Page 75 of Be Less Panda

‘What about him?’ Olivia nudged Nancy and looked to the left of the cafe.

Nancy saw a man walking around the corner of the cafe. White hair. Clean shaven. Tall. Something about the way he carried himself reminded her of Hans.

He sat at the table they always used to sit at if it was free. Her heart started racing. ‘I think it is him,’ she whispered to Olivia.

‘He doesn’t look too threatening. Still want to talk to him? We can walk away if you don’t.’

‘I’ve not come all this way to bottle out. Wish me luck.’

Olivia held her back. ‘Look around in case there’s someone about to pounce on you.’

‘What are you suggesting? That a criminal gang has forced him to sit there to lure me out into the open, like some wild animal they want to trap.’

‘You mock, but it could happen.’

‘Oh, for goodness sake.’ Nancy removed Olivia’s hand from her shoulder and strode purposefully towards the cafe.

As she got nearer to the table, Nancy took a deep breath to steady her nerves.Calm down! You’re behaving like a lovesick teenager. Hans will explain exactly what happened in 1964. You will listen, assess how plausible his story is, you might hug and exchange a few pleasantries, then go your separate ways.Except, despite her inner voice’s advice, she didn’t want him to go.How can you possibly know that? When he starts talking, you might decide to look for an excuse to leave as soon as possible.

The man looked up. ‘Nancy?’

The years had been kind to him. Despite the paler, more wrinkled skin, he still had that same mischievous look in his blue eyes that had drawn her to him the first day they met. She slipped into the seat opposite him.

‘Thank you for coming to Paris,’ he said. ‘It is wonderful to see you again. May I?’ he asked, slipping his hand across the table and taking her hand in his.

She smiled back. He lifted her hand and gently kissed it. The touch of his lips on her fingers sent jolts through her body in places that hadn’t felt that sensation for a long, long time.Nice to know those parts of you still work.

‘It’s lovely to see you too,’ she said.

They gazed at one another in silence for what seemed like hours. A polite cough broke the spell.

‘I’m sorry to interrupt Monsieur, Madame, but would you like a drink?’

35

‘Can we go for a walk like we used to?’ Hans suggested. ‘It will be easier to talk about the past walking side by side without anyone to overhear us.’

Nancy had anticipated his suggestion, but it was still frustrating. They’d just made small talk while they drank their coffees. She’d discovered he got married in 1974, had two children, a boy and a girl, and was now a grandfather to twins. He’d worked for a car manufacturer in the export office until the Wall came down, then he’d moved back to Berlin and started freelancing as a book translator until he’d officially retired 15 years ago. He skillfully deflected any attempt she made to turn the conversation around to 1964.

Why was he being so evasive? Nancy was even more intrigued now. She glanced across at the shrubbery. No sign of Olivia. ‘Yes, let’s walk by the lake,’ she said.

While Hans settled the bill, Nancy texted Olivia.

Going for a stroll

Her reply arrived just as Hans came back to the table.

Ok will follow at a distance.

‘Do you need to answer that?’ he asked.

She didn’t want to admit that Olivia was planning to stalk them. ‘No, it’s just my son updating me on his plans.’

Hans smiled. ‘Shall we go?’ She got up, picked up her shoulder bag and followed him onto the path.

‘This way, I think,’ he said, heading to the left.

They walked in silence for a few minutes while several joggers and a dog walker overtook them. Nancy glanced over her shoulder. There was no sign of Olivia. Either she’d lost them, or she was very good at hiding.

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