Girl on the Platform (4 page)

On Saturday, night, Pete and Mark met for a drink at the local. Mark was horrified at Pete’s appearance. ‘You look bloody awful! That’s twice you’ve not heard when I’ve been talking to you, and you look as though you could do with a good night’s sleep. Are you ill, or what?’

Pete gave him a sheepish look. ‘Don’t laugh, but…I think I’m in love.’

‘What!’ Mark laughed out loud. ‘Don’t give me that! You haven’t met anybody to be in love with. So, who is she, this phantom lover?’

It was a moment before Pete answered. ‘It’s the girl on the platform,’ he said quietly. ‘I can’t get her out of my mind. I keep seeing her; she’s there one minute and then she’s gone, and the other day, she met a guy off the train. They hugged for ages. He seemed to be really important to her. It drove me crazy! I couldn’t work and since then, all I can think of is
her
.’

Desperation was written all over his face.
‘I know it sounds crazy, but I just can’t get her out of my mind, and I I don’t know what to do about it.’

Mark was a straightforward guy and he could not understand how anybody could fall so head over heels in love with a complete stranger; though he had to admit that Leila had been on his mind more than he would have liked. ‘Pete! Get a grip! You’ve never even met this girl,’ he said. ‘How can you be
in love
with her?’

‘Don’t know, but I am.’

Mark disagreed. ‘You can’t be! Okay, you might be infatuated. Don’t we always want something we can’t have…look at me, with Leila. I really wanted it to go somewhere, but she was only using me. You won’t see me hankering and mooning after her, and that’s because I’ve moved on.’ He gave a smug little smile. ‘Matter of fact, I’ve got my eye on a girl we saw in the pub the other night.’

‘That’s because you go from one woman to another, and most of the time it’s you using
them
.’

‘You’re the same.’

‘Not any more. Not after seeing her.’

‘All right then…’ Mark gave a long, heavy
sigh. ‘I can see you’ve got it bad, so the way I see it now, you’ve got two choices.’

Pete sat up to listen. ‘Go on!’

‘You’ve got to get her out of your mind!’

‘I can’t!’

‘Then you’ll drive yourself crazy. Look at me, Pete! Do you see
me
fretting over Leila? No, you don’t, and that’s because I’m determined not to let her destroy my peace of mind and, like it or not, you have to do the same.’

‘That’s not an option. So, what’s the second choice?’

Mark shrugged. ‘
Find her
.’

‘How can I do that?’

‘I’ve no idea. That’s for you to work out, and if you ask me, the sooner the better.’

All weekend, Pete was on edge.

On Monday morning, as he was about to leave for work, his father followed him to the front door. ‘What’s wrong, son?’ His dad had noticed how agitated Pete had been since coming home from London.

Pete thought he’d managed to hide his frustration from his parents. ‘Nothing. Why are you asking?’ he replied with an air of innocence.

‘I’m asking, because your mother says you’ve
nearly worn the bedroom carpet bare with pacing up and down. Also, you’ve gone off your food. Now, as I see it, there are two possible reasons for that.’

‘Oh, so you’re the expert are you?’

The older man shook his head. ‘No, son. I’m your father, and though it might seem impossible to you, I was a young man once, much like yourself. I can see all the signs.’

‘Right, so if you know so much, you can tell
me
what the problem is?’

‘You’ve missed the promotion at work. I know you wanted it bad, son, and I’m sorry if you missed out, but you’ll get there, maybe not this time, but soon.’

‘You’re wrong. The promotion hasn’t been decided yet.’

His dad smiled knowingly. ‘Then you must be in love.’

For a moment Pete was quiet, and oddly embarrassed. He loved his dad, but they had never discussed anything personal, and certainly not either of their love-lives.

‘Well, am I right, or am I right?’

Pete nodded. ‘I’ve seen this girl. She sometimes sits on the platform waiting for the train. Oh, Dad! She’s so lovely, and so sad, and I’d give anything to find out who she is.’

His dad nodded knowingly. He had been there himself many years ago. ‘Why don’t you then?’ he asked. ‘Go and talk with her…tell her how you’ve admired her from afar.’

‘I can’t!’

‘Why not?’

‘Because she might think I’m a weirdo and make a run for it. Then I’ll
never
get to know her!’

‘You know what they say, don’t you, son?’

‘What’s that, Dad?’

‘“Faint heart never won fair lady,” and it’s true.’ He smiled at Pete. ‘Talk to her. She’ll either like you, or she won’t. At least you’ll know and then you might stop driving yourself crazy, and we’ll
all
get some peace.’

