Episode 2

Jay looked about his surrounding in astonishment. They were in the hospital cafeteria in Dunedin.

What the hell?

They had cancelled their full week of fun extreme sports and drove through the snow-covered, dangerous, twisty road for three hours from Queenstown for this? Looking at elderly patients eating their lunch? If this was Peter's way of making a joke, then it was a very bad one. This was beyond him, Jay thought, as he watched an elderly patient sitting across the table from them trying with her shaky, wrinkle hand to pick up her sandwich.

"What the hell are we doing here?" Jay hissed. He felt rather self-conscious even though he had dressed down. It seemed as though the people in this part of the world couldn't care less what they looked like. Most were dressed in baggy clothing. But then again, Jay told himself, they were in the hospital. Who the hell care what they looked like when they were more worried about their health?

"Looking for a new girlfriend for you," Peter said enthusiastically.

"Very funny," Jay snapped, picked up his ham sandwich and took a bite.

Suddenly a large group of young doctors rushed into the cafeteria with trays of food and drinks in their hands. Some were wearing green or blue gown, while other, the younger ones which Jay thought the women looked quite hot, wore semi formal clothing with stethoscopes around their necks.

"Hey, I can tell you like the looks of this," Peter said, his mouth full of food as they watch the doctors taking their seats not far from them.

"Is she a doctor?" Jay asked.

Peter shook his head.

"A nurse?" Jay said as a pack of young and old nurses wearing dark blue uniform filed into the cafeteria.

Again Peter shook his head.

"What does she do? You said you know her," Jay said, watching a pretty, young doctor walking toward them.

She looked very attractive--long legs in heels, medium brown hair that flowed down her back, full lips, and a bedroom eyes. Perfect!

Peter nodded. "Of course I know her," he said. "She's exactly what the criteria are not."

"What? But she's perfect," Jay said, watching the woman eyeing him with a female interest. Then she smiled at him. My God, he thought, she was beautiful. She could be a model if she wanted to only she was a doctor, which was even better. She had the brain and possibly a good family background. What about manner? He had no doubt that she had excellent manner because he couldn't imagine her yelling and screaming insanely at her sick, elderly patients.

Yup, she fitted the criteria all right.

"Really? That's good. I'm glad you agree," Peter said, eyeing the woman coming toward them. He waved and she approached the seat opposite them.

"Hey, you," she said. "I though you're on holiday. What you doing back here?"

Jay liked the sound of her voice. It was soft and sweet. Even better.

"Mary, this is Jayden, a friend of mine," Jay said, nodding toward Jay.

"Hi," Mary said, shaking Jay's hand.

Jay liked her hand too. It was soft and gentle.

"So how is your holiday going?" she asked. "You're not back before you're due, right?"

Peter shook his head. "Not until another week."

She nodded prettily and then turned to Jayden. "So where are you from?" she asked, looking at Jay, her eyes sparkling.

"America," Jay said.

"I like your accent," she said, laughing, delicately brushing her hair over one nice shoulder. "So what brings you down to good old New Zealand?"

"Holiday," Jay said.

"Having fun so far?" she asked, leaning toward him across the table. Then beep, beep, beep. She looked down and said, "Oh damn, my pager. Excuse me for a sec." She got up and rushed to the phone on the far side of the room.

"She fits part of the criteria so far," Jay said, watching Mary. He saw her eyeing him as she was talking into the phone and jotting down notes.

"How do you know when you haven't met her yet?" Peter asked, sipping his coffee.

Jay glanced at Peter and frowned. "Mary," he said.

"Nope," Peter said. "Not Mary. Her." He nodded toward the far entrance of the cafeteria.

Jay glanced that way and his frown darkened into a scowl. This girl who was walking toward them with a satchel over her small shoulder and a cup of tea in one hand was nothing like what he had expected. She didn't fit the criteria. Period!

So let us do the criteria check list then, Jay thought. She was too short. He estimated her no more than five feet and two inches, if she was lucky. She was not pretty. In fact she was very plain. She was also a mess. Those old jeans that had seen better days did not look like they fit her properly at all. Her baggy jersey with an odd, dull grey colour didn't help with her skin tone either. It made her face look pale and ghostly. Her long, dark hair was also a mess. Not to mention that long bangs that was hiding eyes.

As she was walking toward them, Jay couldn't help but stared at her intensely. She looked nervous, like a frighten kitten.

She glanced at them, gave Peter a fleeting smile, and rushed pass them.

"What do you think?" Peter asked.

"Not her," Jay said, his gut retching with dread. "Please tell me it's not her."

"It's her," Peter said, chuckling. "She's exactly the opposite of the criteria. Once your family sees her, they will leave you alone."

"How do you know that for sure?" Jay asked. "How do you know they'll leave me to my bachelor life alone?"

"Because they will give up. If you tell them and show them that she is the type of girl you are in love with, and, mate, I know you don't at the moment, they will give up in the end and they will leave you alone," Peter said, smiling, crossing his arm across his chest as he relaxed back against the chair.

Mary finished her phone call then and joined them.

"How's work?" Peter asked.

"Good," Mary replied. She turned to Jayden. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Jay said, sounded much deflated.

***

Though her eyes were on her book, Alexandra Stewart, known as Alex to close friends and relative, knew he was still watching her. Odd that somehow he had switched seat and was now facing in her direction. Perhaps he wanted to sit next to that pretty young doctor.

