Chapter Nine
November 2014, Canterbury, Kent, England
‘Thanks for this weekend,’ Molly said, sliding her arms around Mark at the entrance to the station the following morning. ‘Have you got time to come to Victoria with me? I’m still not that confident on the train on my own.’
Mark brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her cheek. ‘You’ve got nothing to be afraid of. Hold your head up high and face your fear. It’s the only way.’
‘Right.’ She nodded. ‘I’ll see you when you get back from Copenhagen then?’
‘Sure.’ He tipped her chin up so that her lips met his. ‘I’m back Thursday evening, so I could meet you after work on Friday?’
‘Sounds good to me. I’ll speak to you later. Love you.’
She kissed him again and he pulled away, not replying. He walked off down the road and she closed her eyes, letting out a long exhale, a pang of rejection stabbing at her chest. Just for once, she wanted to know that he cared about her as much as she cared about him.
At lunchtime Molly gazed out of the window at the café over the road. Today was the day. She wasn’t going to back out. She pulled on her coat, twiddling the button between her fingers.
‘Ed,’ she hissed. ‘I’m gonna do it.’ She flicked her eyes towards the window and the café.
‘Do you want me to come with you?’ He stood up.
She shook her head. ‘No, I need to do this on my own. Thanks for the offer though.’
His immediate offer to accompany her was a stark contrast to Mark”s point blank refusal, which had irritated her. She took a deep breath and pushed it to the back of her mind.
‘Can I get you anything?’ She paused by his desk.
‘I’m alright, thanks,’ he replied. ‘I’m meeting Samuel soon. I just thought I’d offer to come with you.’
‘I appreciate you, as always.’ She smiled at him, clutching her bag tightly, before marching purposefully down the office to the lift.
In the lobby she got out and waved to Sue as she passed the reception desk. She pulled the glass door open and pushed the button at the pedestrian crossing just down the road. She crossed the road, buffeted between groups of commuters, and walked up to the door of the café, pulling it open.
She browsed through the fridges, clutching her bag tightly against her chest and chose her favourite hoisin duck wrap, then took it to the counter to pay.
‘Is that everything?’ The cashier said with a strong American drawl, and smiled at Molly as she handed over the wrap.
‘Uh, yes, thank you.’ Molly pulled her purse out of her bag and tapped her card on the card reader.
The cashier put Molly’s receipt and her wrap into a paper bag and handed it to her with a smile. ‘Have a nice day,’ she said.
‘Thank you. You too.’ Molly took the bag from her and made her way quickly to the door.
She crossed the road and hurried towards the giant toucan on the side of her building, pulling open the glass door and colliding with Ed in the foyer.
‘You did it!’ he said. ‘Good work, Molly.’
‘Yep.’ Molly nodded. ‘Nailed it.’
‘I knew you could do it.’ He smiled at her. ‘Would you like me to come with you next time? We could eat in if you like. It’ll give you a break from this place.’
‘I could do that.’ She smiled. ‘Say hi to Samuel for me.’
‘He keeps asking if you and Mark want to come out for a drink with us.’ He raised an eyebrow.
‘I’ll try and nail Mark down,’ she replied.
As she got into the lift, her stomach sank. She wasn’t being honest with Ed. She’d asked Mark so many times to come out with her and Ed and Samuel and he’d made an excuse every time. She pushed her thoughts of him to the back of her mind and focused on her lunch, and the tiny victory she’d had today. Remembering that Saskia had been out with Scott that weekend, she sent her a message.
Molly: Just checking in. Are you still on a post-date high? X
Saskia replied quickly.
Saskia: Yes!!! On cloud nine. Have you escaped from moron Mark’s supervillain lair? X
Molly rolled her eyes.
Molly: Yep, still in one piece. Just. It was a mixed bag. He took me to a pirate exhibition but dinner with his parents was awkward AF
Saskia: Quelle surprise. Let me guess - his dad caused a scene?
Molly: Got it in one!
Molly laughed and put her headphones in, today choosing a classical music playlist, and focused on her latest manuscript, a fantasy story featuring dragons, fairies, and elves. As the music played, she lost herself in the magical world as she read and edited.
***
Chris ran across the platform and jumped onto the train just as the whistle blew. The doors shut behind him and he breathed a sigh of relief. He made his way through the train, hoping he would see her again. As he walked into the third carriage, he spotted a blonde head and a green coat. The seat next to her was taken, so he slipped into an empty seat a few rows back and pulled out his book.
Two stations later, after Molly’s neighbour got off, Chris slid into the seat next to her. ‘Hey. Long time no see.’
‘Hey yourself. How are you?’ She smiled at him.
‘I’m fine,’ he replied, and held her gaze for a few seconds.
Just long enough for the world to stop. She didn’t look away. Was she as into him as he was her?
