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And pretending that she didn’t feel wrecked by Hayden.
Why was it so impossible to shake the man from her head?
Refusing to give in to any more distractions of the six-foot-three variety, Bridget soaped up quickly, rinsed, and shut off the precious water supply. A bit of revelling was one thing, but even though the infrastructure here at the main town of Rejupe was better than at the mobile camps at Jukrem, she was still sensitive to the resources.
As she changed into a fresh set of clothes, Bridget raised her hand to the door of her temporary two-metre-by-three-metre room and promised herself a quick check on her patient’s surgery, a bite to eat, and the first full night’s sleep she’d have had in a couple of weeks.
So why was her heart hammering at the idea that she was about to embark on the closest thing to a date with Hayden, taking him into Rejupe town to sample the gastronomic offerings of the market, as she’d promised?
For a moment she debated feigning exhaustion and crying off. But then, suddenly, there he was, standing in the middle of the square in the charity’s compound, waiting for her. His long, muscular legs stretched out in front of him, apparently oblivious to the two women crossing the area behind him, their eyes riveted.
‘Ready?’ he asked, taking a step towards her.
Her chest constricted. So tightly she could actually feel her breath squeeze out. All she could do was smile and nod, trying to keep steady as he fell into step beside her and they headed out of the gates together.
‘I heard the mother’s surgery went well,’ he said after a moment.
‘It did,’ she managed, forcing herself to say more. ‘We’re waiting to see how she goes overnight.’
‘Right.’ He nodded, falling silent again and leaving Bridget to mentally kick herself for sounding so strained.
But she didn’t need to worry, he spoke again after a few moments, sounding as relaxed and unconcerned as ever.
‘Do you have anywhere particular in mind for eating?’
‘Quite a few,’ she answered gratefully. ‘I’m trying to think of the best one. There are marketplaces in the main town and even pizza restaurants and a bar where the staff—foreign and locals alike—go to decompress.’
‘Sounds great. I’ll follow your lead.’
‘Okay.’ She grinned, and there was something about the way he wasn’t trying to take control that made her relax that little bit more.
For a while they wandered around, soaking it all up, and Bridget found herself recounting some of the stories from when her group had last been here earlier in the month.
‘What about eating here?’ She stopped at last by some tables near a street stall she remembered, which showcased some of the tastiest local cuisine. ‘There should soon be some entertainment in that open area opposite.’
‘Here it is,’ he agreed, looking around for a moment. ‘Any recommendations?’
‘Lots.’ She laughed, the delicious cooking smells making her stomach rumble loudly. ‘As you can hear. And it’s kind of like tapas, so we can try plenty.’
‘I definitely like the sound of that.’
So, a few minutes later, they sat at the table with a selection of little pots in front of them from which they both tried green beans flash fried with onions and garlic, dough balls with a variety of dips, and bowls of chicken with different sauces.
‘This is a little better than the Friday night offering we have at Jukrem.’ She laughed, popping the last mouthful of local cake, complete with a creamy frosting, into her mouth.
‘Isn’t it.’ Hayden grinned. ‘It seems like they have a whole host of stuff on offer on a Friday night. When I was in the neonatal ward I heard that tonight is movie night for them.’
She grinned, easily able to imagine that one of the single girls had invited him to join her there. But instead of accepting, he was here. With her. It made her feel...special.
‘Yeah, they had that when I was here. No worries for them about conserving power and electricity shutting off from midnight onwards, like we have to back in Jukrem.’
‘Evidently.’
‘The guys here don’t know what roughing it is. Did you know they even have their own cook?’ She paused and cocked her head to one side. ‘Wait, you guys have your own chef out in your army camp, don’t you?’
‘What can I say? The army knows how to live.’ She loved the way he laughed.
‘I thought I saw you with some local builders the other day, trying your hand at tukul maintenance?’
