Page 73 of Meet Me in Berlin

I face her, my eyebrows raised. ‘Oh, is this … are you the artist?’

She smiles again, her face wise and kind. ‘Ja.’

‘Wow. Well, it’s beautiful.’ I look at the plaque but I’m too far away to read her name.

‘She is sexy, yes?’ the artist says.

My face warms again. ‘Very.’

‘She is my ex-lover.’

‘Oh?’ I say. ‘Lucky you.’

She grins. ‘Indeed. From eight years ago. I took this photo one day, and it was – she was – so exquisite, it would’ve been selfish of me to keep it to myself.’

‘Were you together long?’

She waves her hand dismissively. ‘Does she look like a woman you can keep confined in a relationship?’

I glimpse the painting before my gaze drifts to Casey on the other side of the gallery. She’s animated, her face aglow with passion, chatting to a couple who are totally engrossed in what she’s saying. She wears that same look – a sultry, come-to-bed look – that makes anyone she talks to think they’re the only person in her world. ‘I guess not,’ I say.

‘Besides, I am old, and she is young, and I didn’t want her to waste her youth on me. I set her free.’ She points to the painting. ‘But I kept that for myself. I started painting it when we were lovers. She knows it’s here.’

‘It’s incredible,’ I repeat, my gaze shifting back to Casey. She catches my eye and gives me a smile that makes my insides vibrate, then deftly weaves her way through the crowd and kisses me briefly on the mouth.

‘I see you’ve met the artist,’ Casey says. ‘Hallo, Katarina, das ist Holly.’

Katarina kisses both my cheeks. ‘Hallo, Holly.’ She greets Casey the same way. ‘I was just telling your lover about my lover.’

‘Ah, you’ve heard about the muse?’ Casey says to me.

‘Holly thinks she’s very sexy,’ Katarina says.

Casey gives me a knowing look. ‘Does she?’

I sip my wine and widen my eyes at Casey.

Katarina waves at someone across the room. ‘Excuse me, someone I want to talk to.’

I place my hand against my cheek, which burns under my touch. ‘Oh my God. Am I as red as my dress?’

Casey laughs and pulls me close. ‘Sorry,’ she says, her lips brushing my hairline.

‘Mmm. I’ll let you off.’ I gaze up at her. ‘This show is amazing.’

‘You like it?’

I nod. ‘Looks like you were selling some art over there.’

‘Yeah, we’ve had a lot of interest.’

‘I don’t think anyone could say no to you.’

‘Plenty do.’ She kisses me again and then watches me for a long moment.

‘What?’ I ask.

She runs her fingers over one of my dress’s spaghetti straps. ‘I’m so glad you’re here.’

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