The next couple of days felt like she had been living in a slow motion movie because every day seemed to drag so slowly.
Seeing Charles felt like she was being made to suffer for something that she had done in her past. Molly realised that she wasn't going to be able to do for long because every time she saw him it felt like a sharp pain in her heart.
Elena had been so cruel because she had let Molly fall in love with Charles before she snatched him back from her. Molly even wondered if there was a baby at all because it had all been a bit too convenient that she was suddenly pregnant with Charles' baby when the two of them were falling apart but Molly didn't say anything because the last thing she wanted was the drama from that woman.
-.-
Molly looked out of the window of the office and wondered just how she had managed to get this interview so quickly but she guessed that the new company was crying out for people and she could do with a new job especially now.
"And you're coming from working with Robert James, yes?" the man, Darren McClyde, had asked. "Didn't like working with his son then?"
Molly looked back at him "Something like that and yes I'm coming from working at James and Son" she nodded and smiled softly.
"And where does your boss think you are now?"
Molly chewed on her lip for a moment "On my lunchbreak" she admitted. It was the only time she could really come in and right now needed to get out of that place because seeing Charles hurt her heart so much.
"I like you Miss Dawes and I think that you would be a great asset to my team so I'm going to be giving you the job and I know that you have to work your notice and with Christmas coming up I doubt that it'll be long so how about you start next month?"
Molly felt a huge surge of relief because she honestly thought that he wouldn't give her any job especially when he had read on her CV that she was currently working at James and Son but to know that that wouldn't be the case, she was so ready to start now but she knew that she wouldn't get paid for a while so working after the New Year would be great "I'll take it" she said with a smile.
"Great well I'll send you over the documents for you to sign in the New Year and we will take it from there" he said and stood up and once Molly did too he held out his hand and she grabbed hold of his and they shook hands.
"Thank you for taking me on Mr McClyde, it does mean a lot" she let go of his hand and grabbed for her handbag.
"Well I'm sure that I won't regret it" he showed her out of the office and walked with her to the lifts. "I have to ask, why do you really want to leave the other firm? I mean I have heard of Charles James, who hasn't, and he seems like a really good guy so I haven't ever heard of anyone leaving before"
Molly wasn't sure she could answer honestly so she said a lie "One of the other women there I don't get on with and I would rather cut my loses and run than stay for her to make my life anymore of a living hell" She hoped that he believed her on this one because that was all she was willing to say.
Darren nodded his head and he wasn't sure if he believed her or not but he didn't say anything about it either way. Instead he just pressed the button for the lift and watched as the doors opened, he then turned to her "It was really lovely to meet you and I will see you after the New Year" he smiled.
"Yes you will" Molly smiled back before she stepped into the lift and pressed the button for down and the doors shut.
A blonde walked up to Darren's side and then said "Are you sure you want to take anyone else on?"
"She is from James and Son, Alisha" Darren said and looked over at her "If I can take just one person from that company then that will feel like a conquest" he admitted "plus if Molly comes over then she might bring the other staff" he turned and walked with Alisha back to his office.
-.-
Molly finally walked in to the office and just about put her coat on the back of her chair when a voice came from the box on her desk and it was Charles' voice and it sent butterflies to her stomach as he asked her to come into the office. She hesitated for a moment before she finally moved away from the desk and walked into the office. She wasn't sure whether or not to tell him now that she was leaving.
"Ah, Molly" he said looking up from his desk to the dark haired woman who had walked in to the office and shut the door behind her. "Tomorrow seeing as it's Christmas Eve, I think it's best if we close early because of the fact that everyone will have a lot to do tomorrow and I'm going to be driving to the house in the country"
Molly watched him and listened but she really didn't want to think of him driving anywhere with Elena and that was why she had gone for another job so close to Christmas and she knew it was the only way she could get out of here. "Closing early would probably be best especially when some people probably have last minute stuff to do"
Charles watched her and it registered what she had just said and then decided to rethink everything. "Actually maybe it's best that no one comes in tomorrow with it being Christmas Eve and everything, it would've only have been til one or two anyway so it's not worth getting up for and they all will be paid"
Molly nodded once more; this was so hard to stand here and not be able to touch him. Not be able to tease him in any way shape or form because he was no longer hers. She didn't ask about him to Debbie because that would make things so much more worse but she was sure that Debbie was waiting for the moment that she finally did ask. "I like that idea"
"I tried ringing you last night but you never answered" Charles said finally because he had to ask her why; why she never picked up the phone.
