by Lacey London
‘Great.’ Mollie lied, finally finding her voice. ‘I feel great. Who doesn’t love to date?’
Without saying a word, Evangelina gave her a tiny nod and returned to her computer.
‘Besides, I get to pick, which makes it all the more interesting…’
Chapter 24
Swiping her finger across the screen, Mollie studied the beautiful brunette in front of her closely. Her brown eyes glistened like chocolate diamonds and her perfect hair danced effortlessly around her shoulders. She certainly looked very different to Mollie, that’s for sure. Moving her eyes down to the profile description, Mollie nestled into the cushions on the sofa.
It appeared the glamorous Anastasia was a loud and proud vegan who loved festivals, beer and football. So much so she was a season ticket holder at her local club in Brighton. Her hobbies included gaming, riding her motorcycle and playing pool. Scrolling back up to the photograph, Mollie narrowed her eyes at the picture and scoffed. Anastasia Love had catfish written all over her.
As she continued to look through the profiles, Mollie glanced over at Max and frowned when she saw him making notes on a pad of paper.
‘What are you doing?’ She asked, leaning over to his side of the sofa in a bid to get a glimpse of what he was writing.
Quickly shielding the pad, Max placed a cushion in front of him.
‘I’m making a shortlist of potential profiles.’ He said seriously, busily scribbling on the page. ‘You heard Evangelina. We get one shot at this. I want to get it just right.’
Stretching out her legs, Mollie returned to her own tablet and swiped left to change the profile. The idea of a random woman being on a date with her husband was rather surreal. A wave of envy rushed through Mollie’s veins as she pictured Max enjoying another woman’s company. They would be flirting, clinking glasses and chatting into the early hours over candlelight, and Mollie didn’t like it one little bit.
A wicked thought whispered to her as she tried to shake off her inner green-eyed monster. What if Max didn’t like who he was on a date with? A devilish smile played on the corner of Mollie’s lips as she made her way through the listings. Just what did Maximilian McQueen hate the most? What really crunched his apples?
Lowering her eyes to the screen, Mollie searched for the filters and studied the many boxes in front of her. The carnivore box winked mischievously, causing Mollie to smile to herself. Confidently ticking a Tory box, Mollie started to enjoy herself as she selected all the personality traits she knew Max would avoid like sausages if he was choosing for himself.
Watching the screen fill up with a variety of profiles, each one more unsuitable for Max than the last, Mollie silently chuckled. What would he despise more? A staunch righty or a passionate butcher? Studying both profiles, Mollie pictured each of the women having dinner with her husband and tried to ignore her growing unease. Max would run for the hills if he was presented with either of them, so why did it bother her so much? Why did the idea of him spending time alone with someone else make her feel so nauseous?
Mollie looked at Max over the top of her tablet and tried to convince herself she was perfectly fine with their impending blind dates, but the truth is, it was giving her a serious case of anxiety. Maximilian, on the other hand, didn’t appear to be having the same problem. If anything, he seemed to be enjoying the whole activity. Mollie couldn’t remember the last time she saw him put so much effort into something. Seeing Max be so enthusiastic about sending her off on a date with another man upset her, but she was very aware it was her fault they were dating other people in the first place.
Not wanting to admit she was having second thoughts, Mollie tried to remind herself why she was doing this. Max was lazy, he had no work ethic, he hung carrier bags from door handles and used them as bins. He trimmed his nose hair while they were watching Eastenders. He was untidy, and he infuriated her with his criticism of meat-eaters. As she repeated these things silently in her mind, Mollie tried her hardest to believe them, but the truth is, she knew how pitiful they sounded. Yes, their sex life was non-existent, and Mollie constantly worried his lack of career ambition was going to catapult them into financial ruin, but strangely, even these more important issues now seemed fixable.
