Chapter Three.
Disclaimer I don't own Coronation Street or any of the characters.
Chapter Three.
March 5th 2009
March 5th 2009 was the date on the calendar and today marked the 20th anniversary of the day Carla had taken her once in a lifetime opportunity and run away from home.
Today was a significant day for Carla as it marked 20 years since she'd ran away from home and had meet the lovely, kind-hearted woman Ann. That Carla didn't realise that day that her simple act of kindness would change her life.
She cared about her when no one else did and she would always hold a special place in Carla's heart.
Carla often thought of her over the years and wondered what had happened to her and if she ever crossed her mind.
Carla knew that without a doubt if it hadn't been for that wonderful lady and her simple act of kindness. She wouldn't have made it through the night, let alone be where she was.
Carla had wanted to meet her again for a long time now, just to say thank you. But she didn't want to impose, plus, she wouldn't even know where to start in finding her. All she had was the first name to go on.
Carla swore that day she'd make something of herself and that is exactly what she'd done.
She'd gotten herself a part-time job, worked her fingers to the bone and put herself through night school to get herself an education.
Something she wasn't privileged to.
At the age of 23, Carla walked in a bank with a few scribbles on a piece of paper and a wing and a prayer. And miraculously they gave her that loan and she never once looked back.
Carla had never known drama like it until she moved to Coronation Street with her husband, Paul.
Her husband, Paul had died in a car accident a few years back as much as she loved him.
She couldn't forgive him for what he'd done and with her supposed best friend too. No, that was too much.
She'd always love Paul and he'd always have a special place in her heart.
Tony, that was a different story. How could she have been so stupid and not seen what he was really like?
He was too good at playing devil's advocate, that's what it was.
He was where he belonged.
Carla was having a feel sorry for myself day.
Maria had Liam and their son.
Leanne had Peter and Simon.
Michelle had Steve and their two boys.
The list went on and who did she have? Nobody, that's who.
Carla wanted that, she wanted all of that.
Carla knew they all cared about her, deeply but that was different.
She wanted the kind of love that gives you butterflies, makes your heart skip a beat, makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside, the kind of love, once you have it, you never want to let it go.
Yes, Carla wanted that kind of love.
Here she was 36 years old, a widow and a recent divorcee of a murderer.
She wanted someone who she could spend her life with, someone to share things with, love her unconditionally, and defended her to the ends of the earth, grow old with
Carla dragged herself off the sofa and decided that she wasn't going to spend the day moping about, she might as well go into work.
The Underworld factory
"Hello, Mrs Connor. I thought you weren't in today?" Hayley asked her boss as she came into the office.
"No point in moping about, is there, Hails? When there's work to be done." Carla replied, mustering up half a smile for her ever-faithful PA/Supervisor.
"I suppose not, no. Everything is as it should be, apart from Sally trying to order the others about and try to tell them what to do. That young girl Maddie, is it? She's brilliant! She helped me with the invoices. I know she's not really supposed to be in here, but she's a whizz on that computer. I took a phone call earlier from Foster's Fabrics. The secretary there said that the boss, Frank Foster, heard about us, well you mainly and wanted a meeting." Hayley explained.
"Foster Fabrics? As in Frank Foster, the owner, founder and co- creator of Foster Fabrics? Do you mean that Frank Foster? I've been trying to get a hold of him for months, I just thought he was dodging me off." Carla whispered in slight shock.
"That's the one, he said for his secretary to apologize on his behalf for the delay, but he's been overseas and has just got back and he's looking forward to meeting you. Here's his private line." Hayley relayed the message and gave Carla the number.
"I'll ring him, now, oh and Hails, can you tell Maddie that I would like to see her," Carla replied as she picked up the phone.
It was no surprise to Harley that underworld we're facing a few financial issues, giving everything that had happened over that 18 months. But she was loyal to Carla and would never breathe a word to the other girls and Sean.
"Hi, is this Frank Foster?... It's Carla Connor. Your Secretary left a message with my Secretary….Yes, that's her….Oh, no sorry I've been in meetings all day. ...When is it convenient for you?...Tomorrow? Eh?... Yeah, that's fine with me…. Tomorrow, the bistro on Coronation Street, Weatherfield, you know it?... Great, say 2 o'clock?...That's brilliant, I'll see you then." Carla replied as she hung up the phone.
"Well, is he interested?" Hayley asked, nervously.
"He's definitely interested, so we need to pull something special out of the bag. This could end our current state of affairs, Hails. Oh, that would make my year!" Carla sighed, happily.
Things were starting to look up for her.
"I hope it works out for you, Mrs Connor. I really do. Leave it with me." Hayley smiled, leaving the office.
"You, Hayley Cropper are a lifesaver!" Carla smiled back.
The next day.
Carla walked into the factory with renewed confidence, hoping today went well. It had to go well.
"Right, listen up you lot!" Carla shouted over the hustle and bustle of the factory floor.
The workforce settled down to listen to what their boss had to say.
