“Okay. Love you.”
“Love you too,Mutti.”
I like the informal diminutive forMutter—Mother. It’d be sweet if things weren’t so fucked-up.
She hangs up and presses another contact. She keeps this call on speakerphone too as she speaks to her sister in German.
“Hey.”
“Hey. Guess what I got.”
“What?”
“You sound rushed. Can you talk right now?”
“Yeah. I just went to the restroom, so I’m walking back to my desk.”
“Okay. A client gave me a night at a suite.”
“In exchange for?”
Liesel glances at me before looking straight ahead at the TV which I muted as she called her mother.
“Nothing. It was a thank you gift. Bastian has to work early tomorrow, so I decided to invite you andMuttito join me. It has two bedrooms. If you snore, I’m kicking you out to the sofa.”
“Such a welcoming invitation. You’re the one who kicks in her sleep.”
I swallow my laugh. She scowls at me before she leans to whisper in my ear.
“Not since I was like ten.”
She sits up, surprised how close she got to me. It’s like she didn’t expect to confide a secret. Her warm breath against my ear was faint which made it erotic as hell. She turns her attention back to her sister.
“Mutti’son her way to pick you up unless you can’t leave yet.”
“Um—that gives me about half an hour. Yeah, I can come. I won’t have an overnight bag though.”
Liesel turns to me in a panic. Neither of us thought about that. We’ll sort out what they need for the next few days once we get past sharing the news.
“Don’t worry about that. Just be ready forMutti.”
“Okay.”
“I’m going to sendMuttithe hotel name and address right now.”
“Thanks for the invite. I’m picking out the unhealthiest thing they have on the menu.”
Liesel’s face flashes a pained smile before she plays it off. “We can order two. It’ll be good to have you here. See you in a bit.”
“See you. Bye.”
“Bye.”
She hangs up and puts the phone on the armrest to her right. She wraps her arms around herself, and she appears so lost. I slide my hand across her back until it cups her shoulder. I nudge her, and she leans against me. She rests her head on my shoulder.
“Jorge, what are we going to tell them?”
“Do you want me to do it?”
