You're Mine Now (7 page)

Sven, or was it Olof, was standing at the end of an oval table. The other one was sitting beside him, as was Erik. All three dressed like advertising men, that’s to say, casual but proper. Their proposal was attached to black panels that were covered with plastic, which had been stuck to the edge of the cardboard. The purpose was not so much to protect the sketches, but rather to make the proposal look more exclusive and important than it actually was. The atmosphere was intense, as it always is when advertising people are showing their wares. Anna presumed that their great earnestness was meant to disguise their candyfloss profession.

It had been to the men’s advantage that they’d met them in the bar at the Grand in Mölle, because now they came across as the kind of self-inflated idiots that Anna was more than happy to avoid in daily life. There were disadvantages to being surrounded by mainly female colleagues, but at least she didn’t have to deal with male self-importance.

‘We haven’t targeted the already converted,’ droned Sven-or-Olof, ‘but rather those with preconceived ideas about the contents of
Family Journal.
We want to open their eyes, make them realise that the magazine is more than just knitting, crocheting and baking. We want men to snatch the magazine from their wives’ hands.’

Sissela was leaning forwards. She nodded, in the way she showed her agreement when the magazine management were giving a report. The one that said, yes, I’m a woman but a successful one who knows how to appreciate professional men.

Anna’s telephone pinged. She gave an apologetic look to those round the table and opened the text message.

Anna looked up, avoided Erik’s amused expression.

‘So we’ve designed a campaign that will appeal to the family man as well as women,’ Sven-or-Olof continued.

He held up a panel and pulled back the plastic as if he were unveiling a piece of great art. A number of isolated quotes from the most recent edition had been positioned to dramatic effect over various magazine headlines. The pulse of provincial news.

‘We thought direct mail to highlight the reading material. Features, biographies, weekly crime features.’

Sissela whipped round and looked at Anna, who was responsible for the material. Anna realised that her cheeks were flushed and she felt distinctly uncomfortable.

Sissela ventured a careful objection that perhaps men would never subscribe to
Family Journal
. This was welcomed by frenetic nodding from the marketing representative, who thought it was an expensive proposal that the publishing house could do better themselves at half the cost.

Sven and Olof weren’t so stupid that they didn’t nod humbly at the same time as giving assurances in their smoothest voices that they had naturally given this some thought. Even though the campaign was not targeted at the converted, but rather at new readers, it would still have a reinforcing affect on their ordinary readership.

In brief, the proposal they had presented was not quite as catastrophic as the time a bigger advertising agency had, on their own initiative, redesigned the magazine logo and mocked up a front cover that had nothing to do with the magazine’s contents, but equally contained nothing to get excited about.

‘As we said, this is just an outline and we hope that we can work closely with the editorial team to develop it further. Our proposal is that Erik…’

There was something smooth and easy about the way Sven-or-Olof held out his hand towards his younger colleague, as if he were only too aware that recruiting their attractive prodigy to a sector where young blood was the greatest asset had been a huge bonus.

‘… familiarises himself with the magazine’s content a bit more.’

Sissela nodded eagerly. She was more than happy to assist.

‘That sounds sensible.’

‘And as our proposal is based on highlighting the reading material, it’s perhaps best that you do that, Anna, as you’re the features editor?’

She straightened her back and nodded tentatively.

‘Um, yes, yes, of course.’

‘If you could guide Erik through your thinking about the magazine’s content.’

Sissela cleared her throat.

‘I think that sounds like a good idea. And as managing editor I might be able to add a few thoughts and opinions.’

‘Of course. That would be fantastic. If you have the time and opportunity.’

‘I’ll just have to make the time. But I’m assuming that the taximeter won’t start ticking until we’ve made our decision.’

Sven-or-Olof put on a humble face that he’d probably picked up from the first
Godfather
film.

‘I’m sure we’ll come to an agreement.’

‘Good, we’ll discuss this and get back to you as soon as possible.’

Sissela stood up, thereby marking the end of the meeting.

