straightening my hair when I’m surprised to hear the phone in my room ring.
“Hello.”
“Good morning Miss Chambers. I have a call to put through to you from a Dr Acerbi.” The receptionist struggles with the pronunciation, yet still manages to sound sprightly, which right now is in complete contrast to how I am feeling.
“Hello, Miss Chambers are you still there?”
“Erm! Yes sorry, you can put her through.” Hearing the phone click, I suddenly have a bout of nausea.
“Morning Isabel, I do hope I haven’t disrupted anything you may have been busy doing.”
The emphasis she puts on the word “disrupted” makes me think that she was hoping for the exact opposite. Gathering a hold of my nerves, I try not to let her ramifying manner get the better of me.
“No not at all. How may I help you Dr Acerbi?”
“I am sorry to call you but I do feel that you and I have, how do you say it? We got off on the wrong foot.” Her Italian accent is strong, but if that was meant to be an apology, although I doubt very much that Dr Emeliana Acerbi does real apologies, there certainly wasn’t any hint of remorse, more gratification and therefore a pathetic attempt at one. All the same I nonchalantly reply,
“No need to apologise Doctor, I hadn’t really noticed.” Hoping that she wouldn’t see the lie in the sentence I continue quickly.
“You are in the UK for work; I doubt very much you were here to make pen pals.”
Hearing her clear her throat a sense of satisfaction swells over me, as somehow I don’t think she is getting the response she was quite expecting. Well tough do do ! Taking a breath, I congratulate myself.
“No you are right Isabel.” My body stiffens as my first name rolls off her tongue.
“I would however like to make it up to you. I am free for lunch and I was just erm! Inquisitore….ah!....Wanting to ask if we could meet at a café, to start again, afresh if you like.”
I will give her credit for her optimism and I am thinking that maybe I ought to give her a second chance. She might actually be able to shed some light on as to what happened last night at the dinner. I don’t have anything important planned for today; Marc has to go back to the College for follow up sessions after yesterday and I was only planning on going into a town a few miles away. The place is farther away from Cambridge, but if she wants to see me she can make the journey; so I agree to the meeting and we set a time and venue.
Clare is a quaint little town in Suffolk which boasts a ton of history; most of it fascinating, hence why I was going to visit. A medieval town church, a 13 th century Augustinian priory and castle ruins that date back to William the Conqueror are just a few of the sights that bring in the tourists. Dr Acerbi and I arranged to meet in a pub opposite the few shops that line the main street of the town, but now as I sit with a large glass of wine in front of me, I start to regret my decision to do this. I saw Marc’s reaction to her last night, what if he knew about this? Should I tell him? If I don’t, will she tell him anyway? Questions, questions, questions!! For God sake Chambers, you came away to chill why are you putting yourself through this? The answer to that last one is easy, because of Marc.
It doesn’t take long before I see her walk in. I instinctively sit up straight in the hope that I
“Hello.”
“Good morning Miss Chambers. I have a call to put through to you from a Dr Acerbi.” The receptionist struggles with the pronunciation, yet still manages to sound sprightly, which right now is in complete contrast to how I am feeling.
“Hello, Miss Chambers are you still there?”
“Erm! Yes sorry, you can put her through.” Hearing the phone click, I suddenly have a bout of nausea.
“Morning Isabel, I do hope I haven’t disrupted anything you may have been busy doing.”
The emphasis she puts on the word “disrupted” makes me think that she was hoping for the exact opposite. Gathering a hold of my nerves, I try not to let her ramifying manner get the better of me.
“No not at all. How may I help you Dr Acerbi?”
“I am sorry to call you but I do feel that you and I have, how do you say it? We got off on the wrong foot.” Her Italian accent is strong, but if that was meant to be an apology, although I doubt very much that Dr Emeliana Acerbi does real apologies, there certainly wasn’t any hint of remorse, more gratification and therefore a pathetic attempt at one. All the same I nonchalantly reply,
“No need to apologise Doctor, I hadn’t really noticed.” Hoping that she wouldn’t see the lie in the sentence I continue quickly.
“You are in the UK for work; I doubt very much you were here to make pen pals.”
Hearing her clear her throat a sense of satisfaction swells over me, as somehow I don’t think she is getting the response she was quite expecting. Well tough do do ! Taking a breath, I congratulate myself.
“No you are right Isabel.” My body stiffens as my first name rolls off her tongue.
“I would however like to make it up to you. I am free for lunch and I was just erm! Inquisitore….ah!....Wanting to ask if we could meet at a café, to start again, afresh if you like.”
I will give her credit for her optimism and I am thinking that maybe I ought to give her a second chance. She might actually be able to shed some light on as to what happened last night at the dinner. I don’t have anything important planned for today; Marc has to go back to the College for follow up sessions after yesterday and I was only planning on going into a town a few miles away. The place is farther away from Cambridge, but if she wants to see me she can make the journey; so I agree to the meeting and we set a time and venue.
Clare is a quaint little town in Suffolk which boasts a ton of history; most of it fascinating, hence why I was going to visit. A medieval town church, a 13 th century Augustinian priory and castle ruins that date back to William the Conqueror are just a few of the sights that bring in the tourists. Dr Acerbi and I arranged to meet in a pub opposite the few shops that line the main street of the town, but now as I sit with a large glass of wine in front of me, I start to regret my decision to do this. I saw Marc’s reaction to her last night, what if he knew about this? Should I tell him? If I don’t, will she tell him anyway? Questions, questions, questions!! For God sake Chambers, you came away to chill why are you putting yourself through this? The answer to that last one is easy, because of Marc.
It doesn’t take long before I see her walk in. I instinctively sit up straight in the hope that I
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