in front of a line of desks. ‘Can you see what’s on that sign?’
‘The desks are divided into alphabetic sections according to the country the team is representing. “S” is over there.’ This time it was Kate leading the way. She approved of such disciplined organisation and it boded well for a smoothly run competition. The people behind the desks were looking weary. How many hundreds of people had they processed already? There was still a queue in front of the section that included ‘S’.
Kate looked around at the sea of people, many of whom were in the uniforms of their ambulance organisation, with bright orange or red overalls and jackets. It was noisy and she could hear languages she couldn’t identify. A lot of people seemed to know each other very well and enthusiastic greetings added to the aura of controlled chaos. At least she had a few minutes to take it all in as they waited their turn.
‘So...this Luke...’ Georgia raised an eyebrow. ‘Is he good looking?’
‘I guess...’ Kate tried to recapture that fleeting glance to decide whether it was possible she had really seen him. ‘Very tall. Dark hair. Brown eyes.’
‘Oh... I love brown eyes. My favourite.’
Kate’s breath came out in a huff. They were both women in their mid-thirties. Independent and successful. Were they really having a conversation that made them sound like boy-mad teenagers?
‘I haven’t seen him for five years. Since he got married.’
‘Oh...’ The tone was very different this time. Georgia’s interest had evaporated.
For some reason that annoyed Kate. ‘We were really good friends. We lost touch because his wife couldn’t handle him having a female friend. I’d love to catch up. I don’t even know what part of the world he’s living in now. But he’s a paediatric surgeon so it’s pretty unlikely he’d come to something like this.’
‘I’ll bet he’d say the same thing if he thought he’d seen you.’
Kate couldn’t argue with that. Not that there was any more time to even think about it because they’d reached the front of the queue. There were folders of documents to collect that included detailed instructions and maps. They received large identification numbers that they would have to wear pinned to their clothing at all times and coloured wristbands that were clipped on.
‘These numbers go on your vehicle.’ The official’s English was excellent but heavily accented. ‘These are your vouchers for meals and this is your room number. Go to the accommodation block and they will show you where to go. Don’t forget the welcome ceremony and briefing at nineteen hundred hours. If you hurry, you should have time for a meal first.’
The ski resort sprawled over several levels on the steep hillside with a road that separated each level in a zigzag. A road that was jam packed with vehicles parked on both sides of it. The variety of colours was amazing. Red and white predominated but there were yellow and green emergency vehicles with various designs of reflective stripes and insignia. Amongst the dozens of ambulances and marked emergency Jeeps and SUVs—many of which were also decorated with flags and other accessories, Georgia’s car looked small and plain. And it was parked far enough away to make it a mission to collect their bags.
‘You’ve got a Scottish flag, haven’t you?’
‘Och, aye...’ Georgia nodded. ‘One for each front window. And a bagpipe-playing bear that we can attach to the front bumper. We can do that later, though. I’m starving...’
‘I’ll just put the vehicle number stickers on. It was one at the front and one at the back, wasn’t it? Did they say which part of the windscreen it should go on?’
Georgia shook her head. ‘Just make it visible. You can read the rules later.’
Kate frowned. ‘I’ll just put the front one on the dashboard for now. If we stick it in the wrong place, it might not come off.’
Georgia paused in her task of hauling their bags from the back to give Kate a loaded glance.
‘You know, sometimes you make me feel like I’m out with my mother.’
‘If it keeps you out of trouble then that’s a good thing.’
‘I’m a big girl, Kate. I can look after myself.’ But Georgia was smiling now. ‘It’s a good thing you’re here, though. We certainly won’t get eliminated for breaking any rules. And, hey...how good is it that we’ve got our own category? There must be at least five other teams that have a doctor and one or two paramedics with them. Maybe one of them includes your friend.’
Kate pulled out the handle of her bag and started wheeling it down the road.
‘Doubt it. It must have just been someone who looked a bit like him. I’ve seen a dozen tall men with dark hair since then.’
Because she’d been looking?
She was still looking, she realised as they lined up and presented their meal vouchers in exchange for a plate laden with stew and dumplings. There was a bar open in the dining area and many tables had people enjoying a beer or wine with their meals. So many tables. So many people.
She’d already decided Luke couldn’t possibly be here so why was she scanning the room so carefully now?
‘There’s some space on that table.’ Georgia led the way. ‘Do you mind if we join you guys?’
‘Please do.’ The man’s face lit up beneath sun-streaked blond hair as he looked at Georgia. ‘I’m Dave. This is Ken and that’s Sally, who’s stuffing her face there.’
‘You’re from Australia, right?’
‘No. New Zealand.’ Dave sighed heavily. ‘Everybody thinks our accent is the same but it really isn’t.’ He grinned at Georgia. ‘No mistaking yours. You’re Scottish.’
‘I am. I like your uniforms. Are you paramedics?’
‘Yeah... You guys?’
‘I’m a paramedic. Kate’s a doctor. Is this your first time here?’
‘Sure is. Never seen anything like it.’
‘Where are you based at home? City or country?’
‘Auckland. Biggest city in the country. And up there in the top cities of the world to live in. You should come and visit sometime.’
‘Oh? What’s so great about Auckland?’
The conversation, as they swapped details about their home towns and talked about how little they knew of what was to happen tomorrow, was lively but Kate was only half listening.
Why was it so unsettling, she wondered, to be disappointed that she’d made a mistake? It wasn’t as if Luke had ever been anything more than a friend.
On his side, anyway.
On her side, too, after she’d got over that silly crush. And it hadn’t been that hard, had it?
Humiliating, maybe, when she’d felt invisible as anything more than a friend, but they
