Ben watched him suspiciously. 'Has she invited an available single woman?'
'I've no idea. She's invited at least fourteen people so it certainly won't be intimate.' Sean's expression was comical.
'Just what I need mid-week. She says that we all work too hard and never get out so she's bringing a social life to my door. Oh, joy.'
Despite himself, Ben smiled. He'd seen Sean change for the better since he'd married Ally and he knew how much his friend loved his wife.
'All right, I'll come,' he said finally, 'but you can tell Ally from me that if there's any matchmaking I'll wring her neck.'
'I'll wring it for you myself,' Sean promised, picking up a stack of files and rolling his eyes. 'And now I've got to be at a meeting to discuss patient waiting times. If I wasn't upstairs with them wasting time when I could be seeing patients, the waiting time would be considerably shorter, but there we are!'
He strode off down the corridor and then paused as if he'd suddenly remembered something. 'Oh, Ben?'
'What?'
'Can you give Ellie a lift tonight?' Sean clutched the files and didn't quite meet his eyes. 'She's coming, too, and it seems stupid to take two cars when you live next door to each other.'
Ben ground his teeth. Just what he'd been expecting. Except that it hadn't occurred to him that Ellie would be the chosen one. He remembered what she'd said about being in love with him. Was she behind this?
He opened his mouth to tell Sean where to stick his dinner party but his friend had gone without giving him a chance to voice his objections.
He found Ellie in the treatment room, finishing off a dressing. She taped it securely, gave the patient instructions on when to return and then waited for them to leave before turning to him with a smile.
Her smile faltered slightly as she looked at him. 'Ouch—you look angry.'
How was it that she could read him so easily?
Some of his anger dissolved as he registered the concern in her eyes. She certainly didn't look like someone who'd been plotting his future. And, come to think of it, underhand tactics weren't really her style.
'I gather you're going to Sean's tonight.' His voice was harsher than he'd intended and he saw the surprise in her eyes.
'Yes.' She tilted her head to one side and looked at him searchingly. 'Is that why you're angry?'
He gritted his teeth. 'I'm not angry.'
She smiled sympathetically. "There you go again, saying one thing when you're feeling something quite different. You really must start saying how you feel, Ben. It's very bad for you, denying your emotions all the time.'
He decided to ignore her. 'I'll give you a lift.'
What the hell was he saying? He hadn't even decided whether he wanted to go.
Her face brightened as she tossed the remains of a dressing into the bin and washed her hands. 'You're going, too?'
The surprise in her tone was so genuine that he was left in no doubt that Ellie was innocent of any matchmaking intentions.
Which left Sean.
He was going to kill him.
'It would be great if you could pick me up.' She bustled around the room, clearing up, restocking as she talked, constantly on the go. 'What time?'
'Seven-thirty?'
'Sounds good to me.' She smiled at him. 'I'm really pleased you're going out. Since you arrived here, all you seem to do is work and then go home.'
And that was all he wanted to do.
So why the hell was he picking her up at seven-thirty and taking her out to dinner?