Daring To Date Her Ex. Annie Claydon

to rest.’

      ‘I do not.’

      ‘Have it your own way. I’m not taking you into a press conference wondering if you’ll be whipping out a paper bag to breathe into any moment. It’s not the most reassuring look.’

      ‘You don’t need to wonder. I’ve had my moment.’

      She seemed steady enough now, if a little washed out. Lucas got to his feet. ‘Stay here. I’ll handle it.’

      ‘We agreed that you and someone from the hospital should attend. Provide a cohesive response.’

      ‘Michael Freeman’s here. I’ll ask him to stand in.’

      A look of alarm crossed her face and he sat down again, wondering if he was going to need the paper bag again.

      ‘You will not. This is my job.’

      ‘Something to prove?’

      ‘Yes, of course I do. Don’t tell me that you’re any different.’

      Thea wasn’t fearless, never had been. Only those with no understanding of the consequences of a situation were completely without fear. But this was the response she’d always given to things that frightened her. She faced them, just to show who was boss.

      ‘I need to know, then.’

      She shrugged. ‘I don’t much like the idea of sitting in front of a crowd of people and being photographed. I’ve never been at a press conference before.’

      ‘Well, it’s not much like TV. No shouting and flashing bulbs, they’re usually quite civilised.’ He grinned. ‘The ones I give are, anyway.’

      ‘That’s a relief.’

      He chanced another question. ‘I hope you didn’t mind that I let Ava have your photograph to put on her board.’

      For a moment she truly didn’t see the connection, and then understanding dawned on her face. ‘Of course not. It was nice to see it again.’

      He nodded. ‘So you don’t mind old photos—just new ones.’

      She looked at him with that blank expression that signalled something she didn’t want to talk about. ‘Something like that.’

      ‘Okay. I’ll figure it out.’

      Half the puzzle had fallen into place, leaving the other half even more tantalisingly unknown than before. Everything that Thea did now seemed focussed on not drawing too much attention to herself. All he needed to know now was why that was so important to her.

      ‘Look, let’s just go and get this done.’ The old Thea surfaced suddenly. The one who didn’t let anything get in her way, not even him. If she had the assembled newsmen as firmly under her spell as she did him, they’d have nothing to worry about.

      ‘Wait a minute …’ He walked to the door, listening to make sure that no one was outside. He didn’t have a plan for what he might do if he heard anything.

      She slid past him and opened the door, to reveal an empty office. ‘I don’t imagine anyone’s got a problem with our inspecting the stockroom, have they?’

      He followed her outside, grinning. ‘No. I don’t imagine they have.’

      Thea braved it out. She didn’t feel all that brave and she was embarrassed that Lucas had found her having a panic attack in a cupboard, but he seemed to take that in his stride. He didn’t leave her side, ushering her to her seat and sitting down next to her. His bulk, the way he naturally drew everyone’s attention and seemed to absorb it with ease, was reassuring. She could do this. There would be no repeat of Bangladesh, no shouting, no name-calling. This was just a group of men and women, with notepads and voice recorders, who asked all the expected questions.

      ‘Splendid!’ Michael Freeman was smiling as they left their seats and the crowd in the room started to mingle. ‘I thought that went very well.’

      ‘Thanks.’

      ‘You showed a collaborative working relationship, with everyone in agreement as to the best way to proceed.’ Michael fixed her with a questioning look.

      ‘That’s how it is, Michael.’

      ‘You’d tell me if it wasn’t.’

      ‘Of course. This is too important—’ Thea broke off as a reporter with a camera appeared right in front of them.

      ‘Can I have a picture?’

      ‘Delighted. You’re from …?’ Suddenly Lucas was there, and it seemed that the camera was no longer pointing her way. Thea realised that she’d instinctively taken a few steps back, shrinking from the lens, and that Lucas had put himself in between her and the cameraman.

      ‘The local paper. You commented on our article.’