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“Happy New Year,” I repeat her greeting. “From the look on your face, I’d say you had a lot of fun.”
“We went skiing. A real dream, as always!” She sighs. “Speaking of dreams, what kind of dream car did you just get out of? A truck?” She looks out the glass front doors meaningfully.
At least she doesn’t say anything about the patch on my temple. “It’s a Dodge. More specifically, a RAM pickup.”
“What a huge truck!” Katja’s face takes on a rapturous expression. “The countertop vibrated when he hit the gas!”
“Mmm.”What am I supposed to say?
“Did Kevin give himself a present for Christmas with that vehicle?” Katja wants to know. “Is that why you’re so tight-lipped? It’s crazy expensive.”
“No. Kevin and I broke up.”Whew, this revelation came easier than expected.
“Really? That sucks.” Katja is silent for a moment. Then she furrows her eyebrows. “But… who owns the pickup then?”
With a penetrating look, I try to make her aware of the seriousness of the situation. “Don’t you tell anyone,” I finally confide her. “It’s Mr. Sandtmann’s truck. And he’s one of my clients.”
“Sandtmann?” She tears her eyes open and catches her breath with a gasp. “You mean the one from that hugeDesert Inktattoo parlor on the federal highway N27?”
I tilt my head in a sparse nod, which elicits a delighted squeak from Katja.
“If you know him well enough to bring you here, maybe you could get me an appointment with him—?” Pushing the neckline of her blouse aside a bit so I can make out squiggly writing on her key sheet, she interrupts herself and pulls a surprised face. “Are you… dating him?”
“No.” I pull the corners of my mouth down. Katja surely expects me to show disgust. After all, I’ve made it clear often enough that I don’t like tattoos. “Where did you get that crazy idea? Do you think I…” Before I exaggerate and reveal my acting, I rather break off and blow a loose strand of hair out of my face.
“Sorry…” Katja shrinks into herself like a balloon releasing air. “I… don’t know why I thought that.”
Phew, that hurdle was bypassed. “It’s okay,” I say patronizingly and turn toward the stairs. But I rejoice too soon—my colleague holds me back by the arm.
“But then how did you end up sitting in his truck?”
Crap. Think, Celine! Think! Come up with a plausible explanation!“Oh, I bunked in one of the apartments in the parlor’s building.” I don’t need to reveal to her that Philipp penetratingly refuses to accept the rent due because I am, after all, co-owner of the building and thus his shareholder.
“That’s right, it offered itself!” Katja taps her forehead with the flat of her hand. “How could I forget? After all, you got a commendation from the Mannheim headquarters for this additional use!”
So far, so good…But I can tell by the dangerous glint in Katja’s eyes that her curiosity is not yet satisfied.
“And why did you say he drove you to the office today?”
I didn’t mention that at all… Am I surprised that she wants to lead me up the garden path?I don’t want to tell her that it’s because of Kevin’s revenge action on my car. It’s too embarrassing. “Mycarnoodleis in the garage…” I say, deliberately vaguely.
“Well, that’s nice of your Mr. Sandtmann.” Katja winks at me, and I shrug as casually as possible.
I don’t want her to get the idea that Philipp plays the starring role in my tingling daydreams!
25. To Throw the Baby Out with theBewilderment
Philipp
What is that?
Quiet, suppressed noises penetrate my perception.
In vain, I cling to the dissolving remnants of night sleep that had enveloped me until just now. With my eyes closed, I turn onto my back in bed and listen.
Silence. Nothing.
But just as I’m about to roll back into my sleeping position…There! Again, I hear these… pads?
