Chapter One

'Prannggg…'. The toast popped up as Victoria poured herself an enormous mug of tea. Last night was supposed to have been a fun night out with all her girlfriends. Instead, they talked about Halden's wedding the week before. He'd been the last eligible man they'd known, snatched from under their noses by a lawyer! The conversation had spiralled down from there, leaving them all thoroughly fed up…

She inhaled the tea's aroma as her blood vessels olfactory system inner ear started processing one of her favourite smells. 'Oh, well', she said to herself as she glanced at her International Opthamologist's Award - she was one of the best eye doctors in the country - 'you can't have everything'.

Chikako met her at the hospital door. 'Victoria, Victoria… the microsurgery position… it's been taken!' she said before Victoria could open her mouth. 'It's been taken by a Dr Warren Hawke. How do you feel about strawberry blond hair that you just have to push out of the way to get a better look at a pair of fantastic shimmering blue eyes?' Chikako was married and loved match-making. 'I'd love to know what colour his parents eyes are,' she continued (Chikako was also an astrologer nosey a geneticist )

Chapter Two

By the time Victoria made it to the coffee room everyone knew about Warren. Chikako, Mya and Marisa had heard he had come back from either Australia, Singapore or Germany, that he specialised in eye trauma, brain surgery or the heart, and that he owned two dogs. Clearly they needed a more reliable source, and the best source had just walked in…

Peter always knew everything that went on in the hospital. He grabbed a tea. 'Hey, what are you guys talking about? As if I have to ask!' Peter worked with kids as a pediatrician accountant electrician . 'Can I take a seat in exchange for some information about a certain Dr. Hawke?' He plumped down into a chair and looked pleased with himself. He revealed that Warren had come back from Australia where he'd spent three years as a brain surgeon. He didn't have any pets. But was he single, they all asked? 'I'll find out' said Peter.

Just then Victoria looked up, the door opened and a stream of sunshine created a halo around Dr Warren Hawke. As he stepped out of the light her pupils explodedquivereddilated and she could see his face. She caught her breath. He was every bit as gorgeous as she'd heard… and more. She looked at his hands as he straightened his tie, his surgeon's hands, and she thought 'Wow, what great metacarpalsfrecklesshins.

Without looking at anyone he walked towards the coffee machine. He poured himself a coffee and headed for a seat by the window. He seemed so determined not to make eye contact with anyone that he bumped into the bin on the way past. 'This could be a challenge', said Mya. 

Chapter Three

Mya was the first to approach him the next day. She walked over to him in the coffee room, holding out her hand. 'Hello', she said, 'I'm Mya'. She flicked back a strand of glossy black hair that fell over her face. Mya had a lot of eumelaninemulsionextensions in her hair, which made it black - she looked fantastic. 'You don't need to sit over here on your own', she continued. He looked surprised, alarmed even. 

'Oh… I'm fine thanks, just finding my feet'. He looked down at his paper again. Mya turned and shrugged at Victoria and Marisa. Well, if he wasn't interested in Mya there was no hope for the rest of them, thought Victoria. 

A couple of days later Marisa bumped into him in the corridor… literally. She was carrying a pile of patients' charts as he knocked her shoulder. She held her bruised humerushumoushumourous as the charts clattered to the ground and he scrabbled on the floor trying to pick them all up. 'I'm so sorry', he repeated several times, but Marisa was pleased. 'You could get me a coffee to apologise!' she said with a smile. 'Umm, sorry, I'm on my way to surgery', he muttered and scurried off.

Chapter Four

Dr Hawke had been at the hospital for a week and had managed to avoid talking to nearly everyone. Even Peter had no explanation for his behaviour. Despite this he had performed a record number of surgeries, using techniques that had rarely been seen in this country. He was a complete mystery.

Victoria had decided against making any kind of advance. How many times had she been hurt? She just couldn't face a rejection. Anyway he drank coffee, she drank tea… it was obvious they were incompatible. 

She was flicking through New Scientist when someone said her name. It made her jump and she looked around crossly in her 'fight or flight' response, as her levels of caffeineadrenalinecholesterol rose. There was Warren. He stumbled into the seat next to her. 'You're Dr. Davis aren't you? I was wondering if you could help me. I'm having a little trouble with my eyes'.   

Chapter Five

From his pocket he pulled a pair of very old, very thick glasses. 'The airline lost my luggage along with my better pair of glasses. It takes two weeks for a new pair because I'm so myopicfussyindecisive and I've been avoiding wearing these because…well… they make me look… ridiculous'. 

Victoria watched as he pushed the glasses up his nose, admiring his long delicate fingers. 'I only keep these because they are so comfortable for surgery,' he went on, 'just as well really'. He smiled and Victoria was struck by how a few shortened muscles in his face could create his fantastic stubblereceding hairlinedimples. 

There was silence, Victoria didn't know what to say. She'd never seen anyone as handsome but she couldn't tell him that. 'I'd like laser eye surgery', he blurted out, 'I've had it with glasses… I've heard you’re the best, will you correct my eyes?'

Chapter Six

Victoria was nervous. She was always a little nervous before surgery, but much more so today, despite having done this hundreds of times. What would Chikako say if she knew what was going to happen to those eyes she'd admired so much?

She had talked to Warren about what she would do, how long it would take and what he might expect afterwards. She had looked into his eyes and made jokes. He had laughed and smiled. Now he was lying there. His head was held in place and he looked scared. The laser hummed in the background. 

'You know, you don't have to do this', said Victoria. 

'I just don't like how I look with glasses', Warren replied. 'I want to look good!'

Victoria, stammered, if she didn't say it now it would be too late…'You do look good… you look fantastic, with or without glasses! All the girls think so!'

'All the girls?' He paused, 'You too?'

'I think you're lovely', she reached out and took his hand, something she'd wanted to do since she first saw him.

He smiled, squeezed her hand, and said, 'I've been a fool, turn the laser off.  If you like me like this then why would I want to change?'

Well, Victoria thought, perhaps you could drink more tea.

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