Never Mind the Botox Page 3

  ‘Hell, yes! No point spending all that money if you’re not going to show them off a bit.’

  Meredith unbuttoned her shirt.

  ‘Not wearing that, though!’ said Daisy, looking at Meredith’s ugly, flesh-coloured support bra.

  ‘Yeah, good point. I’ve bought some new ones. Hold on a sec.’ Meredith dived into her bedroom and put on a pretty, dark-red lace bra instead. ‘I’m not supposed to wear these yet, but it can’t hurt for a few minutes,’ she said, coming back into the sitting room.

  ‘How about this for a pose?’ she said, sitting provocatively on the arm of the cream sofa. She tucked her long legs neatly underneath her skirt and leaned back, pushing her chest upwards. Daisy snapped away until she leaned too far and fell off the back of the sofa, causing them both to laugh hysterically.

  ‘I think that will do,’ said Daisy, looking through the final shots. ‘You can get dressed now, madam.’

  They sat reminiscing about old times until well past eleven o’clock, when Daisy eventually decided she really had to go home. Once she had left, Meredith uploaded the pictures from her camera onto her computer and examined them closely. Daisy had done well. Her ‘team’ did look pretty good in that new bra. Meredith opened the pictures up on full-screen view and looked at them proudly. ‘Nice,’ she said, nodding to herself in satisfaction. Maybe she would email them to Ryan; what did she have to lose? Before she could think about it for too long, she chose two of the best shots − one dressed shot and one bra shot − and emailed them to Ryan, wincing as she pressed the ‘Send’ button. That was it. She’d done it now! She wandered wearily towards her bedroom, got ready for bed and was soon in a deep red-wine-induced sleep.

  The next day, Meredith woke up feeling rather dodgy. The combination of steak and red wine after the ‘light, easy-to-digest meals’ she’d been eating for the last three weeks had given her heartburn. She chewed some antacid tablets and then made herself a breakfast of milky porridge and black coffee. As she sipped her coffee, she rubbed the back of her neck and stared out of the window. She couldn’t quite believe that she’d actually sent Ryan those photos of herself. What had she been thinking?

  She logged on to her computer and checked her emails. As she expected, Ryan had replied already. The time difference meant that he got any late-night emails from her in the afternoon his time, so he’d had plenty of time to reply. She clicked tentatively on the message, closed her eyes for a second and then opened them to read his reply.

  Wow, wow, wow! he’d written. You look stunning. Not that I expected anything else, mind you. Seems like those Brits over there did a damn fine job. Why don’t you come over for a visit so I can inspect your progress first hand?

  Meredith jumped back from the screen in shock as she read the last sentence. Visit him in Chicago? Had he gone mad? He could be a total lunatic for all she knew. Mind you, that was pretty unlikely if he was genuinely a surgeon. She clicked on his profile on the Equinox website and studied his photo again. He did look pretty good, but the picture could be years out of date. She should ask him for some more pictures of himself first.

  I’ve shown you mine, so you show me yours before I start leaping on planes, she typed in reply. You could’ve put on a hundred pounds since that photo on the website was taken!

  Later that day, Ryan emailed her back several photos of himself, mostly with his arms around various mates in typically American looking bars and one with him wearing a tuxedo and standing by a fireplace. He looked gorgeous!

  The one of me in a tux is from my sister’s wedding two months ago, he wrote. So, will you come?

  Flying to Chicago to meet someone who up until now had been giving her online medical advice seemed a totally bizarre thing to do. But something in the back of her mind was telling her to go for it, and it had been clear for quite some time that their relationship had moved beyond that of doctor and patient. She wasn’t doing anything until she started work, and if by any chance they did end up liking each other, at least he wouldn’t be shocked to find out she had implants. She’d expected to have to wait several weeks until her scars had totally healed before she even thought about dating, but Ryan already knew she had them. In fact, he wanted to see them. How amazing was that! Okay, she was being ridiculously impulsive, but the thought of being able to throw caution to the wind was just too tempting. She’d never had the confidence, or the opportunity for that matter, to do anything like this before. A gorgeous man wanted to meet her and to hell with it, she was going to say yes!