‘How was your weekend?’ he asked, his heart pounding.
‘Good thanks,” she replied. ‘I stayed with my boyfriend for the weekend. He lives in Canary Wharf so we spent the weekend in the city.’
Her words were like a punch to the gut. She had a boyfriend? Shit, he thought to himself. Of course, she’s got a boyfriend. She’s pretty, kind, and funny. He unzipped his coat and tried to keep his face neutral as she continued talking.
He cleared his throat. ‘Oh right. Did you guys have a good weekend?’
‘We did. We went to the Maritime Museum, and went to his parents’ house for dinner,’ she replied. ‘How was your weekend?’
He studied her face. She’d just spent the entire weekend with her boyfriend. Why didn’t she look happier about it? Puzzled, he rubbed the back of his neck.
‘Alex and I did another set at Mimosa on Friday, but I spent the rest of the weekend in bed with a migraine.’
‘Oh no, I’m so sorry,’ she said. ‘That sucks.’
‘Yeah, it does suck. I got some new medication though and it’s helping,’ he replied. ‘What did you see at the Maritime Museum?’
‘They’ve got an exhibition of pirate related artefacts at the moment.’ She lowered her voice. ‘I’ve been obsessed with pirates since I was a kid. Apparently, my dad is descended from a famous French pirate. Most girls dress up as princesses and plan their weddings. Not me, I had an eye patch and made Saskia walk the plank.’
His laugh echoed across the silent carriage, and he covered his mouth. ‘Sorry, that’s hilarious.’
He suddenly remembered the galleon tattoo. It all made sense now.
‘Saskia’s always been theatrical, even before university,’ she said. ‘We used to put on these little plays for our parents. Then after they got divorced, Papa went back to France, and we used to force mum’s friends to watch them.’ She laughed. ‘They were always encouraging, but my acting was terrible. It makes me cringe thinking about it now. Mum was always so supportive of both of us.’
This was the first time she’d mentioned her mum and he wondered whether to ask any more, or whether to just let her talk. Before he could say anything, she continued.
‘She died three years ago.’ She took a deep breath. ‘I don’t talk about her very much. It makes people imagine losing their own parents and they don’t know what to say. She had a stroke. Saskia and I were with her.’ Her eyes filled with tears.
He squeezed her hand. ‘I’m so sorry, Molly. That must have been so hard. It must still be so hard. I know grief isn’t linear and some days are easier than others.’
She nodded. ‘You’re right. How do you know? Have you lost someone?’
‘My uncle, Alex’s dad, was killed in a car accident when I was a kid.’ He paused. Almost twenty years later it was still painful to talk about. ‘It was such a massive shock for our whole family. We’re all very close.’
‘I can tell,’ she said. ‘You, Scott, and Alex seemed close on Halloween.’
‘We are,’ he replied. ‘Alex and I used to spend every summer together and Scott’s been part of my family since he was five. It’s the same for you, isn’t it? You and Saskia are close, right?’
‘Very,’ she said. ‘I sometimes feel like her mum, rather than her sister. I worry about her so much.’
‘I saw her this weekend,’ he said. ‘She stayed over at our place on Saturday night.’
‘I heard.’ She raised her eyebrow. ‘Seems like it’s getting serious between her and Scott. She’s very definite about people, she either loves them or hates them.’
‘Really?’ He raised his eyebrows. ‘I’d better be careful what I say.’
‘You’re fine.’ She smiled. ‘She likes you.’ She bit her lip, as if she was trying to hold something in. ‘Are you seeing anyone?’
He shook his head. ‘No. I broke up with my ex-girlfriend a few months before I moved back here. She didn’t want to move down here, and I did. She didn’t want to leave her family, and I missed mine.’ He paused. It had been hard at the time, but he knew now that he’d made the right decision. ‘We’re still friends. We went travelling together when we graduated, so we have some good memories together.’
‘That’s sweet,’ she replied. ‘Where did you go? Where was your favourite place?’
‘We covered a lot of Southeast Asia,’ he replied. ‘Bali was my favourite. It’s so beautiful. You can surf there too.’
‘I’d love to go. Sounds dreamy.’ She pulled out her water bottle and took a swig from it. ‘Before I started university, my friend Liz and I travelled around Africa for the summer. I fell in love with Morocco, and weirdly my boyfriend’s family are Moroccan, so I’ve been back there a few times with them.’
He tried not to think of her boyfriend, or how close she might be with his family.
‘I’ve never been,’ he said. ‘I’d like to go, though. Do you speak Arabic?’
‘Not much,’ she said, laughing. ‘I can rattle off a few words, but they speak French and some English too, so we make it work. Mark speaks much better Arabic than me. We met at university, but we worked out that we’d been in Morocco at the same time that summer. Another weird coincidence.’
