Page 5 of Geist Fleisch
Again, Callum searched for an answer. His eyes fell on the manifesto, then darted to the man in the tan suit, then a coterie of broad-shouldered daisies in gartered stockings, then an overweight man in military dress who entered with two stern looking younger men flanking him.
“Dick,” Anne answered for him, fairly spitting the word in Robert’s direction.
Her candour shouldn’t have shocked him by now. Still, Callum stared at her, until their table companions burst out laughing.
“Then you are in the right place,” Robert raised his glass to Callum, his icy expression breaking at last.
Jacqueline, on the other hand, soured as the military men removed their coats and were escorted to a plush booth at the far side of the room. “Put that away,” she said, sliding the manifesto back to Robert.
“What? It’s just some Communist rubbish.”
“Darling,” she said again, nodding at the soldiers.
“What’s the matter?” Anne grimaced as she spied the red armbands with the bent black symbol on them. “Why do they let them in?”
Robert tucked the pamphlet into his jacket, exchanging a look with Jacqueline. “Because that fat fuck always orders the most expensive champagne to pour down the throat of his latest boy toy in the hope it’ll wash out the taste of Angry Chaplin’s arse. Can we please not talk about politics? Callum, you’re here for pleasure? Good job. There’s plenty of that for all of us. Pay for it if you can, it’s so much simpler. Don’t worry if he’s a hetter. Most have had enough practice to know what they’re doing.”
“Yes, well, you’re the expert,” Jacqueline smiled, waving to the man in the tan suit as he approached. “Frank? Is everything all right? Karl looked…”
The tall blond man introduced as Frank waved her enquiry away, resuming his seat behind the half-empty glass of wine and looking at Anne like she hadn’t been two hours late. “Anne, nice to see you again.”
“Frank? I want you to meet my cousin.”
“Callum,” he blurted, extending a hand with a blunt façade of confidence and hoping his fingernails were clean.
“Frank Bakker.” The man smiled, taking him in a firm shake that belied his slight frame. “How are you enjoying Berlin?”
“It’s all right.” He hadn’t just shrugged, had he? “I mean, it’s great, yeah.”
“Newcastle,” whispered Jacqueline to Robert. “Perhaps Leeds.”
“Definitely Leeds and you’re doing it again,” he purred back.
“Nottingham, actually,” he corrected them.
Robert nodded. “I was closer.”
“Still finding your feet, then?” Bakker continued, picking up his wine. “Are you here visiting Anne? How long are you staying?”
“Oh, questions, all these questions!” Anne scolded. “I’ll order us a drink.”
Callum shifted uncomfortably in his chair, hoping Anne would remember he preferred beer to any of the fancy poisons they probably served in this place. “I don’t really know.”
“An adventure, then?” Bakker asked, a non-guess meant to put him at ease. It somehow did the trick.
“I suppose you’d say that.”
“And what have you seen so far? Brandenburg Gate? The Dom? A shame you didn’t come in the summer. The Tiergarten is quite lovely then.”
Callum had an odd sensation of the room falling away around him, as if Jacqueline, Robert, and everyone else in the club had faded into the background of some painting, while he held Frank’s undivided attention. The touristic small talk should have bored him. But the curious glint in Frank’s eyes made it oddly engaging. “It’s a great city, yeah.”
“And the bars?”
And there it was. Callum couldn’t help but suspect their conversation had taken its first step on the road to mockery. “They’re all right.”
“All right, eh?Richtig?” Even as he said this, Frank’s smile was kind. He tipped his wine toward Callum. “Just so long asyou don’t spend all your time in them. Or your money.” The postscript had been tacked on in a way that reminded Callum how little he had, though again, not unkindly.
“I’m doing all right,” he muttered.