  It was over two weeks until she was starting at Clinton Wahlberg. Plenty of time for a few days away. She emailed Ryan back.

  Okay then, why not! I could come out for a few days this coming weekend, if that works for you?

  She typed out various flight options that she’d looked up and then headed out for a walk as she waited for a response. Getting some gentle daily exercise was also part of her recovery routine. Back in Paris, Meredith had gone to the gym or out running pretty much every other day, but it would be a few weeks yet before she could get back to that type of exercise. She had expected to miss the adrenaline rushes but instead had found the pace of walking surprisingly calming. As she sauntered slowly towards her local park, she contemplated what she’d just done. She tried not to think of it as a blind date with someone she’d met on the internet. Ryan was a successful, gorgeous cosmetic surgeon who wanted to meet her. Her instincts were telling her that he was worth a gamble.

  The next day, Daisy was much less convinced.

  ‘You’re doing what?’ Daisy stared at her incredulously. They were sitting in a coffee shop round the corner from Daisy’s gallery.

  ‘I’m going to meet him in Chicago,’ repeated Meredith, crossing her arms.

  ‘When?’

  ‘The day after tomorrow.’

  ‘What if he’s some sort of nutter? You could end up being chopped into pieces and being dumped in a huge garbage bin like you see on those US cop shows!’

  ‘I think you’re overreacting slightly. Don’t forget he’s a qualified surgeon.’

  ‘How the hell do you know what he is? He might be a total fake, making up advice based on what he’s seen on TV, working out of some dingy bedsit,’ said Daisy, shaking her head.

  ‘Well, I’m staying at a hotel and meeting him for the first time in a very public bar, so I’ll have plenty of time to check him out.’

  ‘Have you checked him out with the US register of surgeons or whatever their equivalent is?’

  ‘No, I haven’t, and please stop fussing,’ said Meredith. ‘Look, I’ll keep you posted every step of the way.’

  ‘And what am I meant to do if you don’t ring me? Telephone the hotel and say, “Excuse me, but I think my friend has been abducted by a rogue cosmetic surgeon”?’

  Meredith laughed.

  ‘It’s not funny, Meredith. I think you’re mad,’ said Daisy.

  ‘Maybe, but come on, Daisy, why not? The whole point of me having my surgery was to give me a confidence boost, have a fresh start with men. I’ve had years of undressing in the dark, worrying that I’m not sexy. Well, now that’s behind me and it’s time for an adventure,’ said Meredith, jutting out her chin defensively.

  Daisy smiled at her kindly. ‘You’re right. Why not have an adventure? But you have to promise to be careful and not to leap into anything. And I want all the details: hotel, name, rank, serial number, the lot.’

  ‘Done, and I promise I’ll be super-careful. We’ll just be getting to know each other, nothing more than that. Now, I wonder what the weather’s going to be like? Will it be hot, do you think? I want to make sure I pack the right clothes.’

  ‘You’re impossible,’ said Daisy, smiling ruefully at her. ‘This Ryan bloke has no idea what he’s in for.’

  No, he doesn’t, but maybe I’ll get to show him, thought Meredith excitedly.

  Later that evening, despite her protestations to Daisy that Ryan was bound to be on the level, Meredith couldn’t help havi
ng a quick look to see whether she could find him on some sort of official register. It didn’t take long. His name appeared on pretty much every website she looked at, and he had so many letters after his name he would’ve made a great hand in Scrabble. Meredith jumped up from her computer and headed to her bedroom to pack. This was going to be fun!

  Chapter 3

  Meredith looked at her watch. Shit, she only had ten minutes left before she was meeting Ryan downstairs in the bar. She threw off the hotel’s deeply luxurious bathrobe and jumped into a short white sundress and a pair of strappy sandals. All traces of the bruising on her face had now gone, and she’d abandoned her support bra for something far sexier, promising herself that she would change back into it later on. Her curls were piled neatly on top of her head, creating a perfect resting point for a ridiculously expensive pair of sunglasses. She checked her makeup for the tenth time, dabbing her face with a touch more powder and adding an extra slick of lip-gloss. Eventually satisfied with her ‘no effort’ look that had taken nearly two hours to create, she took a deep breath, picked up her handbag and headed out of her hotel room.

