He lay down outside on the ground away from the others and watched the twinkling stars through the openings with the clouds and thought how he had much to be thankful for. He had a blanket for warmth and he pulled it up over his shoulders and he closed his eyes and dreamed of a time ten years ago which should have been consigned to the past but it still hurt even today. He had worked hard on the job as a law enforcement officer over the years and he had earned the love and respect of the people of Ringwood and the surrounding district. He had the most wonderful and loving wife who was dedicated to her job as a doctor in the community and they were devoted to each other. He remembered as he had done so quite vividly and so painfully, so many times before, on a warm still night when he would be away all by himself for an extended period, how it didn't seem as if it was to turn out like this. It was a time some years ago in his life that still hurt when he would still dwell on it to this day and all those painful memories would come flooding back to him. It all turned out well for him but there was a time when it might not have. He hated having to relive it all over again but he just couldn't help it. They had grown up together in their teens and he saw her grow and blossom into the beautiful dark haired young woman who was completely confident and determined to work and train hard and achieve her qualifications and ultimately graduate and become a doctor and nothing was going to stand in her way of her life's dream.
She had her whole life ahead of her and she had seen the wonderful people who made sick and injured people get better and she wanted to be just like them. She had the most engaging personality just like all the Pennington girls like Susan and Christine and her studies towards her goal were well on the way. He was equally determined to enter the police force as he had wanted to do even in his youth and grow up to help look after and protect people and be someone who they could all depend on. He was the most unassuming young man and all he wanted was for him to be able to do his job and support Carla every day. They were very good friends and had been so forever and they seemed to inspire each other along the way as they spent a great deal of their free time keeping company with each other. He gave her confidence and reassurance when she needed it as the study for a medical degree was extremely hard and exhausting but somehow, he always had the right thing to say to her to help her get the job done. He lived for Carla and nothing else mattered to him.
Les lay there under the stars and closed his eyes and cringed as he tried all over again to recall everything from the beginning as it happened about ten years ago. It all started as he understood it when Carla and two other girls from the hospital were wandering around the local market one morning and two apples that she had just bought from a stall fell from her bag onto the grass. A handsome young stranger, someone who they had never seen around before, rushed to help her and pick up the fruit for her with his exceptionally good manners. Les was on duty that morning on his horse on his rounds and had only just bid the ladies good morning as they continued along their way looking at the various stalls and all the produce on sale. He had never seen this man before either and he watched him talk to the girls and exchange pleasantries on the warm early morning. He introduced himself as Rory and he had only just moved here to the district and he worked on the front desk at the hotel.
He gave Carla back the apples with a smile and said that he hoped to see her again and then he bid them good morning and then; after having done his good deed for the day, he was slowly on his way again around the market. Les noticed how she had smiled at him and watched him as he went off but she quickly turned away when he looked back at her. "He was rather charming don't you think," she said to her friends as they wandered along. One of them, Rachael, agreed wholeheartedly but she had noticed Les in the distance and how he had seen them. Les tried to put it out of his mind as there were many men in the district who liked Carla but she had always kept them as just friends and at a distance and she continued to throw herself into her work and her studies which was something that was top priority for her. Les would always like to catch her when she was on a morning break and she would usually be found on one particular bench in the park near the hospital at the same time each day like clockwork when she was on dayshift. It was not unusual for her to see Les ride along just at the right time and they could spend a few happy moments together until she had to return to her job.
About a week later Carla was down the street and she had popped into the shoe store on an off chance whim that she thought she needed another pair of shoes for work. She had picked out a pair of white casuals but the assertive salesman was intent on making a sale with the two black and brown pairs that he had suggested for her. A passerby peered into the window and noticed this pretty lady who was stuck at the mercy of the salesman and she was insisting that she only needed a pair for work and any others, no matter how nice they might be, would be unnecessary for the foreseeable future, "Hello, I remember you from the other day, the pretty lady with the apples. I like those white shoes you are wearing." Carla was still flustered from the over exuberant shop assistant's sales pitch but she brightened up when she recalled the man from the market, "Hello, Rory isn't it."
She remembered his infectious and disarming smile. He was flattered that she had remembered his name. He looked at her and asked, "is there a problem here?" he didn't wait for her reply as he had already seen what the problem was while he was watching. He was polite but firm with the sales assistant. "The lady won't be needing these other shoes today but thank you for your help, these white ones will do just nicely." He took her arm and her new shoes and she let him escort her outside the shop and she smiled at him, "that's the second time you've rescued me from disaster." She was thankful when Rory offered her a coffee from the nearby shop along the street as she still looked a bit flustered but she sadly had to decline as she was already late for work back at the hospital. He could see that her disappointment was genuine, "I'm sorry Rory, that would have been nice but work beckons, I'm already late, perhaps we could try for another day soon," and she warmly thanked him when they were outside on the footpath and she smiled and said that she looked forward to seeing him again. She smiled to herself as she wandered along the corridor later, nearly bumping into one of the nurses through not concentrating on where she was going, she thought to herself, "that unpleasant experience with the salesman was more than made up for with that lucky chance meeting again with that very handsome young man from the marketplace."
