Accidental Reunion (6 page)

‘Have you seen my tourniquet?’ Declan asked finally, when it was obvious he couldn’t find it anywhere.

‘No. Here, use mine.’ But as she pulled it out of her pocket Declan shook his head.

‘It’s all right, it must be around somewhere.’

Lila pursed her lips. ‘Would you like me to pull the drugs up in another room while you look?’

His brow furrowed at the sarcasm in her voice. ‘Sorry? What are you going on about?’

‘I can pull the drugs up elsewhere if it makes you so uncomfortable—being in the same room as me, I mean.’

Declan gave a weary sigh. ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about, Lila.’

‘Oh, I think you do, Dr Haversham. Just remember, while you’re spending so much time trying to avoid me, it was you that suggested we be friends, at least at work. You were the one who said you didn’t want me feeling uncomfortable.’

‘And are you?’

Lila took a deep breath. ‘Yes,’ she admitted. ‘And it’s not only me. All the staff know there’s an atmosphere, they have no idea why.’

Declan shrugged, looking up as she caught her breath in irritation. ‘What have I done wrong now?’

‘I’d forgotten how much that irritated me. The way
you shrug things off, the way you just dismiss what I’m saying.’

‘Poor Lila,’ he said slowly. ‘Poor, hard-done-by Lila. I’ve treated you so badly, haven’t I?’

Suddenly the keys in her hand came under close scrutiny as she avoided his searing gaze.

‘Not only did I laugh at the wrong moment eight years ago, but I had the audacity to accept a promotion in my home town without checking whether you’d had a career change and might possibly be on the staff. I’m just so thoughtless sometimes.’

His sarcasm bit through her.

‘And then,’ he continued, ‘when I try to discuss things with you, check things are all right with you, like a fool I believe you when you say things are fine, that we’ll put the past behind us and be friends. Now, Lila, if my memory serves me correctly, you then suddenly decided that, no, we can’t be friends any more, so, like an idiot, I try not to exacerbate things by backing off a bit. Hell, I’m such a bastard sometimes.’

Holding the syringe of antibiotics in front of her eyes, she flicked the tiny air bubbles out with her fingers, biting back tears.

‘Have you finished?’

‘Oh, I’m finished all right,’ he said wearily. ‘I’m finished trying to work out what makes you tick, Lila. Finished trying to be nice.

‘And in case you were hoping this job might be a stop-gap, you couldn’t be more wrong. I’m through with travelling and I intend to stay around a while, so you’d better get used to having me around.’

He made to go then stopped suddenly. ‘One final
thing. I wasn’t going to the ball this Saturday, even though I’m expected to go. Even though it’s the first social occasion since I’ve been here and it could only help me to settle in. The nice guy that I am had decided as you were going I’d make things easier on both of us and stay away. But seeing as the gloves are off now, when you put your name down on the list, do me a favour and add mine.

‘And guess what?’ he added nastily. He took the syringe of antibiotics from her and, checking the vial, gave her a wintry smile. ‘I might even ask the charming Sister Bailey for a dance.’

‘Y
OU
’
RE
positive you don’t mind?’ Lila checked with Shirley for the umpteenth time, half wishing for a last-minute reprieve.

‘Of course I don’t mind. Ted’s just been to the video shop and hired a couple of movies.’ She opened the carrier bag on the kitchen table and giggled. ‘I don’t know what’s got into him all of a sudden—romantic films, he’s bought a bottle of wine for tonight and a box of my favourite chocolates—so don’t you even think about coming home early. Who knows what you might find!’

That was just a tad too much information for Lila’s liking but she managed a grin. ‘It’s been so long since I’ve been out I’ll probably turn into a pumpkin if I stay out past midnight.’

They were sitting in the kitchen, face packs on and heated rollers in as they painted each other’s nails.

‘Rubbish. Anyway, it will do you the world of good. You used to love going out. What are you going to wear?’

‘If only I knew!’

‘But you’ve got loads of gorgeous dresses in your wardrobe.’

Lila rolled her eyes. ‘If you like taffeta.’

‘What about that lovely black dress, the one you wore for my silver wedding anniversary? You can’t tell me that’s gone out of fashion. I can remember
your mother telling me how much you paid for it. With that price tag surely ‘‘timeless elegance’’ should stand for something?’

