Voyage 2002

"Because you're a little temptress." July 2002 / Frida

*** Due to illness, I wasn't in the mood for writing and translating, but here you go. Dedicated to FridaReuss and QueenElizabeth2009, who were looking forward to a new chapter. ***

Yawning while running her hand through her hair, she walked out of the bedroom. When she had woken up,Benny was no longer beside her. She decided to get out of bed as well, after she would turn over just one more time, 1.5 hours later she woke up again... The clock read 10:30 a.m. It had been light years since she had rolled out of bed so blatantly late.

"Look at that," Benny said smiling as he watched her enter the garden. "This is quite a new interpretation of fashionably late."

She yawned again. "It would have been nice if I was well rested by now, but it didn't do much for that, unfortunately."

Benny stood up, walked past her and briefly ruffled his hand through her hair. "You want some coffee, Blondie?"

"Yes please," she said, cursing herself slightly that she had so quickly abandoned her healthy habit of drinking green tea, or the like, in the morning. It took some time for Benny to reappear. So she took her time to land and looked into the distance. It was beautiful and the temperature was great. Unlike Benny, she had never been to Björn's French summer house and she had to acknowledge that it was a fantastic place. They had been there for quite a few days now. Björn's children would soon return to Sweden and they - as a foursome - would stay an extra week. This evening it was 'ShowTime', Anna had announced a few days earlier. Always at the end of a holiday, they did something with music, she explained. This time, they had drawn lots with names and they had to come up with something for the person on the ticket. You were allowed to ask one person for help but for the rest you had to keep it a secret of course. She had drawn Linda and that suited her. She knew her pretty well and had been able to think of something suitable. She had tried to pry loose from Benny who he had drawn, but he had remained silent. As she looked around leisurely, Benny returned. He had a tray with him, which he placed in front of her. A piece of baguette, an egg, Nutella and a croissant. Next to it a mug of coffee.

"Wow, love, are you still taking my weight into account a bit?" she asked, putting her arm around him and pulling him towards her for a moment.

"That's what I'm doing, right!" he replied.

For a moment, she looked at him seriously. "Do you think I'm too skinny?"

He sighed briefly. "Who is coming around, if it isn't the Doubty-Frid."

"Yes, but do you think I am too skinny really?"

He put his hand against her head. "No, I think you're perfect, go and eat your breakfast now."

"But..."

He pointed at the tray and shook his head. She looked at it for a moment and saw a bowl - covered with a saucer - next to the plate. "What's in that?"

"A surprise," he said chuckling.

She burst out laughing and rolled her eyes. "Jam?"

"No, a surprise," he repeated.

For a moment she chuckled and then picked up her mug of coffee. She took three sips and then grabbed her croissant. There was a tiny container of jam next to it that she had not seen at first. She raised her eyebrows and looked at him. "So there is no jam in there?" she asked, pointing at the small bowl.

"No," he said. "I said there was a surprise in it, didn't I?"

Surprised, she reached for the saucer. She lifted it off and immediately flinched at the sight of a small box. She recognised the logo of the jeweller that had been located at Östermalm for decades. "W-what do you mean?" she stammered out, fearing he would ask her to marry him and she then wouldn't know what to say to that because she didn't yet have a home in Sweden and she still didn't know if she really wanted to. And where? Should she look at Ekerö or was that weird? They hadn't talked about it at all and now Benny wanted to get married? That would be her fourth time then and...