Love's Foolish Punch

by S M Mala

  ‘You look amazing,’ he gushed, leaning very close. ‘I know you didn’t want to make contact and I understand. It ended pretty quickly between us.’

  ‘I’m getting used to that,’ she said, thinking of Jamie and sensing she might just lose her temper at the thought. ‘I suppose it’s like putting down an animal in pain. Stops the suffering.’

  ‘I heard about Daisy,’ he said, looking genuine for a second. ‘That’s sad.’

  ‘It’s a pattern,’ she sighed. ‘Lose my job, lose the lover and then lose my cat.’

  She quickly glanced at him, seeing his cheeks turn a little pink.

  ‘To be honest, the first two didn’t hurt as much as Daisy dying,’ she honestly replied, seeing him flash her a little dirty glare.

  ‘But neither one of the others you’ve managed to replace,’ he said gently, putting down his glass. ‘Hamish said you had a ‘friendship’ ring on, is that right?’

  ‘We’re no longer friends,’ she said, looking at the bare finger. ‘And as for work? Things are looking up.’

  He was staring as if trying to summon up something to say.

  ‘I’ve missed you,’ he said, grabbing her hand. ‘You don’t know how much.’

  ‘So much so, you didn’t make contact with me for a long time, and then all of a sudden there’s this great urgency.’ She pulled her hand away. ‘I know you Sam. Something’s going on. If Hamish is acting sheepish then, I expect it has got something to do with me, hasn’t it?’

  Sam sat back in his chair and massaged his forehead before looking up at the ceiling.

  Molly then thought of Jamie.

  If they were sitting down together, there would have been a little comment, maybe a laugh. Even when they didn’t get on in the beginning, one smile would set them off into giggles.

  But that was a lie.

  All a nasty little lie so he could get some money for his gym, try and shaft Bill, using Molly as some half dead wriggly worm on the end of a makeshift fishing rod.

  ‘Why do you look so angry?’ Sam asked, making her break out of her thought.

  ‘Please can you do me a favour?’ she asked, putting her glass to her lips. ‘Tell me what you want to speak to me about then we don’t have to prolong this.’

  The rum felt good when it touched her lips. Right now, getting pissed when sitting with Sam was the only way forward.

  ‘I want to marry you.’

  She choked.

  ‘Where are you?’

  Molly immediately took her things and ran out of the bar, too shocked by the comment. ‘I need to talk.’

  ‘What’s wrong?’ Squirrel asked. ‘Has something happened?’

  ‘Oh god! Is everyone going mad around me?’

  ‘I’ve already gone,’ he said, with half a laugh.

  ‘I…’ She didn’t know what to say. ‘I need to talk to someone.’

  There was a call coming through on her phone, and she knew it was Sam.

  ‘We’re in a pub off Westbourne Grove, you know, the one that does the burgers you like.’

  ‘I need to vent!’

  ‘Vent away considering I got that lump sum.’ Squirrel then made an odd sound, a cross between a groan and a yelp. ‘You need to explain why you didn’t take the money?’

  ‘I didn’t deliver the goods and that was the agreement.’ Molly bit her lip. ‘Just accept it and you can buy me a lovely big present. I’ll see you soon.’

  Checking she wasn’t being followed, she put her phone on silent and headed towards the tube. It was such an off the wall thing to say, she wondered if Sam was having a breakdown.

  Feeling her phone constantly vibrate in her pocket, she decided to ignore it until she got to the pub. It was heaving and she realised she’d made the wrong decision. All she wanted to do was sound this out with Squirrel. In his vast madness, he would be able to see right through it.

  Walking to the bar, she looked around then got herself a large rum and diet coke, knocking back half the contents quickly. She then heard her cousin’s loud and infectious laugh. It was exactly what she needed.

  As she went through the crowd, there was a group in the corner.

  She had unwillingly gate crashed a party and realised that wasn’t a good idea. Just as she was about to turn and leave, Squirrel caught her eye and pulled a frown.

  It was obvious he was copying her expression.

  All she could do was shake her head and look straight at him before mouthing,

  ‘Sam Price just asked me to marry him.’

