Free Strangers by Barbara Elsborg

make him money, only sculptors.Dan discovered Rachel was buying an apartment here and put in an offer on another without even seeing it.Lucy thought he was an idiot.” Kate breathed out.
    “That was the most you’ve ever said to me and none of it was about you.”
    He sat waiting and when Kate didn’t speak, he sighed.“Okay, so what did you think about Dan buying the apartment?”
    “That he must really love her.”
    “So they’re a pair?” Charlie asked.
    “No, Dan’s shy and Rachel’s oblivious.He made me and Lucy swear not to say anything or even hint to Rachel that he fancied her, because he wants to tell her himself.Only I have a feeling they’ll be collecting their pensions before that happens.”
    Charlie rubbed his thumb against Kate’s palm.
    “You believe in seizing the moment?”
    She knew what he was asking and stayed silent.
    “Tell me about Rachel,” Charlie said in a resigned voice.
    “Rachel’s the only child of rich, posh parents who sent her to finishing school in Switzerland where she was polished to a high sheen.She’s never anything less than immaculately dressed and made-up.She speaks like the Queen, and knows how to cook and eat artichokes.Plus she can fold napkins into a million different shapes.”
    “See, having a conversation is not that difficult,” Charlie said.“Now tell me what happened the last time you saw this Richard guy.”
    And memories flooded Kate’s brain, swamping every other thought, stopping the breath in her throat like a cork.
    Richard kissed her on Wednesday night, said the next time he saw her, she’d be in her wedding dress.Kate felt as though she was melting, everything falling away to nothing.
    “What happened?” Charlie asked again.
    And in a low, flat voice, she told him.“We fucked on that couch, then in bed and he told me he loved me.”
    Kate tried to pull her hand free of Charlie’s, but he didn’t let her go.
    “And?” he asked.
    Tell him. Just tell him. What does it matter? He doesn’t know me. If he thinks I’m a fool, so what? Tell him. It was like poison inside her.Hard to spit it out.
    “Richard left at eleven on Wednesday night.That was the last time I saw him.”
    There was a long pause before Charlie spoke.“And?”
    “He said he’d see me in twelve hours at Woolwich registry office.”
    “Oh shit.” Charlie groaned.
    Kate wondered why it still hurt now she knew what Richard had done, that he hadn’t jilted her because he didn’t love her, but because it was a game, a bet.
    “Richard wanted it to be private, just the two of us.He booked everything—limo, photographer, flowers, honeymoon.” She paused.“Well, he told me he’d booked everything.All I had to do was turn up in a…” Beautiful dress, but she couldn’t say it.The words stuck in her throat like an oversized gobstopper, too big to even suck.The biting pain of humiliation flared up inside her and the ache in her heart gained strength.It surprised Kate that she wanted to keep talking.
    “I made my dress.That was my surprise for him.The limo turned up, but when I got to the registry office, Richard wasn’t there.No flowers waiting either and I still didn’t get it.They said he hadn’t made a booking.I’d left my phone at home and had to ask someone for money to call him.Richard didn’t answer.So I sat waiting while brides turned up in their lovely dresses, family and friends all smiling and happy.I waited thinking there had been a mistake but he’d come.”
    Charlie sat motionless, clinging onto her hand.
    “Then I thought he must have had an accident.He was dead.The only thing that would stop him being there was if he were dead.Some freak accident had wrecked my life.” Kate couldn’t stop the words pouring out now.“ He was the freak accident.He’d asked me to marry him.He said he wanted to be with me forever, to take care of me forever and I’d believed him.” Her head dropped.“I shouldn’t have believed him.”
    Kate took a shaky