‘I don’t even know where it is,’ Lila answered, trying to remember what it even looked like. When Shirley and Ted had celebrated their silver wedding Lila hadn’t thought twice about blowing a week’s wages on the best dress. Stopovers in New York had been spent admiring the gorgeous dresses in the best fashion houses. She hadn’t been rich but with a good wage and no responsibilities it had been all too easy to justify the expense.

‘It’s in a suitcase above your mum’s wardrobe.’

It was, too. Impossibly skimpy, and not black—more a dark charcoal grey—a silk slip covered with grey chiffon and the scantiest straps holding it up.

‘I’ll never get into it,’ Lila gasped as she ripped the plastic dry-cleaner’s bag open.

But she did. Admittedly there was absolutely no way she could eat all night and there could be a dangerous moment if one of the straps gave way, but with her blonde hair pinned up and her make-up carefully applied for the first time in years Lila felt a shimmer of excitement when she looked in the mirror.

‘You look gorgeous,’ Shirley enthused. ‘Stunning. You have to show your mum.’

Gently opening the bedroom door, Lila made her way into the bedroom. The radio was playing gently, the electric aromatherapy lantern lending a delicate-jasmine fragrance. Elizabeth lay on the bed, her tiny frame supported by a mountain of pillows, her unseeing eyes not moving as Lila entered.

‘I’m going out tonight, Mum. I just thought I’d
show you my dress.’ Sitting on the bed, she took her mother’s hand in her own. ‘I wore it to Ted and Shirley’s silver wedding, remember?’

She ran her mother’s hand against the fabric. ‘You told me off when you found the receipt then boasted to everyone there how much I’d spent.’ Lila laughed but there was a catch in it as her mother just lay there.

Was she remembering? Did anything reach her? As they sat there, the music playing in the background, it was Lila who remembered that night. How Declan had been there with her, chatting and laughing with everyone, dancing the embarrassing dances that seemed mandatory on these nights as if it were the best party he had ever been to. He’d loved this dress, too.

Lila closed her eyes as the memories started to flood in. Memories that she’d pushed away for so long.

The giggles as he’d tried to locate the zip hidden at the side within the seam. Gently pulling it down, her gasp as his warm hands had slipped inside the flimsy fabric, her warm breast waiting, tingling for his touch, the admiration in his eyes as the fabric had fluttered down to her slender ankles…

*

Lila arrived fashionably late, of course. She didn’t bother her colleagues with the details, but by the time Elizabeth had been washed and changed and washed and changed again the meal was already starting.

‘I thought you weren’t coming!’

‘I said I’d be here, didn’t I?’ Lila grinned slipping into her seat as her colleagues nodded and waved at her.

‘Have I missed anything?’ she asked as the waiter filled her glass.

‘Well,’ Sue whispered loudly, ‘The Horse has a slick of blue eye shadow on and has knocked up the most amazing tartan dress from one of Trigger’s old blankets, and Mr Hinkley has for once in his life added a splash of whisky to his water, but apart from that, no, you didn’t miss much.’

Lila was about to execute a smart reply but Declan’s arrival from the bar, depositing his drinks directly in front of her, seemed to find Lila suddenly tongue-tied.

He seemed to start for an instant when he saw her sitting there, his gaze flicking over her. As a deep blush swept over her Lila was grateful for the dimmed lights. Surely he didn’t remember the dress, remember that night…

‘Actually—’ Sue’s voice was quieter now and she spoke from behind her menu ‘—Yvonne is knocking it back like it’s going out of fashion. I don’t think Declan’s too impressed.’

Lila looked over. Yvonne did indeed have that dangerous glint in her eye as she tipped her wine into the glass Declan had brought over. She was dressed to kill; crushed red velvet draped her figure, her bust spilling out over the top. She was all over him, embarrassingly so, and Declan looked far from impressed, pulling his hand away when she grabbed it, ducking his face away as she moved in to whisper to him.

‘Maybe they had a row before they came out,’ Lila suggested.

‘I don’t know about that,’ Sue said dramatically,
‘but I can guarantee there’ll be one hell of a row when they get home.’

The food was delicious, or at least everyone said it was, but for Lila the food was the last thing on her mind. Declan was close, so close. Sitting directly opposite her, she couldn’t help but see him.

She could feel him watching her also, though she tried to ignore him. Tried to concentrate on what her friends were saying, to laugh at their jokes, to hopefully look like she was having some fun.

