Walking Through and Other Stories

by Francine Fleming

  “Interesting. For work I assume?”

  “Somewhat. It's a long story. Other than the dodgy weather it's a great place to live.”

  “If you say so,” she said with a smile.

  “Have you been to London before?”

  “Gosh, it’s been years since I’ve been back. I was there once before with my parents when I was quite young.”

  “Ahh, then you need to see it all over again.”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Well if you have a few days available after your meeting, make sure you visit the London Eye. It’s quite an attraction. The line-ups can be long in the afternoons, so try to get there in the early morning if you do decide to go.”

  “I’m there for five days, so I’ll keep that in mind. Any other suggestions of things to do or see?”

  “If you like parks, Hyde Park is rather nice. Then the usual Tower of London, Big Ben or Buckingham Palace are also good choices.”

  “Thanks for the great information.”

  “You’re more than welcome.”

  “Also, if you get a chance there's a great restaurant on the north side of town called ‘Heleo's.’ They serve a delicious glazed pecan salmon and shrimp dish if you’re into seafood of course.”

  “I'll keep that in mind.” she replied.

  The flight attendant moved through the cabin collecting all the leftover items as they prepared for landing. The captain made his announcement and all passengers strapped themselves in for the final descent.

  They heard the wheels of the aircraft lowering down indicating that the runway was now in sight.

  “It looks like we don't have much time left in the flight. See you made it. It wasn't that bad, was it?”

  “I guess not. I will only say it was a good flight when my feet land back on solid ground,” she quickly replied.

  She put her seat back into the upright position, took her usual pose with her head back into the seat, and hands gripped on the armrest.

  The plane landed without incident and Camille let out a sigh of relief. She searched for some parting words to say to Kyle before they left the plane. After all, even though she initially didn't want to talk, he did help to make the flight more bearable. Clearly, with him being in advertising, it had peaked her interest. As if Kyle could read her mind, he leaned over and thanked her for the good conversation.

  “Maybe someday when you return to London we’ll meet again,” he said with a wink.

  “Maybe, but it’s a long flight from San Francisco. I can’t see me making this trip too often. You though seem like a traveling man. Next time you’re in town, don’t hesitate to look me up.”

  She reached into the side pocket of her purse and handed him a business card. Instantly, this action reminded her of her assertive work persona that she was desperately trying to shed. She watched him peruse the card then slip it into his right front pocket.

  “You can count on that Camille Pryce,” he said.

  She once again watched him assist with her carry-on bag. She thanked him and headed down the aisle to the exit.

  Camille didn't notice him in the baggage area. Perhaps he didn’t have any checked luggage. She spotted her blue and white Vanderbilt suitcase and struggled to pull it off the conveyor belt. Once it plunked on the ground the rest was easy. Thank goodness for the person who invented these roller wheels, she thought as she made her way outside into the fresh spring air.

  As luck would have it, there was Kyle waiting at the taxi stand. He saw her and waved. She waved back while heading in his direction.

  “We meet again,” he said when she approached.

  “Yes, I guess so, I assume this is where the taxi stand is,” she replied stating the obvious.

  “I'm surprised that it's taking so long. Usually, there are tons of taxi's hanging around.”

  “Waiting is becoming the norm these days,” she said.

  “Now that I've seen you again, let me apologize for being so rude.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It occurred to me after you left the plane, that instead of just telling you about the highlights of London, I should have offered to show you around.”

  “Oh no, don't apologize. You don't need to do that. I will be fine.”

  “Actually, it would be my pleasure. Since we are in the same business and all, it would give us something to talk about.”

  She watched as he reached in his right back pants pocket and took out a pen. He ripped off a corner of the piece of paper he was holding and scribbled on it.

  “Here's my cell phone number. I should be free in about two days. That’s Thursday. How about I take you to the London Eye, say around 9 am?”

  “Look, Kyle, I don't want to inconvenience you in any way.”

  “Not at all. I could use a break from work anyway. So, can I expect to hear from you?”

  She took a few seconds to respond.

  “Sure, why not. I'll give you a call to confirm.”

  “Great I look forward to it.”

  They continued to exchange small talk about the industry while waiting. He asked her about her pitch for the account. She told him a few things she was working on for her presentation. She added the fact that she had heard the owner, Walter Carnegie, was tough to work with. He gave her a few pointers.

  “Mr. Carnegie is a crusty one. I’ve had a meeting or two with him before. You have to look him straight in the eye when you're talking. If you lose eye contact with him he thinks you're too weak.”

  “Thanks for the heads up.”

  “My pleasure. I see a taxi coming now. You might as well take it. I can wait for the next one.”

  “You're a gentleman.”

  “See you Thursday. Call me, and by the way, I love the colour of your sweater. It suits you,” was the last thing she heard as she got into the cab.

  ***

  Camille’s days in London passed quickly. It was Wednesday and her advertising presentation was over. She could relax a bit and take in some of the sites. With only three days left, she was looking forward to having Kyle take her around. Even though going out with him for the day was breaking her rule of avoiding men for at least a year. He was easy on the eyes and nothing would become of it so why not? She knew that once she left London everything would go back to the way it was, which was just fine with her. Or so she kept on telling herself.

