Incomplete strangers, p.1
Incomplete Strangers, page 1
Incomplete Strangers
Laura-Elise Bishop
Copyright © 2024 Laura- Elise Bishop
Copyright © 2024 Laura-Elise Bishop All rights reserved
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Cover design by: Laura-Elise Bishop
ISBN: 978-1-7385711-0-9
This book is dedicated to everyone who has ever felt afraid, and to those who helped them feel safe again
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Preface
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Acknowledgements
Preface
This book contains the following themes: assault (on page and flashbacks), parental death (off page, but mentioned on page in flashbacks), grief, abusive romantic relationships (not between main characters), infidelity (not between main characters), abusive parental relationship, (off page, but mentioned on page) nightmares, flashbacks, alchohol consumption, explicit language. Please read with care.
Chapter One
October 2014, Canterbury, Kent England
Molly’s fingers trembled as she zipped up her boots and slipped on her coat. She focused on her breathing, trying to dispel the nausea swirling in her stomach.
‘Ready then?’ Saskia pushed a hand through her tangled blonde hair.
‘You’re going out like that?’ Molly ran her eyes over her black pencil skirt and cashmere sweater, then her sister’s neon pink pyjama trousers, T-shirt with a sweary slogan, and woolly cardigan with frayed cuffs.
‘I offered you a lift to the station. I wasn’t planning to get out of the car. This is how I’m leaving the house, take it or leave it.’ Saskia shrugged.
Molly sighed and handed her car keys to her sister. Today was hard enough as it was without getting into a fight with Saskia. ‘Should I drive us to the station?’ she asked. ‘I know the best way to go at this time of the morning and you’re never up at this time.’
Saskia pushed Molly gently out of the house and locked the door behind them, then unlocked the car. ‘Molly, you need to relax. The station is five minutes away. It’ll be fine.’ She waved her hand airily.
Molly climbed in and put her seatbelt on. ‘I feel so stupid for needing you to come with me.’
‘This is what we need to do today. Accept it.’ Saskia’s tone was firm.
When Saskia parked in the station car park, Molly fiddled nervously with her seatbelt.
Saskia leant over, unclipped it for her and squeezed her hand. ‘It’s going to be OK. You’re so brave. You can do this.’
Molly smiled weakly at her sister, then checked her make-up in the mirror, running her finger over the scar on her face. Despite the amount of blusher she had put on, her skin was still deathly pale, and her ice-blue eyes were still bloodshot from the lack of sleep. Smoothing her pale blonde hair behind her ears, she smiled at Saskia. ‘Thanks, Sas.’ Her eyes landed on Saskia’s messy bun. They were such opposites; Molly was petite, and Saskia was tall and leggy. Molly was shy, anxious, and introverted; Saskia was fearless, and right now Molly longed to be her.
Saskia glanced at the clock on the dashboard. ‘Come on Molly. It’s time to go. You’ve got ten minutes until the train leaves. You can definitely do this.’
‘I know. Thank you for being here today.’ Molly’s voice trembled as she spoke.
‘Do you need me to come with you?’ Saskia asked. ‘I meant it when I said I would.’
Molly shook her head. ‘No. I said I would do this by myself, and I will.’ Her legs felt like jelly and her palms started to sweat as she got out of the car.
Saskia got out too, shutting the door behind her. ‘You have your purse and your phone, right? And that little alarm thing we bought?’
‘Yes, I have all the things,’ Molly replied. The alarm had almost deafened both of them last night when they’d tested it, but it made her feel safer. Also tucked into her bag was the book that Saskia had lent her. A saucy romance wasn’t her usual choice, but it would distract her on the train journey.
Saskia gave Molly a thumbs up. ‘Text me when you get there. I’ll do the food shopping after I drop you off, like a good little housewife.’ She smirked.
‘You’re the best.’ Molly gave Saskia a hug. ‘Thank you. I’ll put my half of the money in your account later.’
‘Thanks,’ Saskia replied, then let Molly go. ‘Love you.’
‘Love you too.’ Molly smiled at her sister. Saskia wouldn’t have hidden at home for two weeks. She would have got right back on the train the next day.
Inside the station Molly swiped her ticket through the barrier and made her way onto the train. I did it, she thought to herself as the train pulled out of the station.
When the train arrived at London’s Victoria station, Molly’s nerves returned. On the train, she felt safe. Now she was back into scary territory again. She got off the train, her breathing heavy and laboured. Ahead of her, a noisy crowd of women laughed with each other, and she blended in with them, keen not to be singled out as being alone and vulnerable. She followed them out of the station and into the street, the bitter wind blasting her skin and blowing her hair around her face. Starting her journey to work, she passed a coffee shop. Her stomach rumbled, and she longed for a coffee and croissant, but it was full of people in suits and coats shuffling towards the counter, all of them with blank, resigned faces on. A wave of nausea washed over her, spurring her on towards her office.