On one occasion one morning Les arrived along the way as normal on his round and his anticipation grew as he would soon be going past the park bench where he might get to see Carla spending some of her short break before having to return back on the job. She would be pleased this morning with the news that he would have about his horse having fully recovered from a leg injury and now Jaffa was back on the job with him. She had been sad for Les as she knew how much he loved Jaffa and they were relieved that his injury was minor and he just needed rest as a precaution. She would notice immediately that it was Jaffa and not one of the other horses. They might only have five minutes or so together on the days that she was there but Les enjoyed every moment.
This morning, as he got close, he was smiling in anticipation only to see that Rory had already seen Carla sitting at the park bench and he had brought her a coffee which this time she gladly accepted. She had invited him to sit with her for a while and it looked very much to Les's surprise that they were enjoying each other's company and they were finding it very easy to talk to each other. "Did your apples survive the fall?" he asked. He could make her smile and have the occasional giggle and it appeared that he had the right moves and the right words to say at the right time and he was clearly being able to impress Carla. "I hope those shoes were worth all the hassle." She was already having fond memories of their little connection in the shoe shop.
She asked quite cheekily, "When I need to go there again, will you come with me?" He was quite adamant, "when I see the damsel in distress I will ride in on my big white horse, my great noble steed and I will snap you up and rescue you from mortal danger and we will ride off together to safety into the sunset." Carla was breathless after imagined having to be saved by him from imminent peril, "and I will say thank you sir and I will be forever in your debt." Rory tipped his imaginary hat, "and I will say, no problem ma'am, all part of the job." She was so preoccupied with laughing with Rory that she hadn't noticed Les until he was riding away and she found that to be quite unusual that he hadn't stopped to say hello.
Les was surprised and he found it to be very unsettling as he had never experienced this before but he knew that Carla could be with and talk to anyone she pleased as she was always her own person and not beholden to anyone. Through the years they were always just together and carefree but now he wasn't ready for this and it through him off guard. They were sitting on the park bench ever so relaxed together and he must have been telling her about himself and his family as they enjoyed each other's company out in the sunshine. She was very relieved and thankful, "Thank you for turning up when you did Rory, I can't imagine what might have happened if you hadn't." Rory grinned at her, "you may have had a closet full of shoes and you would never have had to buy any ever again." He added jovially, "I thought that he was going to take the money right out of your purse." She laughed and took hold of his hand in gratitude. "I'm sorry that we couldn't have coffee in that little shop the other day, perhaps we could try again for another time."
Les remembered him from the market and how he had picked up the apples for her and introduced himself, it was obvious that she had taken a shine to this man and now there was little that he could do about it. He could have wandered over and said hello but he thought that it looked as if they didn't need to be disturbed and he would have been the odd one out so he just turned his horse away and trotted slowly down the road. "Come on Jaffa, we've got work to do." From that day forward Les tended to steer clear when he could see them together in the park but she would always wave to him when she would see him ride past on his horse in the distance. She explained to Rory how Les had been a very good friend to her for a long time and she valued his friendship and his company very closely. She enjoyed her regular coffee with Rory as she was now getting used to him being there to keep her company most days. It seemed like this was now their very own bench and she had almost forgotten how she used to sit in the very same place here with Les. She would lay in bed at night and dream of being whisked away from mortal danger by her handsome rescuer.
They were getting very well acquainted and she looked forward to Rory's company and his cheery friendship and smile was always a welcome change from the hard grinding work of hospital duties. He told her again how he had moved here to the district only recently and he could tell her that he knew where the hotel was and the hospital and the marketplace and the shoe shop and also, the park where their park bench was but he knew very little of anything else around Ringwood. He laughed, "I don't think that I will ever forget the shoe shop or that awful salesman." She was quite responsive and encouraging with her reply, "well, there is much more to our little town, which I'm very proud of I might say, it's not just a pinprick on a map and there's lots of things to see around the district and I'm sure that you would be more than quite impressed with our little country town." She had a friendly appealing smile for him, "I'd be more than happy to show you some of these places if you like, it would be my pleasure, that's the least I can do to thank you for rescuing me from that nasty man." He was more than happy and they started to discuss how and when they might be able to arrange for this little tour to happen, she said thoughtfully, "I have a day off coming to me so I would be available the day after tomorrow and, if you like and if we start early, we could make a day of it."
Les's daily round on his horse would pass by in a street where he could see her home through a vacant block and it took him by surprise this morning to see a horse and buggy parked out the front. He was curious as normally, when she was on dayshift, she would already be at work by now so he waited and he soon saw her smiling face as she met Rory at the front door and he greeted her happily and she looked like she was extremely pleased to see him. He cordially took her by the arm and he helped her into the buggy. "The boss let me borrow his horse and buggy for the day when I told him what I had planned." They rode off slowly together and Les could see that she was beaming as she took his arm and sat close to him. Just every now and then when they looked at each other, it looked to Les as if there was a real connection there between them that was unmistakable. He had no idea what was happening as he had hardly spoken to her or even acknowledged her for quite some time now as, every time he would see her from some distance away, she would always be sitting with Rory as usual at the park bench that used to be theirs. They obviously had the day planned for them together and he knew nothing about it.
