Chapter 1: The cardiac surgeon loses his heart

Well I can't say that people didn't warn me. At just 24, going out with a man 11 years older won't work they said. And he with a daughter only 11 years younger than me was just adding fuel to the fire. But the attention of an eminent cardiac surgeon was so very flattering for a young nurse and, quite frankly, irresistible. I couldn't have known how tied up I would get with this doctor and his daughter.

Doctor Paul Rainer was handsome too, reminded me of George Clooney in ER, but maybe that was my rose coloured spectacles affecting me! Nevertheless, when he began showing interest in me he stirred all kinds of emotions that I hadn't felt before. It all started as comments during the ward rounds, like, "So what does the beautiful Nicki think about letting the patient home soon?" I would blush to my shoes! Doctors just didn't ask junior nurses for opinions and Sister had specifically told us just to comment only on nursing matters if asked, and never volunteer clinical opinions.

I said something about her having a supportive family who would make sure she took things easy. He smiled at me disarmingly and moved on but said something again the next day. "The beautiful Nicki tells me..." I blushed and got flustered. He came to talk to me after the ward round about something and I took the opportunity to tell him he shouldn't refer to me that way, people were beginning to talk! And anyway he shouldn't take the mickey out of me. Secretly his soft, vaguely Irish accent was turning my legs to jelly and making me damp every time he talked to me.

"Oh, I wasn't being sarcastic," he said, looking theatrically shocked, "You really are a very pretty girl. What man wouldn't find you attractive? Well, excluding a few of the male nurses maybe!" I blushed bright scarlet again and told him to behave. Good job Sister didn't hear me. She held doctors in a reverential manner, to be totally respected at all times.

When he left the ward I had to blow hard several times to regain my composure and get on with my job. He was flirting with me I knew. He wore a wedding ring and so I knew it wasn't serious. No, he was just playing with me. But wow, did he ever turn me on! Later one of the older nurses commented that he seemed to 'like' me and I should feel honoured at getting his attention. I said, "Don't be silly, I'm not interested in going out with a married man, and certainly not one his age."

"Oh, he's not married, he's a widower. His wife died years ago of cancer. He's been looking after his daughter ever since and has shown no interest in socialising with women, much to the disappointment of most of the women here believe me! Not until you, anyway."

"Don't be silly, he wouldn't be interested in a scatty, unsophisticated junior nurse!"

"I don't think he's looking much beyond your face, tits, ass and legs to be honest!" she laughed, "And there ain't much wrong with any of them, babes, I can tell you!"

Things didn't go any further for a few weeks. Apart from always finding spurious reasons to talk to me on the ward, and always complimenting me on something, he made no more moves on me. It gave me a big thrill every time he talked to me, but I told myself it was just his friendly manner and he wasn't really interested in me. But then he surprised me one Wednesday in early June.

"Hey I'm having a barbeque on Saturday if this weather holds out," he blurted out,

"Would you like to come? Bring a friend too if you like."

"Wow. I mean thanks very much, that's nice of you. I don't have a boyfriend at the moment, is it OK to bring a mate? It's not just me from here is it?"

"Yes, bring whoever you want and no, of course I'll be asking others from the ward." He did ask Sister and most of the senior nurses, but I was the only younger nurse. In the event Sister and her husband and two other nurses went as well as me. I took Janice, a friend of mine, who was quizzing me all the way there about my reasons for going and gradually worming out of me that I fancied Paul Rainer something rotten.