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“It felt way too good,” I reply, averting my eyes.Way, way, way too good!“But… it’ll lessen in time. This is nothing but a silly, little-girl infatuation. Yes, don’t look like this, Pauline. I’ve spoken it out. It’s embarrassing: I’m slobbering over a guy who doesn’t waste a millisecond of his thoughts on me.”
Pauline looks at me profoundly and purses her lips—but instead of acknowledging me, she just drinks from her coffee.
I take a deep breath. “But don’t they say admitting you have a problem is the first step?” My cappuccino has cooled to drinking temperature by now, too, and I down half of it in one go. “His counseling is complete. Admittedly, I still send him a real estate offer now and then Horst came up with… But soon, once he’s taken hold, we’ll never see each other again.”
“Do you need a Kleenex?” Pauline holds the box out to me. “Or can you just hold back the tears of your disappointment?”
“Oh, shut it!” I laugh and slap the box with my hand.
“I like you better like this!” Pauline smirks and sets the Kleenex box back down on the counter. “And, why can’t you see each other again? Don’t be so lar-chi-mose-ly!”
Pauline’s pernicious penchant for pretentious vocabulary…It’s lachrimosely, is on the tip of my tongue.And why don’t you just saytheatricalorsentimental?But as usual, her little quirk has successfully made me aware of my own faults. “Thank you,” I say, squeezing her hand.
“But that’s the way things are.” Pauline winks at me. “Mosbach is such a backwater, even if you wanted to, you’d be tripping over him all the time. You’re not royal children in castles miles apart…”
“Well, I didn’t cross his path before my embarrassing run-in, either,” I point out. “And it’s just as well if it were to happen again. I’m sure it won’t be long before I’ll have forgotten all about him!”Yep! I just have to decide hard enough to do. And to override the angry cry of protest in my chest…“But now… Which is actually what I came for: The baby clothes we want to give to the employee…?”
“…wrapped up ready to go…” Pauline fetches a voluminous carrier bag from the storage room and lets me look inside. “I hope the wrapping paper meets your expectations?”
“Perfect, as always…” I praise her and take out the envelope with the money collected by Ms. Walter. “So, what do I owe you?”
“120 euros.” Pauline takes the bills and sorts them into the compartments of her cash drawer. “Can you hear how hungrily the register gobbles it up?” she asks, smirking at me. “After the loss the other day, it craves every bit of cash…”
“What loss?” Irritated, I look around. “Has there been a break-in? Or was there some major shoplifting?”
“No, thankfully not that!” Pauline rolls her carefully accented eyes. “But wait… I’ll just show you…” Again, she disappears to the back, comes back in seconds—and presents me with the red coat.
My heart, pining for Philipp a moment ago, instantly switches. I catch myself making a delighted squeal. “The coat!”
“Yes, the coat,” Pauline retorts, “The one I can’t sell anymore! Complete loss!” Full of verve, she swings it onto the counter. “There, take a look!”
I do—and can’t see anything. “Yeah?”
“Here!” Pauline’s rainbow fingernail points to the lapel. “Makeup!”
I bend over the coat, scanning the fabric. “Where? There’s nothing there.”
“Don’t you see it?” Pauline snorts. “Is your infatuation making you blind now, too? Here!” Like a hungry woodpecker, her finger hammers at the fabric. “Rouge! A big, fat stain! According to dry cleaners, it can only be removed by special treatment—which exceeds the book value of the merchandise. A total loss!”
Although I still don’t see anything, I nod to be on the safe side. “So, what are you going to do with the coat?” Quite without my permission, my hand strokes the fabric, which feels tantalizingly soft under my fingers.
“What do you think?” Pauline bends down, retrieves a trash bag from a drawer, and shakes it open. “I’ll put it in the trash can!”
“No!” I fall into her hand as she tries to stuff the coat in. “You can’t do that!”
“Dear Celine…” Frowning, she looks at me. “Not only can I, but I also have to. Which one of us studied business administration?”
“I couldn’t care less!” I find myself literally hissing. “You’re not throwing away this coat. Instead…” Quickly, I dig out my wallet. “…you’re selling it to me!” As soon as I say that, I feel sick to my stomach.Hopefully, she doesn’t want the entire 160 euros for it, with which the coat was marked the other day. But no matter: I have to get it!
“You want to buy this… garbage?” Pauline shrugs. Her expression is virtually one of disgust. Then she shakes her head. “Well, you have to know. Ninety euros.”
Wow, the amount came out of her mouth like a cannon shot… Since when has Pauline been able to calculate so quickly? On the other hand,… Why am I racking my brain?The sum is exactly what my budget allows. And I’m even more smitten with this coat than I am with the immensely dangerous outlaw.“Bought!” Full force, I shove the card across to her.
“The establishment thanks you.” Pauline’s fingernails click on the cash register’s keypad, and with routine motions, she feeds the card reader my plastic rectangle. “Do you want me to wrap it for you, or are you going to put it on now?”
What do you think?“I’ll put it on right away—” The ringing of my cell phone cuts in on me. I raise my hand in an apologetic gesture and answer it immediately because the display showsPhilipp… “Hello,” I say as neutrally as possible. “What’s up? Did you take a look at the offer I made you—”
“Sorry to interrupt,” he cuts me off. “Do you have time? Now?” His heavy breathing comes from the line. “I’ve been made an offer. I need your professional assessment. Now.”
