“I’m about to have one less friend if you don’t watch yourself,” yelled David from the other side of the bar while cradling his glass of beer.
Liam handed the beer over to Frederich, who took his first sip.
“Hope it suits your German taste?”
“It’s great,” replied Frederich.
“Glad to hear,” said Liam.
Frederich remained at the bar sipping his beer and eating his peanuts while Liam disappeared out back. Frederich and David exchanged the odd glance, but neither of them spoke. A group of three guys in t-shirts and jeans sat in the corner on the other side of the pub chatting and randomly breaking out into laughter. Frederich spent the time inspecting the place more closely. It had seen better days. Years of rough use had left marks and scratches all over the tables. The carpet was heavily worn in places, revealing the concrete beneath. One large section was charred-out, probably from an accidental fire. Frederich was thinking about going to the bathroom before Liam returned with a cask of beer.
“So how long have you had this place?” asked Frederich.
“Too long,” said Liam, placing the cask on the floor in the corner. “Since before you were born.”
Frederich nodded approvingly.
“You must have seen a lot in that time.”
“Oh, yes,” said Liam. “We get some interesting people coming in here.”
“Is that right?”
“He means interesting criminals,” yelled David from his position.
“Don’t talk about yourself that way, Dave,” yelled back Liam with a turn of the head before bringing his attention back to Frederich. “Things get rowdy in here during the evenings.”
“I like rowdy,” said Frederich.
“I don’t think it’s for you, no disrespect,” said Liam. “Our customers don’t play nicely with outsiders. You’re better off just coming during the day. Like David.”
“That’s right, kiddo,” said David. “Enjoy yourself a quiet beer then go home.”
“These must be some serious guys,” said Frederich.
“Oh, yes,” said Liam. “But they usually keep the trouble outside, which is lucky for me.”
“When do they come?” asked Frederich. “So I know when I shouldn’t be here.”
“Usually after 9.”
“Good to know,” said Frederich.
“Don’t let it sour your visit, though,” said Liam. “These guys are the exception, not the rule.”
“I’m a big fan of this city,” said Frederich. “Good beer, good people.” He finished his glass off and stood up. “Thanks.”
“Oh look, now you scared him off,” yelled out David.
Frederich dropped a ten-pound note on the bar.
“I’ll see you next time,” he said. “Early, of course.”
Liam took the note and gave Frederich his change.
“Pleasure,” he said with a straight face. “Catch you next time.”
Frederich took a final look around then left the bar, feeling satisfied and ready to find a motel he could nap in. Nice guys, he thought as he walked down the street — and incredibly helpful.
Ida bit on her nails while standing in the queue at Tegel Airport, eagerly awaiting her flight to Paris. She adjusted her shirt for the hundredth time, making sure she had it evenly tucked into her trousers. She ran through the details of Tina’s email in her head, including their upcoming meeting and the cocktail party. Cocktail party. Hearing those words from Tina gave Ida a wonderful feeling. Ida loved nothing more than a reason to dress up, a chance she barely got in a city like Berlin. It numbed her mind even to imagine attending such an event with someone linked to the major fashion labels. She pictured all the beautiful, immaculately dressed women who would be there with their long legs and curvy bodies. She cursed herself for only packing her blue dress. She also had a short, strapless red dress, but she had not wanted to stand out too much. It would have been smarter to pack both and decide which one to wear when she got to the hotel. There had been no time to think of such things. Her mind overran with frantic thoughts from the moment she called Tina that evening. Before she knew it, she had cancelled her work shifts at the cafe and agreed to a next day flight. The email came through an hour later; accommodation at a five-star hotel near the Champs-Élysées, a meeting the following morning in the business district, after which there would be a rooftop party that evening.
The argument with Chi crossed Ida’s mind but she quickly pushed the thought away. The tight spaces and bland architecture at Tegel Airport made her even more impatient to get in the air. The queue eventually got moving and she reached the counter, presenting her phone to the scanner to have her boarding pass approved. The light on the device turned green, and the hostess smiled politely and thanked her. Any doubts Ida had that the whole thing was a joke were dispelled with the validation of her ticket. She still had her feet firmly on the ground in Berlin, far away from the bustle of Paris. The moment she crossed that barrier, she would be in new territory, and that terrified her. It was also exhilarating. Her stomach was doing funny things, churning and rolling around without her permission. The inside of her chest was ready to burst out and board the plane without her. She smiled with wide-eyes at the hostess and walked through, tucking her phone into her pocket. Outside on the tarmac it was already dark, with the jet patiently waiting to receive passengers and leave. I’m not ready for this, she thought, then told herself that life did not care about readiness. Things like parenthood, new careers, travelling to the other side of the world — who was ever ready for such things? She had to embrace the point of no return. She was heading to Paris to pursue the next phase of her dreams, and she was determined to make the most of it. She marched forward and slowly entered the plane behind the rest of the people, putting her bag in the overhead compartment and buckling up before resuming biting