  ‘What?’ he said loudly, making the people beside him jump. ‘He did what?’

  Before she knew it, he had stomped his way across the room, the people separating into a path so he could get to her.

  ‘What did you just mouth?’ he said, trying to compose his breathing. ‘And why were you seeing him? I thought you didn’t want anything to do with him.’

  ‘I don’t, but I was told to meet up with the ex,’ she said, still in shock about what Sam had said.

  ‘And how did he say it?’

  ‘His exact words were ‘I want to marry you’. I then jumped to my feet and ran out as fast as I could.’

  ‘So you’re not considering it then?’ he asked, with a sly smile. ‘Be a great party.’

  ‘And my parents will be up on a charge for the murder of a rising star if I do. How can he ask me that now? After all this time! He’s up to something, that scheming, shifty bastard.’

  ‘Are you talking about me?’

  Molly froze, recognising the voice then turned around to see Jamie standing behind her.

  ‘Surprise!’ he said then grimaced. ‘Not a good one, I take it.’

  She felt instantly upset on seeing him but remembered what Mr Mac said about her pain and trying to control it.

  Tomorrow she would beat the living shit out of the punch bag just to accommodate for how her heart was crumbling at the sight of him.

  ‘Go away,’ she said, turning around to look up at Squirrel who pulled a pained expression. ‘You should have told me he was here. I wouldn’t have come.’

  ‘I tried to call you to let you know, but you didn’t answer,’ he whispered. ‘Now play nicely and be friends.’

  Taking a sip of her drink, her hand shaking, she wanted to throw a glass at Jamie but knew that was a bad move.

  It would be a waste of rum.

  ‘Two proposals in a short amount of time, you must be very happy,’ he said cheerfully from behind her.

  Molly spun around on her heels.

  ‘Don’t speak to me again, okay?’ she said flatly while he smiled. ‘I know everything and I certainly haven’t got anything to say to you.’

  ‘But I, on the other hand, have a lot to say to you,’ he replied, his smile fading. ‘I came back early because-.’

  ‘I don’t want to hear anything you have to say.’ Molly noticed his tan then realised there was a woman standing behind him. Her eyes travelled to the delicate, pretty pink fingers clasping his arm. ‘Go back to your woman. I returned Danika’s engagement ring. You could fling it in her direction.’

  Jamie looked a little stunned but stared back at Molly. She downed her drink and headed towards the nearest exit, wanting to scream and cry. Opening the door, she let the February chill cool down her hot and angry head.

  All she wanted to do was go home and sob.

  It was the hard tug on her arm that made her falter when she tried to step forward, finding herself pulled around.

  It was Jamie.

  ‘Get off me!’ she said, trying to remove his hand.

  ‘I want to talk to you. We have a lot to say,’ he said, leaning down to look at her. ‘I can see you’re really upset with me, but I have to explain that-.’

  She snapped.

  It was yet more bullshit coming from another man’s mouth.

  ‘Don’t explain anything to me!’ she hissed angrily. ‘I know all there is to know. The money was coming from Chloe, your revenge on Bill and dangling me like
some piece of meat, hoping he’d take a bite.’

  Jamie let go and stepped back.

  ‘Go on, say what you have to say,’ he said calmly, looking like he was composing himself.

  ‘You treated me like shit!’ Molly hissed, trying hard not to cry. ‘You lied to me then when you walked into the room, you even looked at me like I was nothing. I told you I loved you, and you didn’t say a word. Then you pushed me away, as if you didn’t care.

  ‘I rang and rang you because I didn’t understand how you could believe I’d ever be unfaithful. You know that’s not how I felt about you. Then I went to the flat where you said you lived and I was told you didn’t. Philip said he wasn’t to tell me where you were and wanted the keys back. Do you know how that made me feel?’ Jamie looked straight at her. ‘But I waited for you to come round on Sunday. I had to eat cold roast dinner for days because you didn’t turn up, did you?’

  ‘If that weren't so funny, I’d cry,’ he said, glancing guiltily away.

  ‘And on Monday, guess what I did? I sat near my suitcase, hoping you’d come and get me but what a lie! You’d left the country on Sunday! What a major knockout lie you delivered! You don’t need boxing gloves; you can just simply wipe someone out with your actions.’

