My Best friend's wife
Chapter 3
"The confrontation"
During her pregnancy, Candy didn't have any particular cravings, but she especially liked peanut butter and banana sandwich. A weird mixture, but it was also Elvis Presley's favourite sandwich! Candy would have one every night before she goes to bed.
She was putting back the peanut butter jar in the cupboard with the pack of sliced bread when the phone rang. She didn't pay attention. After 9 pm, it was probably a call for Lowell, who was in the living room with Georgie and the children in front of the television.
A few seconds later, her brother in law appeared at the kitchen door. He has a sad expression on his face.
- What's wrong? She asked worried.
- Terrence Grandchester.
Georgie's heart jumped in her chest.
- Isn't that good news? I didn't dare to hope that he would call me back.
- His voice doesn't sound very nice and he hurt you a lot Candy. You really want to talk to him?
- Yes. The faster we clear up this incident the faster I'm going to forget about it…I'm going to take the phone here; she said putting her hand on the cordless phone that was in the kitchen.
- I'll go back in the living room to hang up; he said getting out of the kitchen.
He was still hesitating; his instincts wanted him to still protect her.
- It's going to be fine Lowell, assured Candy.
- I don't want this guy to upset you again he might provoke an early labour.
She smiled.
- It's going to be fine. I'm a strong woman; otherwise I would've given birth in the middle of the dance floor on Saturday night. Don't worry… whatever he says now, will not have the same effect? I'm immune…
- All right, since I have to believe you… cry for help if you need to…
Candy nodded with her head while pressing the "talk" button.
- Good evening Terry. Thanks for calling me back.
- You should thank my brother.
She winced while her interlocutor continued:
- It's late; I'm not going to take long… If you really want to have a conversation, it's better if it happens face to face.
His icy tone was so far from the tone he used on the letter he had sent her, six months ago! You'd think it was a totally different man. Those last years, the rare times she had answered the phone when he called Anthony, Terrence Grandchester was always very polite and very friendly, yet a little reserved.
- I'm happy you agreed to meet with me, she said leaning against the counter.
- Where?
Giving the circumstances, she was sure he would rather meet on a neutral ground; she didn't want to implicate her family either.
- I live in New York at my sister's at the moment, there's a little French café on Broadway.
- "Chez Félix" I know the place.
- I could go there on Tuesday or Friday. Well, if you're still on a leave.
Those were the days Georgie didn't work, she could borrow her car. Friday, she had an appointment with her OB GYN, but she could reschedule if need be.
- Tuesday, he replied without hesitation, 10 AM?
Apparently he was in a rush to get it over with this incident too.
- I'll be there, she agreed, and thank you again for calling me.
- Don't get any ideas; I'm doing it for Anthony.
On those words, he hung up.
For Anthony? In other words, it wasn't Anthony's fault. Stunned, Candy put back the phone on its base, and took a bite of her sandwich. What kind of reproach Terrence Grandchester could have against her?
Georgie arrived, anxious with her eyes. Candy answered her mute question.
- The latest news? I'm the one who did the irreparable. Not Anthony. We have a meeting Tuesday at "Chez Félix" and he's going to let me have it at 10 AM, just like that!
- He didn't give you any hint?
- Not even a shadow.
She had a little of derision.
- It's making me think about that Nana Gerald story, remember?
- Yes, I remember her English teacher failed her by revenge, she was convinced that she had told the assistant principle that she was smoking!
- Yes and she had to redo the exam, without ever knowing what she had against her. She learned it 10 years later, when she met her famous English teacher in the street.
- This is the mid-20th century; women teachers were not supposed to be smoking and the students were muzzled.
- On that matter, it's good that they have rights now… Nana never got over the fact that she was accused and punished for something she hadn't done.
- At least with Terrence Grandchester, said Georgie, you won't wait 10 years to know what's going on.
- No, but I have the weird impression that I'm condemned in advance. Whatever I say.
- That's absurd, Candy. It could only be a misunderstanding: you must be able to clear things up easily. And if that man sticks to his position, and then he's an imbecile! You'll have nothing to regret!
Candy finished her sandwich and shook her head.
- It's still intriguing, she whispered, he and Anthony were so close… I'm wondering what my husband told him about me.
Georgie shook her head.
- Anthony adored you, come on! He would never have said anything bad about you to anybody.
Candy washed her glass meticulously.
- Love doesn't present us from having faults. And mine are screaming. Before his death, they had just spent five months together, exchanging confidences. Terrence must have had his fair share of complaints than you can imagine.
- What would your husband be complaining about? You tell me!
