Mollie McQueen is NOT Getting Divorced Page 5

  ‘So, what do you say?’ Tim asked, pausing to wipe his sweaty brow as they came to a stop at the top of the staircase. ‘Can I take you out?’

  ‘No, thank you, Tim.’ She said authoritatively, stepping back as a couple of girls from HR brushed past them. ‘But if I ever do find myself longing for a night of kangaroo burgers and cider from the comfort of your mother’s spare bedroom, you shall be the first to know.’

  Taking that as a massive win, Tim punched the air and whooped loudly.

  ‘Get in!’ He yelled, unable to hide his joy. ‘You still have my number from the charity fundraiser last year, don’t you?’

  ‘Have a good day, Tim.’

  Digging her entry pass out of her handbag, Mollie buzzed her way into the office and left him standing in the lobby.

  ‘Is that a yes?’ He shouted eagerly. ‘Molls?’

  Allowing the door to slam behind her, Mollie smiled at a passing co-worker and popped in her earphones. She didn’t need to reply to Tim for him to know her answer. Eleven years of being with a vegan had left her ravenous for some meat, but Mollie drew the line at Tim’s kangaroo burgers.

  They say that when you’re starving, you will eat just about anything that’s put in front of you, but something reassured Mollie she wouldn’t ever be that hungry...

  Chapter 8

  Lunch dates with Margot were one of Mollie’s favourite things. No matter where the location or the reason behind their get-togethers, the outcome of their liquid lunches was always the same. Margot would initially insist on sticking to sparkling water, and within minutes Mollie would successfully coax her into sharing a bottle of Sauvignon. Mollie’s ability to talk her older sister into just about anything was a speciality of hers, and today, she was going to put it to good use.

  Having booked Margot’s favourite restaurant, Mollie knew she was already onto a winner. The luxury surroundings in The Three Olives would provide Mollie with the perfect setting to tell her sister about her separation from Max. Just picturing Margot’s face when she revealed her plans gave Mollie a flutter of adrenaline. The idea of informing someone who wasn’t Kenny about their split made her feel giddy and naughty at the same time. In the same way that stealing her grandmother’s mint imperials did when she was a child.

  The truth is, this day was never meant to happen. When Mollie said I do, she didn’t doubt for a second that her marriage would last forever. If she did, she never would have allowed herself to go through with it. The idea of the spectacular meringue dress, the stunning sunflower bouquet and the eye-wateringly expensive buffet all being for nothing made her heart break. Strangely, it wasn’t for the demise of her marriage, but out of sadness for the beautiful day she remembered so fondly. She had always hated waste, but the waste of something as monumental as a wedding was up there with throwing out food the second it clicks over midnight on its best before date.

  As she waited for Margot to make an appearance, Mollie tapped her fingers on the menu and scoured the restaurant’s entrance for any signs of her big sister. Being a stickler for punctuality, Margot Waddles was never late. She could wake up with the hangover from hell, lose her purse, break a nail and still make it to her appointments on time.

  Glancing at her watch, Mollie observed the hand tick over midday and looked up as a familiar leather satchel was placed on the table.

  ‘Right on time!’ Immediately relaxing as Margot’s peony perfume enveloped her, Mollie kissed her sister on the cheek. ‘How are you?’

  ‘I’m good.’ Margot smiled and draped her jacket across the back of her chair. ‘How are you?’

  ‘I’m great!’ Mollie replied, discreetly slipping her left hand beneath the table. ‘You look fantastic!’

  Margot’s pristine trouser suit and white blouse complemented her trim figure perfectly. Her long hair had been curled into a series of blonde waves and pinned back from her face with the help of a diamond-encrusted clip. Margot always looked beautiful, but today, she looked even more so. She was positively glowing, in a way that Mollie couldn’t quite put her finger on.

  ‘Thank you.’ Margot said, her cheeks turning pink at Mollie’s compliment. ‘But I must confess, this isn’t all for your benefit.’

  Responding with a questioning look, Mollie leaned forwards in her seat and waited for Margot to explain herself.

  ‘I’m going on a date later.’ Margot whispered, her eyes glistening as she spoke.