  The hotel had a long, curved, bar that was gently lit from above by a series of oversized, sparkly pendant lamps and from below by a long, thin strip-light hidden under the overhang of the bar top. The immaculate area behind the bar was covered in smoked glass, giving the room an aura of old-fashioned glamour. Meredith loved it immediately – just her sort of place. She sat down on a bar stool covered in dark-brown faux-suede, ordered a glass of champagne and sent Daisy her next obligatory text: In the bar waiting! Not long now. Although Meredith knew she looked good, she couldn’t help being unbelievably self-conscious and nervous. It felt like every person in the place knew she was on a blind date and was looking at her. She sipped her champagne, trying to look nonchalant, and waited.

  A few minutes later Ryan walked into the bar. She recognised him instantly. A massive wave of relief swept over her as she saw that he looked exactly like his photos – better, in fact. He was tall and athletic with short brown hair, blue eyes and a light suntan, and very good-looking. Meredith got off her bar stool and held out her hand as he approached her, grinning widely.

  ‘Hello, you must be Ryan,’ she said, smiling too.

  ‘Yes, good to meet you at last,’ said Ryan, looking her up and down approvingly. He shook her hand vigorously and then jumped onto the bar stool next to her. ‘Large beer, please,’ he said to the barman who was hovering discreetly next to them, then he spun around to face Meredith. ‘So how was your flight?’

  ‘Fine, very easy, in fact. I’m pretty used to travelling,’ she said.

  ‘I bet you are! You investment banking types probably spend half your lives on planes, don’t you?’

  ‘Not quite half, but yes, we do have to travel a fair bit.’

  ‘Well, it’s really great to see you. I feel like I’ve known you for ages even though we’ve only just met.’

  ‘Me too!’ Meredith smiled. There was a definite spark between them; she could feel it. ‘So tell me a bit about yourself,’ she said. She’d promised Daisy she would check out his background.

  Ryan told her all about where he grew up, how he’d become a surgeon, his family, his friends, why he loved his work – it all sounded very normal.

  ‘So, what about you? I don’t know very much about investment banking. What is it you do exactly?’ Ryan asked when he’d finished.

  ‘I advise clients who are buying or selling businesses. We do acquisition searches, build valuation models, help with negotiation tactics, that sort of thing.’

  Ryan looked impressed. ‘Do you like it?’

  ‘Mostly,’ said Meredith. ‘Like most jobs it has its moments, but I love trying to make things happen, you know. There’s nothing better than when you find a client the perfect business to buy. I guess it’s the thrill of the chase that I enjoy the most.’

  ‘I know that feeling,’ said Ryan, moving towards her slightly and raising his eyebrows, making her stomach flutter like mad.

  ‘Were you thinking we would eat here?’ Meredith asked. She’d promised Daisy that she wouldn’t rush into anything.

  ‘No, not my type of food here; it’s a bit fussy. I was thinking about this great steak place just a few blocks away, if that’s okay with you?’

  ‘Sounds perfect,’ said Meredith.

  The steak house was a typical all-American grill, serving the biggest steaks, burgers and racks of ribs that Meredith had ever seen.

  ‘That can’t possibly be for one person!’ she remarked as a waitress walked past carrying a plate of ribs smothered in barbecue sauce that was about the size of Meredith’s satellite dish back in London.

  ‘Probably is,’ said Ryan, laughing. ‘You know us Americans: we don’t do anything by halves.’

  After they’d eaten, Ryan ordered them a jug of Long Island iced tea: alcohol-laden rocket fuel that tasted like fruity lemonade.

  ‘This stuff is dangerous,’ said Meredith, already halfway through her second glass.

  ‘Yup, tastes just like soda right up to the moment you lose control of your legs,’ said Ryan, grinning. ‘Cheers!’

  Meredith lifted her glass and clinked it against Ryan’s. They held each other’s gaze for a few moments.

  ‘I’m so glad you’ve come,’ said Ryan eventually. ‘I had a feeling about you, right from the beginning.’

