CHAPTER 12
"Aww but it is so great to be able to sit here and enjoy our coffee together again, it's super!" exclaimed Annie, not able to suppress her excitement.
Candy and Patty laughed. Their friend was getting more and more restless every day as the engagement party drew near.
"Mmm, the cakes in this shop are simply divine" said Candy swallowing a mouthful of a delicious-looking cream scone. "I love coming here, you just can't beat the quality of the food and the atmosphere" she added.
"Yes, definitely" said Patty. "Remember we used to hang around this café quite a lot last year? And Albert used to work here, now, that's pretty incredible to imagine, yet true!"
"Gosh, yes, I had almost forgotten about it" said Annie. "We haven't seen him at all since Christmas, actually" she added casually.
Candy didn't say anything, she kept busy stirring her coffee, though she knew her friends were both staring at her waiting for an input to the discussion.
"Sooo..." she changed the subject. "What are you going to wear at the engagement party then or is that a big secret?" she asked cheekily.
Annie giggled "of course it's not a secret, you silly! I was actually hoping you girls would help me choose something, I have a few ideas but haven't quite decided yet."
"Oh there's a challenge for us then, eh Candy!" said Patty happily. "Of course we will help you, it will be great fun!"
"But enough about the engagement, that's all I think about these days" said Annie. "Now time for your news, how is life back at the hospital then Candy, have things chanced much since you were last there?"
"Ooh she has to tell you about a certain very charming new doctor they have there!" teased Patty.
Candy blushed.
"Ah, nonsense, it's nothing. Oh well, OK, there is this young doctor who joined our ward recently. He is Danish and his name is Dr. Eirik Christiansen and..."
And he looks so much like Albert, she wanted to say.
"And he seems quite keen on our Candy" said Patty winking.
"Most certainly not!" interrupted Candy. "We just spend time together because we are both relatively new, if you consider my special circumstances I guess. He is very nice, but that's all there is to it" she said quickly.
The afternoon passed very pleasantly with the three friends chatting, laughing and teasing each other. It was Candy who alerted them a while later...
"OK girls, I think that if we are to make it to the theatre at a reasonable time, we should be leaving here in the next half hour or so" said Candy checking her watch.
"Oh dear, right you are Candy" said Annie.
They paid their bill and rushed out to get a carriage and get to the music performance they had planned to attend. They got there just in time and were hurriedly shown to their seats. The first part of the concert was great and the girls thoroughly enjoyed it. During the usual break they got up to go to the lobby for refreshments. As they walked up the stairs and onto the majestic foyer , Candy froze.
Across the other end of the room there stood Albert! Her heart almost stopped beating. There he was, wearing a tailored dark blue suit, his dark blond hair slightly ruffled as usual, a big bright smile on his face. He looked incredibly handsome and she had missed him so much! She immediately thought of going over to talk to him... then she noticed the tall, beautiful woman standing next to him, leaning towards him obviously trying to tell him something, her arm wrapped possessively around his. Candy didn't recognise her but she had to admit to herself she looked absolutely stunning. She seemed foreign, South American, perhaps? She couldn't bear to look in his direction anymore, she was suddenly worried he would spot her too. She rushed to the Ladies room.
Patty followed behind her concerned. Annie had gone to get a glass of water so she didn't realise what was going on.
"Candy, are you OK?" she asked seeing that her friend was completely flushed.
In the relative safety of the rest room she told Patty about Albert.
Patty brought her hand to her mouth.
"Candy are you sure it was him? And who could that woman be then?"
"I don't know Patty... listen, I am being totally silly, we need to go out soon, Annie will be wondering whatever happened to us..."
The Ladies' door opened and true enough, Annie walked in looking puzzled
"Oh here you are! Well, you won't believe who is here... Albert!" she said, expecting her words to surprise her friends.
The look on their faces quickly made her realise that they were already aware of this... she saw Candy's drawn face and immediately realised that the potential encounter was not necessarily a happy one.
"Girls what is going on, Candy you look so pale, are you feeling alright?" she asked now worried.
"Should we just leave now?" asked Patty.
"No, no, I am OK really... it was just the shock, you know... not expected... that's all" said Candy hastily. "Come on, the second part is starting now, let's go back in."
She could just about concentrate on the music. Her mind was going back again and again to the sight of Albert and that woman next to him. She was ashamed of herself for feeling what, jealous? Why should she feel this way? Albert was a very attractive man after all and surely, he was surrounded by beautiful women all the time... but... what about their kiss last Christmas... by the fire...