All the way to the station and even when he was on the train, Pete thought about his dad’s words. ‘He’s right! The next time I see her, I’ll go across and talk to her. I will!’ He felt good. ‘I don’t even care if it makes me late for work. What’s a promotion compared to knowing her?’

He stared out the window, his eyes glued to the opposite platform, watching for her, waiting for his opportunity. If she arrived, he was going to leap off the train and go over to her. There was still time, he thought.

Minutes passed, and there was no sign of her, and he knew she would not show that morn ing. ‘Tomorrow she’ll be there, I know she will!’ Bitterly disappointed, he settled in his seat.

But when the train engine began revving up ready to leave, he glanced out the window and his heart almost stopped. It was her! She and another girl were running along the platform…
his platform!

She looked so lovely, dressed in a blue jacket and full, dark skirt; she was carrying a black handbag with a large pink and blue flower embroidered on the side. Her high-heeled black shoes gave her ankles a slender look, and when she walked, the hem of her skirt swung to reveal a pair of shapely legs. And just now, when the sunlight fell on her hair, it shone like newly fallen chestnuts.

The two girls clambered onto the train just before the doors shut. When they sat down two rows in front of him, Pete was so nervous he didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. From where he sat he could only see the back of her head, and when she turned to speak with her friend, he could just see the smallest part of her profile.

He could hear her voice, soft and warm,
though when she laughed at her friend’s sorry little jokes, he could detect the slightest sense of sadness, which touched him deeply.

He thought of what his dad had said…‘Talk to her, son’. That had been his advice, and now Pete simply had to act on it.

When the train came to a halt at the next stop, other passengers got up to leave. He got up with them, but moved only as far as the seat behind the girls. He hoped they would not notice, and they didn’t.

It lifted his spirits to see her smiling. ‘You’re even more lovely than I remember,’ he murmured.

In fact, Pete thought she was the loveliest thing he had ever seen, and he knew he would not rest until he knew who she was.

Unashamed, Pete tried to memorise every word of their conversation.

‘I miss him so much.’ That was his lovely girl.

‘I know,’ her friend replied softly, ‘when you love like that, you can’t bear to be without them.’

‘He was so wonderful…waiting to cuddle and kiss me when I got back, and…’ her voice broke, ‘I’m sorry, Liz, but I really need him with me right now.’

Pete was getting hot under the collar. He
recalled the guy who had taken her so lovingly in his arms when he got off the train, and how delighted she was to see him. Now, it seemed to Pete that the girl had been dumped. If he could get his hands on that devil, he’d teach him a lesson.

What were they saying now?

‘You’ve got to get over him,’ the friend was saying, ‘you’re making yourself ill.’

‘I know that, but it’s so awful without him. When I get home and open the front door, he’s not there, his little tail wagging and those big adoring eyes looking up at me. He gave me such affection and love, and never asked for anything in return.’

Her voice broke; she wiped her eyes and apologised again. ‘You’re right,’ she told her friend, ‘I know it’s only a dog, but I had him from a puppy when I was ten years old. Twelve years I had him, and he was my best friend. Whenever anything went wrong in my life, he was always there to help me pick up the pieces.’

‘Can I ask you something, Mary?’ her friend said.

Mary nodded. ‘Course you can.’

‘Would it help to get a puppy…another border terrier like Jasper?’

Mary shook her head. ‘I don’t think so,’ she answered quietly. ‘I miss him too much to even think of replacing him.’

For a while they were quiet with their thoughts. Then they were talking about shopping and work. ‘That was good of Sally Parker to let you have the day off,’ her friend told Mary, ‘she’s such a nice person.’

‘Yes, she is,’ Mary agreed. ‘She said I should take a day off, especially after that rush we had on yesterday. We had six wedding bouquets to prepare, and about eighteen different bridesmaid bouquets.’

She gave a long, weary sigh. ‘What with that building work going on right outside the Harpur Centre, it’s taking us all our time to keep the dust out of the shop. I can’t help feeling guilty, leaving her on her own today.’

‘But today’s not so hard is it? I mean, you did all the hard work yesterday, and Monday is always quiet in Bedford.’

‘Yes, but don’t forget she let me have the day off the other week, when my brother came down to stay with me.’

Pete was so excited he wanted to shout for joy. Her name was
Mary!
Lovely, wonderful
Mary!
The name suited her like no other could.

What’s more, the guy from the train was her
brother
, and not her boyfriend! His heart was pounding, and he felt as though he’d won the lottery after all!

When the train stopped at Bletchley, the girls remained on board while Pete got off, his mind buzzing with an idea.