  ‘Molly, I need to explain,’ he gulped, shaking his head and looking genuinely upset. ‘I never meant to-.’

  ‘Of course you meant to hurt me!’ she shouted out so loudly, people walking nearby stopped. ‘Because I don’t matter! Chloe told me how you planned this and left the country just to get away from me. Because you knew what you’d done.’

  ‘That’s not true.’

  ‘Don’t lie to me!’ she shouted, getting angrier. ‘I deserve better than this! You knew…’ Now she was having a hard time holding in her sob. ‘If you told me things like you were in love with me, I’d fall, hook, line and sinker. I’d believed you because that’s all I wanted, was for someone to love me, and I thought…’ The tears couldn’t be stopped as she looked at him. ‘I thought it was you. I thought I’d found you.’ She took a deep breath. ‘What a piece of shit that turned out to be.’

  ‘I’ve never lied to you,’ he whispered.

  ‘Don’t you ever,’ she said, pointing an angry shaking finger at him. ‘Ever speak to me again or make contact, do you hear? You know what I went through, and you willingly made me go through it again.’

  He closed his eyes and shook his head from side to side, looking down then staring right at her.

  ‘Molly, I can’t leave you alone.’

  ‘Then try! You even let me wear the ring that you were going to give to Danika. How sick is that? And did you think it would be more convincing to tell me you loved me? You’re the one who should break into acting, certainly not me. God, you’re good.’

  Then the sob came, and she put her hand over her mouth trying to stop it.

  ‘You need to hear me out. When you said you loved me I-.’

  She couldn’t sense anything other than the intense feeling of pain, making her walk up to him and land a punch firmly in his gut as he bent over in pain.

  ‘Did you or did you not think that Bill might want to get into my knickers? Yes or no?’ His pained expression said it all… or it could be that she winded him. Molly didn’t care. ‘Did or did you not, leave the country a day before you said we were flying out?’ Jamie’s face scrunched up as he gasped for air. ‘And did you or did you not lie about how you felt? So just piss off and leave me alone. And I hope it hurts!’

  Rumble in the jungle

  ‘You are kidding me?’

  Sienna looked fit to burst. They were sat in Molly’s local tea shop. ‘And you didn’t even answer him?’

  ‘I think running out was answer enough, don’t you?’

  ‘You didn’t ask why his change of heart?’

  ‘I don’t care!’ Molly hissed and stirred her tea frantically. ‘He’s up to no good and wants to drag me down.’

  ‘But a marriage proposal?’

  Molly noticed her friend didn’t know what to say.

  ‘You see your expression there, of shock, horror and disbelief?’ she said, pointing to Sienna’s face. ‘That was very much like how I looked when he asked.’

  ‘And then you saw Jamie and landed him a blow to the stomach. Well done!’

  She closed her eyes, not wanting to reveal how devastated she felt about the meeting and his inability to answer her questions. On hindsight, he couldn’t speak due to her impromptu hard jab.

  ‘I don’t want to talk about him,’ she mumbled, drinking her latte. ‘I need to deal with one thing at a time.’

  The hug took her by surprise, but she lay her head on Sienna’s shoulder, wanting to cry. Her friend was quite perceptive and peered into her eyes.

  ‘You’re not contemplating anything Sam says, are you? I think your head is full of something and someone else. Did he explain what he did and why?’

  ‘There’s nothing he can say. Jamie lied and why am I surprised? I was being hired, so he didn’t need to tell me anything. It was me who ran away with the role. I’m through with love. That’s what Marilyn Munroe sang, and she was right!’

  ‘Oh.’ Sienna frowned while Molly avoided eye contact.

  Another big hug came her way and this time Molly burst out into tears, letting everything bottling up inside her out.

  ‘I fell in love with him,’ she said, unable to hold it back. ‘And I thought he felt the same way. He told me he did, and I believed him. I think about him every day, and I miss him so much. But I know he’s not worth it and will only treat me more badly than Sam ever did.’

