‘It was no problem. They saw an opportunity and grabbed it with both hands and I respect that.’ He gave a small chuckle. ‘It was a brave move to attempt a mock patient interview.’
‘I thought so, too. We haven’t done that before for real, only trial runs between ourselves. Allie was a bit enthusiastic about the symptoms.’
‘If it had been for real, I’d have been calling for a crash cart.’ His deep, rumbling laugh filled the car. ‘I’ve never seen anyone that sick sitting up and grinning like a Cheshire cat.’
‘Hey! It was just a demo…’ Beth sprang to her team’s defence.
‘I know. And a very fine one at that. I noticed that you filled in a few gaps, gave them a bit of a steer when needed.’
‘They had everything that mattered by themselves. I just added a bit of window dressing.’ Beth wondered whether Matt was thinking twice about his offer to help with references and contacts when the three finished their doctorates.
‘Of course they did. And I’m very impressed with them. They’ve worked hard and they’re talented, they deserve to have their efforts shown off to the best advantage.’
‘Yes. Thanks, Matt. You did them proud.’
‘Did I? I’m pleased you think so. I can never quite get used to being someone that other people think they have to impress.’
‘You mean you’re still just a student at heart, struggling for a bit of recognition, just like they are?’
‘Something like that.’ He fell silent, watching the shadows cast by the bright mix of streetlights and fairy-lights as they slanted across the dashboard. ‘Don’t you miss it, Beth?’
‘Miss what?’
‘Being young again. Not necessarily in terms of years, but that feeling that the world’s at your feet and it’s all there for the taking.’
&nb
sp; ‘They’re twenty-two, Matt. I’m only seven years older than them and you’re—what—fourteen years older? It’s not exactly a lifetime.’
‘Twelve, if you don’t mind. But it seems longer, somehow…’ He left the sentence unfinished and turned his attention to the line of cars in front of them, as Beth slowed to join the tailback.
‘Dammit. I forgot that it was late-night shopping every day this week.’ She revved the engine slightly. ‘I hope my car doesn’t die on me.’
‘Having trouble with it?’
‘It hasn’t been the same since I got it back from the garage. Goodness only knows what they did to it, the engine keeps cutting out if I don’t keep the revs up.’ She turned to him. ‘You might have to give us a push.’
‘Oh! So you mean that you can’t push and steer at the same time? I’m honoured that you think I’m that useful.’ It may have sounded like a joke, but there was enough truth in the observation to make Beth shift uncomfortably in her seat.
‘Don’t get carried away. You’re just a bit of spare muscle.’ She revved the engine again, defiantly. There was no just about the well-honed frame sitting beside her.
‘That puts me in my place, then.’ His lips twitched provocatively. Matt Sutherland was definitely nowhere near in his place.
It was ten minutes of stop-start and then they were free of the traffic again. At least he’d refrained from giving any driving advice during that time, preferring to crane his neck at the brightly lit shopfronts and ask about the best places for Christmas shopping for Jack.
She put her foot down and reached the hospital car park without further incident. Matt had fallen silent, and seemed to rouse himself from his reverie as she edged into the parking space next to his car. ‘So is there anything you would do differently? If you could go back and do it again.’
Beth got out of the car. There was one obvious answer to that one, but she didn’t want to talk about falling in love and then being shoved unceremoniously back out again at the moment. It was about time she let go of that. ‘No. I’m pretty happy with it all so far.’
‘Really? You must have a clear conscience and a blameless life.’
He was standing too close and talking in riddles. Beth nudged at his shoulder in a gesture of friendly exasperation, and found that his arms were on either side of her, hands on top of the roof of her car, penning her in. ‘Stop messing around, Matt.’
His eyes were dark, pools of shadow highlighting his strong features, yellow streaks from the overhead lighting across his face and in his hair. ‘Is that what you think I’m doing?’
She wasn’t sure what he was doing. She was even less sure what she was doing. Beth reached up and her fingers found his jaw, running softly along it, feeling it flex at her touch. His lips moved closer to hers, still out of reach but they wouldn’t be for very long.
Light blinded her. Someone’s headlights, on full, sweeping around the car park. Matt moved to one side, using his body to shield her from the glare. After the car had roared past them, he leaned back on the bonnet of his own car.