"I'm going to a very important meeting just after lunch. You just carry on doing what you are doing. I want the Barlette and Summerfield orders out on time, please." Carla told them.
"Shall I sit in the office, Mrs Connor?" Sally jumped in, presumably.
"No, you may not. Sally. Carla sarcastically smiled back.
"Face it, Sal. You'll never match up to our Hails here. So stop trying." Sean told her the matter of the fact.
"But I'm the only one that has.." Izzie cut her off.
"Sally Shut it. Will you?" She told her, abruptly.
"There's no need to be so rude," Sally replied, scrolling at her. Having had her nose put out of joint.
The others just sniggered at her expense.
The Bistro
Just before 2 o'clock in the afternoon, Carla made her way into the bistro.
"Alright, Car. What brings you to my neck of the woods at this time in the afternoon?" Michelle asked from behind the bar.
"Hi, Chelle. Just an orange juice, please. I'm meeting a client. He should already be here. But I have no idea what he looks like." Carla replied, taking her juice.
"That's him over there in the corner booth, he paid by credit card," Michelle told her, pointing out a man in his mid-thirties, clean shaving, wearing an expensive suit.
"Thanks, Chelle," Carla replied.
"No problem." Michelle smiled.
Carla made her way over to the table where Frank was sitting.
"Frank Foster?" Carla asked, smiling, giving him her hand to shake.
"Yes, Hi, Carla, isn't it? It's nice to meet you." Frank smiled in return. Shaking her hand she'd offered.
The pair spent the next 2 hours talking business until Michelle came over asking them if they wanted top-ups.
"Is that the time already, I have to go. I'm so sorry Frank, I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut this short." Carla apologies profusely.
"No, no don't be sorry. I'll give you a call tomorrow and let you know my answer." Frank replied as Carla got up to leave.
Carla headed back to the factory just after 4 o'clock.
Inside the factory
"Have you been behaving yourself?" Carla shouted over the noise.
Before she got a reply, Hayley beckoned her into the office.
"What's wrong?" Carla asked as she frowned her brows at Hayley looking anxious.
"There was an altercation while you were out," Hayley told her.
"Who? What happened?" Carla demanded with a sigh.
"Between Sally and Maddie. The thing is Maddie busted Sally's nose." Hayley explains.
"Oh god, this is the last thing I need. I need you to tell me exactly what happened." Carla replied, sinking into her chair.
"I'm not making excuses for her, but Sally had been taunting her all morning, saying some really nasty things. Like how people like her shouldn't be working here. Eventually, Maddie lost her temper and hit her." Hayley explained, nervously.
"Thanks, Hayley. I'll sort it." Carla told her.
Carla opened the office door and called for Maddie to come inside.
"Look Mrs Connor, before.." Carla cut her off.
"You hit her? You actually hit her?" Carla asked with raised eyebrows.
"Yes, but I.." Again Carla cut her off.
"Maddie, I know how infuriating Sally can be, believe me, I know what she can be like. But you can't go around hitting people. Now, for that I've suspended you for a week, unpaid. But I actually wanted to see you earlier but I was called away. Hayley tells me you're a whizz on computers? Is that right?" Carla asked.
"Eh, yeah I mean I know the basics," Maddie replied, baffled and shocked thinking Carla was going to fire her.
"When you get back, I want you in here with me dealing with the paperwork, you want the job?" Carla asked with a smile.
"Yes! I mean I would really like that, Mrs Connor. How would it work? I mean with Hayley, I don't want her job or anything. She's incredible, she is." Maddie replied, shocked that someone like Carla was willing to give someone like her a chance.
"Hayley will still be my PA and you will be the company's PA, obviously there will be a pay rise and stuff like that." Carla smiled at the teen.
Maddie reminded her so much of her younger self.
"Aww, thank you so much, Mrs Connor. You won't regret it I promise!" Maddie beamed.
"I've got a feeling that I won't, Maddie. See you Monday morning at 8 am sharp." Carla replied.
Sally's House
10 minutes later, Carla was knocking on Sally's door.
"Mrs Connor, come in." Sally smiled and moved aside to let Carla in.
"I'm here about what happened earlier, Hayley filled me in," Carla explained.
"Oh yes, that little hooligan. Punched me in the face for having an opinion." Sally exclaimed, jumping straight in.
"You've been goading her for weeks, Sally. I've seen and heard it for myself. So what? She hasn't come from your sort of background, doesn't make her any less of a human being. Sally." Carla told her.
"That's putting it mildly." Sally sniped, nastily.
"See? There you go again, you just don't know when to stop, do you? I'm giving you the same punishment as Maddie. One week's suspension. No arguments." Carla told her and turned to leave before she really said something out of turn.
Hopefully this was the end of it.
A/N I really hope you enjoyed this. Please review and let me know what you think
Shout outs
CarlaConnor Lover
I can see some subtle changes in this chapter as opposed to the original version which I like and I hope that you update again soon xxx
Awe, thank you! I'm glad you are enjoying it. Here's your update. Enjoy! ❤️