The waiter came round with the main course, depositing the alternate meals as the table surveyed what they had been given.

‘Chicken or beef,’ the waiter asked, and for the first time a sliver of a smile passed between her and Declan, an indicator that he, too, vividly remembered the jokes they had shared, the memories of what had once bound them together.

She would come back to Melbourne from a long-haul flight utterly exhausted but never too tired to end up at Declan’s. He would run her a bath, massage her aching feet and ankles and listen as she rambled on about her job—how tired she was, how difficult the passengers had been.

‘Come on, Lila,’ he would say with a laugh, ‘you love every minute.’

‘I know,’ she would grudgingly admit, not wanting the massage to end. ‘But it is tiring.’

‘What? Asking whether they want chicken or beef?’

Indignantly she’d snatched her foot away. ‘It is hard.’

‘Then lie there and I’ll fix dinner.’ After kissing
her deeply, Declan had disappeared off into the kitchen, only to return half an hour later dressed only in an apron and carrying two plates.

‘Chicken or beef?’ he had asked as she’d dozed peacefully on the sofa.

Wakening and seeing him there looking so ridiculously gorgeous she hadn’t been able to stop laughing for a moment.

‘I’ve got a far better idea,’ Lila had said huskily, pulling at the apron. ‘How about we join the mile-high club? Why don’t you show me to your cabin?’ As the meal was cleared the music struck up, Lila sat there for a moment, suddenly feeling exposed as her friends got up with their partners to dance. A wallflower certainly wasn’t the image she wanted Declan to see.

‘Finally.’ Jez made his way over. ‘How about a dance?’

He was tall, good-looking, funny even, but he was the wrong man, and it was the wrong man’s arms that she was in. But it would have been rude to refuse and at least it saved her the embarrassment of being alone.

‘I was hoping you’d be here tonight.’

When she didn’t answer Jez continued, ‘I was hoping we could dance.’

The music played on. Looking over his shoulder, she saw Declan and Yvonne. As if sensing he was being watched, Declan’s gaze flicked over in her direction, their eyes locking across the room. For a moment there was no Jez, no Yvonne, no one else in the room, just Declan and Lila and the sensual beat of the ballad that was playing.

‘I meant what I said the other night—about dinner, I mean.’

Dragging her eyes away from Declan, Lila forced herself to look at Jez.

Why not say yes? Why not live for now, put the past where it belonged?

But, as nice as Jez was, he wasn’t Declan.

Declan might belong to someone else, but her heart wasn’t free. It would be wrong to lead Jez on.

‘It’s nice of you to ask, Jez, but…’ Her voice trailed off as she tried to come up with a reason.

‘Is that a no?’

Lila nodded. ‘Sorry.’

‘I’ll survive.’ He turned his head to where Lila’s eyes lingered. ‘Is that the reason? He doesn’t waste any time, does he? He’s only been here a couple of weeks.’

She hesitated before answering, yet she felt Jez deserved some sort of explanation.

‘We go back a bit further than that,’ she said finally.

As the music ended he let her go, kissing her lightly on the cheek. ‘Good luck,’ he whispered into her ear. ‘But watch yourself. I’d say you’ve got a fair bit of competition there.’

If Lila’s ego had needed a boost that night, it got one. Again and again she was asked to dance, even a couple more offers of dinner were politely declined. But the one person she wanted to dance with, and she admitted reluctantly the real reason she was here, was studiously ignoring her.

‘Well, more fool me for asking you to come,’ Sue said as they collapsed at the table and took a grateful
sip of their drinks. ‘How are the rest of us supposed to get a look-in when you turn up looking stunning?’

Not stunning enough obviously.

‘Fancy another drink?’

Lila nodded. ‘Thanks, Sue.’

Alone at the table again, her eyes moved to Declan once more. He was talking to Mr Hinkley, chatting and laughing, every bit the dashing young doctor on the way up. And from what Declan had said during that bitter exchange in Lila’s office, she could have been there with him. Had she been so wrong that day? Had she read him so wrong? Overreacted too violently, made the biggest mistake of her life?

Had she?

The answer was immaterial now. It was simply too late. He had Yvonne; he had brought her to the other side of the world to be beside him.

The threatening sting of tears suddenly pricked her eyes. She couldn’t cry here, couldn’t embarrass herself that way.