Anyone Else But You

Chapter 28 - The Chase Is On

The Proclaimers – Make My Heart Fly

St Pancras was packed with Christmas shoppers, sardines wrapped in scarves and hats before being stuffed in the tin. Maddie had to wait behind a long line of people to pick up her ticket, she wished she’d printed it off at home earlier to save her some time. If they didn’t get moving soon she was going to miss the train.

Ten minutes later and she had finally reached the booth, the woman behind the counter looked bored and tired as she glanced at Maddie. “How can I help?”

“I booked a ticket online and want to pick it up. Maddie McCarthy for the 3:20 to Nottingham.” Maddie smiled at the woman and waited while she typed her details into the computer.

“Bear with me a moment . . . here we are, I’ll print it off for you. I’m afraid the train is delayed by 35 minutes due to snow.” Maddie shook her head and smiled to herself as she took the ticket the woman posted through the window, typical now even the weather was trying to stop her from going.

“Thank you.” She turned away and walked out of the queue of bored looking people. She’d just have to get a coffee and wait it out, she headed through the brick archway and into the main atrium. It was bright from the complete glass roof and bustling with thousands of people carrying shopping bags. Both sides were lined with shops and cafes, she noticed a coffee shop that didn’t look as busy as the others and joined the queue behind a businesswoman and a shopper with her young daughter.

Maddie’s phone began to ring and vibrate in her pocket, she saw Jasper’s face fill up the screen and sighed sadly. Pressing cancel she slipped the phone back into her pocket, it began to ring again straight away but she just pressed cancel. She knew if she answered he would just try and talk her out of going and she knew he would be successful.

“What can I get you?” The barista’s voice pulled her from her thoughts, she shook her head and stepped up to the counter.

“Um, can I get a large hazelnut latte and a cinnamon swirl please?” She smiled as the barista noted down her order. He must have only been a couple of years older than her, he was wearing a maroon t-shirt that matched the banner on the front of the shop and she could see a tattoo peeking out from the bottom of his sleeve. She continued to stare at the tattoo as he prepared her coffee and put her pastry in her bag.

“I got it done in Camden on my 18th birthday. It’s got the dates of everything important that’s happened in my life on it.” Maddie looked up at the guy as he spoke, he pulled his sleeve up to show her the whole thing. It was impressive, there must have 20 different dates all intertwined with each other in a spiral pattern. “Are you thinking of getting some ink done?”

He passed her the cardboard takeaway cup and the bag with her pastry in. “Ha, no my mum would kill me if I ever got a tattoo!” She grinned at him and shook her head, he let go of the sleeve and stretched his hand over the counter towards her. She took it and shook it, he grinned back and she realised she was blatantly flirting with him, well he was pretty cute but nothing compared to Jasper.

“Gavin, I thought the same about my mum but she loves mine.”