- Of everything… my crying because we didn't conceive after three years of marriage and I wanted to run to the Pony Home to adopt a child… I recognize my selfish part: if I had had children, my lonely moments would've been less long…
She put the glass in the draining rack.
- But he wanted a child that was biologically his… he probably told all that to Terry…
- The more reason, he should've admire you for waiting all these years and for taking all the treatment, the egg collection and all the implantations, just so your hubby get his genes.
- They're pilots, Georgie; wife who puts them under pressure is just as dangerous as bad mechanic… Terrence can be upset with me since it's too late for Anthony to enjoy the joy of paternity…
- Come on! What happens in a couple's life is their business!
- You go tell that to those battlefield comrades who depend on each other knowing they could not come back every time they left on a mission. Terrence must think I'm the most selfish wife.
- That man has no right to judge you!
- I'm afraid Anthony gave him that right. They had a private fraternity. All the pilot wives know that.
Georgie looked at her stunned.
- Anthony was keeping you apart?
- Not on purpose, but by habit. He would close the door when they talked on the phone. After than he would make me the summary of whatever he wanted…
- You never told me that…
- Because there was nothing abnormal, Georgie. It's the law when you're married to a pilot. We were accompanied luggage; they share a lot more among them then when their spouses.
- Well, if Terrence is holding a grudge because of some confidence his husband told him, that "hero" doesn't deserve his reputation! Said Georgie hugging her.
A little laugh invisible laugh was felt between them, like it wanted to clap their hand. They separated and burst out laughing. Candy put her hand on her belly.
- We've come a long way, baby…
Then, the two sisters joined their family in the living room.
oOoOoOoOoOo
"Chez Félix" was a French café with a good reputation in New York. Terrence arrived around 9:30 under a milky sky announcing some snow. He gave his name to the hostess who asked him to wait for her to get him a table. Since Candice Brown wanted so much to hear exactly what he thought about her, he was going to satisfy her curiosity. The verdict is going to take him 1 minute. After that he was going to pay his bill and let her eat her breakfast at her ease. Unless, of course she gives up at the last minute and don't show up… or the one who answered the phone could have decided to come with her. It would be only better. Terrence would have the double satisfaction to let both parties involved in the betrayal have it… "To Anthony's memory" like she said!
When his name was called, he followed the waiter to a table that had just become free, by the window, that way he will be able to see her come in. Meanwhile, he ordered a cup of tea and he opened the New York Times newspaper that he had bought to make time pass. Without paying attention to the conversations around him, his ears were yet distracted by a group of men commenting about a "knockout" that was approaching. Thinking it was a waitress, Terry had a look, mechanically. It then seemed that all the men in his field of vision were all looking at the dream creature with blond curly hair that was approaching him. The apparition took him by surprised, so he had his guard down. Candice Brown had come alone. She was wearing a red wool coat; a very elegant three quarter wide and flexible, a belt was tied at the waist showing her voluptuous curves, on a jersey dress with turtle neck, dark red, whose skirt was long pass her knees. That woman was definitely looked wickedly beautiful. She was drop dead gorgeous!
Feeling the adrenaline in his body, Terry stood up.
- Sorry for being late, she said with a light voice, out of breath sitting on the chair he had pulled up for her.
- Thank you…
- I'm the one who is in advance, he replied.
The scent of wild fruits shampoo of her hair, took him by surprise, achieving to throw his senses off balance. Stunned by his uncontrollable physiological reactions, Terry turned around, under the pretext to call the waiter before he sat back down. But as soon as he sat down, he was confronted by another unexpected; the incredible limpidity of her emerald gaze which was looking at him straight in the eyes. No dodging the issue, no guilt in that gaze… the imperceptible curve of her lips were expressing some kind of indulging sadness, like he was the one who did something wrong!
The waiter arrived just in time to create a diversion. Without looking at the menu, Terry just asked for a refill for his cup of tea, while Candy ordered a glass of orange juice with a ham sandwich. After that, she crossed her fingers on the edge of the table. He noticed that she wasn't wearing her wedding band.
- Well, Terry… Now that you let me know that Anthony wasn't concerned, let's do this! She said without preliminaries. Since I'm the one who inspires you so much aversion, I suppose that the feeling is anchored in you for a long time. I'm ready to take all the blames. That way, in the future, if our paths cross again, l'll know why you'll be ignoring me.
To ignore Anthony's widow would be simply impossible. She was bringing too many memories. She had done something too grave, too heavy of consequences…
And she was too desirable…
- I was hoping to avoid the confrontation, he said.
She looked at him surprised?
- If that's the case, you wouldn't' have been that rude to me to start with. Now that we're alone, or relatively, unload the weigh from you. I can take it. Terry, I have wingspan for it… no pun intended.
