The Honest Affair

49

Seated on the veranda with a book was Lena. Her hand held a novel which she was nearly finished with. Her mind at the moment was not so much focused onto what she read, and she realized it when she felt herself skimming through the sentences by accident. Instead of the content of the pages, her mind circled around Claes' words from a few weeks before. She had begun meeting him more consistently since she returned from England, and now it was his words that lingered in the back of her mind. His touch caused a rush against her skin even hours later and she hated it each time she felt what she imagined. If anyone knew her it was him, and if she had to keep her mind straight she must keep him away. It was not in her strength to keep up with it. There's no one for her on many days, but then there would be Claes. She rolled her eyes tiredly and closed the book. Of course she hated him, and she cursed him for the annoyance he brought to her even when he was not so much in her range. She leaned down towards the table in front of her and took another sip from her tea.

"Miss Lena," she heard. "A man is on the phone..."

"And who is it?"

"He said his name is Claes." She closed her eyes and opened them again irritably.

"Tell him Björn is not home."

"He asked for you." She motioned for the phone and waited until Greta had disappeared.

"This is Lena."

"I wouldn't have known without you saying so," he teased.

"What do you need, Claes?"

"Do you know that you are the one of the few who still call me Claes?" he asked.

"You want me to call you Clabbe?"

"No, I like Claes when you say it."

"You've called twice this week already. I need you to not do this."

"It's always nice to hear your voice." She hadn't said anything in response and he felt her hesitation, so he got to the point. "Where is Björn, Lena?" His tone carried challenge, one she refused to let him win.

"He is in the shower."

"When will you understand that I understand you much better when you're lying to me?" he said, smiling. "I know where Björn is, and it is not in the shower of your home. I am more sure of that than you."

"Did you call to tell me this?"

"I called to remind you. He doesn't love you."

"He will. Watch and see that he will," she answered. "He will realize it. You will realize it. And she will be out of the picture." A long pause was between them.

"Okay," he said. "And the girls, how are they?"

* * *

It was 9 PM when Björn had settled into his office. He had a half an hour to go and he would leave to meet her. His heart was lighter that day, and the evenings plans were long anticipated by not only him. Agnetha had been waiting for this night for weeks if not months. She wanted time with him. Of course not only with him alone, but she wanted Anna. She wanted both of them for a night to sit on the porch, if nothing more, and to talk to one another, to forget the world even for a few hours, and dream of the world to come. The day had been brilliant, but the night was longed for. As she prepared herself in comfortable clothes, Björn had finally found the time to sit down and think. The letter in his jacket was pulled out and he read it over and over. He considered every connection made with the boy and the letter and wondered who might have sent him the note. What was written was not so easy to take in and it made his mind spin the entire day. True enough, it was a letter on the street, but he had many suspicions, and many times that fans would send him things which would soon then become a serious situation. He set the glass of scotch on the desk and folded the paper once he saw that Lena had entered the office. She was quiet and reserved and he had not said a word to her, let alone looked at her properly.