The text jumps between the two POV quite a lot so have put an indication of where the new POV starts. This is purely fictional so any comparison with real people, companies or locations is purely coincidental. First submission so please provide me with feedback.
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Kelly was running late, as usual. Why did the kids choose the day they'd overslept to pour their Coco Pops down their uniforms? Running about like a hyperactive humming bird meant they managed to leave the house just ten minutes later than they usually did so there was still the smallest chance they may make it to the school gates on time.
Kelly's mind wandered as they rushed along the pavement, wasn't she supposed to be on deck of millionaire's yacht, anchored just off a Caribbean island and not rushing through the Scottish drizzle?
She was much younger than the majority of the other mums dropping their bratty offspring at the local primary school as she had met her ex when they were at school. She still had a cracking figure and knew if she had the time and money to go to the salons like the other yummy mummies that she would blow them out of the water but that wasn't for her. Plus, she'd rather spend the money on her kids rather than to try and turn the heads of the few male teachers. She was smaller than average at around 5"1, had long dark hair, a wicked smile and impressive 34D boobs. It was, however, her eyes that were the most striking aspect of Kelly's appearance. Anyone who came across her would get lost in those strikingly hazel eyes that seemed to glisten when she smiled.
The bell rang as she dropped her older child, giving a quick kiss and straightening the tie that had somehow unravelled in the march from home. She then turned round to head towards the child minder for the younger one, just as the rain started to get heavier. Oh the joys of life!
M: Across the other side of town, just pulling into the train station sat Matthew, reading the Financial Times and sipping from his large Starbucks americano. He was dressed in his sharpest designer suit because today was the day he was going to impress his ruthless boss and bring him back the opportunity of a lifetime.
Out of the blue, he had been contacted by a company that was on its knees. The management must have been buffoons because the idea sounded too good to be true. A scheme to change greenhouse gases back into liquified petroleum gas. He knew that it would have been a bunch of scientists who were trying to play in the big, bad business world but even they should've been able to make it work.
All the information hehad a chance to run off in the office before he jumped on the train from Manchester, was an address, a set of financials (which looked like they had never been near an accountant) and a contact name. Not even a phone number. This was not like him to be so disorganised but he was getting desperate. All of his leads of the past 6 months had ended in dead ends. He knew unless something extraordinary turned up soon, he would be looking for a new job. The flat that he already couldn't really afford and all the rest of his expensive habits would have to go and he wouldn't give those up without a fight.
The train finally stopped and unloaded all of its passengers onto the platform. The crowd of zombie-like commuters, marching towards the barriers. Matthew had no time to wait and so slalomed his way through the crowd and sprinted to the barrier. He was through and headed to the taxi rank and jumped into the first cab. "McDonald industrial estate" he barked at the driver and they were off.
K: "Right Kelly, one down, one to go" she muttered to herself as she pushed the buggy along the side of the busy road towards the childminder's. Drop her younger child off and she would be free to continue her relentless job search. It was tough after 6 years out of the job market when you had very little experience to begin with. Companies could pay an 18 year old who had the same experience much less than her as a 25 year old. She knew if something didn't come up soon, the childminder would be a luxury that couldn't continue, despite the reassurances from the job centre.
She had just lifted her head to the rain when she noticed a taxi pull up about 100 metres up the pavement and a dazzling man step out. He was tall, broad, muscular and with a shock of blond hair, stylishly cut. He was looking all around, checking his phone, looking at some papers in his hand and looking thoroughly annoyed with life. She continued to walk towards him, hoping she looked at least presentable.
M: Where the hell was this place? Why had he not even checked that he wasn't being led on a wild goose chase. What an amateurish mistake to make. He frantically typed into his phone to try to bring up everything he could on Morphis Gas Limited, just to make sure he wasn't going to be the butt of some elaborate office joke. No, they're definitely real, but where were they?
He spun around to be confronted by a mum pushing a buggy, walking straight towards him. He flagged down the lady and started talking far too quickly, different strains of thought converging in his mouth. "Do you know where the McDonald Industrial Estate is?" "Where is Granville Drive?" "Ever heard of Morphis Gas?" "Know a Richard Mercer?" All uttered without pausing to hear an answer to the previous question. The lady looked up at him in puzzlement and then smiled which put Matthew at ease at once somehow. He was so on edge but suddenly his rushing this morning became a distant memory.
She started answering all of his questions in turn, keeping very calm and with a gorgeously light Scottish accent. "You are standing on just off Granville Drive on the edge of the McDonald Industrial Estate. Afraid I've not heard of that company before but there is a Richard Mercer whose son is in my kid's year at school."
Matthew almost jumped. Actually physically jumped. "Thank you, thank you." He went to shake her hand but before he knew it was hugging it and then set off in the direction she had pointed, practically skipping. He got to the building that looked most promising but there was a to let sign already in the car park and the place was deserted. He needed to find out what had happened to this company so he headed back onto the main road and ran in the direction the lady had been going, finally seeing her in the distance.
K: Kelly had said her good byes and was heading out of the gate of her childminder's house when the pink, panting and sweaty businessman from before stood in front of her. "Hello?" She asked incredulously.
"Hi, yeah," panted the businessman, "wait a sec..., can't run in these shoes" the man finally managed to get his breathing into a normal rhythm, "You said you knew Richard Mercer, can you introduce me to him?" He looked at her with deep blue puppy dog eyes that would make any woman melt.
"Well I said I knew of him, I don't know him personally or anything. I might be able to speak to him after school but I don't even know you." At that the man straightened himself and reached into his pocket to produce a business card that read "Matthew Samson, Assets Manager, Fortus Private Equity" This time he did reach out a hand and Kelly shook it accordingly. He was ridiculously good looking and she had always had a thing for a man in a suit but she wasn't going to go all gooey over this stranger.
"Can I buy you a tea or something as thanks?" The "perfect" stranger enquired in his middle class English accent. Hopeful eyes following her every movement.
"Um, sure" she murmured back, "There's a lovely cafe near the school."
M: This might not be the total dead end that it looked like 20 minutes previously but it was still the longest of long shots. He hailed a passing taxi for the two of them and they sat in silence as the taxi weaved its way through more residential streets and finally stopped outside a new looking artisan cafe. The place seemed to be emptying of the mummy brigade who had finished their post school drop-off cappacinos.
Matthew opened the door and he followed his last hope into the cafe. They sat down at a table need the back and the waitress came to get their order, another americano for him and normal tea with milk and two sugars for the lady. What an idiot, he never even asked her for her name! In all the rush he must've looked like a right arrogant twat.
"I never caught your name" he tentatively mentioned. She didn't seem to mind too much and responded with "Kelly" and a smile. For the first time he was actually able to look at her and was awestruck with what he saw. Gorgeously long hair, frizzed up a little due to the weather, a cute, cheeky smile and those eyes. He actually did a double take on those.
The waitress arrived back with the drinks and set them down on the table. "So how long have you lived in this area?" He asked, his small talk needing a lot of work.
She responded '"My whole life. Was going to go away for uni but ended up sticking around. Where is it you're from?"