The Doctor's Diamond Proposal

But she rallied beautifully. ‘Yes. It’ll be me.’

‘I’m trying to get some ten or fifteen minute slots on our Community Affairs programme in addition to that. That’ll involve me spending some time with you, and seeing your work first-hand. I assume you have no objections to that?’

‘We’d welcome it. What do you have in mind?’

‘I’ll be making reports, and probably writing a few articles for our website. And there’ll be an outside broadcast...’ He fell silent. He could see from her face that Alex had an issue with that, and he waited for her to put it into words.

‘Would you be happy to fit in with our way of doing things? Our first priority is the young people we serve, and if we needed to change that emphasis to accommodate you we’d have some difficulty.’

She’d have no difficulty in changing; she just wasn’t prepared to do it. Good for her. ‘We’d be there to observe. Low-profile isn’t my usual approach, so I’ll be giving those muscles a little much-needed exercise.’

Her pursed lips reminded him of a severe version of a kiss. ‘That’s part of what we do. Help exercise under-used muscles.’

‘We’ll stay flexible, then.’ He imagined that Alex was just as used to acting on her own initiative as he was, and that might be interesting. Even so, it was time to flex the muscles he did use regularly and remind her who was in charge of this project.

‘2KZ has broadcast to the whole of London for more than thirty years now. Interviews with young people appeal to our listeners and we know how to do them appropriately and with all the necessary safeguards and permissions. We give our listeners what they want, and outside broadcasts are very good for ratings.’

Another disapproving look. Maybe he needed to mention that ratings weren’t just a number on a spreadsheet; they represented hearts and minds. She might deal in hearts and minds but she couldn’t reach them without his domination of the ratings lists.

Despite all that disapproval, she came to the right decision. ‘That sounds excellent. As long as our young people are properly supported and safeguarded, I think an outside broadcast would certainly be something we’d be keen to do.’

‘Good. Anything else?’

‘Yes, would you mind if we featured the spotlight on our website?’

‘We’d welcome it. We can provide you with artwork if that’s of any help. I’ll have our in-house designer get in touch with... You have a web designer?’

‘That’s me, actually.’ She shrugged. ‘I’m afraid it’s not very professional. One of those standard template designs...’

He’d looked at her website briefly and had been very favourably impressed. ‘If you like, I can set up a call with our designer. She’s got a lot of experience with liaising with other organisations we partner with, and a conversation might be helpful.’

‘Thank you. I’d be grateful for any suggestions she has.’ Alex paused, squeezing her hands together. She seemed to have something else on her mind.

‘If there are any other issues, now’s the time to raise them. We have a very tight schedule on this.’

‘I’ve never been on the radio before...’ And she was clearly terrified at the prospect.

‘That’s what I’m there for. I ask a few questions, to steer things in the right direction, and step in when you dry up...’ He couldn’t help smiling when Alex’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Everyone dries up first time. It’s expected.’

‘Right. I’ll try not to do it too much.’

‘Be yourself. Don’t think about it too much; just say what you want to say. There’s a seven second broadcast delay, which allows us to catch anything too bad before it airs. It’s supposed to be so that we can cut any profanity, but it works pretty well if you suddenly find you’ve forgotten what you were about to say.’

‘I won’t forget. This is really important to me, and I want to do it well.’

Leo nodded, taking a sip of his tea. ‘That’s exactly what I wanted to hear. Hold that thought and you’ll be fine.’

* * *

He seemed to have loosened up a bit, which was good, because the giddy chicane of Leo’s questioning, and his efficient, autocratic way of doing things, had left her almost weak with exhaustion. He took a thick card from his jacket pocket and handed it to her.

‘Here’s my number. I dare say that our PR department will be bombarding you with all kinds of details that don’t really matter. If you want to cut through all of that, give me a call.’

Alex looked at the card. It was printed with Leo’s name and a mobile phone number. She’d never met anyone who had personal calling cards before. ‘Thank you. But I don’t want to bother you...’

‘You won’t be. It’s always better to sort things out direct, and we don’t have any time for messing about.’ His gaze raked her face but he said nothing more. Perhaps he’d called her, ten years ago. Maybe she should explain why she hadn’t called back, but Alex couldn’t think of a tactful way to approach that conversation.