Usually, her days off would be spent swatting up on her study notes and trying to stay on track but today, she thought, it wouldn't hurt if the notes could stay on the shelf on this occasion and she would revisit them on another day. She had promised Rory that there were places around outskirts of town that were well worth seeing and she was going to give him a good time today. "Slow down Rory, we have all day to ourselves and our first destination is only about four miles away and you'll love it, I'm looking forward to it as I haven't been there for a long time." She described some of the landmarks and the main buildings on the street as they slowly rode by and she gave him directions and they let the horse walk leisurely for some of the way as they were in no hurry at all, like she had said, we have all day. Eventually they had traversed the town's main road and soon they were slowly heading peacefully out onto the country road and their little adventure was now underway and there was barely a cloud in the sky. They wandered along without a care in the world.
She was very descriptive as they travelled along the road, "The other direction is mostly flat and farming land but the way we are going, you will see some of our very beautiful countryside and it's very picturesque as you will see." Rory was all ears, listening to her and he was looking forward to just being with her and waiting patiently for what she had planned for him, she had said that it was going to be special and he was full of anticipation. As he looked around, he could see that she hadn't exaggerated as the scenery was a sight to behold and it got better as each mile passed. He was already enjoying himself, mostly the fact that he had this wonderful lady sitting here next to him and it wasn't even supposed to be a date. She pointed to a little track on the left so Rory veered off the road and they headed about one hundred and fifty yards in and they pulled up at a pretty little grove and Rory was astounded to see a little lake that you couldn't see from the road. "Are you impressed," she asked as she smiled at him. He replied enthusiastically, "yes, I certainly am ma'am, this is a beautiful little setting, thank you so much for bringing me here,"
He helped her down from the seat and said to her, "are you hungry?" He had a surprise for her of his own. He went to the back of the buggy and hauled out a big case and a large blanket and then she watched him as he proceeded to lay everything out much to her amazement. He invited her to sit with him and he poured her a cup of coffee and he showed her all the sandwiches and cakes that they had to choose from, compliments of the ladies from the dining room at the hotel. It had been many years since she had been on anything remotely like a picnic and she was full of thanks and praise as they sat there together. "This is a wonderful day already and I'm being spoiled."
It had warmed up nicely by midday and Carla dispensed with her shawl and they sat in the shade quietly watching the ducks paddling about by the edge of the lakeside. They were way out of town and it was so quiet so the only thing that they could hear was the few birds twittering in the trees. The walnut cake was to die for and this time it was Carla's turn to be impressed. He told her how the ladies in the dining room had been only too pleased to get something ready for him for the day and their recommendation was their special and very own walnut cake. She looked at him and smiled, deep in thought, "I almost forgot how beautiful and serene it is out here Rory, I have to say that it is nicer having someone to share it with on such a lovely day." She squealed when she saw a mother duck with five little ducklings following along behind and she didn't notice Rory bringing out the bottle of champagne that he had included in the hamper.
He surprised her with the glass and asked, "Carla, what shall we drink to?" and she just looked blankly at him after having been spoiled with such a wonderful picnic. He said, "I know, let's toast the apples that fell on the grass back at the marketplace, if that never happened, I imagine that I wouldn't be sitting here in this lovely setting with you." She thought that he could not have put it better and they sat quietly on their own with each other for another half an hour. The hospital ward and the work that went with it never entered her mind all day and her study notes sat on the shelf in the corner in her room. They sipped their glass of champagne and watched the ducks and listened to the birds and she thought that life could not be better and she was pleased that she was able to share the sights of Ringwood with someone who she was growing very fond of. There was a little track where they could walk all the way around the lake and they were able to get a closer look at all the baby ducklings, Carla took his arm and squeezed it and squealed with delight. "look at them, they're so gorgeous."
They packed up and headed off down the road, "I still have another place to show you and it is a very special landmark for everybody from Ringwood. They took a turn onto another road, slightly in a different direction and soon they were heading up a gradual slope on the side of some gentle hills which went for miles. The countryside was still as lush as ever and they trotted along and he noticed how Carla was holding his arm on the journey, thoroughly enjoying herself on their day out on the road together. The gentle uphill slope looped on until they wound around the back of the hill until they reached the top from the other direction and it was there that they found a place where they were able to stop. Rory helped her down again and when he turned around and looked back from where they had come, the view was absolutely breathtaking. You could see the entire town of Ringwood from here at this vantage point as the townsfolk had made this place into a lookout some years ago and she said that people would come up here all the time when it was a clear day.
