The Day Before You Came

Chapter Nine

The exhibition day was getting closer and Frida was more nervous and stressed than ever. She was a little more irritable than usual and felt she needed a break urgently. If everything went well, that exhibition would open many doors, her work would be known and the sales would increase, if her work were good enough there would be more than one buyer during the event. She crossed her fingers to make it happen, she had been working too hard for it.

Frida got into her car and saw her reflection in the rearview mirror. She had just left the beauty salon and now she had a little shorter hair with some layers, the red color was a little more intense than before, with the sunlight it seemed like it was on fire. Yeah, she loved her new look. Having taken a moment for herself made her relax a little, but it was time to return to work, she had some calls to make, there were still pending to choose the snacks and drinks for the event, she and Sygni had already consulted with each other but they hadn't reached an agreement yet. Frida squeezed her eyes, she began to feel how the headache was making its appearance. "That's what I needed!", she murmured angrily. She took out a box of sublingual ketorolac and took one. Maybe, just maybe, if everything went well that day later she could go out to clear her mind. She prayed to heaven to do so.

Hours later, Frida was taking a relaxing shower in her bathtub, hot water covered her slender body and relaxed her muscles. She had her hair tied in an impromptu tail, her head reloaded back and her eyes closed as the foam increased covering her body's vision through the transparent water. That was a good life. Good Life. Those two words rumbled in her mind. How much she had to do to get everything she had, and how much she had to lose... her engine was no longer with her, her grandma was the person who inspired her the most, Arntine and she were a small family, and thinking about her absence made her feel lonely and empty. Sygni was always her right hand, her unconditional friend, on the other hand when she met Ragnar another light had turned on inside her. Anni-Frid could remember how even at the beginning she dreamed that Ragnar would ask her to marry, she wanted to hold on to him like a lifeguard. That was how Ragnar and Sygni became the only constants in her life. But she longed for something else and didn't know what. She sighed still with her eyes closed and the image of Benny appeared in her mind. Her new friend, but not only friend, he was her confidant, she had opened her heart with him, she had told him things she would never tell anyone, much less in such a short time. How easy it was to be herself by his side. A tingle went through her body, it wasn't the first time. Frida didn't know how to describe that feeling. She opened her green eyes and looked at the ceiling. Maybe he was an angel or something that looked like it, whatever it was she knew that she wanted him permanently in her life.

"Andersson!"

Benny raised his head and ran into his old friend Acke. He smiled and walked towards him, Björn was by his side and seemed to be entertained with his cell phone while messaging with someone.

"It's good to see you here!" Acke said when he arrived with Benny, he patted his shoulder in greeting.

"Well, here I am! Björn insisted me to come... you know how he can be a fool," Benny replied playfully.

"Oh yes, so foolish that he finally got a girl to say yes," he said as he lifted his beer glass and sipped it.

Benny frowned, Björn hadn't said anything about any girl. "Oh yeah? So lucky."

"Someone said my name?" Björn said suddenly standing between them.

"Talking of the devil..." Acke said before taking another sip of his drink.

"Well, well... I didn't know your party would be outside your house, Acke," Björn said.

"Oh man! Relax, let's go inside, almost the majority has arrived," Acke replied as turning around and heading for the entrance door, almost falling when he stepped on the mat with the legend of "welcome". It was obvious that alcohol was already taking over him and it was barely 9:00 p.m.