The Lake House
Chapter 6
"Candy's birthday"
Candy went to a bar… She sat down at the bar and the bartender approached her.
- What do I serve you?
- A ginger ale with ice, please.
She was drinking alone when Flanny arrived and sat next to her. She put her bag on the floor and she told Candy who had turned around to look at her:
- According to social standard, a person shouldn't be drinking alone after 10 pm, unless they have a good excuse.
- Mmm, dit Candy
- What's your?
- Well, I don't have one…
She laughed a little.
- I have one, said Flanny, my youngest left for University this morning. Her name is Marie. One day she was in diapers and the next day, she put her stuff in her Volvo and was her way to California. I just hope she knows what she's doing.
- Let me guest? Med school?
- Bingo!
oOoOo
Terry went to the party at Anthony's with Susanna. There was a lot of people in the house which seemed ready to pop. Anthony came to greet them smiling.
- Welcome to the party! I'm happy to see you again! Let me introduce you to some friends of mine… Terry Susanna, these are the Brightons…
- Pleased to meet you, said Terry smiling.
- Good evening, said Susanna
- Let's go get you something to drink; the bar is this way…
They passed in front of a young woman.
- This is Eliza, said Anthony, this is Terry and Susanna…
- Good evening, said Eliza smiling
- Good evening, said Terry
- Hi, said Susanna
They continued their way until they reached the bar. And Anthony serve them their drinks. Then he walked away.
oOoOo
Candy was still with Flanny in the bar.
- Why didn't you tell us it was today? We would've bought you a cake! Said Flanny
- I don't like to make a drama out of it…
- A drama? It's the day you were born! It's special! But if you'd rather have the day all to yourself. It's your right.
Candy smiled.
- But sometimes, I wonder what more you have in your life aside from work. Family? A boyfriend?
- I had a boyfriend, once upon a time… his name was Anthony…
- Anthony?
- Mm-mm.
- Anthony,that's a pretty name! Said Flanny laughing.
oOoOo
He was looking out the window. He saw Candy coming back. He went to get the birthday cake and lit on the candles quickly. By the time Candy got inside the house, she found it empty because everybody was hiding and they came out to scream:
- HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
And Anthony came out with the cake and the candles. Candy smiled, surprised! Happy! Everybody wished her a happy birthday.
Terry looked at her, so there she was. She was even prettier in the flesh! His heart was beating hard. He saw how Anthony put the cake on the table to take her in his arms. Candy blew the candles and every body clapped their hands and she cut the cake and gave a piece to everybody. Terry also got a piece or cake. Then Anthony took Candy to introduce her to Terry and Susanna, his new friends…
- Candy, let me introduce you to Terry and Susanna!
- Good evening, said Candy smiling.
- Good evening, said Terry, happy birthday again.
- Thank you…
- Terry is going to help us find a house by the lake
- Really? Said Candy, you didn't have any cake.
oOoOo
Candy had told Flanny what had happened with Anthony.
- I broke up with him, it was better that way. We were not made to be together.
Flanny looked at her and she asked.
- So, who are you writing to? I couldn't help notice every time during your breaks at the hospital, you're writing something…
- There's someone. It's some kind of long distance relationship, said Candy with a little smile
"Two years apart, to be more precise" She said to herself
- How did you meet?
- We've never met…
- What?
- No. It's the story of my life.
- You're kidding
- I keep everything in a certain distance… Everybody. The man who was in front of me, and who wanted to marry me. I pushed him away. And I ran away from him. In the mean time, the only man I could never meet, I would like to give him my whole heart.
- He must be writing killer letters.
- Mm-mm.
- They're beautiful. They're secured.
- Jesu-Christ, he's in jail, isn't he?
- No, said Candy laughing
- You're one of these women aren't you?
- No, said Candy still laughing, it's just a young man who leaves by the lake. He's an architect!
She started thinking and she remembered something.
- Oh my God ! She whispered.
oOoOoO
During the evening, Terry went out by the back door to breathe some fresh air. There was a little garden in the back of the house with white roses.
"He's a botanist" Said Terry to himself
A few moments later, Candy went outside in the garden. For Terry, it was a good sign,. He could spend some time with her…
- Happy birthday again, said Terry smiling
- Thank you, said Candy
- I hope this year would be exceptional for you.
- Thank you.
- I'm Terry, the man from the lake house.
- Really? How are you?
She sat down on the front steps on the side of the house. Terry was standin facing the garden. He approached her.
- May I? He asked
- Please, said Candy
He went to sit next to Candy.
