Bonnie Sveen Fan, thank you for your review. Max probably kind of did deserve that slap! That's what happened when he pretended to be Cal in one of the episodes too. He needs to get back with Zoe. That's what everyone wants, including Max!

Tanith Panic, it wasn't clever of Taylor to slap Max. It was a bit hypocritical too. Or is Taylor saying she'd never pretend to be a doctor? I hope you're right about Robyn as I don't want you to be disappointed. Ethan is only ever sexist in a polite, old-fashioned way! Thank you for your review.

Sebastian grasped Jamie by the hand. "Come on. I just want to walk this way."

Jamie tried not to groan out loud. He'd expected Sebastian to do nothing but stare at and talk about Dylan all night, but this was ridiculous. This was practically stalking! "You want to walk past Dylan again?"

"Why not?" said Sebastian. "I haven't walked past him for three or four minutes. He'll think I've gone off him."

Jamie spoke as gently as he could. "I don't want to upset you, Seb, but Dylan isn't interested. I'm really sorry."

"He is interested!" said Sebastian. "He just isn't ready to admit it."

"Then …" Jamie tried to think. "Maybe you could leave him alone till he is ready to admit it?"

"He needs help with admitting it!" said Sebastian. "He needs an incentive." He looked around. "Would it be really awful if I took my shirt off?"

Jamie gasped. "Sebastian, this is a really posh award ceremony! It would be really awful if you even took your tie off. Look. Forget about Dylan for tonight. If you spend the whole time running around after him, you're not going to have a good time."

Sebastian pouted. "I'm not going to have a good time if I can't look at Dylan."

"Then admire him from a distance!" said Jamie. "I don't want to be mean, but walking past him, holding my hand, pouting and wiggling your bum at him… that's not going to turn anyone on. It's just going to make you look… um…" He couldn't quite bring himself to say 'stupid'. "…tipsy. I think Dylan prefers sober guys."

"So what am I going to do?" said Sebastian.

"Sit down here and have a chat with me," said Jamie. "And if Dylan looks over, he'll see you having a good time without him. If he is going to get jealous, that's more likely to do it than anything. And if it doesn't work… well, there are other guys. I'm sure you'll find someone."

Lily walked up to Ash and stepped into his path. "Dr Ashford."

"Lily," said Ash awkwardly. "Are you having a good time?"

Lily looked him in the eye and told herself she wasn't nervous. There was no reason to feel nervous. She was a year behind schedule for marriage, but there were a lot of doctors here tonight. "Will you dance with me, Dr Ashford? In the competition?"

Ash didn't look as enthusiastic as she'd hoped. "Er… yeah. Sure. Excuse me: I need to go and speak to Zoe."

Lily had expected to feel happy when this moment came. He'd agreed to dance with her and nothing was more romantic than dancing. Or so she'd been told.

But instead she felt rather deflated.

Jacob shook his head in despair. "Can't you do it, Connie?"

"You're more… how shall I put it?" said Connie. "More hip."

"Oh, no, Sweet Cheeks: you've got me well beat in the hip department." Jacob grinded his own against hers.

Connie pushed him away. "Don't you dare try to distract me. What's the problem, Jacob?" Her voice held a warning hint of steel.

"I just thought, you know, that as your clinical lead, you're the right and proper person to make the speech," said Jacob. "And you've got such a beautiful voice too. And a real gift for making people listen."

"Then I suggest you prove it by listening to me and answering my question," said Connie. "I will not even consider making the speech unless you answer me."

"Connie-"

"And no." She smiled sweetly. "It's not a suggestion."

Jacob looked at the floor. He knew it might be okay. There were days when Connie was the most understanding person in the world.

But there were also days when she most certainly wasn't."

"I'm waiting," said Connie.

Jacob sighed. "I'm sorry, Connie. I'm really not comfortable with public speaking."

Jez stood awkwardly in a corner with Jack and wondered why all the other guys looked so much smarter than he did.

Not that he was checking out other guys, of course. He'd just… noticed it in passing.

"What's your biggest, wildest fantasy?" asked Jack.

"Right now, it's tearing these stupid clothes off," muttered Jez.

Jack's eyes rounded. "Ooh, yes! I like that fantasy. I can just see it now. What happens after that?"

"Then I tear your stupid clothes off," said Jez.

Jack gasped loudly, clutching his hand to his chest. "I'm not wearing any stupid clothes! Jeremy, do you have any idea how much this suit costs?."

"Nope," said Jez. He didn't much care either.

"Even my boxers cost £159 and I got them on sale!" said Jack.

