though he didn’t know where he’d heard it, it roused some memories.
Only when the woman was about to kick the machine did it occur to him where he’d seen her before. Her green-brown eyes sparkled angrily when he called over to her. Eva Berger. His former colleague, with whom he had exchanged little more than three words, but whose voice he had heard when she joked with other colleagues. He’d had a big crush on her, just like all his coworkers. But she’d never noticed him. Only two of his colleagues had had the pleasure of her company, even though it had only been innocent get-togethers at a pub around the corner.
He remembered how she’d kicked the copier. It had taken all of David’s willpower not to say something when she slammed her fist on the cover. Her reaction surprised him, since he’d always known her to be calm and laid-back. But she had a cheeky way about her. The IT department always teased the company’s new employees, and Eva had been a worthy opponent in this war of words. Soon, she had won all the men’s hearts, and Michael and Karsten had been the envy of all. Nobody could figure out how those two ended up getting to spend more time with Eva than anybody else.
He’d had lots of dates at that time, and even if he had hit on her, she likely would have been nothing more than another fling to him. That was a long time ago, though, and he had changed.
But Eva didn’t seem to have changed. She hadn’t lost her talent for witty repartee, and although her face was more mature, it was even more charming than before. But it surprised him to see her here now, though he knew the Bergers had two daughters and a son. He knew Chris, but he had never gotten to meet Chris’s sisters. When Stefanie’s mother had wondered whether they would come back after the accident, he’d had a fleeting thought that maybe this Eva was the same Eva Berger he’d known back then, but he figured the odds of that were about as good as being struck by lightning.
So it was a complete surprise to find her in this little village. Some months ago, he’d discovered an old photo from a company Christmas party, and Eva was in the picture. Since then, he couldn’t get her out of his head. He’d searched for her on Facebook and Google but found nothing—especially since he had no idea where she was living. And there was no shortage of Eva Bergers. Now that she lived so close, he didn’t know what to think. It was one thing to indulge in some daydreaming, and quite another when the flesh-and-blood person stood right in front of you and didn’t even recognize you. He wondered how his life had led him to this dead end.
Ruchti came up to him and laid his head on David’s thighs. “Hey you,” he said as he scratched the boxer behind his ears. “I’m pretty bent out of shape at the moment.”
“David?” Stefanie called. “Where are you?”
David sighed and stood up. “Duty calls.” All this would be much easier if Eva weren’t living right under his nose now.
Freshly showered, her hair still wet, Eva stood in the kitchen making a salami sandwich. She peeked in on Leonie, who was tapping away on her iPhone in the living room. Kati would be here any minute to pick her up for her dentist appointment and drop off Rafael. After babysitting, there wouldn’t be enough time to cook the spaghetti dinner she’d planned. Eva bit into the sandwich and looked through the kitchen window into the neighbor’s yard, her mouth full. David wasn’t there. Instead, a dark brown boxer walked through the yard, heading toward the street. Eva had seen him a couple of times but hadn’t looked at him closely. She already knew she didn’t like him because her mother had told her how the slobbering beast had jumped over the fence and caught little Felix. If her mother hadn’t heard the kitty’s screeching, Felix probably wouldn’t have survived. But the dog had dropped the kitten and jumped back over the fence into its own territory.
Only when the woman was about to kick the machine did it occur to him where he’d seen her before. Her green-brown eyes sparkled angrily when he called over to her. Eva Berger. His former colleague, with whom he had exchanged little more than three words, but whose voice he had heard when she joked with other colleagues. He’d had a big crush on her, just like all his coworkers. But she’d never noticed him. Only two of his colleagues had had the pleasure of her company, even though it had only been innocent get-togethers at a pub around the corner.
He remembered how she’d kicked the copier. It had taken all of David’s willpower not to say something when she slammed her fist on the cover. Her reaction surprised him, since he’d always known her to be calm and laid-back. But she had a cheeky way about her. The IT department always teased the company’s new employees, and Eva had been a worthy opponent in this war of words. Soon, she had won all the men’s hearts, and Michael and Karsten had been the envy of all. Nobody could figure out how those two ended up getting to spend more time with Eva than anybody else.
He’d had lots of dates at that time, and even if he had hit on her, she likely would have been nothing more than another fling to him. That was a long time ago, though, and he had changed.
But Eva didn’t seem to have changed. She hadn’t lost her talent for witty repartee, and although her face was more mature, it was even more charming than before. But it surprised him to see her here now, though he knew the Bergers had two daughters and a son. He knew Chris, but he had never gotten to meet Chris’s sisters. When Stefanie’s mother had wondered whether they would come back after the accident, he’d had a fleeting thought that maybe this Eva was the same Eva Berger he’d known back then, but he figured the odds of that were about as good as being struck by lightning.
So it was a complete surprise to find her in this little village. Some months ago, he’d discovered an old photo from a company Christmas party, and Eva was in the picture. Since then, he couldn’t get her out of his head. He’d searched for her on Facebook and Google but found nothing—especially since he had no idea where she was living. And there was no shortage of Eva Bergers. Now that she lived so close, he didn’t know what to think. It was one thing to indulge in some daydreaming, and quite another when the flesh-and-blood person stood right in front of you and didn’t even recognize you. He wondered how his life had led him to this dead end.
Ruchti came up to him and laid his head on David’s thighs. “Hey you,” he said as he scratched the boxer behind his ears. “I’m pretty bent out of shape at the moment.”
“David?” Stefanie called. “Where are you?”
David sighed and stood up. “Duty calls.” All this would be much easier if Eva weren’t living right under his nose now.
Freshly showered, her hair still wet, Eva stood in the kitchen making a salami sandwich. She peeked in on Leonie, who was tapping away on her iPhone in the living room. Kati would be here any minute to pick her up for her dentist appointment and drop off Rafael. After babysitting, there wouldn’t be enough time to cook the spaghetti dinner she’d planned. Eva bit into the sandwich and looked through the kitchen window into the neighbor’s yard, her mouth full. David wasn’t there. Instead, a dark brown boxer walked through the yard, heading toward the street. Eva had seen him a couple of times but hadn’t looked at him closely. She already knew she didn’t like him because her mother had told her how the slobbering beast had jumped over the fence and caught little Felix. If her mother hadn’t heard the kitty’s screeching, Felix probably wouldn’t have survived. But the dog had dropped the kitten and jumped back over the fence into its own territory.
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