This time Dave really was going to have to do something about the intruder, sabre-toothed moth or not, he was bigger than it was, and it wasn’t going to get the better of him. Oops! Record finished – time to speak.
“Wow! – Just pardon me a minute while I pick the cones up from the monitors off the floor, and pop them back in the speakers! Nine minutes forty-eight seconds there of The Who, and a live version of ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’, and the reason I wanted to play that one was that it would give me ten minutes to do some big game hunting here and try to track down this beast. Well, things have happened and events have moved on. I think the noise we heard outside earlier was actually Mebo the studio cat, because he’s just popped in through the window, yes, Mebo the moggie has just popped in through the window and he took one look at our visitor, launched a full-scale attack at it, and it disappeared out of the window at roughly two hundred miles an hour. So, thanks to the studio cat there, he’s definitely earning his keep. We’ll play the next track for him. And don’t forget that number if you want to give me a call for a dedication to your loved one, or your dog, or cat, or even your budgie – we’ll take them all – it’s 01339 450450.”
Dave fired a jingle that name-checked the station over the thundering roar of a jumbo jet taking off. He loved to segue the jet’s engines over the intro to the next track, and he did it this time to a track from Heart, called ‘Nobody Home’, one of his and Katharina’s favourites. While the intro was playing with the jumbo thundering over it, he talked it up, “And we can relax now, with this great track from Heart.” Then Ann Wilson’s golden voice came over the monitors.
And relax he did, with his feet up on the desk, just letting the beautiful track flow through his mind. Just to complete the moment, the cat leapt up onto his lap, stretched its front paws right up his chest, put them round his neck and rubbed its cheeks against his, purring like mad. Dave loved this cat – they were soul mates.
The phone rang again and he answered it. “Hello, Strathdee FM, Dave Buckingham here. Speak to me.”
Silence at the other end, and then he thought he heard a faint voice, then . . . nothing.
Folk fooling about, he thought, have they got nothing better to do?
After a few minutes, it rang again and he answered it. Still no one there. Of course, they would try to phone when he was listening to one of his favourite tracks – that was Sod’s law for you! Now the track was coming to an end, so he decided to go straight into the next one which was Donna Lewis and ‘Without Love’. In a flash of inspiration, he suddenly said over the intro, “This one’s dedicated this morning to a lovely lady called Katharina. I know you won’t hear this, but let’s hope the spirits are working.” Donna’s soft, sexy voice came in with the lyrics which spoke about thinking of each other and giving a sign that you care. Hell, that’s me thinking of her again, he thought. Right, that’s it, I’m definitely taking a week off and going to try to find her. I can’t stand this any longer.
Her Saturday date was approaching fast, and Katharina had forgotten that she also had to vacate the apartment by Saturday. It was now Friday and she was panicking. She resorted to her usual plan when she was in a jam – phone Johanna. She asked Johanna if she had any suitcases she could bring round to help her pack up all her stuff. Johanna said she could bring round two really big ones on wheels, so with the two that Katharina had, she thought she would be able to move all her worldly possessions, but to where? That was the next problem. It was a week until she was to start her new job, so she had to find somewhere to stay for a week.
Johanna arrived, and typically, put on the kettle for coffee before starting anything.
“It’s obvious,” she said, “You’ve got to stay with me. Your only other option is Aunt Petra, the wicked witch, and do you really want that?”
“I could always book into a hotel,” Katharina suggested.
“Why? Don’t be daft. You’re staying with me and that’s final.”
They had their coffee, then started packing things up. Half way through the operation, the doorbell rang. It was the wicked witch and her husband. Katharina asked Petra and Josef in.
“You’re lucky,” she said, “You’ve just caught us. We’ve almost finished packing.”
Petra said, “That’s partly what we have come to see you about. You are coming to stay with us for the week, aren’t you?”
“Well . . . actually . . .” Katharina stuttered, “No. I’m going to stay with Jo.”
Petra looked at her indignantly. “Well, I’m disappointed. You would be properly looked after with us, and we would make sure you were ready for your new job. But there’s another reason why we are here. Josef has something to say to you, haven’t you, Josef?”
