“No, I mean the patisserie. Is it really what you want?”
“What do you mean?”
“Has running this place always been your dream? Is this where you saw yourself ten years ago? Or are you doing it for someone else’s sake?” His questions seemed honest, with no hint of cynicism. “Sometimes it sounds as if you’re doing things out of a sense of duty, as if you’re baking for someone else. Is that the case with the patisserie too?”
“This is definitely what I want,” she said, perhaps a little too quickly. “And is this what you want?” she countered. “Baking on TV?” Maybe that would show him how dumb his question was. Of course he wanted to be a celebrity, of course she wanted to run her business.
“I don’t actually know,” he replied to her amazement. He said nothing for a moment. “I want to bake, but I don’t know if I want to do it on TV.” He looked up at the starlit sky. “Or at least not only on TV. The fact is, I’d really love to do something along the lines of what you do. To have my own bakery. That was how our family business started,and I long to bake that way again, to sell what I make and interact with the customers. I’d love to go back to the heart of what we used to do.”
Nora nodded. “Having your own place is fantastic, but at the same time you’re ... vulnerable. As you know, taking part in your show wasn’t my choice. And running the patisserie is hard work. But surely you have every opportunity in the world to open up a place of your own? Why don’t you just do it?” He was in a healthy financial position, with a well-known name and reputation—he’d be able to draw plenty of customers. What was stopping him?
“Actually, I’ve set some plans in motion. I want Eklunds to open a bakery, and I’ve already produced a business plan.”
“How exciting—so what’s the problem?”
“The formalities—getting the board’s approval and so on.”
She still didn’t understand why he didn’t just do it.
“So why not do it yourself, without the family firm?”
He stared at her in silence, as if the idea had never occurred to him. “I ... I think it would make sense to do it within Eklunds somehow, since that was how it all started.” He smiled. “So there’s nothing else you’d rather be doing?”
She sensed he was trying to change the subject. She considered her answer. “I’ve always been interested in politics.”
“Politics?” She had taken him by surprise.
She nodded. “The patisserie means everything to me, and it’s what I want to do, but ... If I hadn’t ended up there, I might have gone into politics, one way or another.”
He narrowed his eyes. “With the Center Party?”
“I have no intention of sharing my political views.” She laughed again. “What are you basing that assumption on?”
“You’re the owner of a small business out in the country.”
“Not exactly out in the country. And maybe I wouldn’t want to work for any party, but instead get a job as a civil servant. I might have studied political science in college. That guy on TV24—Hermansson—hasa dream job analyzing and commenting on politics. Not that I want to become famous,” she added quickly.
“Don’t worry. I know that fame isn’t high on your list of priorities.” He glanced in the direction of the main street. “Do you think your admirer’s left by now?”
“Probably.”
She left her bike propped up against the wall, took a few steps, and peered around the corner of the building. The street was deserted. A bitterly cold wind was blowing up from the harbor, the wet surface of the asphalt had hardened but was not yet frozen, and she suddenly shivered. She went back to Henrik and retrieved her bike.
He walked her to her door. The air was cold and clear, with a hint of woodsmoke from someone’s stove.
“I was wondering if you’d like to join me for a glass of wine tomorrow after filming?” he asked. “I thought it might be nice to meet up and talk about something different.”
Why would he want to do that? Nora was under the impression that he disliked her at least as much as she disliked him.
“It was Elnaz’s idea,” he added. “She felt it would improve our relationship, and I agree. It’s always easier on camera if you get to know each other off camera.”
“Okay.” Nora knew that saying no wasn’t an option, after lying about the reason why she couldn’t have dinner with the team, then making such nasty remarks about him.
“Good. Cool.” He didn’t sound entirely convinced. “Any suggestions as to where we should go?”
“How about Harry’s?”
“Perfect.”