  ‘An actual date?’ Mollie asked, unable to hide her shock. ‘With an actual man?’

  ‘An actual date with an actual man.’ Margot said smugly. ‘Can you believe it?’

  ‘No, I can’t.’ Completely lost for words, Mollie shooed the waiter away and stared at her sister in awe. ‘Who? Where? When?’

  The fact that Margot Waddles was jumping back into the dating game shouldn’t have been anything to write home about, but knowing Margot wrote off men a long time ago, this revelation came as quite a shock to Mollie.

  ‘His name is Joel.’ She began, resting her chin on her hand coyly. ‘He’s a television producer…’

  As Margot brought Mollie up to date on the new man in her life, Mollie ordered a bottle of wine and nodded along to the conversation.

  ‘I actually have you to thank for this.’ Margot said happily. ‘It was the sight of you and Max dancing at Isla’s wedding last month that encouraged me to put myself out there again. The smiles on your faces made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It was in that very moment that I thought to myself, I want that.’

  Mollie smiled back at Margot and started to feel increasingly uncomfortable. This lunch was supposed to be about Mollie’s decision to leave Max. It certainly wasn’t an opportunity for Margot to wax lyrical about how incredibly inspirational their relationship was to her.

  ‘For so long, I convinced myself I was happy alone.’ Margot continued, unaware of Mollie’s growing discomfort. ‘I told myself my career was going to be my baby, and until very recently, it was.’

  ‘Was?’ Mollie repeated, worrying what her sister was going to reveal next. ‘What do you mean was?’

  Laughing off her concern, Margot pulled the menu towards her.

  ‘Don’t worry. I don’t have a bun in the oven.’ She said reassuringly. ‘I’ve just finally tired of my own company, that’s all.’

  Squirming in her seat, Mollie managed a tiny smile in response. She had expected to see her workaholic, independent older sister. Not this doe-eyed, loved-up version of Margot.

  ‘I thought you were happy without a man?’ Mollie said nervously, really wishing the waiter would hurry up with the wine. ‘What happened to carrying your own sword and being your own soulmate?’

  Shaking her head so that her curls bounced around her shoulders, Margot sighed dramatically.

  ‘Maybe I tired of carrying my own sword. Maybe I tired of ready meals for one and sitting on the single table at weddings. Maybe I tired of living to work rather than working to live.’ Margot said vividly. ‘I want what you have, Mollie. I want that one person to ride through life with. To laugh at the good times and cry at the bad. I want a marriage.’

  Mollie bit her tongue in a bid to stop herself from blurting out what she had invited Margot there to say.

  ‘You’re so lucky, Mollie.’ Margot enthused, declining a glass of wine as the waiter finally returned. ‘People search a lifetime to find what you have in Max.’

  Rolling her eyes, Mollie instructed the waiter to pour two glasses.

  ‘No wine for me, thank you.’ Margot insisted, quickly placing a hand over her glass.

  ‘Do we have to do this every damn time?’ Mollie groaned. ‘Just have the bloody wine, will you?’

  Margot hesitated for a moment before reluctantly removing her hand.

  ‘Trust me, you’re going to need it.’ Mollie mumbled, thanking the waiter as he disappeared to another table.

  Raising her eyebrows inquisitively, Margot took a small sip from her glass and waited for Mollie to elaborate. Suddenly dreadin
g having the separation conversation, Mollie mentally reminded herself of the reasons why she was doing this.

  ‘What’s going on?’ Margot pressed, clearly recognising Mollie’s obvious apprehension. ‘You haven’t got another tattoo, have you?’

  ‘No. It’s nothing like that.’

  ‘Please tell me you didn’t go through with that piercing we talked about?’ She said in horror. ‘You know, the one down there…’

  Fighting the urge to disgust her sister by telling her she had indeed pierced her lady garden with a metal bar, Mollie shook her head and twirled her fingers around the stem of her glass.

  ‘Where are your rings?’ Margot asked, zoning in on Mollie’s naked hand. ‘You haven’t sent them to that jewellery shop on Spire Lane, have you? Because Aunt Jacqueline sent hers there for a clean and they swapped her diamonds for cubics.’