The girls were keen to get out of the theatre as soon as the performance finished. The carriage dropped them at off at Candy's flat. They went upstairs and Annie went straight to the kitchen to make them a cup of tea.
"OK, let's stay calm first of all" she said coming out of the kitchen again with three mugs full of the steaming liquid. "For all we know, she is just some business of family acquaintance he had to take out to entertain."
"Yes, I would tend to agree" added Patty. "I am sorry to say, but I simply can't see Albert as the kind of man who changes his mind just like this, Candy. I know this may sound repetitive but in my opinion, there is only one person Albert loves, Candy... and that person is you..."
"Girls... thanks a lot for the support. Really." said Candy firmly. "But as we all know, Albert is an independent adult, and he can do whatever he wishes – and whoever he wishes with. And that's all there is to it..."
She spoke these words mostly to convince herself that this is how she felt. Or at least should feel. But her heart thought differently...
She cried bitter tears before falling asleep that night. The irony... it took her months and months to finally realise how much she loved Albert only to lose him now...
What Candy didn't know as she struggled to get to sleep that night, was that Albert had actually seen her at the theatre. Very briefly, but he had. He had hoped to talk to her after the performance, but when the concert finished there was no sign of her, nor Patty or Annie either. Strange, he thought... still there was this niggling thought in his mind that perhaps she had seen him too, but didn't want to talk to him?
The idea alone made him terribly sad. He had been surprised to see her, surprised and then immediately delighted, but Gabrielle was a demanding guest so he could not easily escape her in the crowded theatre, it would have been inappropriate anyway. He decided to go and find Candy the following Monday at the hospital; a surprise lunch together perhaps in the gardens there? That would be great, he thought and sank into a contented slumber.
***
"... and then we all jumped straight into the icy fjord, clothes and all, like real Vikings" Eirik finished his entertaining story.
Candy was laughing so much, there were tears forming in her eyes "honestly, Eirik, some of your adventures are truly unbelievable, are you sure you are not making things up?" she teased the handsome doctor.
They were having lunch together outside, sitting on a bench near the fountain and enjoying the good weather, chatting and laughing. Eirik was such a genuine person, Candy thought. Funny, caring, an excellent doctor much respected both by his colleagues and his patients. She felt good in his company and he seemed to like her a lot too.
Albert's quick steps brought him to the front gardens, following the message from one of the nurses that Candy was somewhere outside having her lunch. He tried to look for her, eager to see her again and talk to her. The gurgling noise of the fountain caught his attention, yes, maybe she is sitting somewhere down that end he thought and he moved in that direction.
The sound of her cheerful laughter caught him unawares. She is with someone already... his heart sank. I shouldn't interrupt. But curiosity was stronger than sense so he hid behind some bushes, slightly ashamed of himself. He noticed the young man sitting next to Candy. He looked like an affable, pleasant guy, probably slightly younger than himself; he seemed very interested in what Candy was saying... and the way he was looking at her... his body language made Albert have little doubt that his interest in her was more than just friendly. Candy looked so lovely in her white uniform; just as he remembered her during those horrid days he spent in hospital – she was his angel back then, supporting him, cheering him up, standing up for him when everyone else wanted him gone and forgotten. And now that man was sitting close to her, teasing her, smiling at her...a wave of jealousy and despair rose inside him. He rushed to leave, he couldn't risk been found there.
I have to talk to her at the engagement party, I can't wait any longer, he told himself as he was driving back to his office. George is right, this situation cannot go on. Dear God, I can't bear the thought of losing her, please, please tell me it's not too late...
"You know Candy, you are such great company, I always enjoy spending time with you" Eirik said smilingly. "I was wondering... would you like to go out together some time? For a walk perhaps or a meal?" he blushed slightly.
Candy felt a bit embarrassed, she liked Eirik too but she didn't want to rush into meeting him outside the hospital. She had fresh memories of the nasty gossip that surrounded her when Albert was sharing the flat with her and did not want to have a repeat of the unpleasant experience. And yet... the picture of that stunning woman a couple of nights ago and Albert's hand holding her arm was still haunting her anguished mind. Is she going to be there at the engagement party too, she wondered.
Without thinking it through, she said "Eirik, I am invited to my best friends' engagement party in two weeks from now, would you like to accompany me?"
"But of course Candy, it would be a great pleasure to join you and meet your friends too, thank you very much!" Eirik's face lit with pleasure.