brought Freya in to discuss the PR side of things.’
‘I don’t get involved with any of that.’ Zack shook his head and looked at her and she recognised his voice. It was the one he had used on her that morning when they’d discussed the condom issue. He was now utterly engaged in work. Only Freya was scorching with embarrassment, because Zack was looking at her and talking to her exactly as if they’d never met. ‘If I come on board I won’t be doing interviews and happy smiley photos. I’m sure young Paulo won’t mind. I hear no other surgeon wants to touch him.’
‘Correct,’ James said.
Paulo was five years old and had been brought to the Bright Hope Clinic from Mexico with his single mother, Maria. His complex cardiac problems meant that no surgeon would operate on him as it was very possible that he wouldn’t survive surgery.
‘It happens a lot.’ Zack nodded. ‘I take on high-risk patients that others refuse to go near.’
‘I’ve explained that to Freya,’ James said, ‘and I’ve spoken with my colleagues. We’re all agreed that we’re not involving ourselves in charity to fudge figures just to make us look good. We want to do some necessary work and that involves risks.’
‘I’d only operate if I thought there was a chance,’ Zack said, and James nodded. ‘I focus on the surgery,’ Zack continued, and turned to Freya. ‘That’s it.’
He was arrogant, utterly immutable, and if Freya wasn’t so angry that he’d known who she was all along, she could possibly have jumped on his lap and started purring.
She didn’t know how she could simultaneously be embarrassed and cross while also being impossibly turned on.
‘I work on short-term contracts and the patients benefit from that.’ Zack further explained his stance. ‘I might not be around to do the follow-up but they have my skill and attention in the operating theatre, or the OR, or whatever the terminology is you use here. In Nepal I was working in a field hospital so I can’t wait to use the amazing facilities here. I am up to date with technology and I am also very hands on with the basics...’
Freya crossed her legs.
‘Will you consider extending your contract?’ James asked. ‘If things are going well?’
‘I’ll speak with you after a month.’ Zack conceded the smallest fraction. ‘If I can commit for another three months, I’ll let you know then. If I can’t commit to more than that it will give you time to start looking. I am, though, going to Australia for a couple of weeks in April.’
‘To visit family?’ James asked, and Freya blinked as Zack simply didn’t answer the question.
Yes, they were being told that what Zack did in his own time was his concern only.
And then Freya glimpsed again the joy of anonymity and the pain of it going wrong. Zack had told her in bed this very morning that he was running from stuff. Their gazes met briefly and then Zack flicked his away and she saw his neck stretch in slight discomfort.
Oh, she wanted to know this man.
‘So, when could you start?’ James asked.
‘I just have to sort a couple of details out and then I can let you know.’
Freya’s phone buzzed and James tensed. He loathed texts and Freya rolled her eyes at his familiar response. ‘It’s mine.’
She glanced in her bag and saw that it was Mila.
‘Sorry about that,’ Freya said.
‘Do you have any questions for Freya?’ Jack asked.
‘I do but I’ll speak with her later,’ Zack said.
‘I...’ Freya was about to say she couldn’t hang around but she knew she was just putting off the inevitable. ‘Sure.’
‘I’ll send Zack through to you when we’re done.’
‘Thanks,’ Freya said. ‘It was nice meeting you, Zack.’
Her voice was pleasant and her lips smiled, but her eyes told him what a bastard he was.
She went into her office and her skin was crawling with embarrassment and she pressed her fingers into her eyes.
This was, very possibly, going to be the longest three months of her life.
‘Freya?’
She turned at the sound of Stephanie’s voice.
‘Are you okay?’
‘Just...’ Freya took a breath. ‘A bit dizzy,’ she explained. ‘It was a big night last night.’
‘Sure,’ Stephanie said and handed over some files and then left.
Great, Freya thought. Stephanie just loved to have her nose in everyones business.
No doubt, that Freya was dizzy, would soon work its way back to James.
Freya made the call she had just missed.
‘How are you?’ Mila asked.
‘You really don’t want to know,’ Freya said.
‘Oh, but I do.’ They both laughed. ‘I’ll have to prise it out of you later.’
She’d better not! Freya thought.
‘I just wondered if there was any news about that surgeon for Paulo? I’ve got Geoff, his cardiologist, here now and he’s concerned.’
‘He’s in with James now. Let me...’ Freya glanced up as James and Zack came to the door. ‘I have to go,’ Freya said hurriedly. ‘I’ll call you back.’
Zack noticed her cheeks redden and that Freya was flustered as she quickly ended the call.
‘All okay?’ James checked, because Freya was usually completely together, or did everything to appear to be.
She was behaving very oddly today.
‘Of course it is,’ Freya said. ‘I thought you were giving Zack a tour.’
‘We’re going to do that at eleven. I’ve just got a patient that needs a quick review. If you can get started on the paperwork, and a head shot so that everything is in order, that would be great. We’ll also need you to write up a press release and let the world know we’ve got Zack on board.’
‘Sure.’
‘Oh, and I’ll ring the Bright Hope Clinic and see about getting the child looked at by Zack today,’ James said.
‘I can do that,’ Freya offered.
‘Do what?’
‘Arrange his transfer.’
‘Zack has to see the patient first.’ James frowned. ‘Since when