  Tiring of beating around the bush, Mollie threw back her wine and decided to bite the bullet.

  ‘Max and I broke up.’ She said quickly. ‘We’re separating.’

  Margot stared back at Mollie and waited for the punchline, but of course, there wasn’t one.

  ‘I don’t get it.’ Margot said slowly.

  ‘There’s nothing to get. We broke up and are in the process of separating.’ Trying to keep her voice as light as possible, Mollie picked up her menu. ‘So, that’s my big news. What’s new with you?’

  The deafening silence that came back at her made Mollie realise the news of her split was not going to be as well received as she had initially hoped.

  ‘You’re kidding, right?’

  ‘Nope.’

  Blinking back at her repeatedly, Margot attempted a laugh and stopped when she discovered Mollie wasn’t joining in.

  ‘There hasn’t been an affair, has there?’ She gasped, recoiling in horror.

  Mollie shook her head in response, really hoping that Margot wasn’t going to give her a hard time.

  Draining the contents of her glass in one swift gulp, Margot motioned for the waiter to pour another.

  ‘Then what the hell happened?’ She hissed, lowering her voice to a whisper.

  ‘What hasn’t happened more like…’ Rubbing her face with her hands, Mollie ignored the butterflies in her stomach that warned her she should keep quiet. ‘Can we order now?’

  ‘Mollie! You can’t just drop a bombshell like that and expect to order bruschetta!’

  ‘Our marriage has been over for a long time, Margot.’ Staring into the bottom of her glass, Mollie pursed her lips and exhaled loudly.

  ‘Where is this coming from?’ Margot said in disbelief. ‘We were just talking about the pair of you dancing at Isla’s wedding. You looked so happy. Here, see for yourself…’

  Taking her phone out of her handbag, Margot brought up a stream of Instagram photos from their friend’s wedding day. With smiles on their faces and drinks in their hands, Maximilian and Mollie did look happy. If the photos were to be believed, they looked ecstatic to be with one another.

  ‘Instagram happy and real-life happy are two very different things.’ Mollie explained, giving the screen a fleeting glance. ‘Anyone can look happy on the internet…’

  Studying the handset, Margot moved from picture to picture.

  ‘Come on, Mollie. The camera doesn’t lie.’ She persisted. ‘A picture can speak a thousand words.’

  ‘You’re right.’ Mollie agreed. ‘And a smile can hide a thousand lies.’

  ‘Mollie…’

  ‘You want to know what I see in those photos?’ Mollie said seriously. ‘I see a thirty-year-old woman who hasn’t had sex for a year. I see a woman who is tired of babysitting her eternal child of a husband. I see a woman who is going to lose her damn mind if she has to go to bed for one more night listening sounds of the freaking rainforest!’

  Realising she was shouting, Mollie smiled at her neighbouring table apologetically and took a deep breath to compose herself.

  ‘Please tell me this isn’t about… doing it, Mollie.’ Margot chastised. ‘There is far more to a marriage than a bit of bloody bonking!’

  ‘Oh, and you would know, would you?’ Mollie snapped, immediately feeling bad for sniping at her sister. ‘Sorry, Margot.’

  Twirling her wine around her glass, Margot bit her lip before replying.

  ‘It’s your marriage, Mollie. It’s your life, and it’s your decision.’ She said sternly. ‘I can’t tell you what to do, but I can tell you when I think you’re making a mistake.’

  Frustrated that Margot wasn’t being the encouraging big sister she was looking for, Mollie turned away.

  ‘Don’t think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. Coming from someone who has been single for most of her adult life, I can tell you it most certainly is not.’ Margot warned. ‘I have envied your marriage for as long as I can remember…’

  ‘You envy me?’ Mollie interjected, not believing what she was hearing. ‘Since when?’

  ‘Since always! Do you really think I’ve enjoyed being alone all these years? Do you think I want to go to sleep in an empty bed and eat breakfast by myself every morning?’

  ‘Yes!’ Mollie retorted. ‘I thought you loved being an independent woman. I thought you flourished being an overachiever. I thought you had this amazing attitude of not needing a man. That is why I have always envied you!’

