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Chapter 16
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The Ultimate Loser Chapter 17
It rained all day Friday as if to match her dismal mood, and it was still raining the Monday of the following week when she went to work in the morning. The weather did not keep the patients away, and dripping raincoats and umbrellas left puddles of water on the tiled floor in the reception area. The waiting room was packed when Dr Cleave from his early morning rounds at the hospital, and it took almost three chaotic hours before the waiting room started clearing.It was during the course of that morning that Theo Allen telephoned to invite Elena to dine with him at his restaurant in town.A refusal sprang to her lips, and then she thought, why not? She had not seen Theo for some weeks, and having dinner with him would be preferable to spending another evening alone at home with nothing but her miserable thoughts for company.She accepted his invitation and, knowing that she was busy,he ended their brief conversation with an abrupt, "I’ll pick you up at seven."Elena did not question
The Ultimate Loser Chapter 18
Theo placed their order and plied her with wine until their escargots were served. The wine had perhaps made her adventurous, she could not be sure, but she actually enjoyed her first taste of snails, and she relaxed to enjoy the rest of their meal.‘Dr Lynch came into the restaurant one evening to sample our cuisine.’ Theo remarked some time later when they were drinking their coffee, and Elena’s heart seemed to jerk uncomfortably in her chest at the topic he had chosen for conversation. ‘ I suppose you have heard that he’s the fellow who bought Rose Gardens from Lady Mint.’ Theo elaborated on the subject,’ and I must say that the lady who accompanied the good doctor was quite a dish.’‘Mr Stephan is a specialist, and so doesn’t use the title Doctor,’ Elena explained, raising her cup to a sip of strong, aromatic coffee, and congratulating herself on the fact that she could speak without the tremor in her voice.‘Do you know him?’ Theo pounced unexpectedly.‘Yes,’ she answered him abr
The Ultimate Loser Chapter 19
An owl hooted in a tree close to the cottage when Theo drove away, and Elena shivered involuntarily as she stood watching the Mercedes’ tail-lights disappear down the lane, leaving her alone with Stephan. Wisp of clouds drifted across the moon to bathe the earth in an eerie darkness, and the owl hooted once again as Elena turned to see Stephan push himself away from his car.She could not see his face, but his tall frame was an ominous shadow moving towards her, and her hand fluttered nervously towards the gate to grip it firmly. ‘What are you doing here at this time of the night?’‘I was waiting for you,’ he drawled with a ring of mockery in his deep voice. ‘ I thought it might be interesting to meet your latest conquest, but he left in such a hurry that I never caught a glimpse of the unfortunate fellow.’Your latest conquest! an unfortunate fellow! Her throat tightened as if she had swallowed a hot piece of food that refused to go down.‘Go away, Stephan!’ she hissed through her te
The Ultimate Loser Chapter 20
Elena was shattered by the mental picture he had painted of her, and horror and revulsion fought for supremacy when she forced herself to meet his cold, contemptuous stare. ‘Stephan, it..it was like that at all!’‘How do you manage to look so innocently sincere while all the time you’re a lying little bitch? he demanded with a stinging disdain that was like a savage crushing blow delivered directly to her heart. ‘. The water is boiling,’ he changed the subject abruptly, glancing beyond her.Only then did she hear the high-pitched whistle, and she turned sharply to switch off the kettle. Her hand shook violently when she lifted the kettle to pour water into one of the cups, and she somehow missed her mark, to pour boiling water over her hand which was resting on the cupboard beside the cup.Her gasp of pain coincided with Stephan’s exclamation of anger, and her hand was snatched and held beneath the cold water tap. The flow of water eased the sting while Stephan took a tray of ice cube
The Ultimate Loser Chapter 21
Elena did not hear her alarm go off the following morning , and it was the persistent ringing of the telephone in the lounge which finally managed to rouse her at seven o’ clock. She leapt out of bed, snatching her cotton robe and putting it on as she staggered barefoot from the bedroom into the lounge. Are you all right, Elena?’ Theo’s voice demanded when she had snatched the receiver, and his anxiety was understandable when memories of the previous night came flooding back into her mind.Yes, I’m fine, she assured hi,, subsiding weakly into the nearest chair and staring at the pink hue on her left hand which was still tender to the touch.‘Am I going to see you again?’His uncertainty was touching, and it was perhaps unwise of her, but she saw in Theo the sanctuary she needed so desperately In this emotional storm which had erupted over her head.I’ll see you whenever you wish Theo,’ she replied as she pushed her tousled hair out of her faces and she could hear him sighing in relie
The Ultimate Loser Chapter 22
‘I plead guilty,’ she smiled, raising her hands in a gesture of surrender, but her expression sobered the next instant. ‘What are you doing here in Mystic Falls?’‘I was invited for the weekend, and I decided to stop in town to pay you a visit before I drive out to the farm.’Damian’s green eyes were narrowed against the glare of the sun as he glanced around him. ‘Is there somewhere in this God-forsaken town where one could get a decent lunch?’‘The Mopani restaurant,’ she enlightened him, inwardly amused at this city man’s description of the small village she loved so much.’ You must have driven past it without noticing it.’Damian opened the door on the passenger side of his Jaguar. ‘You’ll have to direct me to it.’‘Is this an invitation to lunch?’‘It most certainly is and I am not taking "no" for an answer.’Elena had no intention of declining his invitation, and Damian waited until she was seated comfortably before he closed the door and walked round to the driver’s side.‘I’ve o
The Ultimate Loser Chapter 23
Elena was not looking forward to the evening ahead of her, and her dread of having to go out to Dinner with Damien had afforded her a sleepless night. She had prayed that something might occur to cancel the arrangement, but Damien had arrived at her cottage at five o’ clock sharp on the Saturday afternoon, and he had been as adamant as the day before that’s he should accompany him…or else! She was not entirely convinced that he would carry out his threat , but she dared not take the chance. If Stephan had to be told the truth, then she would prefer that he heard it from her and no one else.She clasped her hands nervously in her lap, and her tension increased when Damien’s silver Jaguar picked up speed on the open gravel road which led north to Rose Gardens. The soil was rich, and the climate was perfect for citrus and vegetable farming, but Rose gardens had been a cattle- ranch known far and wide for its quality beef. Was Stephan planning to change all that? Her anxiety escalated at
The Ultimate Loser Chapter 24
Elena felt like a junior nurse who was being prepped by her superior before being sent to assist in the theatre for the first time, and a nervous laugh escaped her. “Don’t tell me you suspect that Aura and I are heading towards some sort of clash.”“ The possibility cannot be overlooked.” Damien smiled at her briefly, but his smile never reached his eyes when he frowned again. “Aura has a habit of dealing swiftly and wickedly with someone whom she considers a competitor.”“I have no desire to compete with her.” Elena Protested with a measure of distaste.“You know that isn’t completely true,” Damien countered her statement. “ if you were given a second chance, you would take it.”Damien had a disconcerting way of digging down to the very root of a matter, but she was not going to let him startle her into making a confession.l’m not looking for a second chance, she argued against that treacherous voice in her heart. ‘When I ended my engagement to Stephan five years ago, I knew that I
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