  ‘Molly, if someone loves you, they don’t do things like that, do they? Why make you get the inoculations only to let you down? He was doing it for the money and getting some pay back on Bill.’

  Those words made it worse as she knew her friend was right.

  ‘What does that say about me?’ Molly asked, sitting back and wiping her face. ‘You know what, maybe I should just accept Sam’s proposal and have done with it. It’s probably the only offer I’m ever going to get.’

  ‘Don’t be an arse,’ Sienna said, shaking her head. ‘Why do this now? You’ve not seen him in over two years. Listen, you’re going to have to do some digging. Can’t you get your friend Bill to find out? He seems to know everything.’

  ‘And you don’t know anything about Sam?’ sniffed Molly then did a double take at her friend’s dubious expression. ‘Sienna, are you keeping something from me?’ Picking up a scone, she held it against Sienna’s lips. ‘If you don’t tell me, I’ll shove this cake in your mouth which means you’ll be eating lots of carbs and wheat.’ Molly smirked, knowing that would be a persuasive way to get her friend to speak up. ‘Any gossip I need to know?’

  Sienna pushed her hand away. Molly took a bite and noticed the look of horror on her friend’s face.

  ‘Sam’s been having some fun in Los Angeles, and it seems, there’s a little rumour surrounding him. Stevo said he’s been caught doing something he shouldn’t.’

  ‘Like what?’

  ‘There’s a wall of silence and he’s a young hot talent… even though, he’s pushing forty.’ Sienna frowned. ‘Why would he want to marry you?’

  ‘Excuse me!’ Molly demolished the rest of the pastry in two bites. ‘I thought the same thing.’

  ‘Don’t talk with your mouth full!’

  Molly looked out the window and recalled Jamie flirting with her mother all those weeks ago at the same table. It made her sad that he even tried to trick her own flesh and blood.

  ‘Tommy Halo said something about Sam and finding out what he got up to. Involves me somehow.’

  ‘Meet Sam and find out.’

  ‘He’s probably sobbing into his teeth whitener that I refused his proposal a few days ago. Did I tell you how white his teeth were? I’d need some shades to stop the impact of the glare.’

  They both laughed before Molly stopped and turned to Sienna.

 
‘I never realised how much I didn’t love Sam until now. Being with Jamie made me realise I was surviving on crumbs of affection when I had…’ She had to gulp hard. ‘Even if it wasn’t real. I’m not sure what that makes my relationship with Sam mean.’

  ‘He got an introduction to your agent, people in the know and the broadcaster that would launch his career. And you were let go. That’s what he got.’

  ‘There’s something not right about that whole time when I got sacked, and he got rocketed to stardom. Then he left me after they transmitted episode one, and his social media went berserk. It’s as if he was waiting for it all to happen before he could run away. And run he did. I wonder why he waited so long when he wanted out of the relationship.’

  ‘I’m going.’

  Molly took off her headphones and put them down before looking at the others on the switchboard. It was a busy night due to the rain and sleet.

  ‘Let me give ya a lift back,’ said Arthur, getting to his feet. ‘It too wet.’

  ‘I’ve got my red wellies, my coat and hat,’ she smiled at the sweet man.

  Since being let down over a month ago, she knew everyone felt sorry for her. She’d hear the words ‘poor Molly’ when they thought she wasn’t listening. It was rather endearing if it wasn’t so pitifully sad.

  Then she got the fright of her life.

  Jamie was standing in the reception area.

  ‘I want to talk to you,’ he said seriously. ‘And no violence this time. You pack a hard punch for a little lady.’

  ‘I’ve said all I have to say,’ Molly replied, her heart pounding hard.

  ‘What he doing here?’ asked Arthur, immediately going towards Jamie. ‘Get your tail out of dis place. You upset Molly after punching her! What a man!’

  Jamie just looked down at Arthur and shrugged before glancing at Molly.

  ‘I know what I did was wrong but I need to explain to her,’ he said, letting out a sad sigh. ‘She ate cold roast dinner for days and I feel bad.’

  ‘Oh, very funny!’ she snapped, shaking her head furiously. ‘What? Your date let you down, and you thought you’d come and cheer yourself up here? Go away!’