Destined to Play (23 page)

Authors: Indigo Bloome

Tags: #Romance, #General, #Contemporary, #Fiction

I’m desperate to talk to Jeremy about having these psychophysical ambushes occurring at a single sight, sound or memory of the weekend. One part of me is mortified by these happening in public, but I’m fascinated as to what could trigger another episode and eagerly anticipate the next experience.

My flights are seamless; no delays at Singapore and finally I arrive in London as scheduled.

I walk through the swinging doors at Heathrow and notice a chauffeur standing with my name on a placard. What a pleasure it is to travel like this. We exchange greetings as he takes my luggage.

When we arrive at the black sedan with the door open, there is another man standing beside it dressed in similar attire.

‘Good morning, Dr Blake. Welcome to London.’

‘Good morning. Thank you, it’s great to be here.’

I smile as he opens the door for me and the first man takes care of my luggage. As I settle myself in the back seat ensuring I have everything, I hear my name being called from somewhere in the distance behind me. As I look over my shoulder I am stunned to see Jeremy and Samuel running toward the car. What on earth are they doing here? I didn’t think they were due in until late tonight. I wave my hand in surprised recognition as the driver’s assistant suddenly shoves the door closed and bolts into the front seat. I see the panic in Jeremy’s and Samuel’s faces as they run toward me. Just as I am about to ask the driver to wait for them, the car surges forward and I am flung across the seat. I ask them to stop, telling the driver that I know them. Jeremy is now running after the car, banging on the back windows. I try to open my window to speak to him, but there is no button. The window tint turns black and I can’t see his face any more. The door is locked and as I turn around to look at the driver, a blackened barrier rises between the back and front seats. I scream and bash on the door and the glass. We are speeding up. I start to tremble as the memory of Jeremy’s agonised face is etched on my brain. I fumble for my phone in my handbag, only to find there is no service indicated. I don’t understand any of this. I am in a blacked-out car with no phone reception. Who are these drivers? I bang on the windows screaming at the men, trying to make sense of what is happening. I try to open the doors, check both of them, bang my palms against the black tint of the windows. What is this about? Suddenly I feel woozy, faint. Then I don’t feel anything at all …

Acknowledgements

THANK YOU …

To my mother, who encouraged me to continue when I wasn’t sure if I should and who painstakingly edited material I know was shocking for her to read To my sister, without her bravery five years ago we wouldn’t be living and sharing our dreams now

To Melissa, whose door was thankfully left ajar enough for me to slip through in the knick of time

To Rob, for pointing out that anyone who completes a manuscript, whether published or not, has achieved something very special

To Adrienne, I can’t wait to hug you and thank you in person for your inspiring and encouraging words and for enabling me to move forward

To Kate, who was going through so much and still found time to meet with me To my gorgeous, wonderful, special friends who bore the brunt of my first, raw version and didn’t discard me as a friend

To my boys, you know who you are and you know my life, or this novel, wouldn’t be the same without you

To my father, for his love, support, humour and storytelling To my husband, for being my rock for the past two decades and standing by me through thick and thin, when I know it hasn’t always been the smoothest of rides To my family and my friends, my life would be meaningless without you …

Finally, it is just so important to thank my agent, Selwa Anthony and Shona Martyn from Harper Collins. This novel would never have been published had it not been for their miraculous and fateful meeting just a short time ago. Thank you, Selwa, for guiding me through a whirlwind introduction to the publishing industry. And a wholehearted thanks to the team at HarperCollins Australia, in particular Anna Valdinger, Rochelle Fernandez and Graeme Jones who worked around the clock to make this happen.

About the Author

Indigo Bloome is married with two children. She has lived and worked in Sydney and the United Kingdom, with a successful career in the finance industry. Indigo recently traded city life for a move to regional Australia, which provided her with an opportunity to explore her previously undiscovered creative side. Her love of reading, deciphering dreams, stimulating conversation and the intrigue of the human mind led her to writing her first novel,
Destined to Play
.

HarperCollins
Publishers

First published in Australia in 2012

This edition published in 2012

by HarperCollins
Publishers
Australia Pty Limited

ABN 36 009 913 517

harpercollins.com.au

The right of Indigo Bloome to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the
Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000
.

This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the
Copyright Act 1968
, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

HarperCollins
Publishers

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ISBN 978 0 7322 9616 2 (pbk)

ISBN 978 1 74309 800 4 (epub)

Cover design by Jane Waterhouse, HarperCollins Design Studio Cover photography by John Paul Urizar

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