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More nodding.
‘Pete and I met through the hospital, we’ve known each other a few years,’ Matt explained to Miranda.
‘Yeah, he takes over the job from where I finish. So, how did you two meet?’ Pete asked.
Matt and Miranda exchanged awkward glances. ‘Ah, we met at the hospital too, didn’t we?’
‘That’s right. I was a patient, and ah...’
‘I was on duty at the time, so we...’
‘...obviously introduced ourselves, well, the paramedics who brought me in made the introduction on my behalf, but Matt...’
‘I ah, looked after Miranda for a while, but then I had to leave, so another nurse took over and then we...’
‘...bumped into each other a couple of months later at Byron Bay...’
‘...and again in Sydney, and so – here we are!’
Pete and Cara’s heads finally stopped swivelling from side to side. ‘That’s when you broke your ribs?’ asked Cara, and Miranda nodded. ‘So, was Matt the one who –’
‘Initiated the incident with the scissors? Correct.’
‘Am I missing something here?’ Pete’s brow was furrowed.
‘Let’s just say, Miranda wasn’t too happy with me that night at hospital, but we’ve made amends now.’ Matt smiled at Miranda, as she fiddled with her necklace.
‘Let’s take our seats now, shall we?’ Miranda held an open palm in the direction of their table, where she noticed a confused-looking David searching for his seat. He saw her coming, and a look of understanding appeared on his face. Miranda put him out of his misery by pointing towards the other table. David held up his hands in defeat, then winked at her.
As Matt and Pete chatted about the upcoming Australian Open, Cara pulled Miranda aside. ‘This is amazing!’ she said.
‘I know! Who would have thought you two knew each other?’
‘It’s not just that.’ Cara leaned close to Miranda’s ear. ‘Matt’s the guy I was going to set you up on a blind date with!’
Miranda’s jaw dropped. ‘You mean, the offer I declined after my disaster non-date withSimon?’
‘Uh-huh.’
‘Whoa! What a coincidence.’ Suddenly, Miranda remembered the book she’d read, ‘Secrets of Destiny’, which said coincidences didn’t exist.
As if reading her mind, Cara said, ‘Coincidences don’t exist, remember? You taught me that. Think about it – If you hadn’t had the accident, you wouldn’t have met Matt that night, but, also, if you hadn’t had the accident, you might have accepted my offer for the blind date, so you would have met him anyway. Either way, you two were supposed to meet.’
‘You think?’
‘I don’t think, I know. Plus, you should have seen the way he looked at you before, he –’
Cara stopped talking when Matt turned to face them. ‘So, how do you know Miranda, Cara?’
Cara and Miranda swapped looks, then said in unison: ‘We met at the gym.’
The MC’s voice over the microphone interrupted their conversation, telling everyone to take their seats. As the noise of people talking gradually dwindled, Miranda took in her surroundings for the first time since she’d arrived. Round tables were decorated with crisp white tablecloths, and clusters of silver stars protruded from a ball-shaped centrepiece. The cutlery shone and twinkled in collaboration with the stars, and each guest had a small box containing chocolates near their name card. The stand out feature was the giant mirror ball, suspended from the ceiling. Miranda gazed up at each tiny mosaic square, joining forces in reflecting the three-hundred-and-sixty-degree panorama of the Harbourside Towers Ballroom. An awesome sight.
‘Beautiful, isn’t it?’ Liz Ashford said, as she paused near Miranda on the way to her table.
‘Liz! So glad you could make it.’ The two women hugged.
‘You know, each one of those mosaic squares up there is like each of us, in a way. All part of something bigger, yet each reflecting different views on the world, and shining our light in our own unique place.’
