Free The One That Got Away by Lucy Dawson Page A
Authors: Lucy Dawson
in. ‘Well, in her defence, she—’ I look back up. ‘SHIT!’
The BMW in front has stopped completely, yet I am still moving towards it. I hit the brakes but the ground is so wet that
I simply slide. The BM’s boot looms too large for me to do anything to prevent the surprisinglyloud thud that results seconds later. My head jolts back on to the headrest. ‘Oh fuck!’ I gasp, fumbling for my hazard lights.
‘Molly?’ Leo says sharply. ‘What’s happened? Are you—’
The BMW’s hazards flash on and I see the driver’s door open …
‘I’ve just hit a car,’ I say in shock and then hang up as a very angry looking young woman starts to walk towards me.
She shouts some pretty choice things, and a few more once we are on the hard shoulder – other cars slow down to pass us, gleefully
taking in the entertainment – and is far nastier than she needs to be. I know that the law will be on her side anyway, and
am trying to explain that I’m the one with the crumpled bumper and smashed indicator, but she isn’t having any of it. I end
up shouting back at her, at which she gives me a disdainful look and says patronisingly, ‘OK you’re, like, clearly really
hormonal
right now. Just take my details and sort it out.’
I don’t even have the chance to think of a devastating put-down as she flicks her hair at me and turns around on the spot
before climbing back into her completely unscathed car and roaring off.
I get back into mine and just sit there for a minute in disbelief, which is when the phone rings again with a number I don’t
recognise. I pick up automatically. ‘Molly Greene speaking – how can I help you?’ My voice doesn’t sound quite right even
to me.
‘Molly? It’s me. What the hell just happened? Are you OK?’ I can hear confusion and concern in Leo’s voice.
‘I’m fine,’ I breathe. ‘Just a stupid small bump.’ But I wobble at the end.
‘You don’t sound OK,’ he says doubtfully.
I don’t know if it’s just hitting the car, my row with Dan and the weirdness of talking to him, or shock, or frustration at
the stupid girl shouting at me – but whatever it is, I burst into tears.
‘Molly?’ Leo is incredulous. ‘Are you
crying
?’
‘I’m so sorry—’ I feel completely stupid. ‘Leo, I should go.’ I hang up quickly.
What a truly rubbish – and deeply surreal – morning this is turning out to be. I stare at the phone. He’s going to think I’ve
gone completely mad. I message him out of the blue and then hang up on him when he calls me. I shudder with embarrassment
and then, so I don’t have to dwell on it, hit one of the numbers I have on speed dial. A male voice answers with a terse ‘Hello?’
‘Hi, it’s me.’ I take a deep breath, this really is one of my worst Wednesdays
ever
. ‘I’ve just had a bit of an accident …’
‘Molly needs a top-up after the day she’s had.’ Pearce pours more wine into my glass. ‘The important thing is, you weren’t
hurt.’
‘Can you tell Dan that?’ I ask. ‘He gave me a proper telling off for not concentrating at the wheel.’
Pearce shrugs. ‘Probably just worried about you, that’s all. Cheers everyone.’
We all raise our glasses.
‘Just to check,’ Kirk, our newest and very junior recruit asks cautiously, legs spread rather too wide as he smoothes his
Topman suit trousers down. ‘We are now officially off-duty, aren’t we? Whatever we get up to won’t affect anything back at
the office, so to speak?’
Pearce gives him a mischievous grin as he sits back in his chair. ‘Nope. You can carry on getting ratted and behave badly
Kirk, everyone else is going to. Sandra’s already seen two people sneaking off upstairs who ought not to be.’
A small knowing smile passes about my colleague’s beautiful glossy lips as she picks up her glass. ‘This is your first conference
then I take it, Kirk?’ she turns away from Pearce and innocently sips her drink.
The BMW in front has stopped completely, yet I am still moving towards it. I hit the brakes but the ground is so wet that
I simply slide. The BM’s boot looms too large for me to do anything to prevent the surprisinglyloud thud that results seconds later. My head jolts back on to the headrest. ‘Oh fuck!’ I gasp, fumbling for my hazard lights.
‘Molly?’ Leo says sharply. ‘What’s happened? Are you—’
The BMW’s hazards flash on and I see the driver’s door open …
‘I’ve just hit a car,’ I say in shock and then hang up as a very angry looking young woman starts to walk towards me.
She shouts some pretty choice things, and a few more once we are on the hard shoulder – other cars slow down to pass us, gleefully
taking in the entertainment – and is far nastier than she needs to be. I know that the law will be on her side anyway, and
am trying to explain that I’m the one with the crumpled bumper and smashed indicator, but she isn’t having any of it. I end
up shouting back at her, at which she gives me a disdainful look and says patronisingly, ‘OK you’re, like, clearly really
hormonal
right now. Just take my details and sort it out.’
I don’t even have the chance to think of a devastating put-down as she flicks her hair at me and turns around on the spot
before climbing back into her completely unscathed car and roaring off.
I get back into mine and just sit there for a minute in disbelief, which is when the phone rings again with a number I don’t
recognise. I pick up automatically. ‘Molly Greene speaking – how can I help you?’ My voice doesn’t sound quite right even
to me.
‘Molly? It’s me. What the hell just happened? Are you OK?’ I can hear confusion and concern in Leo’s voice.
‘I’m fine,’ I breathe. ‘Just a stupid small bump.’ But I wobble at the end.
‘You don’t sound OK,’ he says doubtfully.
I don’t know if it’s just hitting the car, my row with Dan and the weirdness of talking to him, or shock, or frustration at
the stupid girl shouting at me – but whatever it is, I burst into tears.
‘Molly?’ Leo is incredulous. ‘Are you
crying
?’
‘I’m so sorry—’ I feel completely stupid. ‘Leo, I should go.’ I hang up quickly.
What a truly rubbish – and deeply surreal – morning this is turning out to be. I stare at the phone. He’s going to think I’ve
gone completely mad. I message him out of the blue and then hang up on him when he calls me. I shudder with embarrassment
and then, so I don’t have to dwell on it, hit one of the numbers I have on speed dial. A male voice answers with a terse ‘Hello?’
‘Hi, it’s me.’ I take a deep breath, this really is one of my worst Wednesdays
ever
. ‘I’ve just had a bit of an accident …’
‘Molly needs a top-up after the day she’s had.’ Pearce pours more wine into my glass. ‘The important thing is, you weren’t
hurt.’
‘Can you tell Dan that?’ I ask. ‘He gave me a proper telling off for not concentrating at the wheel.’
Pearce shrugs. ‘Probably just worried about you, that’s all. Cheers everyone.’
We all raise our glasses.
‘Just to check,’ Kirk, our newest and very junior recruit asks cautiously, legs spread rather too wide as he smoothes his
Topman suit trousers down. ‘We are now officially off-duty, aren’t we? Whatever we get up to won’t affect anything back at
the office, so to speak?’
Pearce gives him a mischievous grin as he sits back in his chair. ‘Nope. You can carry on getting ratted and behave badly
Kirk, everyone else is going to. Sandra’s already seen two people sneaking off upstairs who ought not to be.’
A small knowing smile passes about my colleague’s beautiful glossy lips as she picks up her glass. ‘This is your first conference
then I take it, Kirk?’ she turns away from Pearce and innocently sips her drink.