My German Lover : Part 13, chapter 2

On a few occasions, Paul gave Klara quick glances and, though the girl was good-looking, he thought she wasn't the kind of woman Lutz needed: She was rather cold and distant, and not once did Paul see her smile during the whole evening...

Later, all the luggage were delivered, as well as the two crates, the third one having been delivered directly to Herr Funk, along with Paul's "Thank you" card...

"You know Paul, your German is excellent: Where did you learn?", Will's mum asked...

"Thank you... But I still make some mistakes, you know... I took private lessons and, of course, Will and Lutz help me a lot... as well as one of our friend who's from Switzerland...", Paul answered, smiling...

"... But please: Don't take the Swiss accent...", Ludwig said, laughing...

They all bursted out laughing, hearing Ludwig's remark...

"... I know... The two clowns over there have already warned me against that danger...", Paul answered, laughing...

Then Paul gave the first crate to Will's parents, and the second to Lutzs.

"What is that?", they all asked...

"...Well, just open them...", Paul answered, grinning...

They were all stunned to discover all the bottles inside the crates, and Paul said:

"You'll all have a taste of France during our stay here... and I hope you will enjoy it..."

"But Paul... You shouldn't have... I can only guess how expensive all those bottles are...", Will's dad said...

"You're a very generous man, Paul: We don't know what to say... It's too much...", Lutz's mother added...

"It's my pleasure... I'm so glad to be here with all of you...", Paul answered.

"Let's put a few bottles of Champagne in the frig dear, so we can celebrate the return of our two soldiers and their generous friend...", Will's mum joyfully said, talking to her husband...

"Good idea dear!", he answered.

"I see you have a nice Christmas tree over there...", Paul said, looking at the tree...

"But of course: It wouldn't be Christmas without a Christmas tree, you know...", Will's mum answered, smiling...

"I know: That's what your son told me...", Paul answered, laughing...

"...And Lutz and I forced Paul to decorate a big Christmas tree at his house: You should see it: It's huge!, Will said, with a big smile on his face...

"...So Paul... I understand your family is in New-York?", Lutz's father asked...

"Yes Sir: For the first time in my life, I won't be spending Christmas with them... I miss them... But things being what they are, there's nothing I can do about that. And of course, I couldn't travel to America for Christmas... It's too dangerous, even for ships crossing the Atlantic under neutral flags... And since the accident with the Hindenburg, it's no longer possible to make the trip on airships..."

"Yes... that accident was very unfortunate...", Will's dad said...

"Yes... But I now have access to a phone line to New-York... and I can speak to my dad from time to time. I've even spoke to my mother before we left Paris: She told me that on Christmas Eve, they will all attend a Christmas service at St Patrick Cathedral... and I'm sure they'll all be praying for me..." Paul said, with tears in his eyes.

"I'm sure they will son... I'm sure they will...", Lutz's dad said, patting Paul on his shoulder... "And I'm sorry I brought that subject..."

"Oh... no harm done Sir: It makes me feel good, talking about them...", Paul answered, smiling...

"I understand you have been invited to attend a Christmas party at the New Chancellery: Is that true?", Lutz's mum asked Paul...

"MOTHER!!!", Lutz shouted...

"What?", she answered, a bit surprised...

"Well... I don't think Paul really wants to talk about it, mum... How would you feel if you had been invited to attend a party thrown by Churchill?"

"Oh...", she said...

"No problem!", Paul answered, smiling... Then he went on, explaining the reasons why he had been invited... and said that, indeed, he was not too eager to go to that party..."

"I understand... But since you have no choice but to attend that party, I hope that later on, you'll tell us how it is inside the New Chancellery... They say it's very beatiful... Did you know it only took eleven months to built it?", Lutz's mother said...

"Really?", Paul asked, a bit suspicious...

"Oh but it's true!", Will's father said... "Construction workers worked over there by the thousands... days and nights... for eleven months! And they succeded... I don't know how they did it, but they succeded!"

"Is it far from here?", Paul asked...

"It's located in the "Mitte", on VossStrasse... not too far from Potsdamer Platz...", Lutz's father answered...

