Nane looked up as Tesla pushed through the door to Dieter and Anke’s smoky apartment, carrying the wine and soda Nane had asked her to run back to the apartment to get. “You better be a law-abiding citizen,” she said with a laugh.
Tesla froze mid-step, causing Nane to laugh even harder at the mixture of confusion and surprise on her face. “What do you mean?” she asked.
“They’re now checking those entering the U.S. for outstanding court warrants,” Dieter said from the couch he sat on next to his wife.
“Oh,” Tesla said, placing the beverage bottles down on the coffee table by the couch and focusing her eyes on the TV. Never was she more frustrated by the fact that she didn’t know much German.
“Thank you, dear,” Nane said, reaching from her plush chair for the bottle of wine to fill her glass. “Help yourselves if you’d like.”
“I’ll pass for now,” Anke said softly. The frail, mousy-looking woman was shy and quiet and didn’t speak very often.
Nane eyed Tesla out of the corner of her eye and wondered if she was imagining the look of concern that had come over the girl’s face. Setting her wine glass down, she pulled Tesla onto her lap and kissed her long and loud on the cheek.
Tesla smiled.
“I know it’s only been two days, but have you thought about it?” she whispered in her ear.
Tesla smiled and then nodded and yawned.
“Sleepy, eh?”
Tesla nodded and yawned again. “Tonight’s show was very draining for some reason.”
“We’ll go home after the news.”
“Mind if I go now?” asked Tesla. “I really wouldn’t mind airing out my intolerant lungs anyway.”
“Sure, sure,” said Nane, releasing her grip on Tesla. “Just zip across, unlock the door, then dash back with the keys, ok?”
“Sure thing,” Tesla said, and then she said goodnight to Dieter and Anke.
She jumped across the hall, unlocked the door, then ran the keys back to Nane, who told her to remember to lock the door behind her.
“I will,” said Tesla, inhaling deeply once she escaped the smokiness of their friend’s apartment.
I wish they’d make it a first-class felony to smoke indoors no matter where it’s at, she thought to herself.
She undressed, brushed her teeth, and slid into bed. Then the news broadcast seeped into her mind. She’d have to research it more online the following day, but if it were true that they were checking for warrants upon arriving at the airport, then there was no way she could return to the U.S. She not only didn’t want to face the jail time that would inevitably follow if she were brought to court on what she’d been charged with, but the embarrassment of being arrested in front of the rest of the crew would be the ultimate humiliation—even though she wasn’t exactly friends with any of the boring and sometimes stuck-up members. She would probably lose her job as well.
The stress of having to explain to her aunt that she wanted to stay in Germany—and the chances she would be taking in doing so—suddenly seemed overwhelming to her. But it was better than going home and straight to jail, wasn’t it?
Determined to take the new policy as a sign that remaining in Germany was meant to be and could be a good thing in the long run, she willed herself to relax as she lay in the quiet darkness, awaiting Nane’s return.
She was just drifting off when she heard the creaking of the apartment door. Then she heard it click shut as Nane slid the deadbolt in place. Nane was moving about in the living room and bathroom before she entered the bedroom a few minutes later.
“You up?” Nane whispered.
“Mhm, barely,” said Tesla.
“May I turn on the light a moment?”
“Sure.”
Tesla covered her eyes as the room burst into light, determined not to inform Nane of her decision just yet. To do so might seem like a bit of a coincidence, right after learning of the new policy in dealing with incoming travelers to the U.S.
But Nane brought it up instead as she undressed. “I know you’re exhausted and that you work such long hours, and I don’t mean to seem pushy, but you nodded earlier when we were across the hall after I asked you a certain question.”
“I know I did.”
“So you have thought about it?”
“I sure have. I’m sorry we haven’t had more time together to discuss it, but yes, the more I think about it, the more the idea of staying here appeals to me.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Nane exclaimed, turning the light off and slipping into bed beside her. “Oh, I’m so excited and happy to hear you’ve chosen to stay with me.”
“Me too, but it’s such a big move.”
“Oh, I know it is, sweetie, but you won’t be alone.”
“The only problem is finding the time to talk about it,” Tesla said. “You’re at work before I go to work, then when I get home, we’re both pretty beat. Damn the long hours of show business.”
Nane laughed and said, “Too bad you can’t quit early.”
“Yeah, it is. But I’m obligated till the end. There’s no one to replace me with for the show’s last few nights, especially as one of the lead performers. If I had a bit part, I could probably weasel my way out of it, but not as one of the leads.”
“You’re very good,” Nane said. “I can see why they made you a lead. But I can also see where it would be very hard and tiring for a person. No wonder you make so much money and get so much time off.”
“Just two more days, though. I’ll let them know tomorrow that they’ll be going back to the States with one less crew member. Then I’ll give my aunt a heart attack when I call to let her know I’ll be staying, and ask that she ship some of my most important things to me.”
“And do let her know I’ll be perfectly happy to help with any expenses if need be.”
“Nah, she won’t need it. Like I said, I don’t have much.”
“You sure you don’t want to go over one last time together to say goodbye and get your things yourself?”
“No, it’d cost more for our plane tickets than it will to ship the stuff. Besides, I can say goodbye in phone calls and emails. I was never much of a people person, so it’s not like I have a lot of friends there. If anything, I have more cyber friends than friends I’ve actually met.”
“Yeah, so do most of us, I think,” said Nane, who held Tesla in her arms as she fell asleep, leaving her disappointed that she was too tired to have any fun first.
Nane Schmidt awoke and looked over at a still-sleeping Tesla the next morning. She was usually the first one up, and this morning of all mornings, she was especially glad for it—though she could always check into what she wanted to check into after work if she had to. She got home several hours before Tesla did.
Nane grabbed a quick cup of coffee and hit the shower. When she got out, one towel wrapped around her body, a second towel wrapped around her dyed golden-brown locks, she was disappointed to see that Tesla had risen. Funny too, since she normally loved having her around.
Tesla looked up at her sleepily.
“Hey, sweetie. Need the bathroom?” Nane asked.
Tesla nodded.
“Sorry I was holding it up.”
“It’s OK. I haven’t been up long.”
Tesla used the bathroom and then joined Nane in the kitchen. “Hey, brown eyes. I see you have your contacts in.”
Nane smiled.
“I’m not sure which color I like best.”
Tesla fixed herself some coffee as the fast-paced businesswoman went from room to room making her last-minute preparations for the day.
“I’m heading into the office now,” said Nane, flinging a large handbag over her shoulder. “Don’t forget to lock up when your ride gets here. Just turn the inside knob on your way out.”
“OK, will do,” said Tesla, kissing Nane on the lips.
And so Nane left that morning at just before 8 a.m., knowing she would have to wait until she returned to the apartment eight hours later to do what she had wanted to do that morning.
At least I’ll have plenty of time, she thought to herself, since Tesla won’t be home till close to 11 p.m.
On the way to work, she smiled at the thought of Tesla living with her and no longer rehearsing and performing such long, ten-hour shifts.
She also thought about that dark side of herself, which once again longed to come out. She had a feeling Tesla would be the perfect one with which to share it, but she knew she must tread lightly and take it slow. She needed to let Tesla get more comfortable with her first, and then slowly ease her into the controversial lifestyle which she’d fantasized about for so many years but knew many would disagree with.
Parking her car outside her place of work, Nane Schmidt entered the building with a confident bounce to her walk.
Yes, life really did get better with age, thought the fifty-year-old Munich native.
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