She thought that the doctor was really hitting on him. She wasn't surprise of course. The man was super hot what with his blonde hair and trimmed, tall physic. She had never seen the likes of him around in Dunedin. He had that strong, powerful aura about him telling insignificant people like her that he was the leader, the alpha wolf. She could just see the words flashing on top of his head like a sign displaying on a shop window. Don't challenge me or I'll eat you up for breakfast.

Why was he watching her in such an intense way though? Who was he? Why was he sitting with Peter? Were they friends?

None of your business--Alex told herself firmly. She bit her lip and tried to concentrate on her novel.

Her attempt at understanding how Hercules Poirot managed to pick up all the clues with his little grey cells and figured out who the murderer was and what the motive was, however, eluded her because her mind suddenly switched to that of her dad.

Where was she going to get that huge sum of money? Would her dad be able to wait that long? A full year or two for heart surgery?

His heart was getting worst. He needed surgery and fast as Peter, a cardiologist in this hospital and also a long time family friend, had told her. But Dad's condition wasn't severe enough for him to be at the top of the list for surgery in the public hospital. There was simply no fund for such things.

They had agreed that she should get a personal loan from the bank so Dad could get his transplant done privately. But the bank had refused her application because they had calculated that with her modest income as a lab scientist plus her mother's income as a sale person, they wouldn't be able to afford the repayment of the loan because they already had the mortgage to think about. Further more, there was still her student loan and the family living cost. Then there was her younger brother, Timothy, and younger sister, Emma. Tim was just about to finish his high school and uni was just around the corner. Emma still had a couple of years to go, but...

She gritted her teeth in frustration. If that stupid company hadn't given Dad his redundancy because they were closing down the factory here in Dunedin and moving it overseas for cheaper labour, then Dad hadn't gotten so stress trying to find another job to support the family which led to his mild heart attack a year ago. The incident had also led the doctor to find another problem with Dad. They had found that he has an abnormal mitral valve and he needs it replaced--fast.

Oh, how she now wish that Dad had the foresight years ago to take on health insurance. But now it was too late.

She glanced up and found Peter, his friend, and the pretty doctor getting up from their seats and walking toward the exit.

She sighed. Well she supposed she should get going too. Back to work for her.

She tidied up, wrapped the satchel over her shoulder, and picked up her half empty, cold tea.

Once again she was deep in thought, her eyes on her the threat bare floor as she headed toward the conveyer. She was turning the corner and then thump--

She toddled backward. Tea splashed on her and the person she bumped into. The dark, warm liquid drenched her jersey, soaking deep onto her skin.

A pair of strong hands caught her arms before she fell to the floor and embarrasses herself.

Alex could feel his strength and warmness. She had never felt anything like it before. It was very comforting.

"You all right?" she heard him say.

Alex could only stare at the expensive jacket that was now soaking wet with dark, tea stain.

"God, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. Are you okay?" she asked. As she was apologising, her hands were busy cleaning his jacket. "I'm sorry," she repeated, glancing up at him.

Once her eyes met his, she gasped and froze.

It's him. It's Peter's friend.

She was lost in the depth blue of his eyes. The colour reminded her of those lovely summer days years ago at the farm where she had used to work as fruit picker. Suddenly she could smell the sweetness of ripe strawberries. She didn't know where it was from but it was there. She remembered the feel of the long, soft grasses and cool sprinkling water against her skin. How she missed those things. Those wonderful, simple things. Those things that was so carefree.

When she realises that he was also gazing down at her in that disturbing intense way again, she blushed, casted her head down and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I'll just get some napkins and clean your jacket up for you." That said, she picked up the now empty cup on the floor and put it on the conveyer. Then she rushed over to the table stationed near the wall, grabbed a handful of napkins, and started patting his jacket dry.

Jay watched her as she was doing all that. She was fast for such a little thing, he thought.

"That's okay," he finally said and grabbed her hands so she could stop cleaning him.

Alex jumped at the contact. No one had ever touched her in such an intimate way before. Her nerves were jumping with excitement. But she was also very nervous.

"It'll wash out," Jay said, letting her hands go once he had seen that uncomfortable look on her face.

"I'm truly sorry," she said. "I'm not usually that clumsy." She glanced up and saw him raising an eye brow at her. "There. It's kind of dry now. Sorry again."

"Don't worry about it," he said.

"Sorry," she repeated, walked over to the bin and threw the wet napkins in. "Have a good day, sir," she said and strolled down the corridor.

"Hey, you work here?" Jay shouted after her.

She turned and nodded. "Yeah, are you lost or something? Did Peter dessert you?"

"No he didn't. I, err... What's your name?" he asked, rushing toward her. "You a friend of Peter?"

"Yeah, he's a family friend," she replied and then hesitated for a moment. "It's Alexandra," she said finally. "Look I have to go back to work. To get out just go this way and turn right and then down the stairs to the main reception. Got it?"

Jay nodded.

"Sorry again about that tea. As I said I'm not usually that clumsy. Bye now."

And then she was gone.

Jay rushed down the stairs thinking of how pretty her dark brown eyes were. There was something deep in her eyes. Something that affected him in a good way and made him felt warm inside.

He met up with Peter who was waiting for him impatiently near the reception desk.

"What took you so long?" he asked.

"I couldn't find the bathroom after all," Jay said.

As they walked out the door of the hospital, Jay thought--so she's not usually that clumsy, is she?

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