Patrick looked at the piece of paper in his hand and then up at Lucy's spookily calm face. "Erm…" he said, looking confused. "What's this?"
"You know," Lucy replied firmly.
Patrick sighed. "Look, maybe it is a bit irrelevant, but it's not even that hard, Lucy…"
"I haven't read it," Lucy said.
"What?" Patrick frowned. "Then why…?"
"It's over," Lucy informed him. "No more stupid games. I don't want to play anymore."
"Is this about the other night?" Patrick asked. "What happened? Didn't you have a good time?"
"I had a bloody awful time," Lucy retorted. "I laughed, and drank and spent time with a nice man who was interested in me and what I had to say."
Patrick was completely lost by now. "And that was bad because?"
"Because I can't do it," Lucy said shortly. "It was a stupid idea, Patrick, one of your many. And I'm sick of them. So from now on, no more. Go and play your games with Lara. I don't need your help."
"I think you do."
"Well you're wrong!" Lucy snapped. "So just stay out of my life from now on. Okay?" She walked away before he could reply.
It had been a fortnight since their one and only date, and Dillon was still too confused over Lucy's reaction to even attempt to ask her out again. They'd had a great time, sharing anecdotes and laughing. He'd thought he was well in. Then she'd announced she had to go and without even a peck on the cheek, she'd got a cab home. Since then, she'd barely said ten words to him at work and had rejected all his phone calls. He had no idea what he'd done wrong. Maybe she was still hung up over Patrick, maybe she'd never see him as anything but a friend whilst Dr Spiller would be able to play about with her for years. She was worth so much more, deserved so much more. Even if she'd clammed up almost every time Dillon had even so much as mentioned her family.
"Dillon!" Lucy exclaimed, as she nearly bumped into the other nurse. She was fully aware that she'd been avoiding him for the past few weeks, and was almost certain that he'd noticed too. She hurriedly tried to assemble a reasonably cheerful face. "Um, how are you, I haven't seen you around much."
"Yeah you have and you've run in the opposite direction," Dillon replied surprisingly calmly compared to how he felt. "But I'm fine."
"I… I haven't been avoiding you deliberately," Lucy insisted, hoping that the sermons she used to attend when she was younger had been very wrong about liars going to Hell.
"Yes you have," Dillon corrected her. "I've got stuff to be getting on with." He made a move to push past her.
"Dillon, wait." Lucy refused to move aside. "I can explain. I… I know I've been a bit of a bitch…"
"A bit?" Dillon said doubtfully.
"A lot," Lucy amended her previous statement. "And I know I haven't been fair on you. But I haven't really been in the right state of mind recently, I've been all over the place for… for quite a while actually. I should never have accepted your invitation, it wasn't fair on you or me or…"
"Patrick," Dillon finished for her.
"What?" Lucy frowned.
"Lucy, I know you're still hung up on him," Dillon informed her. "And maybe you always will be. But you deserve so much better than to be his reserve girl, on hand whenever the latest relationship goes sour."
Lucy blinked a few times. "Dillon, for the last time, I am not and never have been in love with Patrick. But whatever we did have, and it wasn't anything like you think… that's over, well and truly. Patrick has nothing to do with this anymore."
Dillon digested her outburst slowly. "Okay. So… what is stopping you then?"
Lucy took a deep breath and let it out. "Nothing," she said finally.
Dillon looked down at her. "So can we start over?"
Lucy nodded. "I'd like that. I really would."
"So, dinner, tonight?"
Lucy swallowed her fear. "Love to."
