Candy walked into her apartment and shook her purse out of her handbag. Then she checked out the drawer for the remnants of her salary.
She counted it. Chicken feed! The girl sighed and scratched her head. That might not be enough for a good present.
An eternal feeling of contradiction to other people boiled up in her.
"Scumbag"! What do they know about him? Of course, they knew him in childhood and in his adolescence. But do they know him now, even if she doesn't?
He cuddled her so gently when he took her in his arms… The warmth of his body and the scent of his cologne…
What is she thinking about?!
And his face was also different at times. Sometimes he was rude and scared her, and sometimes he smiled, and she felt so light and happy…
The last time they talked he was worried about her. If only they could talk in a normal manner, if only she could open a new page in her life instead of keeping past-time resentments, everything would be completely different!
He said: "Let's drink to the Future. The Future, in which there is no place for disappointments of the Past!" But she would hold on to the past, to the tears that had long been forgotten, instead of going into the Future with a smile…
Miss White recounted the money. Should be enough for a neckerchief.
Anyway, why is everyone poaching on her preserves? Who to talk to and how to talk is only her business!
The girl stoutly threw a handbag over her shoulder and set off for a shop.
…She would never have thought that neckerchiefs could be so expensive! Just a piece of cloth, but the price!
Candy picked a dark-raspberry one with wide black stripes. Pressing the present to her chest, miss White was walking home. He wears crimson, purple, sky blue and azure neckerchiefs… this one should fit! Probably…
…Maybe fate, maybe miss White's prayers had been heard or maybe Aunt Elroy had simply sent all the personae non gratae farther away from her, but at the festive table Candy and Neil Legan were sitting next to each other.
The old lady seated her favourite Archie next to herself, and his girlfriend, too, whom she did not approve of due to her origins. But promise is promise – she had given her word to her beloved grandson that she would not oppose the intentions of his heart.
At first, Candy was glad it all happened that way, but then it turned out that everything was much worse than she had expected.
Neil smiled to her politely, passed snacks and salads to her, but she felt he was doing it with an effort, just to "observe the decencies". With all her being she could feel his coldness and hostility.
The girl was sitting upset, staring at her plate. He is very stubborn and arrogant… No, he won't forgive her. Ever.
Candy sighed, trying to hold her tears. She glanced at a small handbag lying on her knees. She shouldn't have taken the present. Everything was in vain…
Neil gaily laughed at a joke of some girl sitting on the right, and Candy shuddered. He doesn't even pay attention to her. Like she is nothing.
She must try. The girl quietly touched Legan's hand and felt him start.
"Excuse me," said Neil to his neighbor, smiled nicely and took a salad. "More salad?" he turned to Candy with a big smile on a handsome face, but when he leaned towards her, he hissed:
"What do you want?"
Candy blinked at him resentfully, but still constrained herself to say:
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry!"
Neil put some salad on her plate.
"You have nothing to be sorry for."
He turned back, and miss White stared at her plate again. Nothing to be sorry for, fat chance! She didn't say it the way she wanted to.
She must try once again.
Candy touched Neil's hand again, trying to draw his attention, but he pretended he did not notice it.
"Would you be so kind as to pass me that wonderful piece of cheese, mister Legan?" Candy said loudly. With a bit of satisfaction, she saw him flush angrily, but then he turned to her with such a smile that sent chill up her spine.
"Oh, yes, with great pleasure!"
Putting the cheese on her plate, he painfully squeezed her arm with his free hand.
"What are you doing? Wanna make a scene in front of Aunt Elroy?"
"Neil, I… I didn't want to say those words. I didn't mean it. Neil, that hurts!"
He released her arm and started to chew gravely.
Candy stared at her plate again. He doesn't believe her… Now he is going to wait for some time until it's polite enough to leave, and will leave. What has she done?
Two tears dropped on the plate with the salad. Another one.
"Listen, stop it," she heard a familiar whisper over her ear. "You're making a fool of yourself."
She's crying and all he's thinking about is the reaction of the members of his family!
Two more teardrops ran down her cheek.
"What? Salt? Of course!"
Neil leaned closer towards her, generously sprinkling her plate with salt.
"Now I'm gonna go out, and you follow me, but not all at once, wait for five minutes. In the garden, to the left from the columns."
Candy nodded and dried her eyes.