"I know" she said with a slight shrug to her shoulders, like she doesn't care that she didn't answer it. Molly then felt ashamed because she wasn't that person, she wasn't the type of person who didn't care because she did, very much and standing here with him ask why she never picked up the phone hurts. "If it was work then it probably would've waited til this morning but clearly it wasn't and... you can't call me now because you're with Elena and.. I have to move on"
Charles felt that like a punch to the stomach but he guessed she was right because of the fact that he had finally got back with Elena. He went to say something but Molly beat him to it.
"I'm putting in my notice, I'm leaving" she had to say it before she changed her mind and it was better to just come out and tell him straight away.
Charles was actually gobsmacked by that and he honestly didn't know what to say. He went to step towards her but she held her hands up.
"Please, don't," she said and shook her head. "I have to go, It's not been that long since you told me about Elena and watching you walk around the office and talking to you it just makes feeling all of this so much worse" she admitted and watched him. "I feel as though we were having an affair and you've finally gone back to your wife and I don't want to feel like this so I have to leave this job"
"Where will you go?" Charles spoke after a moment of watching her; even from here he could see the tears in her eyes and he never, ever, wanted to see her cry or be the one that made her cry.
"It's not for you to worry about, I'm sorted and everything will be alright in the end" Molly spoke but at the moment she really didn't feel that way especially when everything was getting her down right now. They had had the most magical holiday and now they were like this and to make matters worse was the fact that she was in love with him and now everything had gone out the window.
"I will have my notice on your desk at the end of the day" she said and then chewed on her lip "Is there anything else you would like?"
Charles shook his head and let her leave his office.
Molly had never been that bold before but she had to make it clear that she was leaving no matter what and with Christmas coming up she had to get her notice in before that. She was glad that they were having tomorrow off especially when all she wanted to do right now is cry.
-.-
Again the day went by achingly slow and when Charles came out to announce that they would be having the day off tomorrow she was sat at her desk writing out her notice.
When hometime came they had a drink to toast Christmas and she was glad to just get one glass before she ended up putting the envelope on his desk and grabbing her coat. Molly wanted to slip away so that no one came after her, and she had just about made it when Amber called her name.
"You leaving already? I think we have another bottle somewhere that we can open" Amber smiled at her and Molly tried so hard to smile back but she really didn't feel it inside. "You're going aren't you?"
Molly nodded her head "I'm leaving after the New Year and I'm getting out of here because of the fact that I love my boss and he's going to be taking his pregnant girlfriend to Christmas at his parents and I will probably be sat at my parents with my noisy siblings trying so hard not to cry" she admitted and chewed on her lip.
That was actually the most she has spoken to someone about all of this but she finally got it all out in the open. Molly, sadly, didn't feel any better for it though because it made everything seem so much more real. The last thing she expected was for Amber to come over and pull her into a hug and Molly to enjoy it so much.
"No matter where you work you and I will always be friends" Amber said and then pulled back before putting Molly's face in her hands, them settling on her cheeks, so that the dark haired woman could see the truth in her eyes. "I have your back, always"
"Always" Molly smiled this time actually meaning it before both girls let each other go and Molly pressed the lift button and the doors opened up quickly. She held her hand up in a wave as the doors started shutting, Amber waved back.
The journey back home was a nightmare but once she got back to her flat she shut the world out so that she could have time to herself and as she did she sat down on the floor in her front room and wrapped presents, even if she didn't actually feel like it.
Molly tomorrow would take the sexy outfit back to Ann Summers because she wouldn't be needing it but for now she was going to sit and wrap her presents with a glass of wine and Christmas songs playing out of her iPod dock.
Christmas was the worse time to actually be lonely and as Lonely This Christmas by Mud started off she found herself crying and she hated Elena.
-.-
Back in the office Charles found himself turning over the envelope in his fingers that Molly had written on and he didn't want to accept this but he knew that she would be going anyway, he couldn't stop her. Elena had literally ruined everything and now here he was stuck with a woman he didn't want to be with because she was having his baby.
He opened the draw to his left and put the envelope in there and pulled out a jewellry box and opened it up, in it was a bracelet that had Lapland 2019 engraved on it and he had planned to give it to Molly and had brought it not long after they got back, in fact that Saturday he had been out shopping himself and now he couldn't give it to her.
Or maybe he could, maybe he could leave it somewhere only she would find it.
Charles reached over for his phone and texted the second woman who would actually listen to him...
He asked her if it was okay to swing by and she replied that it was, so he quickly sent one back saying that she would be there in a little while. Charles said and stood up, putting his coat on and slipping the jewellry box into the inside pocket.
He turned the lights out as he left and knew that he would be back here for a couple hours tomorrow. It might be Christmas Eve, he might not have any staff tomorrow but that didn't mean he didn't have work.