Mollie stared at the catalogue of women on the tablet and wondered why she didn’t believe she could rectify her marital problems before deciding to throw the towel in. For the first time in her life, she had jumped straight in at the deep end. She bypassed go, she didn’t collect two hundred pounds, and she put all her money on a rushed separation. Day by day, she had started to lose more and more confidence in her decision. She had backtracked from divorce to separation. She had agreed to go to counselling. Now, the chance of her walking away from her marriage rested on the flip of a coin. Heads or tails. Win or lose. Yet Mollie still wasn’t sure which outcome would be deserving of a gold prize.
‘Do we get to choose where each other goes on the date?’ Max asked, grabbing a blanket from the back of the sofa and tossing it over Mollie’s legs.
‘I don’t think so.’ She answered. ‘Evangelina was quite secretive about where we would be going. I think it’s a blind date in every sense of the word.’
‘Ah…’ Max sighed, sounding rather disappointed. ‘That’s a shame. I was going to send you to that art gallery you love in the city.’
‘The one on Blackberry Lane?’ Mollie gasped. ‘I love that place!’
‘I know you do, which is why I was going to send you there.’ Max said quietly, stretching his arms above his head.
‘You would really do that for me?’ Completely touched that he would try and create the ideal date for her, Mollie felt a lump form in the back of her throat.
‘Of course I would. I want to make sure it’s perfect for you.’
‘You never want to go to the art gallery with me.’ Mollie mumbled, smiling sadly. ‘I must have asked you a thousand times.’
‘Well, maybe I should have done.’ Max replied quietly. ‘Maybe I should have done a lot of things over the years, but we are where we are, and now we have to deal with the consequences of our actions.’
Mollie stared back at Max in a guilt-ridden silence as she searched for the right thing to say. He was putting a lot of thought into this. He was trying his hardest to ensure Mollie had a fabulous time, and there she was, deliberately trying to sabotage his date. The pang of remorse that hit her stomach was starting to become familiar. It made her stomach churn, it made her skin prickle, and it made whatever she ate earlier rise in her throat like hot lava.
‘Max…’
‘Anyway, we aren’t supposed to be conferring, remember?’ Flashing her a wink, Max tapped the screen of his tablet to bring it back to life. ‘Besides, I think I’ve got my guy. I just have a few more profiles to go through.’
Watching him study the screen intently, Mollie cleared her filters and started from scratch. This time, she focused on creating Max’s ideal woman. A woman who shared his love for vegetarianism, a woman who was in touch with her hippy side, and a woman who believed she could change the world with positive thoughts. Hitting the search button, Mollie frowned when she discovered no such woman existed within Evangelina’s chosen profiles.
Going back over her options, Mollie returned to Anastasia Love and clicked into her listing. An array of equally beautiful photos appeared on the screen, confirming to Mollie this woman was definitely not a catfish as she first expected. From her graduation pictures to images of her backpacking days around Europe and various envy-inducing selfies, Anastasia Love was as real as they come. She might not be Max’s dream woman, but she ticked enough boxes for him to have a ball with her. As she stared at Anastasia’s profile photo, Mollie failed to think of a man in the world who wouldn’t enjoy an evening in her company, or woman, for that matter. She looked a whole world of fun wrapped up in one beautiful parcel.
Being very aware that once she selected a profile there would be no going back, Mollie hovered her finger over the s
creen. Her heart raced as she tried to convince herself that it was simply part of the course. It was just one date, but that one date would either repair or end her marriage.
Knowing that in order to get the most out of her therapy with Evangelina she had to trust her processes, Mollie closed her eyes and quickly hit the button. The second Anastasia’s profile disappeared from the tablet, Mollie felt her heart sink in her chest. She could only hope and pray that Max had been so kind to her…
Chapter 25
Mollie had been attempting to read the press release in front of her for the past forty minutes, but all she could think about was her upcoming date that night, and more importantly, Max’s. Being so consumed with thoughts of who exactly Max was going to be spending his evening with was eating away at her inside. Not being the jealous type, these feelings of envy were somewhat of a new phenomenon for Mollie McQueen. She watched Max dance with other women in nightclubs and laughed at his awful dance moves. She ogled his pin-up calendar with him over the breakfast table. She even waved him off to a strip club for his friend’s stag do without as much as a warning to behave himself. So, she just couldn’t understand why the idea of a simple dinner date made her feel so very green.