They were almost indecent. No, not almost, they were indecent. She who was normally so quiet when she made love, almost silent since they’d had Hedda, had been as loud as a porn star.

Now she was ashamed. Before and after were different worlds.

Erik pressed himself against her, purred, made himself small on purpose. She wanted to get up and leave. False conventions forced her to lie there and feel her pulse beating against her temples.

‘Nice,’ he said, with a lisp.

Anna felt her body stiffen. Was he talking baby language? No way, that would be too much to bear. She couldn’t have a sexual relationship with a man who used baby talk.

‘Wasn’t it?’ he added, removing any doubt.

She smiled in reply. He was a better lover than her husband, far better. But that didn’t matter when he lisped in the belief that it was charming.

She tapped him on the chest.

‘Towel?’

‘In the cupboard.’

‘Thanks.’

He was lisping. Who on earth had got him to believe that it was anything other than a complete turnoff? Anyway, it was a good thing. She’d have no problem resisting the temptation in the future. Anna opened her mouth under the water as she soaped herself. Suddenly the bathroom door opened and the shower curtain was pulled to one side.

Anna blinked the water out of her eyes and saw Erik holding out his mobile phone towards her.

‘What the hell are you doing?’

She reached for the towel.

‘Out!’

She pointed the shower at him, he dodged out the way, laughing. She closed the door again, rinsed off the soap and dried herself thoroughly. She wrapped the towel around her body and went out.

‘That wasn’t funny.’

Erik was sitting by the kitchen table in his boxers, his mobile phone connected to his open laptop.

‘What are doing?!’

Anna rushed forwards and snatched away the phone.

‘Were you thinking of posting those pictures?’

Erik sighed.

‘I just went on to the internet and I surf on my phone. Why would I want to post those pictures?’

‘How dare you photograph me naked!’

‘You’re beautiful. I just wanted something to remind me.’

‘Well, I don’t want you to take pictures of me, either naked or dressed. Understood?’

She looked alternately at Erik and the phone screen.

‘You did that in Mölle too. Are you are pervert, or something?’

‘It was a joke. So that you’d get as hysterical as you did in Mölle.’

‘Did I get hysterical?’

‘Yes.’

‘You don’t know what hysterical is. Do you realise what you’re doing? Do you know how bloody invasive that is?’

Erik went over to the sink and filled a glass of water. He gulped it down.

‘You were filming me,’ Anna said, and held up the phone to him as evidence.

She was almost shaking when she tapped her finger on the screen and deleted the file. ‘I was just mucking around,’ Erik said, hurt.

Anna went over to him, handed back the phone and picked up his laptop. She checked his history and looked through his files. He stood beside her, watching.

‘Lucky for you,’ she said, once she’d confirmed that nothing had been downloaded on to the computer.

Erik shook his head.

‘You don’t have a very high opinion of me, do you?’

Anna controlled herself.

‘You can’t just barge in and film me in the shower. Don’t you get that?’

Erik tightened his lips.

‘It was a joke, okay? I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m sorry if I upset you. But it’s not exactly like we don’t know each other.’

‘It is, in fact,’ Anna said. ‘That’s exactly what it is. We don’t know each other at all. And I have to go now.’

She went into the sitting room, gathered up her clothes and threw the towel at him.

The water spilled from his glass as he caught it.

‘How can you say that after everything we’ve done?’

‘Everything we’ve done? We’ve slept together, had sex. That’s nothing, that’s…’

She made a gesture with her hands to show that whatever it was had now gone up in smoke. Erik stared at her.

‘What?’ Anna said.

‘Doesn’t this mean anything to you? Do you really think that I just jump into bed with anyone?’

‘Stop. You’re young, you’re not in a steady relationship, you look the way you do and as far as I’ve understood, earn pretty well too. I assume you take whatever opportunities come your way. And if you don’t, I suggest you change that and do it while you can. We are over. It was you who kissed me, not the other way round. You asked me to your room.’

‘And you came. You weren’t exactly hard to persuade.’

Anna shook her head.

