True Love Never Dies 35/?
General information and disclaimer: Here
Summary: The story is about Camilla/Sofie. She has an opportunity to visit London after several years. She is there on an assignment and also to meet some new friends. However, destiny wants something more when she meets an old friend that causes her to have to confront the memory loss resulting from a surgery done a few years back. Not possessing any memory of the old friend or what sort of relationship they might have had, she only knows that she has seen him lately in films.
Previous Chapter; Intro-1, Chapter 2-3, Chapter 4-5, Chapter 6-7, Chapter 8-9, Chapter 10-11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24, Chapter 25, Chapter 26, Chapter 27, Chapter 28, Chapter 29, Chapter 30, Chapter 31, Chapter 32, Chapter 33, Chapter 34
*Chapter 35*
I felt dead, and nothing was familiar to me. Something had awaken me, but I could barely manage to open my eyes or move, so I had to wait until everything became connected. Mornings like these were not unusual for me. They often came after I had a migraine, so I just let the world come to me.
I could hear some sounds, but they didn't fit with those I was used to. The engines of the cars and other vehicles were different. There also was an irritating peeping sound that was getting on my nerves. Next I opened my eyes, and was met with things that absolutely weren't in my home. Then I remembered that I wasn't at home, but in a hotel room. I was lying in a bed in a hotel room, in another country, since I had travelled to England two days ago.
The peeping sound continued and I looked around for my mobile phone since it was making the noise that had woken me up. I noticed it on the table next to my computer. Sitting up, I felt that the room was slightly chilly so I quickly drew the quilt around me and scooted down the bed to reach the phone and shut off the alarm.
It was such a relief when the alarmed stopped. I could think again and begin working again. The night before must have been late. Since I hadn't got my usual eight hours of sleep, it would be hard for me to function normally. I wanted to go and lie back down for a few hours, but it was obvious I had things to do since I had set the alarm.
I also wanted to get my body and brain to work more simultaneously so I could feel like a human, and of course remember the last few days. Those definitely had been hazy. It was quite a long time since I allowed myself to do so many things. I had prepared for a few intensive days here in London, but not in the way it had happened. This would be a test for me to show myself that I was capable of handling many things.
I did my morning routine and when I was showering, I discovered that some of the places on my body were more sore than I thought they would be. It hit me; I hadn't been concerned last night how Orlando had fell, even though he had taken the bigger part of the car's impact. Thinking back it felt like it was longer than twenty-four hours since I'd been at the hospital.
I had to be better, as I remembered that even if I spent the day and evening with Orlando, he hadn't said a single thing how he felt from the impact and I hadn't asked. Now I really remembered how bruised his back was. I felt a little bad that not once during the evening had I thought about it, or even less asked him. I know I had helped with rubbing in some liniment at one time and now guessed he would need to have help for a new round. After I had eaten some breakfast, I decided I would call him.
Dressed and ready to get down to the dinning hall for breakfast I felt good. Better than I could think of. I had to believe much of it was due to the medication really doing its work. Actually, since I was feeling on the good side, I didn't linger eating. I took some fruit from the fruit basket and went back up to my room.
I started up my computer and sat down to go through what I had just done. The positive energy that was floating in the air seemed to help, and two things that had bothered me about the site I was able to solve. After those changes it looked a lot better and I guessed that my client would like what I done. I would learn if this was so fairly soon.
I took a look at my watch and saw I would have almost fifty minutes until I would meet my client in the lobby. I started to play with my necklace and the charm. The charm was perfect to soothe me. It was blank on the backside and a lot of grooves that made the dragon. For a moment I closed my eyes, and took some deep breaths.
When I was about to fall asleep, if I hadn't been sitting on a chair, I got the same black and white picture I been staring at Orlando's in my mind. Why was it so familiar? Though the image soon changed to be in colour, but still not giving me much more than what I had seen before in it. I shook my head slowly, hoping to get the image to chang. Nothing seemed to happen. There were no sound or smell, but I should not have expected that as it was a photo and memory.
Even if I right now was in a relaxed mood I suddenly felt a slight change as I got an old memory. It wasn't only sounds around me from a quite busy street that hit me. Somehow I felt a pang of the headache I know that I had for sometime and had gotten used to. The type that I've had before my surgery. It also was accompanied by anger. There was something I wasn't fully happy about. Looking around to see where I was, my senses told me the busy street reminded me of Portobello Road, a Saturday when there was a market along the street. There were a lot of people, wearing jackets and going between the booths. Looking beside me, I saw I was there with Orlando.
I hoped this was another way to show me, that I would know him. Though I felt a little confused of the heated feelings the memory seemed to send through me. I could not sense when it was, but if the people had jackets, it had to be one of the colder months. With any luck I might get more pieces and then know more.
At least this memory got me to remember that I had meant to call Orlando before I meet my client. I just had to see where I put his number. I must have gotten it. I sat up straighter and really looked around in the room. Beside my cell phone I saw a paper, so I stretched over to get hold of it. The paper was the one I was after and I picked up the phone in the room and dialled the number.