He was completely overcome with the view but more that she had been prepared to spend the day with him. He was speechless but then yelled out excitedly, "I can see the hotel and look, there, that's the hospital over there," He didn't realise that he had put his arm around her and he soon took it away nervously when he realised. "Thank you so much Carla, for bringing me to these places, you were right, I am very impressed and it has been a wonderful day to be with you." He couldn't stop gazing at the view, "I bet it's spectacular up here at night when you could see all the lights." He noticed Carla staring and taking in the view and thought how beautiful she was. He was sad to have to leave as it was getting late.
It was late into the afternoon when they arrived back in town and he had repeated again and again how he had enjoyed their day so much. He was glad that he could share the picnic with her and he couldn't believe how they had actually had a toast together at the lakeside. He knew that she had enjoyed herself and he had wondered on the return journey what she would be thinking after such a wonderful day. He was eternally grateful that she had offered and taken the time to be with him and that meant more to him than what he could have imagined. Les was riding past, this time on her street and he stopped abruptly when he saw them arrive back at Carla's place and he saw how Rory helped her down from the buggy and then he saw her to the door. He was sad and he was trying to be indifferent even though he could see that they had been out somewhere all day together. It looked like it was becoming more than just friendship and, if that was the case, he would just have to accept it, but years of friendship with his best friend was hard to let go. He started to wish that he could ride somewhere else and then he wouldn't have to see them together all the time.
If Carla wanted him to know where they had been today she would tell him but he could feel a knot tightening in his stomach. After all, it was clearly none of his business where she went or who she was with and he knew that he had no right to ask as it would look like he was interfering. She saw Les out of the corner of her eye and watched him as he rode off as if he hadn't seen them. She suddenly began to think how she had barely seen or spoken to Les for some weeks now and she started to wonder what was happening. She wondered whether he had seen them return from the days outing and she didn't know why she felt rather awkward and guilty. She told herself that she had simply repaid a debt to Rory for helping her out of a difficult situation at the shoe store. "Surely he mustn't have seen us or else he would have stopped and said hello."
She watched through the window as Rory drove the buggy away and she thought to herself how it had been just the most perfect day and he had been just the perfect gentleman, she knew that she really should have been using her free day on her studies and she really didn't want this part of her life to lapse even just a little, but she felt that she was justified to have some leisure time away from her vocation as it was a fun way to repay this man for rescuing her from the shoe salesman. They had laughed about it but when she thought about it, that man wasn't taking no for an answer and it took Rory to have to step in to make him step back and accept that he wasn't going to make a sale this time. She had taken the time to make herself look nice and she had loved it when she had seen his eyes light up when he saw her at the door. She lay in bed that night dreaming of their ride together in the buggy, the absolutely beautiful picnic with their special glass of champagne and their special toast and the baby ducklings. It was a very special moment that capped off the day for her when she could still see his face and his excitement again at the lookout when he could see the hotel in the distance. She could still feel his arm around her.
Les was now starting to volunteer for any of the extended out-of-town tasks that would come up from time to time as he had started to feel embarrassed and uncomfortable when he would see them together and he preferred to avoid the situation whenever he could. He had seen her turn heads on many occasions but he had never seen her look at any of the men in town the way she was now looking at Rory, it unnerved him more than he was prepared to admit and, even when he was out of town for an extended period, her loving affectionate look for another man could not be put out of his mind. Carla decided to pay him a visit at the police station after not seeing him around for over a week now and she wondered if anything was wrong. There was another police constable in the office and he told her that Les was away out in the district somewhere on an assignment and he wouldn't be back for a week or so. She told Rory how she was surprised how Les was away more often these days on a regular basis and he said that he must know what he was doing and the officers had confidence in his ability to do this kind of work.
Rory felt that Les' relationship with Carla was one of purely friendship and that he wasn't necessarily a rival so, while Les was away and out of town, he cautiously conjured up the courage and he sat with Carla on the park bench with their coffee and he asked her if she would like to have dinner with him just like as if it was a date. He felt that they had known each other for some weeks now and become quite compatible so this might be a good time to ask her. She told him with a smile that she would have to check her roster, which could change at the drop of a hat, but it should be alright and she would be very pleased and honoured to have dinner with him one evening as a date. She liked this man who she believed to be a true gentleman and she was safe and happy to be in his company so she hadn't hesitated to accept his kind offer. She was a little embarrassed as she was trying not to be too excited and she was wondering whether she was blushing when he had asked her as she had initially been thrown off guard by this ever so handsome man who was taking an interest in her. She was starting to get to know him, especially after their perfect day out on the road and she would ask him if he enjoyed his job at the front desk at the hotel and whether he had other plans down the track. She told him that she was working so hard on her medical studies and she couldn't wait eventually to finally achieve her qualifications and have her graduation and then she would be a doctor. The management at the hospital had shown belief in her and had promised her a position as soon as she had passed her exams.