"Anyway, I'll show you tomorrow... and the day after tomorrow, I'll drive you there for the party. I'm sure dad won't mind if I borrow his car while we're in town...", Will answered, looking at his dad with a big smile on his face...

"Ohhhh, I see my son is back in town: I guess during your stay, I won't see much of my car...", he said, laughing...

"You got it!", Will answered, laughing...

"Hey guys... Don't forget to give me a call tomorrow: I want to go with you on your tour... We'll have some great fun!", Lutz said to his two friends, with a big smile on his face... not noticing Klara was looking at him with a very angry look on her face...

Seeing what was going on, Will looked at Klara and said to her:

"...And of course Klara, I take it you will come with us..."

"Oh... I was born in Berlin, you know... So no need for me to visit a City I know by heart... And I don't think Lutz needs to go on that tour either...", Klara coldly answered...

Lutz didn't reply... But Paul could see on his face he was not too happy with what Klara had just said and the way she had said it!

Poor Lutz, Paul thought: Instead of going on a tour with his friends, he will have to spend the day with Klara, holding her hand, telling her how beatiful she is... how much he's in love with her... and how much he misses her... Klara must be that kind of girl, Paul thought! And now, Lutz was cought into her web!

"So... What about some Champagne?", Will's father asked, trying to change the subject...

They all agreed, laughing, and Champagne was served to everyone except Klara, who said she didn't drink "that kind of French thing...", and who kept watching Lutz, to make sure he was not drinking too much of it. Obviously, Lutz was very irritated by Klara's attitude.

They were all having fun, as Ludwig kept cracking jokes about someone Will and Lutz knew from childhood...

Will's father began serving the guests a secon glass of Chamgagne and, as he looked at lutz's empty glass, he asked him:

"A second glass, Lutz?"

"Sure, thank you Sir..."

"He's had enough Sir...", Klara said, looking at Will's father...

"Huh?", Lutz exclaimed, a bit astonished...

"Yes Lutz... One glass is enough, don't you think?", Klara answered...

Staring at Klara, Lutz kept silent for a few seconds then, with a smile on his face, he said:

"...I don't think so Klara. Hey! After all, it's our welcome back party..."

"Is that what you do in Paris? Spend your nights drinking with your drinking friends?" Klara angrily said. Then, looking at Will and Paul she added: "... Evil company is not good for you!"

"What?", Lutz shouted, stunned...

"That's what I think!", Klara replied.

Lutz didn't answer her but instead, he turned to Will's dad, who was still standing in front of him with the bottle of Champagne in his hands, not knowing what to do... and, calmly and politely he said him:

"Thank you Sir: I'll have a second glass, thank you!"

Hearing that, Klara instantaneously rose and, without even saying good-bye to anyone, she left the house, slamming the door behind her!

"...Aren't you going after her?", Lutz's mother asked...

"...No mum... I will allow no one to take control over my life: Not today... not ever!", Lutz calmly answered... Then, looking at Will and Paul, he said: "And guys... don't forget to give me a call tomorrow morning: I'm going with you on that tour!"

Later that night, after all the guests had left and while they were alone for a minute, Will said to Paul:

"Poor Lutz: He's in big troubles..."

"I sure wouldn't like to have Klara as my girlfriend... and I don't think she likes me very much...", Paul answered, grinning...

"She never liked me either... cause I'm Lutz's best friend. She has always tried to put troubles between the two of us, you know! Luckily, she doesn't know about Lutz and Franz...", Will replied, laughing...

"OH MY GOD!!!", Paul answered, laughing is heart out...

"Yeah"!, Will said, laughing too...

Eventually, they all went to bed and, as Will had forseen, he was sharing a room with his brother Ludwig while Paul, being a "guest", had a bedroom all to himself...

"Sorry!", Will said to Paul: "There's nothing I can do about that..."

"I know... But I'll miss you...", Paul answered, grinning...

The day after, Will called Lutz early in the morning and Lutz quickly walked the short distance over to Will's house, where the three friends left to visit Berlin, with the car Will had borrowed from his willing father!

First, they went to visit the Charlottenburg Palace, then drove to downtown Berlin. On their way, they stopped to see the golden winged Siegessäule, the triumphal column built to commemorate the Prussian wars... then went to the Reichstag, where Will explained to Paul all about that historic building...