‘Sometimes life is like that,’ he said. ‘I met my girlfriend on the first day of my first term university. We were both lost on campus.’
‘That’s adorable.’ She smiled. ‘A meet cute. Where did you go to university?’
‘Leeds. I only moved back here a few months ago when I got this job,’ he replied.
‘I wondered why we’d never met.’ She smiled. ‘That’ll be why.’
‘I loved living in Leeds,’ he said, smiling. ‘It’s such a cool city. Scott came up in my second year and we got a flat together.’ He paused. ‘We missed each other. We’d been together every day since we were five. We didn’t go to university and was struggling to find his feet in Canterbury. I helped him find a job in a bar in Leeds, and within two years he was managing it.’
‘Wow,’ she said. ‘He was obviously missing you. It sounds like he’s definitely found his feet now. Why did you come back to Canterbury?’
‘I got headhunted for this job in London,’ he replied. ‘I knew I could do it and live here so I could see more of my parents. Scott and I agreed that we’d only move back here if it made sense for both of us and he found the job at Mimosa a week after I was offered mine.’
‘Fate strikes again!’ she said, her eyes widening. ‘I love that!’
‘I think so,’ he replied. ‘We didn’t have anywhere to live, so we had to move in with my parents while we tried to find a place. We went from a tiny flat on the outskirts of the city in Leeds to a shabby old farmhouse in Bridge.’
‘Your parents live in Bridge? How posh.’ She raised an eyebrow.
He laughed. ‘Not as posh as you think. We have a regular sized house, no helipad, no horses. Just a very grubby old farmhouse.’
He’d grown up in Bridge, a small village outside of the city, and while there were some huge fancy houses there, his was not one of them.
‘I love old houses. Mine is a Victorian terrace,’ she replied. ‘When my parents first moved into it, they didn’t have much money. We spent most of the winter huddled in front of the fire. The house has changed a lot since then, but it’s still pretty shabby. Saskia and I like it that way. We’re drawn to vintage stuff.’
‘I got that impression,’ he said, nodding to her dress, a flowing tea dress printed with rabbits.
The train pulled into Canterbury West station, and Chris remembered what he’d been planning to ask Molly. Knowing she had a boyfriend made him wary, but they were friends, right?
‘Would you be happy to swap numbers? Then you can let me know if you want me to save you a seat.’
‘Sure. I’d like that.’ She pulled out her phone and handed it to him.
He put his number into her phone. ‘See you tomorrow maybe?’
She pulled on her coat and zipped her bag up, putting it over her shoulder. ‘See you then. I’ll bring some treats. It’s been a while.’
He walked her to her car and waved as she drove off, before going back to his flat feeling completely miserable. He’d been planning to ask her out and now he felt like a complete idiot.
When Scott got home about an hour later, Chris was still wearing his suit, his tie and collar undone. Usually, he couldn’t wait to get into his sweatpants, but tonight, he’d got in, drank a beer, and sat on the sofa, staring out of the window, watching the rain lashing down.
‘Are you alright, mate?’ Scott called as he walked in.
‘Molly’s got a boyfriend.’ Chris took a swig of his beer. ‘She’s been off in his fancy flat in Canary Wharf for the weekend. I was planning to ask her out tonight.’
Scott winced. ‘I’m sorry, mate.’
Chris groaned. ‘Did you know about this?’
‘Saskia told me.’ Scott sat down next to Chris. ‘Apparently, he’s a complete douchebag. I wouldn’t worry about him. I’ve seen you and Molly together. She definitely likes you.’
‘Doesn’t matter.’ Chris frowned. ‘She’s got a boyfriend, so she’s off limits.’
Scott shrugged. ‘Saskia hates him. Her dad hates him. What did she say about him?’
Chris put his bottle down on the coffee table. ‘She doesn’t see him much; he works away a lot and it seems like he isn’t there for her emotionally either.’ He shrugged. ‘She changed the subject pretty quickly.’
‘Bide your time, my friend.’ Scott patted Chris on the arm.
‘Not my style.’ Chris finished his beer. ‘She’ll be a good friend, but that’s it.’
‘And you’ll just swallow your feelings for her?’ Scott raised his eyebrow.
‘I’ll have to,’ Chris said, and quickly changed the subject. ‘Did you see Saskia today?’
Scott nodded. ‘I did. She got the part! She’s going to be in Peter Pan in the West End.’
Chris grinned. ‘That’s brilliant news.’
‘It is, she’s wanted this for years,’ Scott replied. ‘I’m so proud of her. It’s the first role she’s had since her mum died. She’s so brave, I’m kind of in awe of her.’
Chris nodded. ‘Me too. There’s no way I could do it, she’s fearless.’
‘She is.’ Scott paused. ‘And she moves to London next week.’