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Chapter 42
Gerda's emails were clearly listed on the screen nestling like sleeping snakes in their own directory. My mouse pointer hovered above the first one.
Did I want to know what was inside? Perhaps Gerda could see her relationship with Bruno as a piece of psychological fieldwork but to me he was a dangerous adversary who may have already killed once and who could do nothing but harm to my friend.
But Jennifer had been right when she had said but nothing was sorted out by running away so I clicked and read.
Hi Barry
This is the report of my fieldwork and relationship with Bruno. You may use it in whatever way you consider most appropriate if, for any reason, you become unable to contact me within a reasonable length of time. (Sorry about that but I thought you might need something a bit legal just in case!)
Our day out together shopping was really exciting. It's amazing how easy it is to get used to poverty and to stop enjoying buying things. They say that students earn more wealth in their lifetimes than people who do not study.
My view is that while they are students they forget how to spend the money they later receive so it accumulates and they just appear to be richer. Anyway, with Bruno paying the bills, I rediscovered a fine art of shopping during the day and in the evening that followed I learned a lot more about Bruno which I've detailed below:
I said before that Bruno was a gentleman on our first evening together. He was no less a gentleman when we returned to his house after our shopping spree. His organization was immaculate, as always, and a table was already laid ready for us to eat. The food had already prepared and he was able to put on the table within half-an-hour of us getting back to his place.
While he was being chef, I tried the clothes on again and then wore the ones I liked best during our meal. This meant that I had a chance to look round his house or rather the part of his house that he lives in which is the first thing that seems a bit strange.
The house that Bruno lives in is immense and on a busy road leading out of London in the direction of Heathrow Airport. But Bruno only lives in a small part of it where he has made a sort of maisonnette consisting of two bedrooms upstairs and two living rooms downstairs.
It's very modern but lacks any comfortable frills. The maisonette is at the end of a much larger house that appears to be completely unoccupied. Bruno said his parents used to live there but, when they died, he didn't need the extra space. Apparently, he only goes in there occasionally to give it a clean. I said I'd like to see it but he didn't seem too interested. The impression I got was that the rest of the property occupies a special place in his mind but I'll need time to work on that.
The meal was great, as I said before he's a great cook giving meticulous attention to detail so the wine went perfectly with the food. By the end, I was definitely a bit tiddly and in a very good humor and he seemed to be enjoying himself although it is quite difficult to tell. He has a special characteristic worthy of mention. He doesn't ever seem to smile unless he's thinking about it. In other words, he knows people must smile to be accepted but has to remember to do it rather than it coming naturally. His face is therefore set most of the time in a very stony expression.
When we had finished the meal, he moved over to sit on his sofa and I thought
"Here's it comes; now we get down to some physical stuff!"
Normally, he wouldn't entirely be my cup of tea. He's a bit old and a not terribly lively. But I was feeling warm and the meal was tasty and the wine very drinkable so a little bit of a cuddle didn't hold too many horrors for me. But I'd got it wrong and he had other plans.
"It's been a lovely day, my dear," he said, rather formally. "There is one thing that would make it complete for me and I understand you may find it this distasteful but if you would do it for me, it would please me very much."
The way he said it was so precise. It was as if he was negotiating a position. For a moment, it made my blood run cold and I wondered what awful thing he might want from me. His face was typically completely expressionless although his breath was quickening. I stood besides the dining table suddenly feeling like a trapped bird unable to take flight. I couldn't have been more surprised at what he said next.
"It would please me greatly, my dear, if you were to dance for me in your new clothes like you did at Smokey's the day I first saw you. You look so nice wearing them and it has been such a pleasure to be with you here this evening. It really would make my day complete."
"It's a bit difficult," I said, "without the music."
But of course he had already thought of that.
He reached over and picked up a remote control, pressed a button and the room was filled with my very own symphony orchestra which was playing my very own dance music for my very own audience who was sitting there with no expression on his face and waiting for me to do his very own floor show.
I've got to rush now. I'll tell you what happened in my next email.
Love Gerda
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