‘Yes. Thank you. Can I give you my number?’ Alex rummaged in her bag and found the box of cards with the charity’s contact details, scribbling her own name and mobile number on the back and handing it to him.

‘Thank you.’ He glanced at the card and put it in his pocket, seeming to relax a little now that the business of the afternoon had been despatched. ‘It’s good to see you again, Alex. If I’d known it was you, I’d have come in costume...’

‘Then I’d have had to do the same.’

His lips twitched into a smile. Pure, seductive charm, which rushed straight to her head. ‘That would have been the one and only thing which would have persuaded me to leave home looking so outrageously foolish.’

Alex had rather liked outrageously foolish. Clearly Leo didn’t any more.

‘It’s just as well you didn’t know, then.’

She grabbed her bag, wondering if she was supposed to leave now, and he stood immediately. Leo was done with her now, and about to move on to the next thing on his agenda.

It wasn’t until she was walking away that Alex realised that there was one thing he hadn’t asked, one thing he hadn’t done. Her CV stated quite clearly that losing the lower part of her right leg in a car accident and her subsequent rehabilitation had inspired her to study physiotherapy and then to found Together Our Way. But, even though his questions had been searching and thorough, he hadn’t brought the subject up, nor had his eyes wandered to where the prosthesis was hidden beneath the fabric of her trousers.

She should be pleased. Alex sometimes had to struggle to get people to see past her accident and the loss of her leg, and that was exactly what Leo had done. It was chastening, though. He might have remembered her, but it seemed he cared so little about her that he hadn’t even mentioned it.

* * *

Leo watched her go, wondering if the tremble of his limbs was some kind of delayed shock. The last time she’d walked away from him, he hadn’t seen her for another ten years. He had no doubt that this time would be different, but he still couldn’t help feeling that he wanted to call after her.

But running after Alex was a very bad idea. She was committed and clever, and the amount she’d achieved in the last ten years was nothing short of extraordinary. When she smiled at him the warmth in her eyes was mesmerising, reflecting all the possibilities that he no longer had it in his heart to believe in. Ten years ago, he’d been as much in love with her as it was possible to be after only one night together, but now love wasn’t on his agenda.

The memory of the night they’d met, the dizzy rush of blood to his head, the tingle as all his senses went into overdrive, almost overwhelmed him. But all that was in the past. He just couldn’t contemplate a relationship, that bond that required his full commitment, his full attention.

He looked at his watch and signalled to the waiter for the bill. He’d have to leave now, if he wasn’t going to be late for his next appointment.

Leo stood, stretching his limbs. There really was no choice about this. If he pulled out, then 2KZ had no other suitable applicants who could respond at such short notice. If she pulled out, then Together Our Way would lose a golden opportunity to increase public awareness about their work. And if his association with Alex didn’t look as if it was going to be all plain sailing, then he’d deal with that as it happened.

CHAPTER THREE (#ue0595be4-75b7-5408-9170-6fc9a6d2e3fa)

LEO KEPT HIS PROMISES. A letter, confirming what they’d discussed, arrived at her office the next morning. When the negotiations over the outside broadcast had stalled, he had called and spoken to Alex about it, then gone away and sorted the whole thing out within ten minutes. He was perceptive, intelligent and he made things happen.

She listened to his radio show without fail, telling herself that the sound of Leo’s voice was an incidental pleasure and that preparing herself for what was to come was the real object. The on-air version of Leo was slightly different from the one she’d met, still astute and probing but not so confrontational, his gentle charm putting people at ease and encouraging them to talk.

Afraid to trust in either the public face or the private one, she left most of the liaison to Rhona, picking up her normal duties in return. Two weeks, a week—and then there was no avoiding it. Everything was arranged, and the following Monday saw the first of her guest appearances on the Dr Leo Cross medical phone-in show.

Alex had arrived at the radio station at six, two hours before the show was due to start. Half an hour had been taken up with a short induction from one of the production assistants, and then she’d been taken to an empty studio to have a look around. Leo was due to arrive at seven, but Alex was reliably informed that he was always late.

‘What are you reading?’ She’d given up looking at her watch and was sitting alone in the restroom, trying to read, when she heard Leo’s voice.