The frankness seemed to be a constructive trait of her character. Too bad that faithfulness didn't have it's place too! Terry looked down on the fruit of her betrayal.
- Did your husband know you were pregnant?
The curve on her lips became more accentuated.
- Oh! My pregnancy is was disgusting you like that? What was it that hurt you Terry? Did you feel excluded because Anthony didn't share the news with you?
He was stunned.
- What are you insinuating?
- Don't pretend that my husband didn't tell you all of his intimate secrets, please…
That woman was talking nonsense with a disarming tranquility.
- I'm afraid you're wrong about our relationship.
- No need to deny it Terry. That's how it's been since the beginning of our marriage. When you were both based with thousands of miles separating you. Anthony would go out of our bed in the middle of the night, because of the time change to talk to you. You've always been his hero, he spiritual guide, weren't you?
His guide, his hero? He getting more and more flabbergasted.
This conversation was taking a crazy turn. What was she talking about? She continued talking.
- Anthony would compare you to a horse and a cart. The most powerful, the most solid, the one who keeps the balance with the others and stop them from getting nervous or going crazy, when they would run around the circus.
- You haven't answered my question, he interrupted her, did Anthony know you were pregnant?
She put her elbows on the table looking at him ironically…
- You want my conjugal life chapter by chapter?
Terry felt sweat coming down his forehead leaking down his spine.
- Why not?
- Anthony had the time to learn I was pregnant before taking off on that damn defective plane. I don't doubt that if he had survived, you would've been the first one he would've told at the end of his demonstration.
An indescribable glimpse passed through his eyes.
- You're putting your repressed anger on the wrong person Terry. You know better than me that he had just came back from a long mission, nothing was forcing Anthony to fly that day. But our big guy was unable to resist an opportunity to show his talent.
Her voice was trembling, but her eyes were dry.
- When you see him again in the other world, you can lay it on him, go all the way, you have my permission. But I'm warning you, you won't be the only one to ask him for questions!
Before he understood what was going on, she ejected herself from her seat and quickly walked across the room without a look back. Terry threw a bank note on the table and ran after her. For a woman almost due to give birth, she was pretty fast. He only caught up with her at the exit door and she was still going fast, the wind was blowing with some snow in her hair.
- Candy, stop for a moment please!
She turned around, he showed a gloomy face.
- I thought I could take this confrontation, she said, but I overestimated my endurance.
The gust was blowing, hitting her coat completing the haughtier image she was giving with her fur collar up on her cheek. She seemed to be defying him, daring him to criticize her scandalous behaviour. Terry was boiling.
- As a matter of fact, I'm wondering how you got the guts to approach me when we both know that Anthony is not the father of the baby you're carrying. If you were the one who told him the news before he took off, so you're going to have to answer to him in the other world!
Zipping up his jacket, he turned around and walked away towards the wind, in a rush to run away from that hell. He hadn't done three steps, when a hand held him back on his sleeve. When he gave her the look above his shoulder, Candice Brown's face was in tears.
- Terry… that's what you're accusing me of?... I never would've thought… It's a terrible misunderstanding… I thought Anthony told you everything… My God I was stupid…
What was she going to make up again? Terry was champ at the bit. He wanted to tell her off one last time for vanity, and then he would go…
- … I should've thought that it would've been difficult for him to talk about it, especially to you whom he admired so much… Admitting a little imperfection he considered as a fault in his virility… We had to do in-vitro fertilization. Anthony had left his sperm at the lab so that the trials would continue during his absence…
Terry was petrified. In-vitro?
- When this one seemed to be working, since I was afraid of false hopes again, I waited to be absolutely sure before I told him. The doctor had confirmed it to me in the morning that I was really pregnant, the same morning Anthony was getting ready for his demonstration in Italy. He was supposed to join me in England the next day, but I was so impatient to tell him the news, that I called him immediately…
Terry was numb, his body was shaking.
- And guess what was the first thing he said when he finally stopped screaming of joy? He told me: "If it's a boy, we're going to call him Terry." It didn't surprise me at all, of course… You know the rest.
Tortured, Terry couldn't even breathe anymore. He felt a straightjacket squeezing his lungs.
- I'm… so sorry, he articulated with difficulty.
Candy stretched up to kiss him on the cheek on the angle of his jaw. The warmth of her lips entered his veins, to the point to make the ice that was starting to paralyse his heart, melt.
- I understand why Anthony loved you so much, Terry. Thank you for keeping a fierce loyalty… even if I have to admit, my nerves wouldn't have resist it if the whole squadron had treated me the same way…
She wiped her tears with a little laugh.
