‘The reluctant martyr,’ she groaned.
‘What?’
And suddenly she was angry. ‘How do you think this makes me feel-that you’re being dragged into my life by your toenails, kicking and screaming. Butt out.’
‘Maggie, I-’
‘I’ve already confessed how I feel,’ she snapped. ‘How much pride have I lost? There’s only one thing you can say after a confession like that and it’s goodbye.’
‘I don’t want to say…’
‘No, and neither do I,’ she confessed, still furious. ‘But we don’t have a choice. Maybe we can think about things after the birth, after I get some normality back into my life. But not now.’
‘You need help.’
‘Stop it,’ she said. ‘Just cut it out or you’ll have me agreeing with you, and how scary’s that?’
‘It’s not in the least scary.’
‘What, to have me clinging to you?’
‘Maggie…’
‘Stop it,’ she ordered. ‘Max, just cut it out and go back to your life. Please.’
‘Do you really want me to?’
‘Of course I don’t, but it’s the only sensible thing to do.’
‘Do you want to be sensible?’
‘No!’ She was practically yelling at him. Patients were looking at them. Staff were looking at them. Maggie glanced around and suddenly she shrugged and a spark of mischief replaced the anger. Mischief and something more. ‘Of course I don’t want to be sensible, but I do need to go home. But if you’re really intent on following… Maybe I’d better warn you what you’d be in for if you really let me need you. Let’s see me not be sensible.’
And before he knew what she intended-before he could begin to guess-she seized his shoulders, she stood on tiptoe and kissed him.
And this was a
For that was what she did. She melted. Her lips were like fire, and the heat she gave him, the strength, the passion, the surety…It took his breath away.
It took him away. His sensible self. The Max who thought things out logically. The Max who thought he was in control.
This was a man and a woman, and between them was a need as primitive as time itself.
He was holding her close and he was falling…falling…For it was no longer Maggie who was doing the kissing. He was kissing her, holding her, taking her to him. Claiming her as his own.
And they were being cheered.
At a subconscious level he heard the cheers and knew he should pull away, only that would mean letting her go, and to let her go was impossible.
He’d never felt such heat. Never felt such fire.
Her mouth was open under his and he felt her tongue start its own sweet exploration. His hands tugged her closer and he kissed her back, demanding as well as giving, taking passion, taking sweetness and heat, taking joy…
The clapping and laughter around them was growing louder. More raucous.
And then there was an apologetic murmur. A hand on his shoulder was tugging him back. There was laughter right beside him, and the hand on his shoulder was insistent. Someone-not Maggie-was determined that he move.
Reluctantly he propelled Maggie away from him, holding her by her shoulders until she was steady. She stood back, looking astonished at her own temerity, while around them patients and staff erupted into applause. The guy at his shoulder was an orderly at the head of a trolley, wanting to get past. The patient on the trolley was laughing, too, but the orderly was inexorably pushing them both aside.
‘Bedrooms are upstairs, mate,’ he said, smiling.
‘It’s young love,’ an old lady on a nearby examination table said.
‘At it like rabbits,’ a kid on a trolley called out, and Max found himself blushing from the toes up.
‘I just rang Anton and told him you were here,’ Sue-Ellen called from behind them, apologetically. ‘He needs you right away.’
And to Max’s astonishment, Maggie grinned at their audience and gave Sue-Ellen a cheery wave.
‘Take him,’ she called. ‘He’s all yours now.’
‘I don’t think I want him,’ Sue-Ellen said, grinning back. ‘He’s looking used.’
‘If he’s second hand I’ll take him,’ the old lady called. ‘He looks like there’s still a bit of life in him yet.’
‘All the same-out of here,’ Sue-Ellen said, laughing. ‘If we can’t deliver your baby, Maggie, you’ll have to leave. We’ve got an influx expected.’
‘Trouble?’ Max asked, fighting hard for composure, and Sue-Ellen’s smile faded.
‘Probably. This power grid problem’s not going away and half the city seems to be affected. The power cuts over the last few days seem to be minor in comparison. You’d think drivers would think no traffic lights means slow down. Try telling that to the moronic driver who caused your accident. We’re hearing there’s accidents all over the place. The only reason we’re not rushed off our feet already is that the traffic’s so gridlocked it’s taking ages getting ambulances to us.’
And it seemed as if the outside world was breaking in from all directions. ‘Max!’ Through the swinging doors burst Anton. ‘Where the hell have you been? I’ve been trying to contact you. We’ve got a bleeder. Theatre three.’
‘Maggie, if the traffic’s a problem…’ Max started, but Maggie was already backing away.
‘It wasn’t a problem on the way in,’ Maggie said. ‘Even if it is, I’ll just find a cafe and sit it out until the power comes back on.’
‘I don’t want you-’
‘No,’ she said, giving a firm nod. ‘You don’t. You have work to do and I’m in the way.’
‘Max,’ Anton said, warningly. ‘This can’t wait.’
‘Goodbye Max,’ Maggie said, and tried to smile. She walked away, leaving him staring through the glass doors after her.
‘Max,’ Anton said again, sounding more urgent.
‘I’m coming.’
‘Should I find someone else?’ Anton demanded, watching his face.
‘No. No,’ he repeated, more firmly. ‘She’ll be okay. She has time.’
‘Time until the baby’s due, or time until you go after her?’ Anton said.
He didn’t answer but he didn’t have to. He knew what Maggie wanted. Her body had just told him, and he knew he wanted the same.
How soon could he go to her?
There didn’t seem to be any cabs, so Maggie took a bus, and, as Sue-Ellen had warned, the traffic was a nightmare. Every set of traffic lights was out.
The city was descending into darkness but, weirdly, people were being friendlier than she’d ever known. The lack of traffic lights, the series of mostly minor accidents at uncontrolled intersections meant that traffic was going nowhere. People sat patiently on Maggie’s bus, discussing whether the supermarkets would be open for candles, where they could get long-life milk, ice, something for dinner that didn’t need cooking.
Someone had a tiny keyring pig from a Christmas cracker that oinked every time he shone its nose light. ‘I’m going to do my supermarket shopping by pig,’ he told his fellow passengers as after two hours on the bus everyone gave up waiting and decided the only way anyone was getting anywhere was on foot.
Maggie tried to smile. Normally she’d think this was fun, but too much had happened today and her back was starting to ache. She was still half a mile from her apartment when the bus stopped. Weariness and the shock of the day was taking its toll. She really didn’t want to walk.
There were no cabs. She had no choice.