"Great. You'll have to show me later," said Jez. Not that Jack would be wearing them for long.

Jack smiled wickedly. "I'll show you now if you like."

Alicia got the dress out of her wardrobe and looked at it longingly. She sneezed twice in the process, but at last, she was holding it up in front of her.

She knew it suited her and she knew Cal would love it.

Or the old Cal would have loved it. The sweet, sensitive, loving Cal she'd met on holiday.

But that Cal didn't exist.

The new Cal would probably think the dress was too long, the neckline was too high and the style too old-fashioned.

He probably thought Alicia was too old-fashioned too. He probably thought she was too everything – and not in a good way.

Alicia reached for another tissue, but this time it was so she could wipe away her tears.

Cal had never met a girl like Taylor before. She wasn't Alicia – only one person could ever be Alicia – but she was beautiful, intelligent, funny, kind and incredibly generous. She had her own charity to raise money for children in disadvantaged parts of the world who needed life-saving medical treatment. Cal had already promised her as large a donation as he could manage and he was hoping to persuade Ethan to do the same.

Taylor was telling him about some of the children she'd helped and Cal listened, completely enthralled.

"Cal?" called Zoe as he passed. She was talking to Rita.

He glanced at her without interest. Zoe might be a top consultant who did her best for her patients, but she'd never tried to make a difference to the world.

"Are you still going to be my partner for the dance contest?" asked Zoe.

Cal disliked her tone. She was asking a question, but it was very clear what she expected the answer to be. "Maybe. If nothing better comes along." He glanced hopefully at Taylor. He very much doubted she'd be dancing with Max and with those long limbs of hers… Cal breathed in sharply.

"Drop dead," said Zoe casually, and turned back to Rita.

David was standing in the corner, trying not to be noticed. He'd definitely been in two minds about coming when he had the perfect excuse not to, but he thought if he stayed away, that would only make Rita even more sure he was interested in her.

He didn't know if Rita had noticed him or not, but he knew he definitely mustn't go near her or look at her.

He didn't actually want to tell Rita he wasn't interested. That would hurt her feelings. But he was really hoping she'd work it out for herself .

"Hey."

David looked up and gasped. A blonde vision stood in front of him. She wasn't David's type at all, but she was the type to make him nervous.

You never knew whether girls like this were going to laugh at you or start tearing your clothes off. In David's experience, they almost always laughed, but there had been one… incident.

"I'm Dr Taylor Ashbie from St James'," said Taylor.

"I'm David Hide," said David, wishing he could do as his surname said.

"Will you be entering the dance contest later?"

"I, um, no," said David, who would probably rather have given himself a faecal impaction.

"Why not?" said Taylor. "A good-looking doctor like you."

"I can't dance," David managed to say. "And I'm not-"

Taylor smiled and took his hands in hers. "Oh, there's nothing to it. Come here and I'll show you." She pulled him off-balance and he staggered into her arms. She touched his bottom and he yelped.

He didn't think he'd been more terrified since the first time he'd met Connie.

"Two, three, cha-cha-cha! Very good, cha-cha-cha! Keep it up, cha-cha-cha!" Her hand slid down David's thigh. "Legs straight, remember." Her hand moved. "And keep moving that pert little bum of yours."

David pulled away from her in a panic. "You dance very well."

"Thanks. You know, you can hold me a little tighter. I won't bite you!" Her fingers dug into his bottom again.

"Taylor!" Cal was standing behind them, looking very put out.

Taylor turned and smiled. "Hey, Cal. I was just getting to know Dr Hide here."

Cal looked at David with mingled annoyance and respect. "That's Nurse Hide, Taylor. Staff Nurse Hide. Are you coming with me or what?"

Taylor gave David a look of contempt. "I knew you weren't a doctor," she said, and walked off with Cal.

Max slunk over to Zoe.

'Slunk' was the only word for it in her opinion.

"Hey," he said, sitting beside her.

"Hey," said Zoe.

Max moved closer to her. "I'm sorry about before. I just… actually, I don't even remember now."

"You implied I was a slapper," said Zoe.

"I'm sorry," said Max. "I didn't mean it and you're not. I love you and I know you'd never cheat on me."

Zoe grabbed his head and kissed him.

Max wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back. When they finally broke apart, he said: "Do you think it's too late to enter the dance contest?"

"It's never too late to try," said Zoe.

Louise stared at Iain in shock. "No way! That was you!?"

Iain nodded. He was starting to wonder if maybe he should have kept this to himself.

"You've got to tell her," said Louise. "I'm serious, Iain. And if you don't tell her, I will."