Page 52 of Be Less Panda

‘So that gives Hans an excuse to hurt you? I would never have guessed he was a man like that.’

‘He isn’t. He didn’t do it deliberately. I told him to grip me harder because it was too easy to escape when he was doing it gently.’

Nancy rubbed her arm, remembering last night’s lesson.

Olivia still didn’t look convinced. ‘Why are you blushing? I see I’ll need to keep an eye on Hans.’

25

April had turned into May, and Nancy was enjoying her new routine: her regular bespoke binding clients were not that demanding. She enjoyed working with them now. It broke up the monotony of being in the shop. Just a couple more sessions and Nancy would have more than enough money to pay Patty. And English lessons with Hans were always a pleasurable way to end the working day.

‘What have you got there?’ Olivia asked when Nancy walked back into their apartment carrying some envelopes.

‘It’s just our post. There’s a lot of it today. I’ve got a letter with an LA postmark. I bet that’s from Eddie.’

‘He’s made it as far as Hollywood then?’

‘He must have. And you’ve got a letter, too.’ Nancy put Olivia’s envelope on the dining table.

Olivia left the cooker and glanced at the writing on the envelope. ‘It’s from my darling mother. I’ll read that after we’ve eaten.’

‘And we’ve both got one of these.’ Nancy waved a small white envelope with just her name written on the front. It must have been hand-delivered. She put Olivia’s matching envelope on the table next to her mother’s letter.

Olivia looked up from stirring the bolognese sauce on the hob. ‘Curious. Open yours then.’

‘It looks fancy. I better use a paper knife.’

‘We haven’t got one of those. You’ll have to use a normal one.’ Olivia handed her a table knife from the cutlery drawer.

Nancy slit open the top of the envelope and pulled out a printed card. ’Ooh! That’s a surprise.’

‘What is it?’

‘It’s in German, but I think I understand it. It says, “Ingrid and Dieter would like to invite,” and then it has my name handwritten on it. “To their Hochzeit.” The card has bells embossed on it, so does that mean wedding?’

‘Let’s see,’ Olivia took the pan off the hob, dried her hands on her apron and took the card from Nancy.

‘Yes, I think you’re right. Though if you turn it over, it looks like Ingrid’s translated it for us.’

‘Oh yes,’ Nancy laughed, reading the handwritten English on the back of the card. ‘Saturday 16thMay 1964. That’s less than two weeks away. What’s the rush?’

‘Perhaps there’s a little Dieter on the way? She hasn’t been at work for a couple of weeks.’

‘Could be. Or she’s still keeping him at arm’s length, and he’s desperate enough for sex to agree to marrying her.’

‘You cynic! They could be deeply in love. Anyway, she says there’s no need to bring a friend as Hans is invited too.’

Nancy rolled her eyes. ‘Matchmaking again.’

‘You and Hans spend a lot of time together. And I’ve seen the way you glance at one another when you think no one’s looking.’

Did he look at her like that? After the kiss, she thought he wasn’t interested. But then there had been that moment during their self-defence lesson.Don’t get your hopes up - he’s been his usual self since then. It’s most likely wishful thinking on Olivia’s part.

Olivia ripped open her invitation. ‘Mine says Olivia plus one.’

‘Good of Ingrid to leave it open. Do you think you’ll still be with Pierre?’

‘I might ask him,’ she grinned.

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