After several rings a mumbled voice came through. "Yeah, hello."
"I'm sorry to call and wake you up, but it's Sofie calling."
"For you it's all right whenever you call. Good morning." He said, and he definitely sounded more awake.
"But it wasn't my intention to wake you, not after what we been through..."
He broke me off, "Sofie, I said it's all right. I'm happy you're calling. I just hope nothing has happened though."
"Oh no, I'm fine. I actually wanted to call to thank you for yesterday and everything you've done for me. I had a really good time. Thanks."
"You're welcome. I'm happy you liked it. I had a good time, too. How do you actually feel today? Any headache?"
"I'm fine. I feel better than I have felt for a long time or what I could have expected. There is one thing though that I'm worried about…"
We both went silent for a time. Then Orlando could not hold himself quiet, and asked, "What worries you?"
"I think that I sort of forget to check with you last evening and see how you felt. How is your back?"
"Ohh." In the void it sounded like he was moving and trying to not give a sound. "Now, I feel my back and the bruises, but I'm used to being stiff in the morning. Last night I did have some pain, but I had such nice company that it made it easy to tune it out."
I was happy we were speaking on the phone, as Orlando would have seen how I blushed.
"Good, but I wish you would take care of yourself and that you know that you can tell me if you're in pain. I would hate to know if things are getting worse."
"You shouldn't worry. There are other days I can rest, because I so want to spend time with you now when we found each other again."
"Thanks. I think there is another thing we didn't talk about or decide yesterday. You know I will be meeting my client and then learn how much more I have to work, and then I have the dinner meeting with my friend. So should we decide a time to meet today, tomorrow or just call?"
"We did talk about it for a moment, and if it doesn't get too late, we could meet tonight and take a walk or something."
"We did, didn't we? You also had something to show me," I paused, "which you thought might help my memory."
"That's right. I have an old shoebox with a few things, but you were tired last night and said we could do it today."
"I would love too, but…" I had to stop speaking to be able to get my thoughts together. Orlando waited instead of saying anything, to my relief. "Would you be disappointed if it does not happen today?"
"No, not at all. Yesterday I told you, take all the time you need."
"Good, good. I asked as I have no idea how the meeting with my friend will go. If it goes well, we might spend the rest of the day together and as I haven't meet her before, I have no idea how it will go."
"That's okay. I think, if you are up to it, you could call me tonight or tomorrow. Does that sound good?"
"It sounds like a very good idea."
"Then it is settled, and so you don't worry, I will rest and mend my back."
I smiled. "Thanks again for yesterday, and I'll call you later. Now I will let you go. Bye."
"Talk to you later. Sofie, you take care, too."
There still was some time left, but I decided to go down in case my client would show up early. I went to the reception desk to tell them if anyone would come to ask after me, I would be sitting there in the lobby. I found a table and some chairs that I thought would be good for the meeting.
The man arrived twenty minutes late and those minutes I had spent going through the website I had created. I had managed to fix the few things that at first had seemed to bother me, which made it work well and I hoped that it would go over well. Of course there was more to do with it, but I was sure the client would understand the basics.
When he saw it and I explained the way I had set it up, and what else I had in mind my client was pleased. I could breath out and not feel bad about things being little late. There were a few minor things he wanted to change and also add. I told him I would gladly do it, as the changes wouldn't be a problem, and since I had gotten this far, it wouldn't take that long for me to do. I estimated I would need one more day to get everything done and with that affirmed, he said that I could come see him Tuesday morning. It sounded good to me and I would be able to get the website up from his place and give the last instructions.
Looking at my watch after he had left, I saw it was time for lunch. I took my things up to the room and then went out to find a grocery store or anything where I could get a quick and light lunch. I wanted something that I could eat at the room, so I could get a few hours of work done, preferably fix everything. The things I would need to do would not be a problem, though writing the code could take some time.
My choice of lunch was a couple of sandwiches, and a soda. It wasn't unusual for me. I would go out later and eat, so that would be when I would grab a decent meal. Knowing that when I worked and wanted to get things done, I could forget time, I did set an alarm on my phone so I wouldn't miss meeting my friend.
Sure enough when the alarm went off, I was still working. The most positive thing was that I had only one thing left to add, and it would only take me an extra ten minutes to complete it. First thing the next day I would check that everything was working. It was easy to miss one little symbol or character and the page would turn out differently than I wanted. I didn't think I had missed one, but that had to wait until the morning.
I freshened up, put some makeup on and checked my hair. I dressed in a pair of black trousers and slipped on a white top under a blue blouse. I hoped it would be causal enough, yet dressy in case we went somewhere nice later on. To finish it off, I put on my dragon necklace.
Looking in the mirror I was pleased. I looked good and I still felt amazed at how I looked now. All the training had surely paid off. I could be proud of myself, but I still had a hard time seeing it and many times I still saw myself as overweight. It was probably a good thing that I was quite the lazy person, so the training and diet didn't go overboard and become anorexia.
I picked up my camera, checked that I had my wallet and cell phone and then went to were my friend Patricia and I had agreed to meet
To be continued
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