The Doctor Will See You Now

Best Laid Plans...

The instant he saw her, he knew it was going to be difficult.  She smiled brightly and reached up to kiss him. Her lips were soft, her affection overwhelming. He knew he should do it swiftly, cleanly, kindly.  He also knew it would hurt her beyond any misgivings he might have.

April had made a real effort. She'd had her hair done, she'd been for a manicure. Waxed and buffed and preened to perfection, she felt a million dollars. New dress, sexy but not cheap, new shoes; high and beautifully expensive. Every inch, the filmstars girlfriend.

She was, he had to admit, beautiful.  She was also not the woman he loved, and he knew it.

"April, love, you look gorgeous. Are you ready? Our table is booked for 8." He offered his arm and escorted her to the waiting taxi.  They'd a table booked at a discrete restaurant in the next large town, and Tom hoped that they would get some peace. This was going to be hard enough.

Sadly, he was to be disappointed. No sooner had they stepped out of the taxi when photographers descended on them.  Flashes and shouts accompanied them into the little restaurant. He sighed. There was now no way he could do this.  He couldn't come clean and leave her to run the gauntlet of the press afterwards.

What the hell had he been thinking? He should have had her to dinner at his flat. He was a fool and a coward. 

To her credit, April smiled and handled the attention with style and aplomb. Walking swiftly in, head bowed, neutral expression, she only stopped when the door was closed behind them.

"Wow! That was intense. How on earth will I ever get used to that!" She laughed, the inference that it would be an ongoing problem, not lost on either of them.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about them, love.  You seem to have gotten the hang of it already!" His compliment was genuine, his reasons for them not quite so clear.

"Please, your table is ready if you'd like to follow me?" The waiter led them to a booth near the back of the room, presented them with their menu's and retreated to fetch the wine Tom had instantly requested.

He was going to need it.

The meal was, on a personal level, a disaster. They talked about everything and nothing. Chatted about work, about acting in general and slowly, they got more and more entangled, not less.  Tom began to drink a little more than he should. Not slurring drunk by ANY means, just tipsy enough to forget he was supposed to be splitting from April, not coming on to her.

It was just easier. It was just simpler. It was just the drink and that bloody short dress. He was, if nothing else, a red-blooded man. The sight of her in the teal - yes, it HAD to be that didn't it - fabric hugging her thighs, was making him feel things that he knew he shouldn't give in to.

Tired of fighting his conscience, afraid to leave her to the pack of wolves waiting outside, he gave in.

"Let's have coffee at mine?" He said huskily.  Coffee would help him sober up.  His flat the privacy they needed for him to be honest.

She smiled and bit her lip. "That would be perfect. I have a feeling there's something you want to say - or maybe do?" Her eyes glittered, and in his inebriated state, he nodded.

"Oh darling, you have NO idea."

The next morning, he woke and wondered how the hell the herd of elephants had managed to get into his head.  Groaning, he rolled over, and as he opened his eyes, he was almost up and out of the bed before he'd drawn breath.  Oh, good God! April lay sprawled naked in his bed, her shoulder covered in purple lovebites, her naked form marked in a reddened trail down to her core, where he had - and this came back to him in a nauseous rush - decided to mark 'his woman' with his lips. What in GOD'S NAME had gotten into him. 

He staggered into the bathroom and vomited into the toilet.  Flushing it and rinsing his mouth, he looked in the mirror. FUCK A BLOODY DUCK! It seemed he was not the only one with the urge to brand his lover. His neck was a patchwork of nips and bruises.

Hanging his head in shame, he walked back through. April stirred and smiled coquettishly. "Morning!" She cooed, holding out her hands."Come back to bed, Daddy, and I promise to be a good kitten for you."

"K-kitten?" He could barely make his voice work.

"Yes, Daddy?" She crawled on all fours across the bed, coming to kneel in front of him as he stood at the foot of the bed. "What can I do for you? You said I would be rewarded for being a good kitten. And you said I was a VERY good little kitten last night, Daddy." Her hands roamed up his body, tracing the muscles of his abdomen and chest. As she reached his neck, she looked at him and, for the first time, saw the horror in his eyes.

Not for the first time in her life, April kicked into survivor mode. She smiled, "It's ok, Tom. This is our little secret. And secret it will remain. I may be many things, but kiss and tell blackmailer? No. You can rely on me." The tone of her voice was sincere, the emotion in her eyes genuine. He knew instinctively he could trust her. 

"Thank you." He sighed."We really do need to talk..." At that moment, the door rang, and he jumped.  "SHIT!"

Grabbing her clothes, he grabbed her and shoved her into the bathroom. "Please, just for a minute, till I see who it is, whether it's safe for you."

Before she had a chance to object, he'd closed the door and donned his dressing gown, marching to the still ringing front door.

"Tom!" Luke's voice boomed out, then stopped."Jesus man, you look wasted! Good night?" He barged in and on towards the kitchen. "So, how did the meal with... what the absolute FECKING NORA happened to you?" His voice was loud. There was no way he wouldn't be heard in the bathroom.  "I would never have said Ruth was a chewer! You MUST be good!" He winked and switched on the kettle.  Tom leant pale and shaking on the sink, trying to get Luke to stop digging his grave for him.

Grabbing two mugs, he babbled on. "ok, so I know a gentleman never tells, but thank god you two got it together finally.  She's been wasting away for you, thank god you saw sense and ditched..." he stopped as he saw Tom's face.

Luke was standing, back to the door, as Tom stared not at him but over his shoulder.  There was a look on his face that was a mixture of fear, sadness, embarrassment, and shame.

"She's behind me, isn't she?"

Tom nodded.

"It's not Ruth, is it?"

Tom shook his head.

"Fuck."

"Yep."

Luke turned and there she stood, now fully dressed and ready to leave.  To her credit, she kept her head high, a smile plastered on her face.

"Good morning, Luke.  Are you well? Tom I'll be going now, don't worry, I've called a taxi.  Thanks for everything and please, don't worry. I intend to keep my side of the agreement.  We can at least be adults, be friends, even if we can't be lovers. See you on set." She nodded to them both, and with a quiet dignity beyond her years, she left. 

Luke turned to Tom and let out a low whistle.  "I have NO idea how you do it. If I could bottle it, I would be a very rich man by now.  Come one, let's get some breakfast, and you can tell me what you intend to do about Ruth."

"Ruth?"

"Yes, you know, the woman you should actually be sleeping with these days?"

Luke guided the shell-shocked man back to his bedroom.  This would need careful handling. If Ruth got wind....

He was too late, she already had.