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“We’re both so shy. I think he’s interested in me, but he’s so polite and gentlemanly. But oh, Polly, he has the nicest eyes and”—Judith rolled her own now—“his smile. That little snaggly tooth of his, it actually adds to his attractiveness.”
Polly smiled to herself. Wasn’t love the sweetest thing? Carts wasn’t exactly male model material but he had a lovely smile, that was true. How superficial of her to think that way. “Maybe you just need to ask him to dance.”
“Me ask him!”
“Jude, don’t go all 1950s on me. For god’s sake, woman, yeah. It’s always been up to the woman, she’s the decider, but nowadays there’s no need for the silly games to bolster the guy’s ego and pretend he’s the one making the decision.”
“Really,wedecide?” Judith straightened her shoulders and almost preened. “Never thought of it like that.” Her face fell. “Made a bum decision with Mark then, didn’t I?”
“Maybe it was the right decision for back then.”
Judith’s mouth twisted into a wry smile. “Maybe. We were seventeen, he helped me with maths and I wrote his English essays for him.”
“Mutually beneficial, then.”
“Just shouldn’t have stayed twelve years.”
“How are things going between you guys now he’s moved out?”
“We’re talking. He’s happy as a pig in poo in his new apartment; all his computer screens set up for gaming for hours on end. And honestly, Poll, I don’t know why I hung around all those years, when the intimacy left and the sex fizzled, cooking and cleaning and being there for him.”
“Hmmm,” said Polly. She reminded herself that after twelve years, she and Solo would quite probably add up to something similar. Both slouched on the sofa after a long day at work with a TV meal and not much to say to each other. And a bed that didn’t get to see tangled sheets and waking each other up in the night multiple times because they simply couldn’t get enough of each other.
And then Solo glanced up with a piece of strudel halfway to his lips and that wicked gleam in his eyes, and her resolve immediately went AWOL. He winked at her and she felt heat creeping up her neck.
She flicked her gaze away and dived on the strudel.
As she cleaned up her plate not long after and went to leave for ward meetings, Solo was behind her. He held the door so she could pass through, his body brushing against her, and the scent of him, the warmth of his body, was electric.
She couldn’t help smiling up at him as they walked. Being around him made her happy, it was that simple. And that complicated.
“God, that strudel’s good!” he said, smacking his lips.
“I know, divine.” She rolled her eyes. They ground to a halt outside the doctor’s office.
Solo grimaced. “I’ve got to go and write three discharge summaries. Are you around later?”
“For a professional chat?” She glanced up at him flirtatiously.
“Exactly.” He was standing too close as Judith and Leon walked past and Polly stepped back, feeling them both casting meaningful glances at them. Were they being that obvious?
Solo didn’t seem to notice. Or care. “Want to join me for omelette?”
She hid her delighted smirk. Omelette was now code for staying over. Last night her bed had felt big and empty and she’d woken up practically humping her pillow, which was kind of teenage crass.
She gave a little nod. “I could do.”
“Great.” He grinned, that flash of white teeth against his dark stubble so enticing, the way his eyes crinkled at the corners, those brackets in his cheek. It took so much effort to resist. It occurred to her that it would be so much nicer not to have to try.
Then his phone trilled. He dragged it out of his pocket, glanced at it, then flicked it off and pocketed it, but something about the tightening of his lips made her ask, “Was that Drew?”
He shook his head. “No, no-one important.”
But when he looked at her she knew he was hiding something. A knot tightened in her stomach.
She shrugged it off. What did it matter if there was another woman out there somewhere? So what? He’d be going back to Sydney soon.
Bye bye, Solo.
