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‘Doctor, can you get this woman a coffee to sober her up?’ said Greg to Matt only half jokingly.
‘Speaking of the wedding, you must let me make you an essential oil for the big day,’ said Susie. ‘Lavender and neroli oil would be just dreamy.’
‘That reminds me,’ added Brooke, picking up her clutch, ‘I must just go and deliver something to the birthday boy.’ She crossed the corridor and went into the kitchen. It had a wooden swinging door like a Wild West saloon. The windows were steamed up and Matt was bent over the stove, tasting something that looked like bubbling stew from a wooden spoon. The scene reminded her of his attempts at cooking when they were in college, and she found it comforting that some things hadn’t changed all that much. He looked up from his pots with a start.
‘Hey, what are you doing in here?’ he said, taking a long swig of his claret. ‘Go and get back to your adoring audience.’
He gave her a big, wide smile. He seemed happier, more relaxed than usual. Then again, he’d clearly had quite a bit to drink. Matt had always liked his liquor.
‘Don’t be silly,’ she said with a playful tap. ‘They’re here for your birthday, remember?’
‘Don’t kid yourself,’ smiled Matt. ‘I can’t believe how everyone has dressed up in your honour. You should see what they look like on a normal day, it’s like Halloween. Honestly, when Courtney knocked on the door, I wasn’t sure if it was my guests arriving or the early delivery of my Christmas tree.’
Her gaze tracked across the room to where a large chocolate gateau was defrosting on a shelf on top of the radiator. ‘You should have said you were doing food. I know a couple of really great chefs that do private catering.’
‘Like I’m a private chef kinda guy,’ he laughed.
‘ I didn’t mean it like that,’ said Brooke, a little embarrassed.
‘Money isn’t the issue, Brooke,’ he said, holding her gaze. ‘Anyway, shame David couldn’t make it.’
‘He’s working late. Again. I counted up the nights I see him per month and I’m lucky if I get to double digits.’
‘Maybe it was just as well he didn’t come. He’d have made us men feel inferior.’
‘I’m not marrying Bruce Wayne,’ she said, nudging his arm playfully.
He grinned and lifted the wooden spoon to her lips. ‘How does that taste?’
She licked her lips. It wasn’t half bad. ‘And a good cook too,’ she said. ‘You are a catch. Oh, I think I’d better warn you,’ she said, changing the subject. ‘I think I put my foot in it. I asked if Ed and Peter’s medical exchange programme was the one you wanted to do. Susie seemed a bit surprised.’
He shrugged, turning back to the stove. ‘She knows about it. I haven’t made a decision yet, but she isn’t going to influence that decision anyway.’
Brooke found herself feeling oddly relieved. ‘I forgot,’ she said, producing a small package wrapped in shiny red paper. ‘Your birthday present.’
‘I thought that was the Château Pétrus you brought. I am a lucky boy.’ He wiped his hands on a tea towel and tore the paper off. Inside was a slim box. He opened it and his eyes widened with pleasure.
‘Tickets for the Guns N’ Roses reunion gig?’ he cried. ‘No way! These are impossible to get hold of. I can’t believe you remembered I like them.’
‘How could I forget all that posing in front of the mirror?’ she grinned.
He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. A stillness descended between them. Brooke stepped back, brushing a trace of sauce from her cheek just as Susie burst through the Wild West doors.
‘We’re already out of red wine,’ she announced, squeezing into the small space. ‘You should have reminded me what big drinkers you doctors are.’
She paused and then examined Matt and Brooke, who both carried slightly guilty faces.
‘Is everything okay?’
‘More than okay,’ said Matt enthusiastically, showing her the tickets. ‘Look what Brooke gave me. Guns N’ Roses, man!’
‘Great,’ said Susie flatly. ‘I didn’t know you were into rock.’
‘You should have seen him in college,’ smiled Brooke. ‘He wanted to grow his hair like Slash, but it just hung there like two curtains.’
‘Hey!’ he protested. ‘And you call me indiscreet!’
Susie eyed them warily. She pushed past Matt and began to stir the stew furiously.
