Love after loss

Chapter 14 - The Doctor

“Dr Andrews” Dereks oncologist was standing before me. I grabbed his hand and he pulled me easily to my feet.

“Mrs Miller. I’m so sorry” he ducked his head slightly embarrassed by the collision.

“No it was my fault, I had my eyes closed” my cheeks pinked with more than the cold

“I see, do you often run with your eyes closed?” He tried to suppress a laugh but I could see it in his smile. 

I had to smile back “thank you for helping me up” I looked down to where my hand was still gripped in his.

“Oh, it’s not a problem. Although you’re freezing. Perhaps I can buy you a coffee” he offered, still not dropping my hand from his.

A steaming hot coffee actually sounded wonderful.

“Coffee sounds great”

We were sat at a table by the window with our hands wrapped firmly around our coffees cups. Watching the snow fall.

“I was sorry to hear of your husbands passing Mrs Miller. Truly, he was a good man. And I’m am sorry I couldn’t offer my condolences until now”

“Thank you. And please call me Elle. Mrs Miller is way too formal after knocking me onto my arse” I laughed

“Only if you call me Tom and I thought we already reached the conclusion that was a fault on your part” he raised his eyebrow and gave a small chuckle. 

We spent the next hour happily chatting and I was genuinely having fun until the time came  to head home.

“I’ve had a great time Elle. Maybe we could do it again sometime. Or maybe you’d let me take you for dinner” 

Dinner with Dr Dashing. It certainly didn’t seem anything was going to happen with Garret, as much as I had thought about him while I was away, my feelings were clearly one sided and he was engaged and seemed happy. I certainly wasn’t going to be the one to get in the way of that, so really, what was stopping me.

“Absolutely, dinner sounds lovely”

We exchanged numbers and arranged to meet at the Roadhouse on Friday so we could go to dinner straight after I had finished for the day.

The week went smoothly as I fell into a familiar routine. I didn’t realise how much I had missed working at the Roadhouse. The happy faces, the laughter, the banter with colleagues. I was swept up in the atmosphere and loved it. Friday came around before I knew it. 

I was cleaning tables after the lunch rush with Meg, we turned the music up and was singing into our rags while dancing around tables when someone came through the door.

“Tom, you’re early” I tried straightening my hair out trying not to be too obvious about it. 

He was laughing, clearly he had seen some of our music act.

“I’m just on my lunch, I thought I would stop by and make sure we’re still on for dinner later”

Megs eyes narrowed curiously as she looked between us.

I ignored her and answered him “Yes, I’m looking forward to it. You could have text me, you didn’t have to come all the way down here”

“Maybe I just couldn’t wait that long to see you” he gave me a flirty smile and Megs eyebrows shot up so high I thought they might fly right off her head.

“That’s very sweet. Can I get you anything to eat or drink” I offered 

“No I’m good, thank you, I’m actually on my way to meet some colleagues for a bite but I will see you tonight” he leaned forward and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before turning to leave. 

“Elle, what and who!?” Meg stood in front of me with an amused look on her face and I turned beet red.

“Uhmm, I.. ah.. I kinda have a date tonight”

“Tell.Me.Everything” she demanded

“It’s no big deal. Dr Andrews was Dereks oncologist and I happened to run into in while I was jogging Sunday afternoon” I left out the part where I literally ran into him. “We went for a coffee and then he asked me out for dinner. We’ve been texting but it’s no big deal”

“What’s no big deal” Garrets voice sounded curious as he walked into bar area from the back office and helped himself to a coke.

“Noth..”

“Elle has a date tonight” Meg interrupted my reply. An almost bitter edge to her voice.

I heard the glass smash before I could register what happened. 

I looked in surprise at Garret who had gone slightly pale and still as a statue before swooping down to pick up the shards of the broken bottle of coke that had slipped from his fingers.

“Are you okay?” I rushed over to help him clear up the mess

“Of course, It just slipped” he said gruffly. The glass and coke had been moped up and he walked back into the office without saying another word and not even looking at me. 

“That was weird” I said more to myself than to Meg but she answered me anyway

“If only you knew”