She was very flattered to be asked on a date for the first time ever and now she carefully, took her time to get ready for this special occasion, her hair was always lovely but she decided to pay a visit to the hairdresser for something extra special and tonight she would be wearing an evening gown, she was so excited as this was going to be her very first, first date. She offered to meet him there but he insisted that he pick her up from her home and proudly escort her and have a nice walk to the hotel dining room. He was on time when he gently knocked on her door and when she opened it his jaw dropped in amazement, he had only ever seen her in her work uniform but now he had never seen anything so stunning and the sight of her took his breath away and he struggled to find the words, "Carla, you are so beautiful, I can't take my eyes off you." They walked hand in hand down to the hotel lounge in the twilight and he had to stop occasionally and just stare at her in the evening light. This was the first time that she had any man drool over her like this and she couldn't stop seeing his reaction over and over again.
It was the most wonderful romantic candlelight dinner as he had requested and he had especially arranged for decorations and there was soft music in the dining room where they could dance and she felt that this was the best night of her life as she was so impressed that he was such a good dancer. They sat across the table hand in hand and they stared tenderly into each other's eyes. The hotel's dining room was divided in two sections with a little walkway in between so Rory had the staff arrange for patrons who were ordering dinner there tonight to be placed in one half of the dining room and that made the other half left solely for Carla and Rory. It was so romantic how they had the whole place to themselves with all the tables and chairs pushed back and they had the soft music in the background while they were being formally served their dinner and then they could dance on their very own dancefloor just like as if they were in their own palace. He had planned for this evening to be extra special for Carla because this was to be their first official date together and he wanted everything to be perfect.
She wished that this night would never end. She loved how she had a man who was totally infatuated and consumed with her as she had never experienced anything like this before in her life. She had a little smile of satisfaction to herself as she remembered his face and how he nearly fainted when he first saw her at her doorstep. His first words were to tell her how beautiful she was and she loved being pampered like this. His face, back at the lookout was one thing but to see his face tonight was something she thought she would never ever forget. He brought out a little black box at the table and when he opened it up it revealed this beautiful silver bracelet which she let him put around her wrist. She loved it so much but it was more the thought that went with it that she loved so much.
She was being romanced and she was entranced and she was enjoying it, he had done all this just for her, she was quite happy to let herself be carried off into this romantic bliss and the night would last forever. They drank a toast together, this time to the black shoes, which he said that he liked and he thought that he might get them for her eventually. It never escaped him even for a moment that the chance meeting in the shoe shop had now progressed to where they were sitting together on this very romantic date. His dreamy eyes stared into hers and she felt her bracelet and she was completely disarmed. It was well and truly dark when he walked her home and when he got her to her door, he took her hands in his again and he just stood there staring at her in the moonlight, "Carla, you are more beautiful than what I ever could have imagined. She said as she smiled at him lovingly, "I had the best time tonight Rory, it was a wonderful first date," and she kissed him on the cheek as she said goodnight. She was starry eyed as she lay in bed and it took her a long time to go to sleep. She wondered, "is this what true love is really like."
All the girls back at the hospital the next day could see how radiant she looked and on cloud nine and they pressed her endlessly for details of the dinner dance at the hotel. A large bouquet of flowers arrived for her in the late morning with a card saying how he had enjoyed their evening together and he hoped that they could do it again sometime. Rachael and all the girls swooned thinking that this man must be one in a million and they were never going to leave Carla alone until they had dragged every last detail out from her. The flowers were so beautiful and they sat in the nurses lounge and everyone would see them and smell them as they wandered through during the day. Eventually they were taken into the ward and they could be enjoyed by all the patients. An elderly lady, Mrs Curtis could see who those flowers belonged to as the smiling Carla could not hide the exhilaration of the previous evening. "You are a ray of sunshine today my dear, sit down here and tell me all about your date last night." Carla told her how she was progressing through her studies to become a doctor and she had met this man who she liked to be with and they had this wonderful date last night.
A day or so later Les was back in town and folks could see him riding around the streets on his rounds, everybody always had a kind word for him as they had seen him grow from a wiry teenager into this tall handsome police officer and they all knew that they would be safe when he was around. He had a letter that someone had asked him to pass on at the hospital and, he would have preferred someone else to deliver it but he couldn't refuse. He stepped inside and the girls smiled at him as he stepped up to the front counter and handed the letter in, they said that they would see that the person would get it straightaway. He only asked out of force of habit, "Is Carla around?" The girl at the desk replied, "no, I'm sorry, she's out at the moment on a break and she's gone over to the hotel to see Rory."
His heart sank just a little more and as he turned to leave, she could see the sadness in his face but unfortunately there was nothing that could be done, if that was what life presented us with then, so be it. The last time that he had seen her was some time ago when her and Rory had arrived back at her place after their day out. He thought that she must have seen him since then and, by now , they must be rather close. As he returned to the station he wished that he hadn't bothered to ask as now it seemed like life was never going to be the same ever again with her. He felt that he had no right to be sad, it wasn't as if he had been rejected, they were the best of friends and he knew that he had to wish her the very best if that was a road that she was now heading down for her future. He wasn't back at the station very long and he enquired about any more tasks that needed looking into on the vast district that they looked after. He found out that he would be heading out again soon, this time in the other direction and he would need about a week or more to complete this task.