The lettering on the press release blurred into a fuzzy haze as an image of Max and Anastasia flashed in front of her. She could hear their laughter ringing in her ears and she could see their smiles when she closed her eyes. Despite her attempts to block them out, a stream of antagonistic thoughts whirled around Mollie’s mind like a broken record… Would he like her? Of course he would bloody like her! Max was going to love her. Who wouldn’t? They’ll be chatting about football, pool, beer and everything else Mollie loved to hate. They’ll be clinking pint glasses to the United score, flirting over the pool table…
‘Mollie?’
Looking up, Mollie managed to raise a smile when she saw Beatrice standing in front of her.
‘Hi, Beatrice.’ She said quietly, pushing away the unread press release. ‘How are you?’
‘I’m not bad.’ Hitching up her skirt, Beatrice perched on the edge of Mollie’s desk. ‘How are you?’
Mollie considered admitting she was a nervous wreck due to worrying about her husband humping a sexy brunette behind a burger van at the next United match, but instead, she resorted to a simple nod of the head.
‘I’m good. What can I do for you?’
‘It’s more what I can do for you. A bunch of us are going to Ginchiest after work. Do you want to join us?’ Beatrice offered, smiling brightly. ‘I thought it would be a good opportunity to have those cocktails you mentioned.’
‘I’d love to…’ Mollie replied happily, momentarily forgetting about her blind date. ‘But I’m afraid I already have plans for tonight.’
Beatrice rolled her eyes and sighed heavily.
‘Of course you do. You’re Mollie McQueen. You always have plans. What is it this time? Presentation to prepare for? Working dinner?’
‘It’s not work-related.’ Mollie stammered, desperately trying to search for a way to explain the unusual evening she had ahead of her. ‘It’s…’
‘It’s okay, Mollie.’ Beatrice said breezily. ‘You don’t have to explain yourself. I should have given you more notice. Maybe next time?’
‘Any other night and I would be there.’ Offering her an apologetic smile, Mollie clasped her hands together in front of her. ‘It’s just… it’s just that I have something I really can’t get out of.’
Beatrice raised an eyebrow and waited for an explanation.
‘I’m going on a blind date… with a man my husband chose… I don’t know who this guy is or where I’m going… my therapist has arranged everything. It’s… it’s kind of a surprise.’
Beatrice stared at Mollie blankly before bursting into laughter.
‘Oh, Mollie!’ She giggled. ‘I’ve missed you and your weird sense of humour!’
Joining in with her laughter, Mollie slipped her hands into her pockets.
‘How about the same time next week?’ Beatrice asked, resting her hands on her hips. ‘Do you think you could fit me into your hectic schedule?’
‘Most definitely.’ Mollie answered gratefully. ‘I’ll be there.’
Giving her a final smile, Beatrice turned and walked away, leaving a happy Mollie alone at her desk. Slowly returning to her press release, Mollie picked up her pen and made a note of her date with Beatrice in her diary. Drawing a smiley face next to the entry, Mollie leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. She now had three dates to think about, but only one was causing her stomach to churn uncontrollably.
Ironically, Mollie’s own date wasn’t causing her concern. She couldn’t care less who she went on a date with because she simply wasn’t interested in any other men. Of course, she was intrigued to see who Max had chosen for her, but she had little to no interest in the date itself.
If Evangelina’s tactic was to discover how they felt about one another dating other people, Mollie hated to admit that she didn’t like it one little bit. What bothered her more was that Max wasn’t worried in the slightest, or if he was, he certainly didn’t show it. Maybe he would fall head over heels in love with Anastasia. Maybe it would be love at first sight for Mollie. With so many what ifs running through her mind, Mollie threw back her head and let out a groan.
In a bid to distract herself, she picked up her desk phone and dialled Margot’s number. As usual, the line rang exactly three times before her sister’s familiar voice drifted into Mollie’s ear.
‘Margot Waddles.’