- So you're going to find us a house on the lake?
- I hope so, yeah.
- Really?
- If I can.
- You're a real-estate agent?
- No, said Terry smiling, I just have a house on the lake.
- Oh… Is it beautiful?
- Yeah, you'll like it a lot. You'll rent it when I move out.
- Oh really? She said coldly.
Terry looked at her. She wasn't in a really good mood and it was her birthday.
- Candy, have you read "Persuasion" Asked Terry
Candy looked at him for a long time.
- What?
- By Jane Austen.
- I know who she is. Yeah, it's… my favorite book. Why are you talking bout it now? What made you think about that?
- A friend of mine gave it to me recently and I was just wondering what it was about…
- Oh right! Said Candy suddenly very interested, it's a wonderful book.
- Yeah?
- Yeah. It's about… on the waiting time. She said with a little laugh. The protagonist meet and they almost fall in love, but it's not the right moment. They must get ready. Then, years later, they see each other again. They have a chance. You know, they don't know it too time have passed, if they waited for too long for it to work.
Terry had listened in silence and he asked her:
- Why do you like that?
Candy started laughing.
- I don't know, she said laughing.
Terry started laughing too.
- Don't take it wrong, it's beautiful…
- No, it's horrible.
Candy was now laughing.
- That's horrible.
- That's horrible, repeated Candy.
They finally had broken the ice…
- It was a personnel questions, said Terry, but have you lived something similar?
- Me? No, no, no, no.
There was a moment of silence.
- When I was 16, I met this guy and I fell in love with him. He was playing the guitar and he convinced me that I had a beautiful voice and I wanted to become a singer. I ran away with him to San Francisco to live with him. I was dreaming or being a singer…
- Oh, said Terry, San Francisco is beautiful…
- It was my first crush and probably my only love…
- It was probably a good guy
- I don't really know, maybe. I didn't have the time to realize it. To tell you the truth, I don't really remember his face…
- Really? Said Terry
- Yeah.
- That's a pity.
- My father came to get me and brought me back home by the back of my skin… and took me back to Chicago.
- He put you back on track.
- Yeah. He was sick and wanted to become a doctor… and eventually, it also became my dream to take care of others. He was right. I feel good when I help people. He's proud of me.
Candy stood up to walk away in the garden.
- Candy! Called Terry.
- What? She said turning around
What did he want to tell her? He couldn't tell her too much, otherwise she was going think he's crazy. A song started inside the house. It was a song by Paul McCartney, "It never happened to me before"
- I…
- You…?
- Euh, you know this song?
- Yes…
- Do you still sing?
- No… I stopped singing when I was 16, but I can dance…
- Would care to dance with me, then?
- With pleasure, she said.
He approached her and took her in his arms to dance. He was holding her left hand and his right hand was on her back. Touching Candy… He didn't anticipate the electricity that was between them. They hugged together tighter and eventually the attraction between them wont them over and he looked for her lips and they started kissing. She didn't pushed him away, on the contrary, she held him closer against her and kissed him back with passion. Their tongues were caressing each other, sucking each other, it was good, too good…
- Candy? She heard
It was Anthony's voice. Candy and Terry let go of each other. Anthony and Susanna were looking at them.
- Anthony, said Candy, Terry was wishing me a happy birthday…
- How nice of him! Said Anthony ironically.
- He was also telling me about the house on the lake… it sounds beautiful.
- Very beautiful, repeated Anthony
- Terry, said Susanna, it's late…
- All right, let's go, said Terry, good bye…
- Good bye, said Candy.
Anthony didn't answer and Susanna left with out saying good bye to Candy.
oOoOo
"You were my moment of weakness?"! Why didn't you say anything?"
oOoOo
"You would've thought I was crazy or a drunk or both… and don't forget, for me, this just happened, your birthday was last night…"
oOoOo
"But I liked you. You could've said something…"
oOoOo
"How? You had a boyfriend…"
oOoOo
"You know what? That's just a bunch of baloney … you're a coward!"
oOoOo
"I'm not a coward."
oOoOo
"Oh really? What about your girlfriend?"
oOoOo
"What? I told you already. She's not my girlfriend."
oOoOo
"He's not my boyfriend either…"
oOoOo
"Ah we have a comedian. Weren't you the one who said he looked like brother? What did you have this morning for breakfast, a clown?"
oOoOo
"This is just great! We just had our fist fight! You can write a song about it and sing it in San Francisco!"
oOoOoOoOoOo