Free Life After Forty by Dora Heldt Page B

arm. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to put my foot in it. You just looked so well and relaxed. I didn’t really think it would be that. Do you want to talk about it?”
    “No, I’d rather not. But it’s okay, you couldn’t have known.”
    The waiter asked me what I wanted. I ordered pasta with pesto, the only thing that I could think of that quickly. I hadn’t even looked at the menu yet. Nina asked me for my new address, Judith offered her help in case I still needed it in the apartment, and Eva invited me to a reading at the bookshop in two weeks’ time. At the other end of the table Maren and Leonie were already on to new topics of conversation. I regaled Franziska and Luise with stories about my hunt for an apartment, Judith was in conversation with the waiter, and Nina and Eva talked about the author who was going to read.
    I took my blazer off and hung it over my chair. Anke leaned over towards me.
    “Christine, you’ve got something on your elbow. Did you hurt yourself during the move?”
    I thought, No, writing lists actually, and tried to keep a straight face.
    “Yes, something like that. It’s just a graze.”
    The rest of the evening passed by just like the other gatherings we’d had. We talked about books, gossiped about other colleagues, compared our schedules, and rediscovered our enthusiasm for the book trade. I looked at Leonie, who was suppressing a yawn. Even Nina was carefully rubbing her eyes. She was the first to stand up.
    “So, I’ll be the first to make a move. I’ve got an early start tomorrow; we’ve got a telephone conference at nine a.m. We pay at the front, right? So, I hope all of you get off to a good start with your appointments, and let’s stay in touch by phone. See you soon, girls.”
    She winked at me and put her thumb and little finger into the sign for a telephone, telling me to give her a call. I nodded in agreement. I gave Luise, who was busy suppressing another yawn, a nod too and pulled my blazer from the back of my chair. As I pulled it on, she leaned over towards me.
    “Christine, would you like to go out for dinner next week? Maybe on Wednesday?”
    I was confused. We’d never had much to do with one another, and I’d never seen her as being nosy either. But I still said, “Sure.”
    She answered quickly. “Great. Wednesday at seven p.m. in Cox on the Lange Reihe. Okay?”
    She looked at me searchingly.
    “It’s a date.”
    Leonie and I went up to pay. Maren and Franziska joined us. Then we stood chatting for a few minutes in front of the restaurant.
    Franziska rolled her eyes.
    “Anke really gets on my nerves from time to time. One day I’ll end up wringing her neck.”
    Leonie shrugged.
    “She’s not always like that. At times I feel sorry for her.”
    Franziska shook her head skeptically.
    “Leonie, I know you’re the good cop and I’m the bad cop, but if she mentions the name Werner one more time I’ll scream.”
    Maren looked in her handbag for her car keys. Once she’d found them she turned to me.
    “By the way, in case you didn’t know, my husband is a lawyer. If you haven’t already got something organized, I can make an appointment with him for you.”
    I winced. “I’m not even sure yet if and when we’re actually getting a divorce. You know, all the paperwork and taxes and everything.”
    Leonie gave me a horrified look. “I can’t be hearing right. You’re not seriously telling me you want to stay married to that asshole?”
    Maren discreetly moved past the question.
    “Well, the offer’s there if you need it. Get home safely, and I’ll see you soon. Bye!”
    I watched them go, and then I followed Leonie to her car. Starting the engine, she looked at me.
    “I really hope that your indecisiveness about the divorce changes. You should definitely go and see a lawyer; it’s not enough just to see your tax consultant. There’s still the matter of alimony and inheritance entitlements, otherwise you’ll have him—along with