Knots of Love – Chapter 1

Zara rested her laptop on the table, sitting close with her eyes facing the screen. She glanced over the email, making certain the date was right. Her lips curled upwards as she wrote down the times. Less than two hours until M needed her. Soon after, she printed the application forms, tucking them securely in her handbag. By the skin of her teeth, she'd got the grades, the one thing she knew would've satisfied her family. Then she closed her laptop and headed to the bathroom.

The woman in the mirror patted the powder on her smooth complexion and skimmed a brush atop her eyelids. Holding another brush, she let it glide along her lashes, becoming longer each stroke. She finally glided a soft coral along her lips and lightly dabbed them with a tissue. It took minutes before she was dressed, handbag on her shoulder and keys in hand. Making sure her forms were with her, Zara sighed and headed out the door. She couldn't help the butterflies; with each moment she approached the car.

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She kept her eyes on the road and both hands on the wheel, the radio nothing more than a faint echo. For once the traffic was fine. That was something to be glad about. Zara came to a halt, the instant the light changed. She let her mind drift in contemplation, thinking and hoping she'd create a good impression.

Without warning, a car bolted forward. Zara froze, watching as it sped through the junction, with her fingers stiff against the wheel. The light changed colour and she brought herself to put her foot down. A second car raced across. Zara knew with a dreading accuracy she had no control, unable to move when the car struck her. She jerked, in the wake of knowing her heart was pounding ferociously. It took a second for her to adjust, to register the constant echo altering into a man's shouting.

"Move out of the way!"

She was too numb to move and glanced ahead, looking for a moment at sharp focused eyes. She did no more than watch as he drove away, scraping against the side of her car. With her breathing rapid, Zara climbed out, glancing at the expanding cluster of people gathering by the roadside. She looked away and slammed her door shut, groaning loudly.

"Bloody moron," she hissed.

Much to her advantage, the damage on her car wasn't complex. Either way, she had proof of damage. Zara continued assessing the scrapings, and couldn't help with being relieved she had the insurance covered.

Not long after, she climbed back in, creating a mental note to get her car fixed. Zara huffed, leaning back in her seat while she started to drive away. At least a dented car had nothing to do with making a first impression. She cleared her mind and told herself to stop worrying.

It took longer than expected to reach MI6. When she arrived, Zara let out a long, long breath and ran a hairbrush through her brown hair. She faced the mirror and blinked her eyes. The remaining hours would be nothing to worry about, she reminded herself.

With her forms in hand, Zara paced inside.

A/N: I'll work on the next chapter soon and I already have an idea planned. This is a completely different story to the Footsteps series. Hope to make this new one good. Feel free to comment.