The Doctor's Engagement

‘Well, call me so that I can watch.’ He flicked her cheek with a careless finger and glanced at his watch. ‘Have I got time for a shower before supper?’

‘Of course.’ Holly managed a casual smile, limp with relief that he hadn’t tried to kiss her. Oh, for goodness’ sake! What was the matter with her? This was Mark! Just Mark! Why was he making her feel so nervous? It was the whole situation, she decided. She’d been friends with Mark for more than two decades and trying to pretend to be anything different felt strange.

That was all it was. Nothing else. It was just uncomfortable, examining their relationship.

She finished preparing the salad and tried to ignore the uneasy feeling in her bones. Saturday would be the first time they’d really had to act as a couple. But it would be easy, she told herself firmly. It was just Mark after all...

CHAPTER FOUR

THE following evening Holly attended her first lifestyle clinic, along with Ian, Mark and a pretty dietician called Samantha.

‘All the patients coming to this clinic have had a previous myocardial infarction,’ Ian told her as they prepared for the clinic together. ‘The idea, really, is to give them ongoing support and encouragement. So if they’re trying to lose weight or stop smoking, we try and help in whatever way we can. That might be by using behaviourally oriented counselling, or just by giving moral support. I liked your idea of running a group discussion. Would you be prepared to start that tonight if people are keen?’

‘Of course.’ Holly gave him a swift smile and quickly checked that she was familiar with all the literature they were giving out. ‘This looks much the same as the material we used in my last practice, so there shouldn’t be a problem there.’

‘I use some of my own diet sheets,’ Samantha told her, delving into a large bag and bringing out a handful of booklets. ‘They’re usually popular because they’re pretty straightforward and easy to understand.’

Holly took the leaflets from her and glanced through them. ‘Oh, yes, these are good.’ She tucked a wayward strand of pale blonde hair behind her ear. ‘If we run a discussion group we could always get the patients to suggest recipes. If we collect enough we could do a practice recipe book.’

‘That’s a fantastic idea!’ Ian grinned at Mark. ‘Your fiancée is jolly creative, isn’t she?’

‘She’s amazing,’ Mark said softly, an intent look in his dark eyes as they fixed on her face. ‘And what about the exercise class, Holl? Did you ring the leisure centre?’

‘Yes.’ Holly blushed under his gaze, wishing he wouldn’t look as though he wanted to devour her. Wasn’t he taking the act a little too far? ‘They’ve given me a weekly slot on Monday evenings at seven o’clock. Caroline designed a poster for me on the computer this morning and I’ve got some handouts for people.’

She’d been surprised and relieved when Caroline had suggested working on a poster. After a few days off, the woman had seemed almost cheerful. Holly hoped that it was the start of a more comfortable working relationship.

‘What sort of class will you do?’ Samantha looked at her with interest and Holly smiled.

‘Well, basically it will be a general keep-fit session, suitable for everyone.’

‘Maybe I’ll come.’ Samantha flexed her muscles and did a little dance. ‘The only exercise I get is chewing lettuce leaves.’

‘Typical dietician.’ Mark rolled his eyes and gave her a crooked grin. ‘Why can’t you battle with saturated fat like the rest of the population?’

‘Probably because I’m a “typical dietician”,’ Samantha said tartly, ‘and, anyway, you’re a fine one to talk! You’re hardly out of shape yourself, Mark.’

They all glanced at Mark except Holly who studiously looked the other way. She was becoming a bit too conscious of just how good Mark’s body was and she didn’t want to think about it any more than necessary.

‘OK, folks.’ Ian glanced at his watch. ‘Let’s open the doors.’

After that there was a steady stream of people and Holly was kept busy checking blood pressures and talking about the importance of diet and exercise.

‘I’ve smoked forty a day since I was eighteen,’ one man told her gloomily, holding out his arm for the blood pressure check. ‘I know I need to stop, but I just can’t kick the habit.’

Holly checked his blood pressure and recorded it carefully. ‘It’s very hard, Mr Finn,’ she said quietly. ‘It’s an addiction, and if it was that easy to give up, everyone would have done so a long time ago. We need to try and find a way that will work for you.’

‘I’m full of good intentions and I’ve stopped quite a few times,’ he admitted, rubbing his craggy face with nicotine-stained fingers. ‘But I always start again.’

‘That’s often what happens when people try and battle with an addiction,’ Holly assured him. ‘Look on it as part of the giving up process. Modifying addictive behaviour isn’t easy. The important thing is that you keep trying! What makes you start again, do you know?’

‘Not really.’ He shrugged. ‘The first time I went to the pub and everyone else was smoking and that was that. The second time it was my daughter’s wedding and the wife was so stressed out I was desperate for a cigarette.’

‘What’s the longest time that you’ve given up for?’

‘Three months,’ he told her, and then gave a rueful grin. ‘And that was after my heart attack. I was too ill to lift a cigarette.’

Holly smiled but her eyes were serious. ‘You know how important it is to give up, don’t you, Mr Finn?’