was a long time coming. And when she did finally drift off she dreamt that Santa was kissing her…a Santa who looked remarkably like Nick Lawson, in fact.
The staff canteen was packed when Nick arrived shortly after one o’clock that afternoon. He joined the queue at the serving counter and opted for a full Christmas lunch when his turn came. He was ravenously hungry and the crisp roast potatoes, turkey and vegetables looked absolutely delicious.
He paid for his meal then looked for somewhere to sit, half hoping that he’d spot Katie and half hoping that he wouldn’t. He knew it would be unfair to make a play for her but it didn’t stop him enjoying being with her so it was rather a mixed blessing when he couldn’t see any sign of her in the canteen. He finally opted for an empty seat at a table near the door and introduced himself to the rest of the people at the table as he sat down. One of the nurses worked on the children’s ward and remembered him from the carol concert so that broke the ice. Nick soon found himself drawn into the conversation and was even starting to enjoy himself when the same nurse suddenly spotted a friend coming into the canteen and waved to her.
Nick obligingly moved up to make room for the newcomer but it was only when he saw Katie carrying her tray across the room that he realised she was going to join them. His heart gave a little leap of excitement as she squeezed into the gap beside him but he quickly battened it down. Katie wasn’t the type of woman who fitted his usual requirements for a girlfriend, he reminded himself sternly, and he mustn’t take the chance of hurting her…He almost choked on a sprout when he realised how arrogant that sounded when there was no reason to imagine that Katie was the least bit interested in him!
‘I see you made it up in time for lunch,’ she said lightly once she’d greeted the others. However, Nick was very aware that she had avoided meeting his eyes.
‘Just. It’s always hard to drag yourself out of bed when you’re on nights, isn’t it?’ he replied, trying not to dwell on the thought of why Katie might feel uncomfortable around him because it would only create problems…
Did Katie feel uneasy because she was aware of him, too? the part of his mind that refused to co-operate demanded, and a second sprout shot down the wrong way. Nick turned beetroot-red as he spluttered inelegantly into his paper napkin and he saw Katie look at him in concern.
‘Are you all right?’
‘Fine, apart from trying to choke myself on the veg,’ he gurgled, feeling like a total idiot. He managed to clear the obstruction and smiled wanly at the rest of the group, who were all staring at him now. ‘I’ll make sure I chew everything twenty times from now on like my mother taught me to do.’
‘Don’t you worry about it. We’re all trained in the art of CPR, aren’t we, girls?’ The nurse from the children’s ward, who’d told him her name was Mel, winked at him. ‘If you need the kiss of life then I’m sure one of us would be more than happy to oblige!’
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