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I put on a smirk, and wink at him.Chicks, I form tonelessly with my lips and roll my eyes.
He waves it off with a laugh. “You don’t have to tell me that…”
Strange, though, that later in the tattoo compartment, while I’m shaving his lusciously hairy back, an elf-like girl’s body keeps appearing before my eyes instead of the beefy grumbler. I have to inhale the smell of the skin disinfectant deeply several times. This clears my head so I can transfer the matrix with the template precisely into the gap between the existing tattoos.
4. To Wear Sackcloth andAsterisk
Celine
I enjoy the relaxed atmosphere at lunch, particularly because my efforts seem to have made an excellent impression on the team.
From my boss, according to colleagues who have been working here for some time, silence is usually praised enough. Today, however, speaking of me, Mr. Bretschneider used the termdiligent.
I enter my office, positively elated by the unexpected appreciation. I hang my coat on the coat rack next to the door and turn to the view of the old town offered by the wide window front. Then my gaze lingers on theChic & Gracebag on a chair in the seating area.Has Philipp—Mr. Sandtmann, I call myself to order—forgotten his new turtleneck?
A glance inside proves this is not the case: The bag doesn’t smell like brand-new clothing. Instead, I recognize a wild mixture of my sports detergent, an exotic floral blend—and the tangy male scent that Mr. Sandtmann calls his own.
With an almost hysterical laugh, I tear myself away. Did I really just catch myself inhaling this potpourri?
Unbelievable!I stuff the carrier bag next to Mr. Sandtmann’s stained turtleneck into my bottom desk drawer. Then I turn on the monitor and call the computer out of its doze.
Well, that’s it.A few hours later, I lean back in my office chair and stretch my tense neck muscles. Looking through the window, I notice that twilight is already descending over the roofs of the old town. With an unpleasant squeeze in my stomach, I think of the unfinished items on my to-do list I still have to check off today: Paying for the turtleneck in Pauline’s shop, filling my prescription for the pill, and shopping at the discount store on the way home.Why didn’t I take care of the first two items during my lunch break? Why did I sit down with my colleagues for a double espresso instead?
Kevin can’t stand it when he has to wait for dinner.
But he has to today. I sigh softly and send him a text message about why I’m running late. After all, I couldn’t get away earlier. I shouldn’t skip the Tuesday conference call about internal and superfluous agenda items during my probationary period.
If nothing else comes up, I’ll finally be able to do it by the end of the quarter. And after Mr. Bretschneider’s praise, I can dare to speculate on that.
I shut down the computer, switch off the display, and tidy up my desk. I take the tote bag out of the drawer and stuff Mr. Sandtmann’s turtleneck sweater with the long-dried latte stain next to my sports top. I have to smuggle it into the laundry somehow, too, without Kevin noticing. Since today is the 13th, I just cheekily hope he’s unlucky and gets held up at the office himself. With renewed energy, I slip my short coat off the hanger. I put it on and turn off the office light before stepping out into the hallway.
On the forecourt of the building, I’m waiting for a gap in the heavy traffic on Upper Mill Lane when the cell phone deep in my coat pocket starts humming. I quickly rush over behind a rattling scooter and pull out the cell phone on the other side of the street.
Good thing you messaged me.Dancing dots in a speech bubble indicate that Kevin is composing another message.
With the cell phone in my hand, I take the shortcut across the parking deck to get toChic & Graceby the quickest route.
Although Pauline’s workplace is hidden in the maze of winding old town alleys, the shop attracts any number of customers. Word of the selection and courteous service has spread far, and it’s especially busy in the evenings.
Hopefully, I’ll catch Pauline at the busiest possible moment. I don’t feel like being grilled by her about Mr. Sandtmann after the embarrassing remark about hisAdonis-like astral bodyslipped out of my mouth.
Another buzzing of the cell phone snaps me out of my musings.
I’m on my way, I read.I’ll Come home in the morning, if at all.
A last-minute business trip?His boss faced him with this kind of thing many times… I push away the hint of annoyance at Kevin’s boss. Instead, I decide to be happy that my boyfriend can’t be upset about my lateness.
Put some fresh clothes in the bathroom so I can get off to a flying start right after my shower tomorrow.
OK,I type.Where are you?In my mind, I run through the possibilities: Hamburg is too far for a one-day trip, and Berlin is too.Maybe Cologne or Munich?
Kevin gets around a lot in his job. But in his late thirties, he’s already climbed the career ladder his colleagues in their mid-fifties are still struggling to reach.
At Pascal’s, of course, appears on the display.He has signed up for a trial streaming subscription. Tonight we’ll watch TV series till one drops.
My sympathy for Kevin turns to disappointment.That’s not what we agreed on, I type, but then don’t send the message. Pascal’s girlfriend had come up with the idea of the four of us having a couples’ evening next weekend. We wanted to test the streaming service altogether.
Kevin had not been particularly enthusiastic about her suggestion right away.You do realize we’ll have to watch a lot of tearjerkers and vampire romances,he had nagged like a whiny little kid.
