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Chapter Three
It was late Friday afternoon, and as had become routine over the last five years of working together, Amy and Maggie McGill sat companionably on the couches in Amy’s office. Amy was a counselor at the Sydney Fertility Clinic, and Maggie one of the nursing co-coordinators.
“I saw an interesting case today,” Maggie said. “A gay couple that want to have a baby.”
“Men or women?”
“Women. They want the facts right now. They’re not ready to make any decisions. One of them will contact us if they need our assistance.”
“Sounds interesting. Count me in for counseling if they come back.”
“I will.” Maggie changed the subject. “Up to anything exciting tonight?”
“It’s Daniel’s sister’s thirtieth. She’s throwing a party at Bronte Beach.” Amy checked her watch. “Dan should be here any minute to collect me.”
“Brilliant.” Maggie beamed. “I can get a look at that incredible ass. You know”—she looked thoughtful—“it still beats me why you haven’t slept with him. If I had such a sexy friend, I’d want to spend all day shagging him.”
Amy shrugged. “The opportunity hasn’t arisen.”
“It’s not opportunity you want to arise. It’s his—”
Amy cut her off with a laugh. “I tell you this all the time. We’re friends. Period. Sex would kill our friendship, and I’m not willing to sacrifice Daniel for a night between the sheets.”
“He must be a stallion between the sheets.” Maggie’s eyes turned dreamy. “C’mon, admit there’ve been times you’ve wondered what it would be like.”
Amy shrugged. She’d thought about it more than she was willing to admit. “Sleeping with Daniel would screw up our friendship.”
“How?”
“You know him. He’s commitment phobic. He’d make a lousy boyfriend. He’s slept with more women in the last year than I’ve slept with men in my entire life. I won’t risk Daniel’s friendship for a quick fling. I’ve already lost one man I loved. It’s enough.”
“Getting rid of Simon was no loss. It was the best thing you could have done.”
Pain sliced through Amy, just like it did every time Simon’s name was mentioned.
His betrayal had been an agony she’d rather forget. Five months after finding him in bed with another woman, she still couldn’t think about him without her ribs tightening and her vision turning red.
She would never allow herself to be hurt like that again. Never. She’d watched her mother attempt to find love over and over after being similarly betrayed. Seen her slowly lose her faith in herself as her confidence was slammed time and again by men refusing to commit or remain faithful. Amy wouldn’t open herself up to the same kind of torment. She didn’t need a man to make her happy. She was perfectly content to be alone.
“It was.” Amy let out a shaky breath. “I don’t regret the breakup for one second. Even so, talking about him still gets to me. Right…here.” She patted her chest, eternally aware of the emptiness in a heart that had once been filled with trust and faith.
“It gets to you because Simon’s an asshole. He wasn’t worthy of your love.”
“I agree,” someone said from the doorway. “Simon’s an asshole.”
Amy’s heart lurched. She didn’t need to look up to know Daniel was in her office. Not only did she recognize his voice, she knew what he thought about Simon. Calling him an asshole was about the nicest thing he’d said about her ex.
She prayed Daniel hadn’t heard any of the preceding conversation, but when she looked up to read his face, she gasped and forgot her concerns. “Your hair!”
He’d cut it off. All his glorious golden curls…gone. Replaced by a short, dark blond layer of hair.
He looked rueful as he ran a hand over his head. “It was time for a change. What do you think?”
He looked so different, so unfamiliar. “I…it’s…fashionable.”
“That’s the best you can do?”
“I’m sorry. You look good.” He did. Quite yummy, in fact. The short length suited his face, accentuating his good looks. It highlighted his cheekbones and straight nose and turned his eyes a shade darker than a clear, blue pool. And his dimples seemed to have doubled in size. “You just don’t look like you.”