The Bedroom Assignment

She jumped up and walked about the overlit room for a bit.

She was making a valiant attempt to curb it but she looked really upset. He saw that she was biting her lip and she was frowning.

Jay did not say anything. But he was relieved that she did not want to leave him. Hugely relieved. He was not quite sure why. It seemed out of all proportion.

Though Zoe Brown was good at her job, no question. One of the best they’d ever had, in fact. But even so—when had he last cared enough about whether someone joined the firm to hold his breath in case they turned him down?

He did not like the implications of that. He put it out of his mind. Now was the time to address himself to immediate problems, he thought. That was what he was good at: problem- solving. He brought his cellphone out of his pocket and went into practical mode.

Eventually Zoe stopped pacing and came and stood in front of him. She looked oddly young and brave, in her tired party gear.

‘I’m sorry. This is the last time and place to start hustling for a job. I apologise,’ she said formally.

He was not going to let her see his relief. Of course he wasn’t. Especially as he was not sure where it came from. He didn’t share things he didn’t understand.

Instead he gave her one of his best knock-’em-dead smiles. Not the one for women who moved him. The one for women he wanted—needed—to charm.

‘I agree. We’ll talk about the job in the office.’

He meant, And now we’ll talk about you and your extraordinary announcement. Only she took it as a rebuke. She hardly seemed to notice the high-voltage charm. Instead, she looked away.

‘Okay,’ she said in a constrained voice.

Then the nurse came back with the doctor. And it was too late to explain that he hated the idea of her leaving.

They were intending to keep Ms Lessiter in for observation for twenty-four hours, they said. They thought it was just the drink, but they weren’t quite sure what was going on. And as they could find her a bed—for once—they would run some more tests in the morning.

Jay nodded. ‘And after that? Will she need to be looked after?’

The doctor grinned. ‘My guess is that she’ll have the mother and father of a hangover and the ward staff will give her hell. Apart from that she should be fine. This is just a precaution.’

Jay nodded. ‘Keep me posted.’ He fished out one of his business cards. ‘If there’s anything wrong I will get in touch with her family. But they don’t live in London. And I don’t see much point in letting them know their daughter has been partying too hard, do you? Not if that’s all it is.’

The nurse took the business card.

‘So you’re not—er—her partner?’

‘Former employer,’ said Jay briefly. ‘And—before you ask—I’m not doing cold compresses and warm drinks for Banana Lessiter. It wouldn’t be safe. If she needs nursing I’ll pay for it. But that’s where my responsibility stops.’

The nurse looked rather shocked, but the doctor laughed. ‘It shouldn’t come to that. But call tomorrow and she can tell you herself.’

Jay hesitated. ‘Can we see her?’

‘If you like. She’s making sense of a sort.’

She was making enough sense to rear up from her hospital trolley and fling herself onto Jay’s breast.

‘Take me home. I wanna take your clothes off…’

Zoe blenched, and even the tolerant doctor looked taken aback. Only Jay was unmoved. He detached the girl’s indecently busy hands without fuss.

‘We’ve been through this before,’ he said calmly. ‘Thanks, but no thanks.’

‘But I wanna—’

‘Got it,’ said Jay. ‘You want. I don’t. No room for negotiation on this one. Sorry and all that.’

The doctor looked at him with admiration bordering on awe. ‘She does this often?’

Jay stepped back and checked the fastenings of his clothes. ‘Couple of times. She hasn’t been tanked out of her head before,’ he added fair-mindedly. ‘But she wasn’t listening to reason, either. The only thing is to say no and keep on saying it as you back out of the door.’

They exchanged a look of total masculine comprehension.