As the giant toucan on the top of her building appeared in front of her, she started to feel apprehensive. People were going to ask questions. Her fingers flew to her eyebrow again, hoping the concealer was still covering her scar. She pushed the revolving glass door firmly and walked across the lobby towards the receptionist sat at the large desk.
‘Molly, darling, you’re back. How are you?’
Taking a deep breath and focusing on Sue’s grey, elegantly styled hair, Molly managed a short response. ‘I’m OK. How are you?’
‘I’m just fine, darling. I'm so pleased you’re back.’ Sue paused, as if trying to find the right words. ‘If you need to talk about anything, love, you know where I am. Just take it easy today. Be kind to yourself.’
Molly nodded, afraid that if she stayed here any longer, she might burst into tears. ‘Thank you. I really appreciate it.’
‘You are so welcome darling.’ Sue smiled. ‘I won’t keep you. I know that Karl’s keen to see you.’
‘I’m keen to see him too.’ Molly smiled as she thought of her boss, a gentle Nordic giant. ‘Thanks again. See you later.’ She walked through the reception area, and into the lift. Her office was on the fourth floor and although the thought of being squashed into the lift for that long made her feel slightly sick right now, her heels were too high to walk that far. Without them, she felt small, and vulnerable, not tall, and graceful, like her sister.
As the lift rose, Molly fiddled with one of the buttons on her coat. The doors opened and, keeping her eyes down, she walked to her desk, sitting down and breathing a sigh of relief.
Her desk was one of ten, in the large open plan office, all neatly marked with large blue dividers. Photos of her, Saskia, and their friends covered her desk. Her collection of clay cactuses, flamingos and llamas congregated underneath her large monitor.
She slipped off her heels and put on the blush pink leather slippers that lived under her desk, then turned on her computer. While it came to life, she opened her planner, selected a pen from the large fish shaped jug in front of her and started to plan her day.
Once that was was done, she pulled her phone out of her bag and sent Saskia a photo of the cloudy skies that loomed outside her office.
Molly: I’m back X
Saskia: So proud of you Mole! : ) Very glad you are back in the little grey world that you love. I’m at the supermarket hunting for a lil treat for you. Disappointed at the lack of talent here. Rom coms have a lot to answer for. I was expecting to meet my future husband here. What a load of shit! X
Molly covered her mouth to stop herself laughing. Saskia had a filthy mouth and absolutely no filter.
Molly: Rom coms are a complete waste of time. Please get the stuff on the list. I would love a treat, but we do need the essentials. Love you. X
Another message arrived, this one from her best friend, Liz.
Liz: I’m thinking of you today LOVE YOU!!
Liz would have dropped her daughter, Martha, at pre-school, then raced across the city to get to her job as a veterinary nurse that morning, and Molly’s eyes filled with tears , touched that her friend had remembered her.
Molly: Thanks love. I was so scared this morning but I did it!!! Saskia even got up to take me to the station! X
Molly put her phone back in her bag and opened her emails. Nothing new had come in since last night. On her desk were two unopened manuscripts. She ripped open the envelopes and checked through the pages.
These were the manuscripts that were supposed to be delivered to her house last week. She picked up the piece of paper from the bottom of the envelope, recognising April’s scrawly handwriting.
Molly,
Here’s the third draft. I’m sorry, it’s late. There’s not too much to change. Give me a call if you need to.
April x
She rolled her eyes, squashed the note into a ball, and with a carefully aimed shot, threw it straight into the bin. She opened her desk drawer, finding her mug and a box of her favourite teabags; rooibos straight from South Africa. The spicy scent reminded her of the dusty, hot landscape. She peered over the top of her cubicle. It was quiet. Time to run the gauntlet. Sliding out of her chair, she hurried into the kitchen, tapping her scarlet nails on the counter as she waited for the kettle to boil, praying no one came into the kitchen.
Back at her desk, with her cup of tea, she started to feel relaxed for the first time that day, even during a frustrating phone call with one of her authors.
‘Karl asked you to send over the second draft last week and I’ve still not received anything.’
Eric’s tone was apologetic. ‘I’ll have it over to you by tomorrow at the latest, I promise.’
‘Before lunch would be ideal,’ she replied tartly.
‘I’ll do my best,’ he said. ‘Have a good afternoon, Molly.’
Such a charmer, she thought to herself as she hung up and went back to her emails.
Over the last four years, her open plan office at Toucan Publishing had been a noisy, friendly environment. Today was different though. Today no one wanted to meet her eyes and offered her nothing more than a gentle smile. It was just like when her mum died. No one knew what to say and was too scared they would say the wrong thing.
***
After working on the new manuscript for what felt like eternity, Molly removed her tortoiseshell glasses and checked her watch. It was lunchtime.
She peered outside and decided she couldn’t face elbow barging a wall of suits out of the way in the sandwich shop today. She decided to see what the canteen had to offer. Before she could slip out of her cubicle, Karl was right in front of her. He was tall, with light blonde hair, and pale blue eyes. He was a gentle giant who considered every word before he spoke. He leant against her desk, studying her intently.
