Page 4 of Enchanted By a Pirate
"I'm absolutely certain I did. And when I dozed off on the couch…"
"I see. A retiree's evening." Nele laughed.
"Now listen to me. There was a commotion on the roof. A loud noise."
Nele frowned. "On the roof? You live on the fifth floor, right?"
"That's the reason it was so strange."
"And? Was anyone up there? A chimney sweep, perhaps?"
"When I looked, I didn't see anybody. And it was after nine, an unlikely hour for a chimney sweep."
"Unless it was the whole crew from Mary Poppins."
Anna let out a chuckle and Nele gave her an amused wink.
"Joking aside, your imagination has been playing tricks on you. Since when did you get so jumpy?"
"I'm not." She shoved another piece of cake into her mouth. After swallowing, she let out a sigh. "It's weird, I admit it."
"What I find weird is how you eat so much cake but your butt doesn't seem to get any bigger."
"Now don't change the subject. I was really scared yesterday."
With her head cocked, her friend looked at her, the short strands from her new hairstyle falling across her face. Two weeks ago, she'd gotten her long hair cut into a bob because she thought it made her look younger. Since then, she'd been nagging Anna to do the same, but Anna liked her long hair.
"Let me explain something. It was dark, the noise came from the TV, and the wind blew the glittery stuff there through the air. If the window was open, it's no wonder. From now on, before you leave, always check twice and make sure it's closed, then nothing can happen to you."
Anna ate the rest of her cake. Was it truly that simple? Nele was probably right. And she wasn't normally jumpy. Blacking out in the park that afternoon probably was the reason she was overly jittery. She was briefly tempted to tell Nele about it, buther friend would only send her to the doctor. Anna didn't want to spend her weekend off in a crowded waiting room.
"You're right. I'm worrying needlessly." She heaved a sigh and looked longingly at Nele's almost untouched cheesecake. She loved cheesecake. Especially with cream. She should have ordered a piece too.
Grumbling, her friend pushed the plate toward her. "Here, eat. For your nerves."
"You cannot be full yet."
"Not really, but my jeans are a little tight and I want to wear my new bikini this summer."
Anna took in her friend's big brown eyes and high cheekbones. "You look great just the way you are. Even if you put on another fifteen kilos, you can wear whatever you want. The men will be whistling after you anyway." She raised her eyebrows, and Nele grinned.
"You've got things backward. Men drool after you more often, even though you ignore them. What are you waiting for? Still waiting for the prince from the fairy tale?"
"Yes, and he should come galloping in on a white horse, please."
They both laughed.
"Seriously, Anna, why aren't you interested in finding a partner?"
Anna started spinning her coffee cup on the table again. "Don't laugh, but… I want to be conquered, not conquer. I need a gentleman who will hold the door open for me, kiss my hand, and take me out dancing."
"You're a romantic." But Nele's eyes were shining too. Then she raised her coffee cup and toasted Anna. "To bygone gentlemen, may there be another one out there waiting for you. Or even two — I'd like one too." Nele winked mischievously at her and Anna smiled.
"Here's to bygone gentlemen. Now come on, let's eat the cake together, okay?"
Nele smiled gratefully at her. "Gladly."
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