- Candy… I am so sorry… if you only knew how much…
His tortured voice sound wasn't reflecting the hundredth of his pain. The joy to know that Anthony had learn he was going to be a father undermine at the base. Terry would never forgive himself his horrible conduct toward the mother and the child.
- Everything is fine now, she assured him, and now the mystery is cleared.
He closed his eyes, He didn't deserve such generosity. Crisping his eyelids, trying to get rid of his shame, Terry was hearing himself telling his brother: "That woman has no scruples". Didn't Richard tell him not to rely on appearance? The way he condemned without a trial his best friend's widow! He had a grunt and he opened his eyes, Candy was smiling, attracting the attention on her mouth. He forced himself to look away.
- Thanks to you, she said, I'm going to make a little explanatory note on the announcement something like: "Baby thanks modern medical technology which allowed daddy to be in the oven and at the mill at the same time…"I hope they'll be able to decipher it!
She finally managed to have him smile a little.
- They 're not aces for nothing, he whispered
She smiled to him.
- I'm sorry; I have to go back before the weather gets worse with his falling snow.
- Where's your car?
She pointed her finger on the other side of the street.
- I'll go get it. Give me your keys.
- Terry, you don't have to, I'm perfectly capable …
- Go take shelter at the restaurant entrance and don't argue, please.
- Yes, sirree! She said smiling
Candy was so relieved for clearing this misunderstanding and Terry was feeling really guilty. He wanted to make up for it. As soon as he got there with the car, he quickly got out to get the door on the passenger's side.
- What are you doing?
- I'm taking you back of course. There is no way I'm going to let you drive by this weather.
- But, how are you going to go back home?
- I'll take a taxi, get in.
He was holding the door while she folded her legs inside. Even very pregnant, she managed to make the move with grace. He thought she was perfect… His best friend's wife. He was observing her furtively. There were not a lot of women Terry considered as real beauties in the classical term of the word. He looked at her nose and her freckles. Some people didn't think it was a sign of beauty but he thought it was ridiculous to disqualify the beauty of a woman because of a gift from the sun… He remembered the first and only time he has seen her with her husband, he had nicknamed her Mrs. Freckles… In fact he hadn't stopped thinking about her after that and he never went back to see Anthony again, so he wouldn't see his wife again…
- When is the baby due? He asked.
- Three or four weeks.
She showed him the way and they finally arrived at Georgie's. Before they got out he said:
- Candy… I can't leave you without renew my apologies. Not word is strong enough to express what I'm feeling. Nothing can justify my horrible behaviour towards you. But to be totally frank, I had seen you by the elevator with your friend and you seemed intimate. I assumed he was the father of your baby. So when you approached me both of you on the dance floor, I'm afraid I blow a fuse…
She looked at him with a beautiful smile.
- You don't need to apologize Terry. I'm sure in you place Anthony would've reacted the same way with less elegance. He would've knocked my brother in law out, without any explanations.
"Her brother in law? One of Anthony's cousin?"
Uneasy, Terry was moving on his seat.
- But still…
- Hush, she interrupted him, with an amuse tone. You deserve congratulations from the jury for your self-control.
- My brother Rick would tell you that I was ready to provoke the same kind of damages.
She had a little laugh, just as seductive as everything coming from her.
- It's an honest mistake, Terry. Anthony would've appreciated to see how fierce you were defending him.
They were interrupted by a hand hitting on the car window on the driver's side, Terry pressed the button to lower the window.
- Oh! Said the woman startled with surprise.
She looked a lot like the passenger sitting by his side, who reassured her warmly.
- I'm fine Georgie! Major Grandchester didn't want me to take the road with the snow, that's all. Terry, let me introduce you to my sister, Georgie Gray…
- You really like colours in your family, Candice Brown, Georgie Gray…
- As a matter of fact, said Georgie smiling
They all burst out laughing.
- I'm going to call a taxi, said Terry taking his phone out.
Candy got out of the car and Terry too, to help her walk to the house after he called his taxi. They walked all three towards the house.
- Thank you for driving me home, Terry. I really appreciate it, more than you think…
- I'm also grateful to you, said Georgie, with this snow, I was afraid for the baby to be caught in the storm…
- Candy, I…, started Terry.
A car honk interrupted him.
- You taxi is here, the station is not far, said Georgie looking outside and your driver seems in a rush, you better get going.
He had too much to say and he didn't have the time. He had to go.
- All right. Good bye ladies of colours! He said smiling.
- I like your sense of humour! You like nicknaming people, you called me Mrs. Freckles back in the days…
He smiled and got out of the house. Terry got in the taxi and he left.