Carla had gone excitedly at the first opportunity when she had a break, to the hotel front desk to see Rory and keep him company for a while and repay the occasion for the coffee visits but really, she just wanted to see him again and be with him at any opportunity. She noticed again with joy how his eyes lit up as soon as he saw her walk through the door and just that was reward enough for her. She told him how much she enjoyed their special date and how thoughtful he was to make the evening so nice, "it couldn't have been any better if you had tried, I still haven't come down from the clouds." she said affectionately. She said how she really should have been paying attention to her studies but they could wait as she was more interested in coming to see him. They sat for a while enjoying a cup of coffee together and she was so thankful when she saw that the dining room ladies had saved her a piece of walnut cake, she thought that Rory must have told them how she had loved it so much. She listened intently to him speak about his job and he showed her some of the tasks that he had to perform each day but soon it was time for her to return to the hospital, but this time she let him kiss her on the cheek as they said goodbye. "You are just as beautiful today as you were at our date Carla and I haven't come down from the clouds either." She showed him that she was still wearing the lovely bracelet that he had given her.
The next day Les was on his rounds again and he saw Carla and Rory sitting on the park bench again enjoying each other's company and they looked so happy together. Carla saw Les and she waved feverishly at him but soon her eyes returned to Rory's and now Les could see that they were very close and now holding hands and her actions towards him were very affectionate. Earlier in the day he had seen them at the marketplace slowly walking hand in hand and they had stopped right where she had bought the two apples on that special day when they first met, it looked very much like they had arranged this as a special occasion as she pointed to the apple stand and hugged him close. She had a smile on her face as she stared at him and it looked like that it was always going to be there, she looked so happy and contented.
Les had never had the occasion to feel jealous in his whole life about anyone or anything but now he could see that Carla was showing real affection for someone else and he found that real disconcerting. He couldn't help his jealousy as he thought that Carla had never looked at him the way she was looking at Rory and it made him feel very uncomfortable as he was having a hard time accepting it. When she had to return to work, he noticed how they walked hand in hand together to the hospital and they stopped and stared at each other on the steps and she kissed him on the cheek before she said goodbye.
He always repeated to himself that Carla was not a commodity that could be possessed by anyone and that she was more than capable of making up her own mind about anything. It certainly looked like she was making a choice right now for her future and that he was not going to be a part of it. Carla and Rory were looking deeply into each other's eyes and the connection that they had was unmistakable. This experience was new for her as well, she liked being fussed over and told again how beautiful she was. She loved how he was so thoughtful and he made every occasion that they had together something to savour. The dreamy loving eyes she had were now for someone else.
She saw Les ride off down the road slowly and she thought that somehow he looked different now, rather despondent and she wished that she was able to tell him how happy she was and that she hoped that he would be happy for her as well. She had barely seen or spoken to him in the last two months and on the odd occasion when she and her friends would bump into him in the street, he would appear to greet her happily and then he would absent himself as quickly as possible. She wondered why but she assumed that he must be busy and preoccupied with part of his job. She had spent years with Les as a close and trusted companion and now sadly, it appeared that they were growing apart and, in between her loving thoughts for Rory, she still wanted her friendship with Les to exist.
She was in a hurry as she rushed out the door one morning thinking that she would be late for work and that just wouldn't do as she was always diligent and on time, she greeted the mailman who was just about to put a letter in her letterbox so he smiled and handed it to her instead. It was postmarked and addressed to Miss Carla Pennington at her home address but there was no return address on the back. She opened it straightaway out of curiosity and she saw that it was a birthday card, it read, 'wishing you a happy birthday, regards, Les.' She didn't know what to think, in all the time that they had known each other, they had never once forgotten their birthdays and cards were given out to each other personally, never just in the letterbox like this. She had been so preoccupied with Rory that her life now with Les was almost forgotten, she was sad also because she had forgotten his birthday from six weeks ago and she thought it was a disgrace and that was something that she would never have forgotten. She wondered if he had misgivings about whether he should be sending her a card anymore.
Les was a very handsome young man and his appearance in his police uniform on his horse was not lost on all the girls in the town. It was different for them sadly as they had seen that he only ever had eyes for Carla and he had shown no interest in any other girl at any stage. It was frustrating for them because they loved him dearly but they all knew that he was a lost cause. They knew that men like Les did not come along every day and they were thankful just to have him here. They had seen Carla fall head over heels with the new man in town and they were happy for her but they were as perceptive as anyone else when they weren't looking through the eyes of love. Rachael was her dearest friend but she and the others knew that they couldn't say anything but, for them it was plain to see that Les was suffering and nobody could do anything about it, they all wanted to be able to fill the vacuum for him and make him happy but years might pass before that could happen.
There was a local fundraising dance that occurred every four months and it was very popular in the district and well attended. Les usually never asked anyone to accompany him, he would just turn up and from then on he would be pestered by every girl for the next dance so, as it would turn out, his night was always decided for him. He packed his things and headed out of town on his assignment and he was grateful as, when he was away, that was the only time when he could feel remotely relaxed out in the field away from the romance that was always in front of him that he didn't want to see. The last time that he had seen Carla from a distance was when Rory had walked her back to the hospital and they kissed as he said goodbye, it was like a dagger through the heart and Les just turned his horse away sadly and wandered off.
