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Wanting to talk about Penny’s case, she checked that there were no patients waiting and went to find Joel.
He was in his room, talking to Michael, and broke off when he saw her.
‘Problems?’ He lifted a dark eyebrow and she shook her head, embarrassed that she’d interrupted them.
‘Nothing urgent. Sorry.’ She made to slip away but Joel caught her arm.
‘It’s OK. There’s no need to dash off,’ he said firmly. ‘Michael and I were just gossiping. You’re not interrupting anything.’
Michael grinned. ‘In other words, he’s telling me to go and get on with some work.’ He saluted his brother and left the room.
Joel looked at her, his hand still closed tightly over her wrist. ‘What’s worrying you?’
‘Penny,’ she told him. ‘She came back to see me.’
She explained what had happened and he frowned and released her.
‘If she’s got a discharge, she really ought to go to the sexual health clinic. I did tell her that she needed to do that.’
‘I know, but she’s young, she feels guilty about having a one-night stand and she just wants it all to go away,’ Lucy said softly. ‘I’m afraid that she isn’t going to go at all, so I tested her for chlamydia and took a smear.’
Joel shook his head, clearly concerned. ‘But you know that co-infection with other sexually transmitted infections often occurs. She still needs to go to the clinic.’
‘I know that.’ Lucy defended her decision. ‘But if she refuses to go, then surely we’re better off at least testing her for what we can.’
Joel sighed and ran his hands through his hair. ‘Has she slept with anyone else since?’
Lucy shook her head and he gave a wry smile. ‘So at least we don’t have to worry about contacts. I suppose that’s something to be thankful for.’ He breathed out and thought for a moment. ‘All right, well, you know I’d be more comfortable if she had a full-infection screen from the clinic but as you say, if she won’t go, we can’t make her. Let’s see what her results are and think again.’
Lucy bit her lip. ‘Maybe I should have offered to go to the clinic with her—’
‘Lucy, you can’t do that!’
‘She’s just a child, Joel,’ Lucy reminded him, ‘and she’s scared and embarrassed—’
‘And you’ve got too much on your plate to go and hold her hand.’ Joel shook his head. ‘You’ve done everything you can, Lucy. At some point she needs to take responsibility for her own health.’
He stretched an arm across his desk to access his e-mail, and her eyes dropped to his broad shoulders. She knew how it felt to be held against that chest.
She tried to remember a time when she’d reacted to Tim the way that she reacted to Joel but she couldn’t.
So what did that mean?
Joel glanced up from his computer and she met the full force of that intense, blue gaze.
It was like touching an electric fence.
For a moment they were both silent, and then she cleared her throat and backed towards the door, breaking the contact.
It was stupid even dreaming about what it would be like with Joel. She wasn’t his type of woman. He was used to smart, sophisticated types with a PhD in flirting. She had absolutely no idea how to flirt. Despite her marriage, she was far too inexperienced and naïve for a man like Joel.
And even a stunning dress wasn’t going to change that.
Forcing her mind back to work, she returned to the treatment room and discovered that Ros had found her more patients. It was approaching three o’clock and she’d just seen the last one when Ros hurried into the room, her expression serious.
‘We’ve just had a call from one of Ivy Williams’s neighbours. She’s had an accident.’ Ros put a hand on Lucy’s arm. ‘I’m just preparing you, pet, because I know you’re fond of her.’
‘What’s happened?’