  She searched the bottom of her purse until she found the paper with his number on it. She carefully read the instructions for making local calls on the phone beside the bed. Looking at the paper again, she dialed the number. After the fourth ring, it went to voicemail.

  “Hi Kyle, it's me Camille, thanks again for offering to show me around. I'll be out and about for a bit. Although I don't use it much overseas, it's best that you reach me on my cell phone at the following number to confirm for Thursday. Bye.” She reflected on the fact that she reeled off her number pretty fast when she left the message, but she was not going to call again to repeat it.

  It felt a little strange calling a man she didn't know. But in reality, it would be nice to tour around with someone who knew the area. Not that she couldn't enjoy seeing the sights that London had to offer. She was kind of a loner, so doing things by herself was nothing new. Her friends were few and close ones almost didn’t exist. Other than Lisa and Claudine, distant friends from high school, and her sister Judy, she truly wasn’t that close to anyone.

  Camille decided to go to see Covent Gardens. So much had changed since she was last there eighteen years ago. Her father took the family to London on the only trip they went on together. She remembered how big her eyes got when she was ten, as she walked into the National Art Gallery and saw the paintings and artist names she had heard about in school. Now even as an adult she still marveled at the works of art she spent the time perusing.

  She ventured next to Somerset House which was a place she had read about on the internet before she left San Francisco. It truly lived up to its name. What a beaut
iful place it was. She loved the arts and music which this place is known for. She saw a spare spot on a bench and sat down to relax. It was her opportunity to soak in the sights and sounds. Camille watched as the fountains danced in the courtyard to an array of coloured lights. Who would have ever thought that water could be so enchanting? She took the casual tan leather Clarks shoe off her right foot and rubbed it to soothe the dull ache she felt. It momentarily kept her mind off what was bothering her.

  She checked her phone every half hour throughout the day to see if he called. Even though her phone would ping if a call came in, she looked at it anyway. As she travelled back to her hotel, she recalled the conversation they had about him taking her around. Then she reflected on the message she had left for him. Was she clear enough; did she speak too fast or did she sound too desperate?

  When it got to ten o'clock that evening she grew concerned. The day had come and gone with no response from Kyle. Out of sheer pride, she refused to call him to find out what happened. Hurt, she decided to leave well enough alone.

  Camille got up in the morning saddened that he never called. She checked her phone just in case she missed the call. Nope, no such luck.

  She decided to go to the London Eye anyway as it was something she wanted to see. She put on her favourite True Religion jeans, which fit rather snug. Then she finished off the look with a thin purple hooded sweater, followed by a light gray scarf.

  She took a taxi to the location still wondering why he didn't return her call. All she could think of was that he was married and couldn't get away, or he might just have changed his mind. Either thought wasn't good. But now he had confirmed what she already knew. Men were just jerks.

  The night before she was to head back home was the advertising gala event. They were going to announce which company won the account. She felt her pitch to Carnegies and partners had gone well. She had her fingers crossed that Inco would be victorious.

  Camille's teal blue low back fit and flare dress hung beautifully as she spun around viewing her curvy five-foot-six frame in the mirror. She rechecked her hair, which was slicked back and pulled into a bun. Then finished off her look by applying black mascara and natural toned lipstick. Her silver sling-back shoes seemed like the perfect complement to the dress. She slipped her feet inside and walked to the window. “Yep, these are comfortable enough,” she uttered. Purse and light beige jacket in hand, she left the room for the awaiting taxi.

  She arrived late, missing the cocktail hour. A traffic jam caused her to get there just as everyone was entering the ballroom. She quickly found her seat and sat down. The room was buzzing with people affiliated with the advertising industry in some way. Her eyes scouted the room taking in the ambiance of the blue and silver decor. There were even blue and silver trimmed charger plates on the table to match the tablecloth. She was no event planner, but she knew that to get these items to match so perfectly must have taken a lot of time and been fairly costly.

  Her mind ran quickly to Kyle, as he had mentioned he was in advertising. She wondered if he was at the event. Even if he was, would she say anything about the cancelled date? Probably not, after all, he owed her nothing.

  “Which agency are you with?” the rather plump lady to her right asked.

  “Oh I'm with Inco advertising in San Francisco, how about you?”

  “Boy, you've come a long way for this. I'm with Parnell of London.”

  “Wow, this place is lovely, it must have cost a pretty penny to put it all together.”

  “Yes, I'm sure. But if you know this company well then you know they have deep pockets. Hence the competition they run every other year for their business.”

  “Oh, I see,” Camille replied just as the food service had started.

  Over the next hour, the meal service was uneventful. Small talk was exchanged between everyone at the table, but of course, the buzz was about which company was going to pick up the big prize of the night.

  The lights dimmed in the room and music played as Mr. Carnegie, a balding well-dressed man about sixtyish, in a navy-blue suit, took the stage. The room hushed to hear him speak. His speech about his organization’s success seemed to go on forever. Camille wanted to go to the bathroom but didn't want to leave while he was talking.