All the nurses had been pushing each other out of the way so that they could see out the window and they all gasped as they saw Rory kiss Carla before he headed back to the hotel. Some of them noticed Les in the distance and even from far away they could see the hurt in his eyes, they wondered whether Carla could see that and whether she was just ignoring his feelings. Surely she had to know that Les loved her and that he was hurting quietly inside, they all hugged each other as they knew it was none of their business but they began to feel Les's anguish as they all loved him so much. They all loved Carla as well without question and they could only go about their daily lives and let them all work it out on their own. There was nothing that anybody could say or do without appearing to interfere with other people's affairs.
Another week went by and Les was back in town and he couldn't wait until his next assignment would present itself and then he would be off again and all the love and affection could go on without him being there. He was in the post office checking whether a letter might have arrived for him when a jubilant Carla and three of her nursing friends entered while chatting away. They were giggling about something but they stopped abruptly when they notices Les at the counter receiving a negative reply from Mrs Symes about his letter. Carla looked at Les and felt rather awkward as Rachael and the other girls stood back out of the way, she looked in his eyes and knew straightaway that this was not the same man that she had grown up with in those carefree years.
"Hello Les, it is nice to see you again," she couldn't think of anything else to say so she just stared awkwardly into his eyes. He looked so distant and she thought how they had barely spoken to each other in nearly two months other than a cursory wave when he would ride past the park daily. He would have much preferred a half an hour either side and then he wouldn't have had to run into them again. He wondered if she would have known that he was here, then she might have turned around and preferred to come back here later. He actually thought that she looked fine and that life must be treating her well, but he didn't say. The girls came quickly to her aid and asked Les about the approaching dance and they demanded to see him there, they had tried to diffuse the situation as they took Les's arm, "we won't take no for an answer and, by the way, where have you been this last month or so, we hardly see you anymore." He felt very awkward just standing there at the mercy of those girls. Carla was just standing there speechless watching him and she knew that something was wrong.
He looked at Carla and mentioned the dance, "are you going to be there," he immediately wondered why he made such a stupid comment, of course she would be there, she would never miss it as she always looked forward to it. She looked at him and she wondered whether he was still her friend, "Rory asked me last week and I accepted his invitation." She said that without even batting an eyelid and it through him completely off guard . The girls looked at each other and thought how cruel that little comment was and they could see that Les was hurt by it. His business in the post office was done for now so he said how he had to get back to the station, he was finding it very difficult to keep his composure so he didn't waste any time in leaving as quickly as he could. She apologised to him, "I'm sorry I forgot your birthday Les." He shrugged his shoulders as he went out the door, "think nothing of it." Carla saw a nasty cut on his hand, "How did that happen, you must come to the hospital and let me attend to it." He muttered that it will be alright and then he excused himself and walked out without turning back. It felt like a part of his life had just ended right then and there as, up till now, he had still held out some distant hope for him and Carla. The girls watched Carla very closely and they could see that she had been affected terribly and she was very silent on the way back to the hospital. "I've never seen him look so sad."
Les had hoped and prayed even more that he would be out of the district at the time of the dance but, alas, there was nothing available on the horizon for the next couple of weeks so it looked as if there was no escaping the event and he would just have to attend and put in an appearance even just for the sake of the girls who had begged him to come along. He had always loved the dances and the social occasion and he was a popular figure but he was sure that he would not enjoy this one. If Carla had not noticed Les's feelings before, she sure felt it now, she had tried to think that he was just busy with his job but now she could see that it was more than that. They had been so close for many years growing up and they could tell each other everything and she knew when something was bothering him and she hated herself for not seeing this until now.
She loved her date in the evening with Rory, but this time she was a little secluded and withdrawn and Rory noticed it in her and he tried to ask her if he could help. She told him how she met Les in the post office and she had never seen him like this before and it worried her. "I forgot his birthday and I've never done that before and I feel terrible. I apologised to him in the post office but he was very distant and he didn't seem to care." Rory was able to remind her that Les was a grown man and he, like all of us, is trying to find his way through his life and, as he takes on more and more responsibility in his job, he will have more concerns that he will have to deal with in the coming years. "Maybe he has things on his mind that he has to deal with, being a member of the police force can't be easy, I'm sure that it will all blow over eventually."
She tried to accept his thoughts knowing how dedicated Les was to his profession and that may be the extent of how serious he looked when he was in the post office. She wasn't entirely convinced even though Rory's words did resonate with her but she dearly hoped that he was right. She relaxed a little and slowly brightened up when she was in his arms again and they danced the night away to the music and she kissed him after he walked her home. Being with Rory and all the dancing and the music had helped take her mind away from her sadness with Les. She had a look of excitement on her face as she looked in Rory's eyes on the doorstep when they got to her home, "I can't wait for the dance in a couple of days, I'm so looking forward to it and being there with you."