‘Molly, sorry I didn’t come in this morning. I’ve been in a meeting. How are you doing?’
‘It’s good to be back.’ She plastered a smile onto her face, hoping it was convincing.
‘I almost believe you.’ He smiled. ‘If you need anything at all please come and talk to me. I know how strong minded you are, but please be kind to yourself.’
‘Thank you.’ She lowered her voice. ‘This morning wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Saskia came with me to the station and she’s going to pick me up later.’
‘Good. I’m glad you’ve got her to support you.’ He stood up. ‘I’m just going down to the canteen; you want to come with me?’
‘Sure.’ She locked her computer screen and stood up. ‘I only managed a piece of toast for breakfast and I’m starving now.’
He shook his head. ‘I bet you are, but I understand. I would be the same.’ As they walked into the lift, he turned to Molly. ‘I’ve briefed the team not to ask you any questions. I didn’t want you to feel pressured into going over it again when you got in today.’
‘I thought you had,’ she replied. ‘I got some very polite smiles, but no one’s actually said anything to me.’
‘Oh.’ He wrinkled his nose. ‘That wasn’t quite what I meant to happen.’
‘Don’t worry, I appreciate what you were trying to do.’ She sighed. ‘It’s just that when these things happen, people don’t know what to say or do. It was so quiet in there you could have heard a pin drop this morning. I’ll talk to them this afternoon and make sure they know that they don’t have to hide from me.’
‘That’s so typical of you,’ he said, ‘you want to make them feel better.’ He gestured to her to go first as the lift doors opened. ‘Sometimes you need to put your own wellbeing first, Molly.’
Her own wellbeing was something she hadn’t considered for a while. Her job, her family, and her friends took up most of her headspace.
As they walked into the canteen she felt anxious again. The tables were all full, and there was a long queue of people carrying trays loaded with everything from sandwiches to noodles, fries to salads. She browsed the hot dishes at the Asian food counter, ordered a Nasi Goreng, and joined the queue behind Karl.
‘I’ll get these.’ He pulled out his card and handed it to the cashier before she could say anything.
She blushed. ‘Thank you. You didn’t need to do that.’
He waved his hand. ‘It’s nothing. Call it pay back for that cake you made me for my birthday. I can’t imagine that lingonberry jam was cheap. It took me back to my childhood.’
‘Ah, you’re so welcome.’ She followed Karl to a table and sat down opposite him. ‘I’d never tried it before, but I liked it. Saskia polished off the last of it on toast the other day. She nearly choked when I told her what it cost.’
‘Well, I appreciate it, and I’m glad you’re back,’ he said.
After she’d eaten, Molly felt a little braver and made her way across the office to speak to Ed, Leslie, and Charlie, her teammates. She briefly explained what had happened to her, knowing they wouldn’t ask any difficult questions, or push her for more information. They were, as she had expected, sympathetic and supportive.
Returning to her desk, she scrolled through the playlists she’d made for every mood, before choosing the drum and bass one, made up of remixes of some of her favourite songs. She put her ear buds in, unlocked her computer and returned to her manuscript.
***
Karl’s cheery face appeared at her desk as the clock hit five, and Molly pulled out her ear buds. ‘Hi,’ she said. ‘Do you need to see me?’
‘I thought I’d walk you to the station.’ He paused, studying her face. ‘If you’d like me to.’
She smiled. ‘Oh, that’s sweet of you. You don’t need to do that.’
‘I know,’ he said softly. ‘But I thought it might make you feel a bit safer. The offer’s there if you want it.’
She remembered what her therapist had said about allowing people to be there for her if she needed them and took a deep breath.
‘Actually, yes, that would be good, thank you.’ She took her slippers off and put her boots back on, then grabbed her coat and walked to the lift with Karl.
When she left the building, with Karl by her side, the city had transformed from the grey gloom of the morning. A mixture of neon and fluorescent lights guided her through the darkness, and back to the train station.
At the arched entrance, Karl stopped and turned to Molly. ‘Do you want me to see you onto your train?’
She nodded, hating how vulnerable she felt right now. ‘I’d like that, thank you.’
‘Come on then.’ He led her to the gate for her platform. ‘I’m afraid I can’t come any further, but the train is there. All you need to do is get on.’
‘Thank you for everything today, I really appreciate it.’ She looked up at Karl.
His brow furrowed. ‘It was nothing, Molly. I appreciate you. You are one of our family, no? We are all here to support each other. I’ll see you tomorrow.’
‘You will,’ she said. Today had been a thousand percent better than she had imagined it would be. ‘See you tomorrow.’
She gave him a cheery wave and fed her ticket into the barrier, then stuffed it back into her pocket. Karl’s kindness, and the kindness of her team had been overwhelming. She was used to having to fight her own battles, and they’d swooped in to support her. The train doors opened in front of her, and she climbed on, scanning the carriage for an empty seat. Even better, there were two empty seats a few rows ahead. She sank into the window seat and let out a sigh of relief as the train doors shut.
