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Alex smiled and closed her eyes. The thought of explaining everything meant her breathing sped up again. “I…the bus…we were organising the tour and—"

“She was in a crash, years ago. Solar Flare?” Francine jumped into explain when it became evident that Alex explaining was making it worse again. “The band?”

Dr Kelly narrowed her eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m not up to date on—”

“It was a long time ago,” Alex managed to say, feeling embarrassed. Clearly, it was before Dr Kelly’s time, which made her definitely too young for the kind of thoughts Alex was trying not to have.

The doctor pressed the end of the stethoscope to Alex’s chest again, the other end hooked back into her ears, and listened once more. “Take a deep breath for me….and exhale…” When she was done, she asked, “Can you show me where the pain was?”

“It was like a stabbing pain,” Alex said, poking her chest, “right here.” Calmer now, she wondered if it had just run its course or whether this woman really did affect her that easily. “It’s gone now.”

Francine jumped back in. “That dick Cecil is insisting we use a tour bus, I was explaining, and then this happened.” She waved her hand around to indicate Alex.

Morgan placed the stethoscope back around her neck. “You can button up.” She pulled a stool over and sat down. “I think what you have had is a severe anxiety attack, but just to be sure, I’m going to organise an ECG of your heart and have a specialist from the Cardiology department in the hospital come down and take a look. It might be a while, though.”

“That’s great, thanks so much,” Francine threw in, but neither woman turned her way, their eyes firmly locked on one another. “And can we keep it off the record?”

Dr Kelly sighed and stood up. “A medical episode needs to be noted, no matter who it is. It could be vital information if there were a next time.”

Francine huffed but nodded obediently; she couldn’t control everything.

“Thank you,” Alex said, enjoying the smile that continued to cause a reaction within.She’s too young, she reminded herself,and you’re having a panic attack.

“Any time.” Dr Kelly jotted down a few things before she said, “Okay, I’ll get that all arranged, you wait here. Good luck.”

And then she was gone, and Alex felt the unease creep back in. Those feelings of her life spiralling out of control again.

An unease that was well founded when twenty minutes later, the very person in the entire world that Alexandra would have hoped to avoid, strolled in like Alex owed her a favour for just turning up.

“Alexandra Montgomery,” the icy voice said loudly as the body owning it sauntered into the room and the temperature dropped instantly.

Calista Urquhart was the friend of a friend, who had been set up on a blind date with Sasha and hadn’t quite clicked with Alex. It hadn’t gone well. They’d barely managed two dates before Alex had called time on it.

On the surface, they were very well matched, both accomplished in their field. Calista was beautiful, tall and blonde. She could have been an actress or a model, as she moved through the world so confident and desirable to everyone who didn’t dare touch.

They were both high-earning and successful, available with no hang-ups on ex-partners, and on the outside, on paper, she should have been a perfect fit. Despite Alex’s inclination towards successful, confident women she could reduce to a whimpering, pleading puddle of submission, she also needed to like and respect them. And witnessing Calista speak to people she considered subordinates left Alex cold and with no desire to continue. Much to Calista’s chagrin.

“When they said it was you, I was in half a mind to pass it onto someone else, rather than come down from my important work in the cardio department.” Calista’s unwavering glare made Alex feel uncomfortable given the circumstances. “However, I am a professional, and we can’t have Britain’s favourite composer dying on my watch, can we?”

Dying?

“Dying?” Francine voiced Alex’s thought.

Calista turned to her and cackled. “Oh, I’m sure she’s not. I’m not sure who this Dr Kelly is to be diagnosing anything. But she does at least know her arse from her elbow, and the diagnosis is most likely correct, but we need to be sure of that, don’t we?”

Francine dipped her head, turning to Alex, and giving her thewho the fuck is thislook. Alex squirmed a little more under the intensity of both women. God, why was her life never simple?

She spent the best part of the day being put through test after test, most of which she thought were likely unnecessary and just Calista’s way of getting back at her.

Eventually, Calista smirked at her as she passed across a pamphlet.

How to avoid a panic attack.

“Read this, rest, try and avoid buses,” she said before getting up, turning her back, and leaving the room without a further word.

“You know, in the States, I’d be suing her ass right now,” Francine stated.

“For being rude to someone who dumped her?” Alex asked, answering the unasked question.