"Would
you do that? It would be a great help for me. I am so concerned
constantly."
Sune smiled. The waiter brought our food.
"Of course, Rebekka. I'd do anything for you."
I sipped my wine, feeling my heart racing. I had
no idea what to say to that, so I started eating instead. The duck was
terrible. I took one bite, then looked at Sune who had picked the same as me. I
chewed and chewed, but it was so hard to chew I wondered if I would ever be
able to swallow it. Sune looked like he had the same troubles. Then I laughed.
Sune chuckled and finally swallowed. I did the same, before we both flushed it
down with the red wine.
"How can anyone ruin duck?" I
whispered and leaned over the table.
Sune laughed. "I don't know. You'd have to
be pretty good, I guess."
I chuckled and pushed the meat aside, then tried
the potatoes. They weren't as bad as the meat, but they weren't good either.
"Wow. I never thought I would ever taste
anything worse than the food I had in juvenile prison," Sune said.
I burst into laughter. I looked at his hand
missing the two fingers that he had lost in prison when he was doing time for
hacking as a teenager. I had heard all his stories from the inside and knew all
about how tough it had been on him. In a very few years, I had gotten to know
him better than I knew my own husband, who never told me anything from his
past. I had to always drag it out of him. Sune wasn't like that. Sune could
talk about his emotions, about stuff he had gone through. Peter couldn't. Peter
had grown up in an environment where you weren't allowed to discuss your
feelings. Where it was considered as a weakness. That much he had told me, but
that was about it. I never met his parents since they lived in Singapore now,
where his father had his business. I had met his brother on one occasion, but
only briefly when he was in Aarhus many years ago. I felt like Peter didn't
want me to know his family and, in the beginning of my marriage, it annoyed me
and made me feel like he was embarrassed by me, but after some time, I realized
that it had nothing to do with me. It wasn't me he was embarrassed by; it was
his family.
Sune had become silent. He was looking at me
with serious eyes. I sensed he was going to say something. My heart was beating
fast and I felt my cheeks blush. I thought like crazy about something to say to
break the silence.
"So how is Tobias?" I asked.
"Good. He misses Julie, though."
I nodded and drank. "I know. Julie misses
him too. She was just asking for him on the phone when I was in my room. She
thought he was with you here."
"That's sweet."
Sune exhaled. "Rebekka … I …" He
grabbed my hand.
I shook my head and pulled my hand away.
"Don't Sune. Don't do this."
Sune pulled back and bit his lip. "Okay. I
get it. I'm gonna leave it there. This is the way you want it. I get it."
A new silence broke out between us. A waiter
approached us. He looked at me. "Mrs. Franck?"
"Yes?"
"Mr. Fenger is waiting for you in the
bar."
I looked at my watch. "He’s early," I
said.
29
August
2012
She was
prettier than he thought she would be. Henrik Fenger
didn't exactly know what he had expected, but not this. He watched her from
afar, in the mirror behind the bartender, as she walked out from the restaurant
and towards him in the bar. Her searching eyes scanning the area to find him
gave her away. Behind her followed a younger guy, very tall and who looked more
like a punker than a photographer.
"Mr. Fenger?"
Henrik grinned and turned on his bar stool.
"Rebekka Franck I assume?" He reached out his hand and she took it.
Nice firm handshake. He liked that in a woman. Probably a feisty little one.
"This is my photographer Sune
Johansen," she said introducing the punk-guy behind her.
"Hi," he said and reached out his hand.
"Hello," Henrik said and shook his
hand slightly, reluctantly wondering what kind of germs and following diseases
this guy was going to give him. Henrik stared at the photographer's ring in
you do that? It would be a great help for me. I am so concerned
constantly."
Sune smiled. The waiter brought our food.
"Of course, Rebekka. I'd do anything for you."
I sipped my wine, feeling my heart racing. I had
no idea what to say to that, so I started eating instead. The duck was
terrible. I took one bite, then looked at Sune who had picked the same as me. I
chewed and chewed, but it was so hard to chew I wondered if I would ever be
able to swallow it. Sune looked like he had the same troubles. Then I laughed.
Sune chuckled and finally swallowed. I did the same, before we both flushed it
down with the red wine.
"How can anyone ruin duck?" I
whispered and leaned over the table.
Sune laughed. "I don't know. You'd have to
be pretty good, I guess."
I chuckled and pushed the meat aside, then tried
the potatoes. They weren't as bad as the meat, but they weren't good either.
"Wow. I never thought I would ever taste
anything worse than the food I had in juvenile prison," Sune said.
I burst into laughter. I looked at his hand
missing the two fingers that he had lost in prison when he was doing time for
hacking as a teenager. I had heard all his stories from the inside and knew all
about how tough it had been on him. In a very few years, I had gotten to know
him better than I knew my own husband, who never told me anything from his
past. I had to always drag it out of him. Sune wasn't like that. Sune could
talk about his emotions, about stuff he had gone through. Peter couldn't. Peter
had grown up in an environment where you weren't allowed to discuss your
feelings. Where it was considered as a weakness. That much he had told me, but
that was about it. I never met his parents since they lived in Singapore now,
where his father had his business. I had met his brother on one occasion, but
only briefly when he was in Aarhus many years ago. I felt like Peter didn't
want me to know his family and, in the beginning of my marriage, it annoyed me
and made me feel like he was embarrassed by me, but after some time, I realized
that it had nothing to do with me. It wasn't me he was embarrassed by; it was
his family.
Sune had become silent. He was looking at me
with serious eyes. I sensed he was going to say something. My heart was beating
fast and I felt my cheeks blush. I thought like crazy about something to say to
break the silence.
"So how is Tobias?" I asked.
"Good. He misses Julie, though."
I nodded and drank. "I know. Julie misses
him too. She was just asking for him on the phone when I was in my room. She
thought he was with you here."
"That's sweet."
Sune exhaled. "Rebekka … I …" He
grabbed my hand.
I shook my head and pulled my hand away.
"Don't Sune. Don't do this."
Sune pulled back and bit his lip. "Okay. I
get it. I'm gonna leave it there. This is the way you want it. I get it."
A new silence broke out between us. A waiter
approached us. He looked at me. "Mrs. Franck?"
"Yes?"
"Mr. Fenger is waiting for you in the
bar."
I looked at my watch. "He’s early," I
said.
29
August
2012
She was
prettier than he thought she would be. Henrik Fenger
didn't exactly know what he had expected, but not this. He watched her from
afar, in the mirror behind the bartender, as she walked out from the restaurant
and towards him in the bar. Her searching eyes scanning the area to find him
gave her away. Behind her followed a younger guy, very tall and who looked more
like a punker than a photographer.
"Mr. Fenger?"
Henrik grinned and turned on his bar stool.
"Rebekka Franck I assume?" He reached out his hand and she took it.
Nice firm handshake. He liked that in a woman. Probably a feisty little one.
"This is my photographer Sune
Johansen," she said introducing the punk-guy behind her.
"Hi," he said and reached out his hand.
"Hello," Henrik said and shook his
hand slightly, reluctantly wondering what kind of germs and following diseases
this guy was going to give him. Henrik stared at the photographer's ring in
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