona finished the job to her satisfaction and switched the dishwasher on. Then she fixed Mattie with a steely glare that probably scared the shit out of the junior doctors in her team. “I’ll only accept your apology for flouncing out like a spoiled brat if you listen to what I have to say. Take my advice or don’t, but do me the fucking courtesy of listening.”
Embarrassed, Mattie picked up an oversized egg cup for something to fiddle with. Her gaze dropped to Juno, who chose that moment to stretch her spine and meow loudly.
Shona stabbed her finger at Mattie. “Listen to me, otherwise I’ll never let you cuddle Juno ever again.”
“No Juno? Bloody hell.” Mattie went along with Shona’s welcome attempt to lighten the tension. The last time they’d had a proper falling-out was in their university days. “I’m all ears.”
Shona leaned back against the kitchen island. “Shortcuts, that’s your problem.”
“Huh?”
“Shortcuts.” Shona’s fierce gaze didn’t waver. “You’ve always taken them. And I don’t just mean when you’re driving. If you can get away with it, then you will. Like sleep. Why have seven hours when you can get away with four?”
That wasn’t fair. She opened her mouth to say that she didn’t need hours and hours of sleep like some people, but Shona held her hand up in an unspoken warning not to interrupt.
“You’ve been pushing yourself too hard and not allowing for the fact that you’re older, and it takes longer to heal,” said Shona. “Your body isn’t as strong and resilient as it was ten years ago, even five. Especially after the trauma it underwent.”
Mattie crossed her arms and huffed. She had plenty of stamina, thank you very much. “I take a break every few months.”
“Two days is not a break. It’s a weekend.”
“I went to Devon.”
Shona scoffed. “And spent half of it working!”
“Not my fault.” Mattie winced, aware she sounded like a petulant child. “I did the counselling sessions after Kenya. I do physio, and I look after my mental health.”
“Do you? Do you truly embrace it? Or do you just do it when someone reminds you? How about you try the long way around for once? Get some professional help. See a counsellor or psychologist. No shortcuts.” Shona placed her hand on Mattie’s shoulder and squeezed gently. “I care about you. We all do. And we don’t like seeing you like this.”
Mattie glared at Shona. “If you care so much, then how about you stay out of my business?”
Shona matched her glare and shook her head. “That isn’t something I can do.”