  Meredith smiled. ‘I have to admit that I was a bit surprised when you asked me for a photo. That’s not the sort of thing I normally do at all. I’ve never met anyone over the internet before.’

  ‘Our aftercare service is hardly your average dating site!’ said Ryan. ‘You were on it for a good reason. Maybe it was just meant to be that we met.’

  Perhaps Ryan was right. Maybe they were just meant to be.

  By the time Ryan walked Meredith back to her hotel, her head was spinning from the several glasses of Long Island iced tea she’d drunk. She also felt slightly giddy with excitement. It had been a brilliant evening; she and Ryan had got on so well. She’d sent Daisy a text reassuring her that he wasn’t some crazed axe murderer and that he was in fact a quite gorgeous, charming, funny guy – and that her instincts had been right.

  As they approached Meredith’s hotel room, Ryan pulled her towards him and kissed her gently on the cheek.

  ‘Thank you for a lovely evening. Would you like to do something tomorrow? Maybe I could give you a bit of a tour of the city?’

  Meredith paused, her heart thumping and her mind racing with possibilities. Did she dare to invite him in? Was she ready for that? In the past, she’d always followed the slow and steady approach, making sure that she felt really comfortable before she allowed herself to let go. But maybe it was time to make a break with the past.

  ‘I think I’d like to do something now, actually,’ said Meredith. She stepped towards Ryan and gave him a long kiss.

  ‘Would you now,’ said Ryan, smiling in amusement. He pushed Meredith gently against the wall and kissed her back, holding her hands above her head as he did. His lips were warm and soft but his body felt taut with desire. It was a heady combination.

  ‘I think you’d better come in, before someone walks past,’ said Meredith.

  Ryan stepped back and ran his hands slowly down each side of her body. ‘Well, I do need to check those scars of yours, don’t I? Just make sure that they did a decent job. You might need some oil rubbed into them, or something.’

  ‘You’re right, Doctor, I think I need a very thorough check-up,’ said Meredith, smiling. She took Ryan’s hand, opened her hotel room door and led him into the bedroom.

  The rest of the weekend passed in a bit of blur. After a tour of the city, during which they mostly just laughed, held hands and fed each other disgustingly unhealthy snacks from the army of street vendors that seemed to occupy every corner, they ended up in a sports bar watching America football and drinking beer. At the end of the night, much against Meredith’s better judgement, th
ey went back to Ryan’s apartment. It was a typical bachelor pad: minimalist furniture in greys and blues, expensive-looking TV and hi-fi equipment in every room and a kitchen full of unused gadgets.

  ‘Very smart,’ said Meredith, peering around a half-open door leading into Ryan’s bedroom as he stood behind her. ‘Where’s my room?’

  ‘There’s only one bedroom, I’m afraid.’

  Meredith pretended to look shocked. ‘My mother warned me about men like you.’

  ‘Did she,’ said Ryan. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her back towards him so that his body was pressing against her back and his mouth was close to her ear. ‘What did she say?’ he whispered, his breath warm on the back of her neck.

  Meredith turned to face him and starting unbuttoning his shirt, her fingers gently caressing his chest. She put one hand inside his shirt and slid the other hand slowly down towards his belt. Ryan took a sharp intake of breath and gazed at her intently, his body rooted to the spot.

  ‘She said I should grab you with both hands,’ said Meredith, holding his gaze.

  ‘I’m all yours,’ said Ryan.

  Meredith woke up on Sunday morning to find a large cup of coffee on her bedside table with a note next to it: On the desk. Didn’t want to wake you. Ryan had laid a blue silk dressing gown over the end of the bed. Meredith put it on, picked up her coffee and wandered into the sitting room, where Ryan was sitting at his laptop dressed in just a pair of shorts. She walked up behind him and put her arm around his shoulders.

  ‘Morning,’ she said, nuzzling his neck.

  He turned his head slightly towards her and reached his arm behind him, patting her leg. ‘Morning, won’t be long. Got about another forty-five minutes to go. Why don’t you grab a shower while I finish up?’

  Meredith headed for the shower. They were lucky, all those people that he was giving advice to. He was a service well worth paying platinum rates for!