CHAPTER 5
Moving into Scandinavia had been one of the best moves David had ever made. His particular favourite was Finland, although it wasn’t strictly part of Scandinavia, as he had long since given up trying to explain. There was a peace and quiet there at a level which was missing even in the other Nordic countries, a peacefulness he thoroughly appreciated on his regular visits. Such visits, he felt, were essential in order to keep things going in the direction he wanted.
Each time he flew there, the days were noticeably shorter, and the temperature noticeably lower, although never did he feel as chilled as he often did in England. He was advised to come to Finland in the winter, the real winter, that is, and learn to know what low temperatures were like. Such advice was invariably given as though Finns were proud of the roughness of the country at such times. Perhaps that was true.
He saw nothing of Laura during these visits. At first, he looked out for her, even went to buy himself a hamburger he didn’t really want, but while there was a young woman serving, it was not the one he was looking for. No Laura. Eventually he asked, rather less casually than he would have liked, but was informed that she had left the town and was working somewhere else. Or maybe she was studying. There seemed to be a conflict of opinion.
Of course, the girl was nothing to him, nothing at all. It was just that she had been helpful, and he would like to have thanked her properly. It was not until some time later that the opportunity arose, and he let it slip for what he considered to be sound reasons.
Arriving in Heathrow from one of his many business trips abroad, lost in thought, mind buzzing furiously with his latest idea, David noticed a sweater he was beginning to recognise. Laura was looking around slightly helplessly, clearly confused. With a smile of anticipation, David hitched his bag more firmly on to his shoulder and pushed through the incessant crowds towards her. It was one of the busiest times of the day, and progress was impeded at every step. Eventually, he squeezed to about where he thought she should be, looked around, and saw her only a few paces away.
He froze instantly, then backed away. Laura it was, but she was already being escorted by a young man, a man lifting her heavy case on to a trolley and pushing it through the crowds to the exit doors.
Of course, thought David, I should have known. Women like her do not stay unattached for long. He investigated what he was feeling, and was vaguely surprised to find a tinge of envy. Not jealousy, certainly not that, just envy. It slowly dawned upon him that Laura just might be coming to mean something to him, a silly thought after only a couple of meetings. Well, he had lost one woman to another man already. There seemed no reason to complain if it happened that history was repeating itself.
He tried to follow at a discreet distance, just like a lovesick teenager, but soon lost sight of the couple in the dense crowds. Once he thought he caught a glimpse of Laura’s sweater near to a bus stop, but even that wasn’t certain. Moodily, he climbed into a taxi and left, wondering what she was doing in England. Working? Studying? Getting married? The last thought plunged him even deeper into darkness, and he was glad that the taxi driver was less talkative than average.
The year dragged on. The pressures of work drove thoughts of slim young women with wide open eyes from David’s mind. There was much to do, and no-one he could trust to see to the details. Mobile telephones and email messages were fine in their own way, but sometimes only a personal visit would solve a particular problem.
Christmas approached. The period building up to it had been unusually hectic. The computer games that Stella had been so scornful about had seen David’s wealth increase to a level that made even his eyes open wide. One in particular that he had developed from scratch had proved to be a best seller, and that alone would see him financially comfortable for years to come.
Now that the holiday season had arrived, David found himself at a loose end, not quite knowing what to do. His boundless energy was frustrated at the thought of idleness. Everything was working well and smoothly. There was no crisis in the offing, no problems to solve, no new work to occupy until well into the following year. Everything would be closed, or only pretending to work for the next two weeks. Everyone would be on holiday, with neither time nor energy to listen to a man for whom work was his reason for living.
Holiday. The thought struck David like a hammer blow. When was the last time he took a holiday? He searched deep into his mind, but failed to come up with an answer. Insufficient memory, error type two, he thought. Only I’m not a computer. Holiday. Why not? In fact, why not take his Finnish colleagues at their word and tackle a Finnish winter? It would be an experience, if nothing else. Hastily he called his secretary.
’Beth. I’m going to Finland over Christmas. Book me a flight to Lapland, will you? I’ll need accommodation as well. Let’s say for a week. Any dates you can get.’
Beth was a treasure. Give her the orders and things got done. She knew his requirements by now and could be relied upon to see that he got what he wanted. All he had to do himself was to find his passport and fill his wallet. There was a travel bag always ready, enabling him to leave for anywhere in the world at a moment’s notice.