“I’m really sorry,” Eric muttered, his gaze down on his lap. “I know I totally screwed up… I’ve never screwed up like that in my life. Still can’t believe I did that. It’s been haunting me… And I didn’t want you to find out from anyone else.” “Yeah, well, thanks for that,” Joe said dryly, unable to
“Hi, Sarah!” With a big smile D held the door open and let Sarah in. “We can have coffee on the terrace, if you want...” She nodded towards the garden furniture outside the big living room window. “The sun is shining, the birds are singing and surprisingly no one has started a lawn mower yet.” She l
“You’re not even tempted?” Sarah took one of the coffee cups. “Like I said,” D said, “I haven’t even really looked into it properly.” “You liked London during the exchange year,” Sarah noted. “Yeah, sure…” D shrugged. “Still… moving there for work for two years? I don’t know… So far, I haven’t gi
“He’s coming Tuesday afternoon,” Sarah specified. This basically meant that while she couldn’t attend the grill party, one member of the Reilley family would be there after all. D nodded, without looking up. Then she released an audible breath and took a cookie. “D, listen –” Sarah started. “It’s
Struggling to keep her expression neutral, D gazed towards the garden. She couldn’t blame Sarah for wanting to talk with a friend about things she might be worried or curious about when it came to her brother. In this particular case, however, D didn’t feel as if she could be that friend. Especial
Sarah rolled her eyes and huffed out an angry breath. “Well, and the newest thing…” D said before Sarah could articulate her doubtlessly many thoughts on the bleak summary. “The newest thing is… It’s all about us staying friends.” She managed to pronounce friends like something offensive, and the q
It was early afternoon when Joe dropped onto the big hotel bed, arms stretched to the side. Peace and quiet! He had two hours before he was supposed to meet Peer and Christine for dinner. He had made it a habit to get together with them whenever he was in Amsterdam. He knew Peer from the first year
Joe remembered searching for food after meeting Linda and Bob. His stomach had been growling and he had lost Liz in the crowd to someone she absolutely needed to talk to. He had found the buffet and retreated to his favorite fancy chair in the second exhibition room with a bunch of hors d’oeuvres o
“Let’s try,” she whispered and moved her hand down to his stomach.“Okay,” he put his hand back ontop of hers and slid his fingers between hers.It took only minutes until her breathing slowed down and a slight twitching of her hand told him that she was asleep again.Listening to her breathing and
Joe woke up around three, feeling really thirsty.It took him a second to grasp where he was (not in the cabin anymore) and that he was not alone.The realization caused a flash of excitement.D was sleeping far on her side of the bed.He remembered how she had always used to do that. No matter how
He was going for a mind-sweeping kiss here – one that would swipe her mind of any reservations there might still be. Even if, right now, she didn’t seem very reserved anyway. But he’d rather be absolutely sure…His own reservations were all gone by now. And having her so close just confirmed that ke
Three minutes later Joe returned, a chocolate bar in his left hand and a glass of milk in his right.“I see chocolate,” D chirped with a greedy grin. She had sat up and was leaning against the headboard. “Come here…” Like a lazy princess she waved for him to come over.Stopping at his desk, Joe set
“I don’t wanna mess this up…” he said, his gaze on the bedcover beside her head, his hand tracing one of the lines in the pattern.“Didn’t exactly feel like you were in the process of messing things up,” she said softly and reached out to touch his face.“You don’t think so, huh?” He leaned into her
Joe pushed himself away from the windowsill.“Guess I’ve really earned a jerk medal,” he contemplated as he stepped around the bed to her. “I’m sorry I didn’t pick up.”“Mhmm,” D growled, trying hard to unwaveringly hold his gaze as he came closer. “And you’re hopefully also sorry that you didn’t ca
He shrugged and kept glaring out the window. This had become kind of a habit - turning his back on people and staring into space. It was a bad habit he had developed thanks to Liz. It just helped him focus or stay composed, and it made it easier to get through situations he would rather avoid altoge
What she had before her, was part of the job ads from Saturday’s paper. One of the ads had her company’s swan logo on it. It was the ad for one of the jobs in London.Joe had gotten up from the bed again and returned to his desk. He pulled out the chair and sat down on it backwards so he was facing
D was rising from the bed with the intention to follow him. Only that she was momentarily strangely overwhelmed by something. Something indefinable that affected her more deeply than anything had in a long time.When it only got worse once she stepped out on the landing, a moist wave from the bathro