  The two sisters stared at one another, looking equally as flummoxed. Knowing the next person who spoke was going to lose the argument, Mollie focused on working her way through her glass of wine. On her third sip, she came to the realisation that maybe she had misjudged this one. She didn’t need Margot’s approval to have confidence in what she was doing. It would make things easier, but it certainly wasn’t a necessity. Mollie would, and could, do this without her support, if she had to.

  ‘You’re going to do what you’re going to do, Mollie. You always have.’ Margot said, sighing heavily. ‘But as your older sister, can I give you one piece of advice?’

  ‘Sure.’ Mollie replied, already knowing she wasn’t going to like what she was about to hear.

  ‘Don’t be fooled into believing this fantasy of perfection.’ Margot said sternly. ‘A real relationship, with all its flaws and faults, is the real fantasy.’

  Mollie felt her lips stretch into a smile and laughed.

  ‘Can I give you one piece of advice, Margot?’ She asked, not waiting for a response. ‘Don’t be fooled into believing this Joel will be any different from the rest. The first impression he gives of holding doors open, bringing you breakfast in bed and enjoying meaningful conversations will soon fade away. Before you know it, he will start leaving the toilet door open and you will stop shaving your bikini line, but cheers. Here’s to new relationships, and the end of old ones.’

  Half-heartedly reaching for her glass, Margot clinked it against Mollie’s and shook her head.

  ‘Cheers…’

  Chapter 9

  The animated chatter in the lift made Mollie’s head ache as she tugged her handbag onto her shoulder and momentarily allowed her eyes to close. A busy day in the office, a frankly disastrous lunch with Margot and an afternoon of avoiding Tim had left Mollie McQueen completely exhausted. Her usual midweek routine involved gluten-free pizza and copious amounts of gin, but something told her Maximilian wasn’t going to be waiting with the takeout menu when she walked through the door.

  After contaminating his breakfast with fish poop, Mollie would be lucky if she made it through the evening without something equally disgusting happening to her. Would he swap the sugar for salt? Fill her shampoo bottle with hair removal cream? Put fake spiders in the bed like he did on April Fool’s Day? Trying not to think about the many awful ways in which Max could carry out his revenge, Mollie waited for the rest of the suits to leave the lift before stepping out into the foyer. If she knew Max like she thought she did, she wouldn’t have long to wait before she found out.

  Heading for the revolving doors, Mollie squashed in behind a couple
of guys she didn’t recognise and rolled her eyes when they entered a heated debate about the highly anticipated football match that evening. She couldn’t think of anything worse than watching twenty-two men kicking a ball around. Men and balls were two things she wanted to avoid for the foreseeable future.

  Thankful to be leaving her colleagues behind, Mollie started to make her way to the tube station and froze when she spotted a familiar face across the street. Three familiar faces, to be precise. With identical deadpan expressions, Max, Ralph and Tiffany stared back at Mollie blankly.

  Mollie’s heart raced as she stood perfectly still, unable to move her legs. She couldn’t remember the last time she saw Max smartly dressed in the middle of the working week, and she certainly couldn’t remember the last time he surprised her at work. Only, she had a feeling this was going to be more like a living nightmare than a nice after-work surprise. Were they there to pelt her with eggs, or follow her down the road shouting obscenities?

  ‘Mollie!’ Max yelled, raising one hand in the air. ‘Over here!’

  Debating running away, Mollie took a few deep breaths before crossing the street. If her lunch with Margot was anything to go by, news of their split had most likely gone down like a lead balloon with Ralph and Tiffany. Their stern faces didn’t give anything away as Mollie came to a stop in front of her soon-to-be ex-in-laws and braced herself for what she was about to face.

  ‘Hi.’ Mollie said cautiously, shifting her weight from one foot to the other and attempting a smile. ‘How… how are you both?’

  ‘You tell me.’ Tiffany demanded, her chocolate hair bouncing on her shoulders as she took a step towards Mollie. ‘I’m led to believe this is all your doing.’

  Mollie felt her stomach flip with guilt as she looked behind Tiffany at an equally serious Ralph. She knew Max would make this separation all her fault. After all, it was her decision, but as far as who was to blame, Mollie believed Maximilian was the only one accountable.