The night of the dance came around soon enough and it was to be a lavish affair again in the decorated town hall and everyone from the town and surrounding district were excited and happy and they were all looking forward to a good time as always as it was always a big widely publicised major event for the town. She was ready early and waiting on tenterhooks as she had fallen in love with this man and she was looking forward to showing him off to the entire town. She was forever looking at herself in the mirror to make sure that everything was just right and there wasn't a hair out of place. She had some moments to herself before Rory was due to arrive on her doorstep and he was never late, she reminisced over the short time that she had known him and how she had cherished every moment that they had shared together, they had never had a quarrel or even a disagreement. Every moment of the day, Rory's handsome face was all she could see.
Even though there wasn't far to travel, Rory had picked up Carla, much to her surprise and excitement, in a glistening open carriage, complete with driver and she was swept off her feet with delight. He met her at the door and he wasn't quite so surprised this time, she was a vision of loveliness and she loved how she could see how breathless he was when he saw her. He presented her with a necklace that he had selected just for her and it looked beautiful when she let him put it on for her and she radiated with happiness when she saw it in the mirror, he said that it looked as if it was made just for her. He stared at her in disbelief, "I can't believe my good fortune that I have such a wonderful and beautiful lady like you to escort to the dance, Carla, this is going to be a special night for us, I can't wait."
They travelled slowly together, snugly in the back of the carriage, he put his arm around her and they had their first real kiss. She sank into his arms and they kissed again, she wondered, "is this what it is like to be in love." She thought that this was going to be a night to remember and it would be the best dance that she had ever been to. She had been looking forward to this glorious occasion and now she was so excited as she had Rory to be with and this was going to be a very special evening for them. The girls had never seen Rory and Carla dance together and it didn't take long for them to see how she had completely fallen for him over the last few months.
People were able to reacquaint themselves with others from the district who they hadn't seen in a while since last time and now the occasion was well under way. Les could have done without having to go to the dance but those girls never let him be in the post office until he said and promised that he would be there for them. He tentatively and quietly made an appearance and he was immediately set upon by Rachael and the girls who fought over him like wild dogs, this was something that happened every time and he knew that these girls liked him. He wanted to be anywhere but here. He saw Carla and gasped at how beautiful she was, he had rarely seen her dressed up to the nines and she had been to the hairdresser and she was stunning in her evening dress, he could see that this was an extra special occasion for her and she had left nothing to chance. He was devastated to think that all this was for someone else and not him. She was so beautiful and happy as she was arm in arm with Rory as she introduced him around so proudly to people she hadn't seen for a while. Les was mesmerized with her beauty as he stared at her even though he was trying to take his eyes away from her but he just couldn't, he could see that their relationship had now progressed to where they were truly a bonified couple now and they very much in love. She was absolutely glowing and he thought sadly, who was he to be wanting to stand in her way of her happiness.
Even though he appeared to be having a good time, he wished that he could find a way to make an exit and go home. He had seen Carla dancing so happily in the arms of a man who he had come to resent, he had to admit that Rory was very capable on the dancefloor and he was certainly making Carla very happy. There wasn't much respite for Les as, when each dance ended, the next pretty girl arrived as planned for her turn with him. Carla caught a quick glance at him and she was relieved to see that he looked like he was having a good time so she nestled in the arms of Rory and waited for the next dance. "Carla, you are the most beautiful girl here tonight, I'm the luckiest man alive to be here with you." She loved being told how beautiful she was, especially by Rory. Les saw them steal a kiss every now and then and his heart broke a little more.
As always with tradition, when the dancing was all over, all the tables and chairs would be rearranged and supper would be brought in for all the people to enjoy. The older folk looked forward to this time but they had enjoyed watching the young ones on the dancefloor. Les had been watching Carla and he noticed out of the corner of his eye, that she was walking out onto the balcony so he allowed a few moments and he thought that he might wander out there and hope that he could talk to her for a short while, he had no idea of what he could possibly say to her as all their previous history had somehow gone completely out the window and he was now not much more than a stranger to her anymore.
All the girls were helping out with the supper arrangements so he took some deep breaths and tried to calm his nerves and he headed very lightheaded to the balcony entrance. His heart was pumping far too heavily. It was very quiet and dark and he couldn't see anybody until he stepped out right through the doorway onto the balcony itself. Carla and Rory were clutching each other tightly in a loving embrace and they were engaged in a passionate kiss. Les was stunned and heartbroken and before he would collapse to the floor as he could hardly breathe as he was knocked off balance, he melted away silently and slipped out the side door and started to head home but he walked around aimlessly for a while first. He went and sat on the park bench in the dark all by himself and he was very close to tears as he still hadn't caught his breath and he felt sick. The moon went behind the clouds and it was very dark but he didn't care. He now knew that there was no doubting it, he had lost the only girl who he would ever love. He wondered whether things could be any worse in life than this. Carla and Rory were still together on the balcony completely oblivious to the rest of the world.