Chapter 10

A few days had passed since Connie had found out about Grace not coming back. She'd been keeping herself busy with work every day not getting home until late. Every night she'd get a call from Jacob checking she'd left the hospital and that she was okay. Secretly she enjoyed how much he cared about her and it was the first time she'd found herself smiling in a while.

It was the end of another long day as Connie started the drive home. She still hated the thought of not seeing her daughter but it meant she was able to work the shifts nobody else had been wanting to do. She had no idea what Jacob was doing but he no doubt had better places to be than she did.

Arriving home that night a strange feeling passed through her when she noticed someone sitting on the steps to her house. Turning off the engine and getting out of the car she smiled as he stood up and walked down to her. "What are you doing here?" He smiled taking a bag from her and turning to walk with her towards the door. "Well I know that you've been doing nothing but working recently and I thought I could make you dinner." The smile stayed on her face as she opened the front door and Jacob followed her in.

It was getting closer to Christmas but you couldn't get that from her house. "I'm not sure I've got anything in-" "I can work with that… So how was your day?" Connie laughed putting the bags down and sitting up at the counter. "We're really going to do this? Speak to each other like an old married couple about how our days went?"

Jacob laughed as he moved about her kitchen starting to cook something up. When he didn't say anything she spoke again. "It was busy, Hansen won't get off my case and there are so many Christmas lights in reception that we look like we're directing a ship to shore." He turned around to look at her as a small smile settled on her lips again.

After half an hour of Connie moving about the house putting things away she reappeared downstairs to see Jacob had set two places up at the table and was about to serve up dinner. "I didn't think you'd actually be able to do anything-" "Doubting my abilities Mrs B?" She bit her lip taking one of the seats before Jacob put the plates down and sat opposite her. "It smells amazing, thank you."

They ate quietly with some music playing in the background and Connie was the first to speak. "So come on then, why are you really here tonight?" "Can't a man treat his lady?" Connie had never really thought of herself as Jacob's and it rarely crossed her mind that they were slowly becoming more. "I also thought that it would be a good time to get to know you, away from the ED." She raised an eyebrow before tilting her head to one side. "You sure you want to go there again?"

"There must be things you want to know about me?" When she didn't say anything he spoke again. "Okay how about this, nothing serious. You say something and I'll say the first thing that comes into my head, then I'll carry on from whatever you say." She considered it a small smirk gracing her features as she put the fork down. "Alright then…"

"Okay. Hospital-" "Really?" Jacob looked across at her as she raised her hands. "Fine… Doctor-" "You-" "Boss-" "Annoying-" "You…" Jacob smiled as Connie folded her arms across her chairs and raised her eyebrow in an arch as she waited for him. "Nurse-" "Patients-" "You don't have any-" "Oh you're hilarious-" "Sarcasm?"

Connie smiled as she pushed back from the table and took the plates to the sink before turning back and wandering through to the living room. Jacob moved to sit beside her just smiling. "So what exactly was the point in that?" He sat back and looked back across at her "Made you smile didn't it?" Connie shook her head as she sat back and raised her legs on the sofa.

"What you said about wanting to know something about you-" "Yeah-" "Did you mean that?" He watched her for a moment before nodding. "Why did you agree to work at Holby?" He thought about sighing before resting his head back against the chair. "I needed a job, and you offered one… If you want to know why I became a nurse, it's because when my Mum wasn't well I knew there was nothing I could do to help her."

Connie watched as he spoke. "When she died I knew I needed to help people, to be able to make a difference and help people get better. Not stand back and watch them die around me." He felt Connie's hand on top of his as he looked back to her. "Why'd you become a doctor?" She smirked closing her eyes. "My father was always, encouraging shall we say, and pushed me into the medical world… I guess I just got used to it and found I was good at it."

It was nearing midnight and they were still sitting downstairs talking. "Now I thought I stuck my foot in it but you actually slept with him?" "I knew who he was, he just didn't know I was his new boss…" Jacob laughed as Connie put down her glass again. "It's getting late, I better leave you to it sweet cheeks." He stood up and started to walk around the sofa to get his jacket before Connie got up and stopped beside him. "You don't have to go you know."

Jacob smiled down as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Is that an invitation to stay Mrs Beauchamp?" She smiled as he leant down and placed his lips on hers. He could feel her smiling before she pulled away from him. "It might be Staff Nurse Masters but any mention of anything I told you tonight and you'll-" he kissed her again as she moved her hands around his neck. He lifted her off her feet and walked back through the room and headed upstairs with her.