Page 110 of Back Room Host

There was silence at the other end of the line, then I heard Serge mumble something.

“Please!” I pleaded.

“Okay … But if I recall correctly, I only have the drummer’s number.”

“That’s totally fine! Thank you so much!”

“It might take a while. I’ve stored all the contacts in the office.”

“No problem. I’ll wait. But don’t forget!”

36

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Luca

It was Monday afternoon. I paced nervously in the hall of Puls 5, waiting for Noé. The guy had been elusive. I attempted to reach him seven times before he reluctantly answered an unknown number. When he finally picked up, I launched into conversation at full speed, fearing he might hang up again. To my astonishment, I heard laughter from the other end.

“I know who you are.”

A weight lifted off my chest. And when he told me that Juri was with him, I breathed a sigh of relief.

“You should come over,” he suggested in a serious tone, catching me off guard.

“Is everything okay? Is Juri there?”

“He’s not home right now. But can you make it today?”

He didn’t need to ask me twice.

Once I arrived at the address he gave me, I was slightly confused. Had Juri told Noé what had happened between us? I’d probably find out soon enough.

“Hey!” Noé said, emerging from the elevator.

I happened to be standing in the right corner of the hall and raised my hand in surprise. Noé appeared to be in better spirits. “Hi,” I said, immediately feeling awkward.

He remembers me? Does he recall our evening at the Olé-Olé-Bar? We missed each other on New Year’s Eve.

For the past few days, I’d been thinking about what I wanted to tell Juri. There was so much, yet I felt stuck on what to say. One thing I was sure of, though: I was in love with him.

With a heavy heart, I followed Noé into the elevator.

“He’s not back yet,” he said, pressing a button.

“What do you mean, not back? I thought … Wait, does he even know I’m coming?”

“No.”

I stared at him in horror. He had his long hair tied up in a thick knot and seemed confident, but it only made me suspicious.

“Did you plan this?”

“Not exactly. I didn’t know they’d be delayed. But actually, this works out quite well.”

They?

The elevator door opened, and I followed him to the apartment, not as enthusiastically as before.

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