‘It’s me.’ Mollie replied, twirling the phone cord around her finger.
‘Mollie! I’ve been meaning to call you. How’s things?’
‘You know, so-so...’ Wanting to buy herself a bit of time, Mollie decided to dive into the subject of Margot’s love life before she revealed all about her own. ‘How’s Joel?’
‘Oh, Mollie!’ Margot gushed. ‘He’s fabulous! I just can’t believe I’ve spent so much of my life without him.’
‘So, how long has it been now?’ Mollie asked, turning to face the window as Tim eagerly tried to get her attention.
‘Tonight shall mark ten nights since our first date. Between you and me, I think tonight might just be the night.’
‘Do you mean you haven’t…’
‘Mollie! What do you take me for?’ Margot whispered. ‘You know I have a three-date rule!’
‘Yes, when you were eighteen!’
‘I feel eighteen.’ She squealed. ‘It’s been so long since I’ve… you know.’
Mollie smiled and placed her elbows on the desk. Margot’s inability to say the word sex had always tickled her. Over the years, Mollie had heard her sister refer to doing the deed in every way from baking the potato to doing the hokey-pokey, but not once had she allowed the word sex to tumble out of her mouth.
‘I can guarantee it’s exactly the same as the last time you did it.’ Mollie said bluntly. ‘Just a whole load of huffing and puffing and you only come out of the other end disappointed.’
‘Just because you’re not getting any, Mollie, doesn’t mean the rest of us have to abstain! Joel is taking me to dinner at The Ritz…’
As Mollie listened to Margot rave about the incredible night that awaited her, Mollie’s thoughts drifted to her own evening. With her heart not being in her date, Mollie hadn’t bothered to wash her hair, shave her legs, spend three hours choosing an outfit or do any of the other pre-date rituals she used to enjoy. Instead, she was listening to her sister’s sordid dream of being thrown around the Presidential Suite at The Ritz.
‘Sorry, Margot, I’m going to have to go.’ Mollie said suddenly, reaching beneath the desk for her handbag. ‘I’ve got a… I’ve got a thing I need to do.’
‘Okay…’ Margot said chirpily. ‘I take it you and Max have managed to sort out your problems?’
‘We’re… working on it.’ Already reaching for her coat, Mollie stuffed the press release into her filing cabi
net. ‘Enjoy your night, use protection and try not to break the bed.’
Slamming the phone down, Mollie locked her computer and ran over to the lift. She might not have known where she was going, but she knew she would be ready when she got there…
Chapter 26
Peering at her reflection in the mirror, Mollie took a step back and studied her outfit. It was no coincidence she was wearing the black tutu dress she wore when Max took her out for the very first time. It was a little tight under the arms and slightly shorter than she remembered, but as she scoured her wardrobe for the perfect ensemble, the little black dress just screamed out to her. The way Max’s jaw dropped open when she opened the door all those years ago still brought a smile to Mollie’s face, and a tiny part of her wanted to see if it still had the same effect a decade later.
Upon hearing Max step out of the bathroom behind her, Mollie turned around and watched him fix his hair in the mirror. He was wearing a crisp shirt she didn’t recognise and smelt of the aftershave Mollie knew and loved.
‘New shirt?’ Mollie asked, holding her breath to avoid the zip bursting on her dress.
‘It is.’ Fastening his cufflinks, Max brushed a stray piece of fluff off his chest. ‘I picked it up in town earlier. Do you like it?’
‘I love it.’ Mollie answered, slightly hurt that he had made such an effort for a woman he knew nothing about. ‘Pink is your colour.’
‘It’s not pink!’ Reaching for the label he discarded on the dresser earlier, Max squinted at the tag. ‘The shade is… ballerina slippers.’
‘So, pink then?’ Mollie laughed. ‘But seriously, you look great.’
‘You really think so?’ Spinning around to face her for the first time, Max’s brow furrowed into a frown. ‘Is that?’
Mollie nodded as her cheeks burned with embarrassment, quietly overjoyed that he remembered.
