The Simple Reality

The Candidate

"This is getting useless," grumbled the man, lifting his glasses a little bit higher on his nose.

"I think it's going quite alright for the pace we are going," Klara reassured him, sitting at the couch beside him and pulling her notebook towards her from the coffee table. She crossed off the last name she had written down on the list, a rather small list. There were only five names and none of the five names had proven to be the right ones for what they were looking for. Either Agnetha was not impressed, Björn was not comfortable, or the ones contacted could not make the commitment.

Agnetha flipped through the packet, a report of names, pictures, and details that shared to them age and occupation for a rough idea. Some appeared fitting but it hadn't worked out. The list was becoming narrower and so was the date of the premiere. Even having been able to get it pushed back until the 12th of July, they still had to find the right person for the role and mentally prepare that person for what they'll sign up to.

"We've gone through the list," Agnetha agreed with Björn. "What happens if we don't find anyone?"

"We've really only just begun. Björn," she turned to him. "Anyone you can think of? Anyone in your circle? What about from Slottsholmen?" He had thought of someone as she said that, someone who would make an ideal candidate, until he had seen Agnetha's eyes and he read her. How did she detect that already?

"No," Agnetha immediately answered.

There was nothing wrong with the woman. Just the fact that Björn had made the mistake of having his attention to her for too long and the bright lady's hand held him in a way Agnetha hadn't enjoyed seeing. He wouldn't forget that day in Västervik and he surely did not want to relive it. Agnetha had stretched her neck and thought for a moment, listening to Klara and Björn.

"What about someone from Voyage?"

"Who?" he wondered.

"It was such a large project, we saw different people every day. There could be someone from there." He winced. Conversations went on back and forth. Going to different connections, putting down different names onto their list. And then Agnetha had gone back to another thought. "What about the one from the after party?"

"Who, Agnetha?"

"You were talking to her. You tell me," she laughed. Björn frowned as he pondered who he even spoke to that night.

"No."

"Do you even know who I am talking about?"

"Yes," he answered, "The one editor, her name is Sandra... Sandy, or Cindy maybe. Long, brown hair—"

"That's not even who I was talking about," she laughed, and looked at Klara who was rather fascinated by the development of their thoughts. "Curly blonde hair," Agnetha recalled, trying to help him. "I think. Björn, you know who I'm talking about," she said, hoping he'd just remember. Somehow it worked. He stared blankly until it clicked.

"Oh," it struck him. "Christina. She's with the short curly hair. She's with Universal... She..." He was stumped, and tilted his head, thinking of the possibility. "No."

"Why not?"

"No," he began to stutter words awkwardly. "Just no. No, because I don't see it." His face went grim and he shook his head. "Besides there are possibilities I'll actually have to work with her in the future. That would make things... awkward."

"No," Klara encouraged. "That works better, I'd say. It's more of a win-win. You don't have to go out of your way to be seen together." She paused to see if either of them had picked up on what she was saying. "Because you will be seen together anyway. You know it as work partners, they see it as 'These two fell in love on the job'." His silence was loud. He wasn't rejecting it, but he wasn't jumping into it either. Agnetha was sold on at least just asking. They have to find someone somehow.