She didn't want his reaction.
Kylie slows down her walking. There was a flutter of panic in her chest as she remembered her last pregnancy and disappointment of Thomas's father, the silent suggestion of blame for daring to mess up his perfect life.
She didn't want that for herself again and she couldn't stand it for her baby.
Yet she had to.
She was just tired of the games that came with putting off and she decided that, bar an emergency coming into the department, she wasn't leaving her office until she had found out where he was working and had contacted him.
Did she tell him outright? Kylie wondered. Suggest that they meet? Or just forget about it and raise her baby alone.
So deep in her thoughts was she that at first she didn't notice the tall suited man working alongside Andrew.
He noticed her, though.
In fact, at first sight she barely looked pregnant.
She was wearing a tight dress and high boots and looked somehow sexy and elegant but then she turned to speak with one of the nurses and saw he saw the tight, round swell round of her stomach and, attempting a detached professional guess, he would put her at…
Yes, there was something that they needed to discuss. That was why he was here after all.
He watched as she turned from the conversation she was having and Startled, she glanced towards him, but then she gave a small shake of her head and strode on.
Then she looked over towards him again and he watched as not only did her face get pale but she stood frozen to the spot.
Frozen.
For a foolish moment Kylie considered darting into a cubicle...it would be a futile game of hide-and-seek, though, because it would appear that she had already been found.
And so, as Andrew called her over, somehow she did her best to pretend that the walls of the emergency departments weren't shaking and that the ground wasn't opening up between her feet.
she walked towards him.
Ken.
Her one-night stand.
The father of her child.
"Kylie.' Andrew beamed. "Did you have nice days off?'
"I did.'
"Excellent! I tried not to worry you, but on Friday one of the job share applicants pulled out and the other wasn't interested in pursuing the position if she can't be guaranteed regular part-time hours.'
"I see,' Kylie said, even though she didn't.
"I've still got two more interviews to complete,' Andrew went on, although Kylie knew those two were really more of a formality and would be a rather poor choice. "However,' Andrew said, "we had a late applicant. Kylie, this is Ken Edwards. He's been working in different countries for the last two years but we're hoping to lure him back south of the border,'
For now, Kylie knew she would simply have to go along with the polite small talk. Whatever the reason Ken was here, whatever the outcome when she tells him her news, at the first opportunity she would have a quiet word with Andrew. Hopefully she won't have to reveal to her colleague that Ken was her baby's father, but if she had to, then she would. There was no way this could happen.
No way!
No way!
Thankfully, there was a call for help from one of the cubicles and Kylie was just about to flee in relief and go and assist when Andrew halted her.