Giverny's Story

Chapter 1

It was then that she had chosen to wear the white gown.

Upon smelling the perfumed roses being thrown at her feet on the red carpet, the slightly acrid smoke of the popping bulbs, as the photographers went mad for her get up like they would have for Mae West at a film premier. All glamour and elegance.

Or Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady.

She smiled and turned, almost striking a pose.

Oh yes, those loving cameras... listen to the crowd...

The shop manager had then cleared her throat. "I think you'll agree with me- it fits you quite perfectly. It's lovely on you."

And so, reluctantly, she- Giverny Jameson- had come out of her reverie. "I'll definitely take it."

Then she had changed back into her work clothes, signed for the order and left the boutique.

And although she had pictured it all in her mind, God knows how surprised she had been when the crowd had exploded with applause and the event photographers had taken her picture.

As she stood, poised on stage with her trophy, the cameramen couldn't seem to get enough of her. Even as the applause had died down and she made her brief speech, the bulbs had flashed.

Mae West at her best, she thought, slightly wistful now, back in her lab and every day clothes once again.

She took her eyes off the framed pictures of her at different award ceremonies, concluding on the day of the epic white dress a few months ago. It was one she treasured most.

Her phone rang, drawing her back into the present.

"Hello... hi Claudette. You're coming home, that's nice." She nearly dropped a test tube. "Your what? When did this happen? My gosh, congratulations! How long will you be- ten days? Aw, that's fantastic... wow."

After a few more minutes of chat, Giverny finished her conversation with her adopted sister Claudette.

Once she had hung up, she poured the cultured sample down the nearest drain. Thanks to her absentminded behaviour, she had wasted her whole afternoon in the moment she had mixed the two clients' DNA samples she was meant to be analysing.

She hoped she would still make her deadline. The last thing she needed were disgruntled clients bugging her for their results during the Thanksgiving break.

Despite her hopes, that little mistake seemed to be the beginning of a dismal period in her life. She had to deal with an extended work period which took two days away from the time she'd put aside for her on-again-off-again boyfriend of over a year, Bruce.

When she arrived at his place tired and triumphant, she received a chilly reception.

"Well, gee sweets, I'm thrilled to be here," she said drolly.

"You can hardly expect me to do cartwheels, Giverny. You never make time for us!"

She shook her head to rid it of the images of him doing gymnastics on her account. "I do," she insisted, "it's just that sometimes it gets taken up by my work."

"Sometimes?" he echoed, more than a little bitter.

He stood by the window overlooking the urbane park behind his house, full of reds and yellows.

Resisting the urge to snuggle up on the comfortable sofa and close her eyes, she walked over to where Bruce stared stonily over his grounds.

"BB, come on! I'm sorry, but you know that I can't just drop some of the assignments I get. When the results are wrong or incomplete, I have to do it right and deliver the product before I can take a break."