Pete arrived at the office all nervous and excited. ‘Is my car back fron its service?’ he asked the secretary.

‘Not till Friday,’ she told him. ‘That’s why you’ve been given local appointments.’

‘Will you do me a swap?’ he asked his colleague; a tall thin man called Tim, ‘I really need to be in Leighton Buzzard.’

Tim had a smile that would frighten the devil. ‘Suppose I could.’

‘It’s that first appointment…the one at the old vicarage just down the road?’

‘What’s it worth?’

‘Lunch and a bottle of wine to take home.’

Tim’s face lit up. ‘Go on then.’

‘Thanks!’ Pete was over the moon. ‘I owe you one.’

‘I won’t let you forget it neither,’ Tim drawled.

‘Do you need your car?’

‘How long do you want it for?’

‘An hour at most. It’s
really
important.’

‘Okay. No more than an hour, or I can’t do
my other appointments.’ Digging into his pocket he threw Pete the keys. ‘Anyway, what’s so special about Leighton Buzzard?’

Pete grabbed his appointment book and hurried out the door. ‘Tell you later!’ he said as he ran.

It took him fifteen minutes to get to Leighton Buzzard, where he parked the car and ran up the slope. There was a pet shop halfway down the high street. ‘Quick!’ Running inside he accosted the nearest salesperson. ‘I’d like to see some puppies.’

Startled, the girl said, ‘We’re not allowed to keep animals on the premises, but we might be able to get you a puppy. What kind are you looking for?’

Pete had to think. ‘What did she say?’ he mumbled. ‘Some sort of terrier, I think.’

‘Was it a Jack Russell?’

‘No.’

‘A Scottie?’

‘No.’

‘Well, I’m sorry, I can’t help you if you don’t know what kind of breed you want.’

Pete thought and thought, turning the conversation over in his mind. ‘She asked why didn’t Mary get another puppy…a terrier of some sort, I remember
that.
’ He groaned,
‘terrier…terrier…’ Suddenly it clicked and he yelled out loud, ‘Border terrier! That was it…a
border
terrier.’ He could hardly contain his excitement.

The assistant went onto the computer and located a breeder almost straightaway. ‘They have two left,’ she told Pete. ‘A bitch and a dog. Can you remember which one she wanted?’

Pete could easily remember that. ‘A dog!’ He knew that because when she referred to ‘him’, he thought she was talking about the guy she met off the train. ‘I’ll take the dog. When will it be here? When will I be able to collect it?’

‘I could get it here for you on Friday, if you want to pay for the pick-up. Otherwise it will be next week when they deliver.’

Pete paid the five pounds and went away happy.

Back in Bletchley he gave Tim his car keys, embarked on his local appointments and took Tim down the road for lunch. He watched him down three burgers and two apple pies, in the time it took Pete to eat one chicken burger. On the way out, he bought a bottle of red wine and Tim was delighted.

When Friday came, he collected his company
car and headed straight for his first appointment, which he got through in record time.

After that he went to the pet shop and there he collected the sweetest little puppy, dark brown with floppy ears and big wet eyes. ‘He’s just what I wanted!’ Never having had a pet, he was entranced when it licked his face.

‘He’s not been named,’ said the girl, ‘so he answers to anything at the minute. Also, he’s already toilet trained so he’s not likely to pee on your lap.’

Pete thanked her. Then he bought every accessory imaginable to keep the puppy content; a dog basket, a leash and collar, a coat in case it got cold, and everything else the woman recommended.

He placed the dog and dog basket in the back seat of his car and headed for Bedford. ‘We’re going to see the prettiest girl you’ve ever clapped eyes on,’ he told the puppy, who was curled up fast asleep.

The journey to Bedford took him through Woburn Sands and Aspley Guise, then over the M1 junction and on towards Bedford. It was a straight road all the way into Kempston, then a quick dash through the town and into Bedford. ‘What was it she said…?’ He cast
his mind back, ‘…building work going on at the Harpur Centre…dust going into the shop, that’s what she said.’

Pete got as close as possible to the Harpur Centre.

‘Come on you!’ Tenderly lifting the lazy puppy into his arms, he wrapped it close to him. He then locked the car and walked along the embankment and into the Centre.

Once inside the Centre he located Sally Parker’s flower shop. It was a pretty place, in a busy thoroughfare. ‘Here we are,’ he declared, whisper ing to the puppy, ‘I’m hoping we can find you a pretty new owner and a warm loving home.’

As he walked in through the door, his heart sank. Mary was nowhere in sight. ‘Good morning, can I help you?’ The cheery voice belonged to a kindly looking woman who was busy arranging flowers in a bucket.