‘Whatever, here and now, it’s over. I have a daughter, a husband, a family. And I don’t intend to risk that for something that isn’t real.’

‘Isn’t real?’

‘We’ve slept together a few times. Don’t make it bigger than it is.’

‘So you think it’s okay for you to fuck around when you feel like it? A bit of a change to spice up a tired sex life at home. A flat stomach, as opposed to Magnus’ belly.’

Anna froze.

‘How do you know what my husband is called?’

‘Ever heard of the internet?’

Anna pulled on her pants and put on her bra with brisk, agitated movements. Erik observed her, slightly superior.

‘I was going to check how old you were,’ he said. ‘On birthday.se. It said that you shared your address with Magnus.’

Anna glared at him.

‘That feels really creepy, you know.’

She pulled her blouse on over her head like a sweater. They hadn’t taken the time to undo the buttons when they ripped off each other’s clothes. She turned her trousers the right way round and put them on, bent down for her socks, put them on standing as the mattress was low and she didn’t want to sit down. She had no intention of staying a second longer than she needed to.

‘So you know where we live?’ she said, and went past him, out into the hall.

‘I wasn’t exactly looking for the information.’

‘Erik,’ she said, as she stepped into her shoes. ‘It was exciting, an adventure. Don’t make this harder than it is.’

She took her jacket down from the hook, looked at him.

‘Promise.’

He was standing poker straight, almost shaking. Anna nodded at the glass in his hand.

‘Careful you don’t spill it.’

He looked down, held his arm out and crushed the glass with his hand. It broke and the water splashed on to the floor. Anna looked at his hand and then up at him. He stood there holding his bleeding hand out in front of him, without taking his eyes from her.

‘Jesus, are you all right?’

She took a step towards him, caught his wrist and led him quickly into the kitchen. She held his hand under the cold water and pulled out two shards that had got caught in his skin, inspected the cut, which filled with blood as soon as his hand left the running water.

‘What happened?’

Erik looked at her without answering, watched her concern and care with fascination. Didn’t pay any attention to his bleeding hand.

‘You’ll need to get a doctor to look at that, you’ll need stitches. Did you do that on purpose?’

He didn’t answer.

‘You need to go to hospital.’

‘It’s not that deep.’

‘Have you got any bandages?’

‘I don’t know.’

She looked around the room, spotted a tea towel, opened it up and saw that it was dirty.

‘There’s clean ones in the cupboard.’

Anna got one out, rinsed his hand under the cold water again. The blood flow wasn’t as intense any more. She squeezed together the edges of the wound.

‘Maybe it’s not so deep after all. Keep your hand under the water. Have you got any disinfectant?’

He shook his head.

‘Alcohol?’

‘No.’

‘All right,’ she said, and turned off the tap.

She dried his hand with kitchen roll and tied the tea towel tight around the wound. She sat him down by the kitchen table.

‘We haven’t talked about work,’ Erik said.

‘No, and I don’t think it’s a good idea that we do.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I don’t think we should work together.’

‘You mean you and me?’

Anna didn’t answer.

‘What am I supposed to do then?’ Erik asked. ‘I have to get this contract. I’m new, I don’t think you understand how important it is. Who am I going to talk to then?’

Anna inspected her hands, which were red with his blood. She went over to the sink and washed them.

‘Email me your questions. I’ll answer. Let’s keep it simple. Okay?’

She looked at him, shook her head with concern.

‘You have to be careful,’ she said. ‘Don’t do things like that. Do you realise that you frightened me?’

He nodded. She stroked his arm.

‘I have to go.’

Anna couldn’t hide the fact that she was in a rush to get out. She hurried down the stairs and Erik stood in the doorway and listened to her footsteps disappear. He went back into the flat, stood by the window, saw her come out of the door and run across the street.

She didn’t even turn round.

Erik went over to the bookshelves and picked up the T-shirt that looked like it had been thrown there by accident, and turned off the web camera that it had been hiding. He got his laptop, stopped the recording and pressed
PLAY
.