  Then the moment they were all waiting for arrived.

  “Now, I am going to announce the winning company who secured our account and will be managing it for the next two years,” the man bellowed into the microphone.

  A pin drop could be heard in the room as everyone waited nervously to see if their company was named.

  Camille had her fingers crossed under the table. She said a private, pick me pick me, willing him to call her company’s name.

  “And the company winning the account belongs to ‘Lancamp Advertising’. Would they please come up to the stage and join me?”

  Camille clapped weakly and showed a fake smile in defeat.

  “Oh well, I was hoping it was going to be us, but I guess we'll have to try again another time,” the lady beside her said.

  “Yes, me too,” Camille replied through her clenched jaw and tight teeth.

  She picked up the glass of champagne and took a drink. Disappointed by the loss not only for herself but of course for the firm. After all, she was sent there to secure the account, which she failed to do.

  When the clapping died down, she focused on the winners on stage. To her surprise, there stood Kyle. Her eyes grew large as she gasped inwardly. Is this some sort of cruel joke?

  Her head went all fuzzy. She lifted her right hand to the side of her face. This can't be happening. Kyle works for the company that won.

  Just then Kyle took the microphone. She had no choice but to listen.

  “Wow, I am truly surprised, but thank you, Mr. Carnegie, for this award. My company and I assure you that we will take your business to new heights.”

  Camille couldn't believe it. She was in shock. Waiting until they came down off stage, she politely excused herself and headed to the bathroom.

  No wonder he didn't want to face her. Who knows, he probably took some of the idea's she mentioned to him and used them to secure the account. There was no way she was going back into that room. They might run into each other and she would not be able to control her slow burn.

  She retrieved her jacket, looked towards the exit and headed straight out. She took the first cab available back to the hotel and packed for her flight the next day. She cursed the day she met Kyle, as it was obvious now that he was nothing but trouble.

  Camille sat in the same pre-blocked seat and continued to sulk the entire plane ride home. A blonde haired elderly lady traveling with a small child who kept referring to her as nana, occupied the seat that had been Kyle's. Every time she looked over to the seat that was his, she got a little more enraged.

  The long journey home, plus buzzing thoughts about Kyle, produced another slight headache that made her arrival at the small one bedroom apartment seem like paradise.

  She hauled her bag into the bedroom, dumped it in the closet and proceeded to flop onto her bed. After a few minutes, she slid herself off the bed and headed into the bathroom for a shower. As the warm water pelted down, her arms felt heavy and she barely had the strength to scrub herself. Drying off quickly, she slipped on her pyjamas and headed straight for bed. She was feeling the effects of the time change taking its toll on her. “Welcome home,” she whimpered then promptly fell into a deep sleep.

  ***

  “Good morning Ellis,” Camille said when she arrived at the office.

  “Welcome back,” he replied.

  “Thanks even though we didn’t land the account.”

  “There will be others. Besides win or lose, you’re good at what you do,” he added while stroking what was left of his thinning silver hair. “That brings me to an important point. How about joining me at ‘Addies’ for lunch today, there is some valuable business I’d like to discuss with you.”

  “Sure. Wh
at time?”

  “Around noon. I’m meeting a client earlier so we might as well just meet there.”

  “Great. See you there.”

  While working intensely on a new account, time flew. Before she knew it, she was rushing out of her office to meet Ellis. When she arrived, he was already seated.

  She walked gracefully behind the hostess who was taking her to the table that had been reserved. Ellis stood up, pulled out her seat, then assisted with pushing it in when she sat down. A waitress came by within minutes to take their drink order.

  “Ellis, you seemed quite serious when you invited me out for lunch. Is there something going on with the company that concerns me?” She held her breath as she awaited his response.

  “First of all, I wanted to thank you again for going after the account and working so hard on it. Yes, we lost out on this one, but there will always be other accounts that we will get.”

  “Yes, I know but this one hurts. I worked my butt off to land it,” she expressed.

  “Hey, you win some you lose some, that's how the world works. Anyway, it might not matter as much to you in a few moments.”

  Fidgeting with the napkin situated perfectly on the plate, Camille gently fanned it out and placed it on her lap. “Oh, so that means there is something up. Out with it Ellis. You know I hate waiting to hear things at the last minute.”

  “I guess it really doesn’t matter when I tell you this so here it goes.”

  As he was about to start, the waitress came by with their beverages. She placed the glass of Merlot red wine in front of Ellis and the Martini beside Camille. Ellis politely informed her that the drinks were mixed up and she carefully changed them around. He then took up the glass indicating for Camille to do the same. “Cheers to bigger and better things.” Their glasses clinked and they both took a sip.

  “Camille, we’ve been working together now for almost three years and I must say your work is exceptional.”

  “Why thank you, Ellis. It’s nice to hear that my work is appreciated.”

  “Look, I know a few of our competitors have approached you about working for them and I am honoured to know that your loyalties are with Inco.”