Pausing for a quick breath, Pete explained, ‘I’ve just found a puppy abandoned, and I was wondering if you or your colleague could tell me if there’s a rescue centre near here.’ He would have gone on, but at the sound of his voice Mary appeared.
His
Mary.

‘Where is it now?’ she said.

‘Where is
what
?’ Pete was momentarily confused.

‘The puppy!’ Mary came round from behind the counter. ‘Where’s the
puppy
?’

Standing there, with Mary looking up at him with soft brown eyes and an expression of dismay on her face, Pete could hardly restrain himself from kissing her.

‘Well?’

‘Oh, yes, the puppy. He was shivering, so I thought it best to keep him warm.’ He opened his jacket and drew out the smallest bundle of fur and paws. ‘He’s such a tiny little thing, I really don’t know how any one could be so cruel!’

Mary gasped, ‘Oh look! He’s just like Jasper!’ Her eyes filled with tears as she drew the puppy into her arms. ‘He’s so lovely…same colour, and those big sad eyes…just like my Jasper!’ Looking up at Pete, she laughed and she cried, and before he realised what he was doing, he had her in his arms and she was crying all over his jacket. But he didn’t care.
He had her in his arms
. The girl on the platform in his arms! He could hardly believe it.

Together they went into the back room, and he held the puppy while she got it a saucer of water. Pete watched as she helped the puppy to drink, and his heart was full.

Mary was everything he had dreamed she
might be. She was kind and thoughtful, and she had the warmest, prettiest eyes he had ever seen.

He was glad he’d plucked up the courage to come here, because now he knew beyond a shadow of doubt that he loved her.

But how did
Mary
feel? Did she feel anything for him, or was she just grateful that he had taken care of the puppy?

‘Please…’ Mary’s voice was gentle, ‘can I have him?’

Pete found himself speechless again.

‘I’ll look after him…I had a little dog just like him and now that I haven’t got him anymore, I’m so lonely. Please…I promise you, he’ll have a good home, and more love than he can handle.’

She was desperate. ‘Look, if you’re worried, I’ll give you my address and you can see for yourself. You can come back any time and make sure I’m looking after him. Oh, please! Don’t take him to the rescue centre. Let me have him.’

How could he refuse?

Pete went back to Mary’s little cottage with her that evening. She made him coffee and they sat down to watch the puppy play with Jasper’s
old toys. Mary told Pete, ‘You don’t know how happy you’ve made me.’ Then she was crying again, and he was holding her, and when she looked up at him his heart leaped. The urge to kiss her was so strong.

‘Don’t rush it, you idiot!’ he told himself. ‘Or you’ll frighten her away. Take it steady.’ He told himself as he drove home.

He smiled inwardly. He did love her so and he wanted to go back and tell her how he felt, how he had felt from the minute he first saw her. But he knew he wouldn’t. He knew he would have to be patient. It was far too important to risk losing her now.

Over the next few weeks, Pete called Mary and Mary called him, and one evening he took her out on a real date. Their first kiss was heaven, and Pete had never been happier.

Six weeks from the day he gave her the puppy, Pete asked Mary to marry him and she said yes. His life was complete.

‘I love you
so
much,’ she told him one evening. ‘Wasn’t it strange how the puppy brought us together?’

Pete said it was, though he blushed at the
way he had deceived her, and he vowed to tell her the truth before they were married. For now though, he could hardly believe that he was planning to be married to the girl on the platform.

His mother said he was lucky to have such a lovely girl, and his dad said how it was all meant to be.

Mark was chosen as best man, and he had a surprise for Pete. His date for the wedding was Leila. ‘I never thought Leila would write back to me but she did,’ he said proudly, ‘and now I’ve forgiven her for writing that note on my jacket.’

Pete was happy for him. ‘I can’t imagine what she ever saw in you,’ he laughed. ‘She must be desperate! Do you realise it’ll be like World War Three if you take her on permanently?’

Mark gave a knowing smile that made Pete curious. ‘Don’t you worry about me,’ Mark grinned, ‘she’s met her match. You see before you a man who is quite capable of handling his woman.’

‘I hope you’re not talking about
me
?’ A dark, sultry voice echoed across the room.

Mark jumped. ‘Of course not my lovely Leila!’

He gave her a cheeky smile and held out his hand. ‘Fancy a dance, d’you?’

Everyone laughed, particularly Pete and Mary, who were arm in arm, hopelessly in love.

The girl on the platform, and him!

Whoever would have thought it?