“Yes, my dear, I have.” He didn’t get to speak very often when she was there. “Can I ask you, Katharina, do these people who you are going to work for know you are pregnant?”
“No, I didn’t have it confirmed when I was offered the job.”
“Well, do you not think that they might decline their offer when they find out? I think they will.”
“I hadn’t thought about it,” she said, sheepishly.
“Well, I have,” Josef continued, “and luckily I have a very good offer for you. Listen to this. I have a very good friend who manages the big hotel next to the conference centre, and he has a very interesting vacancy. He hosts a lot of foreign visitors for conferences, seminars and meetings, and he is responsible for their well-being during their stay. Now, he is an old-fashioned man, and he doesn’t like to advertise vacancies if he can avoid it. What he does first, is he contacts all his friends and acquaintances to ask if they know of any suitable applicants within their families or friends. That way, he can get a lot of background information and history about the person that he wouldn’t get with a complete stranger. Also, if he engages someone from these connections, they feel more obliged not to let him down, and the end result is usually always a success.”
Josef stopped for a sip of coffee which Katharina had made for them, and then he continued.
“My friend is looking for a hostess. In actual fact, the full title of the position is Group Coordinator. Ideally, what this gentleman wants is someone who can look after the delegates who are attending the conference centre, from the time they arrive at the hotel until the time they leave. This will include meeting them at the airport or train station, making sure they get checked into the hotel with the minimum of delay, showing them the hotel’s facilities, explaining meal times, and then giving them a conducted walking tour of the city centre.
“On their first day, you will escort them to the conference centre, introduce them to the staff, meet them for lunch and answer any questions they may have. You will be required to assist them if needed with any purchases they require, such as postcards, souvenirs and even medication and toiletries. You will arrange any visits they may require to the doctor or dentist. At the end of the day, you will meet them at the centre, escort them back to the hotel for dinner, then over coffee, discuss the evening entertainment available to them, whether it be cinema, theatre, or just maybe a walk and a drink in a bar. What do you think so far?”
“It’s a lot to take on,” Katharina said. “What about my baby? And my English is not so good.”
“I’m coming to that,” Josef continued. “At the end of their stay, you will make sure that they have their return transport arrangements made, and you will escort them back to the airport or train station. They must want for nothing. You will be their ‘mama’. Now, regarding your English, I have provisionally booked you on a three month ‘Conversational English’ course. It’s a very good course and will teach you all you really need to know. Most of the delegates tend to be British or American, but there are also some Japanese or other Europeans, and most of these speak very good English. Remember, we are dealing with educated professional people here. Regarding your baby, the hotel has an excellent crèche, and also a kindergarten for older children, and as you will be required to live in, there shouldn’t be any problem. You will have lots of free time to be with your baby as there are gaps in between the seminars that are held at the centre.”
Katharina was slightly overwhelmed.
Josef concluded, “This is a very prestigious position, and the salary reflects this. You will be required to dress immaculately, with well-groomed hair and nails. You will be an ambassadress for Austria, and the guests must leave with only the best memories.
“OK, that’s all I really have to say, except that the appointment begins in three weeks. The English course begins in two weeks. You would attend the course, and when possible, you would shadow my friend the hotel manager to learn the job, as he is doing everything at the moment. After three months you would take over completely. You will be given maternity leave when your baby is born. There you are, everything has been thought out and taken care of. Now, Petra has something to say.”
That was the longest Katharina had ever seen Petra remain silent.
“Now then, Katharina, I believe you have to be out of here by tomorrow and you have nowhere to stay. It is a condition of you accepting this job that you stay with us for three weeks until you officially move into your work accommodation. That way, we can make sure you don’t get up to anything silly and therefore jeopardise this wonderful opportunity. Do you have any questions?”
Katharina thought for a few seconds. “Yes. As you know, I already have a job which starts in a week as a kitchen maid and general worker in the Hotel Mermaid. The owner will be expecting me.”
Petra put on her patronising look. “Katharina, my dear, as Josef has already said, did you tell this hotel owner that you were pregnant before you accepted the position?”
Katharina replied, “No, Aunt Petra, but I didn’t have it confirmed at that time, so I couldn’t have said for sure.”
“And do you think this person would have still offered you the job if they had known you were going to have a baby, with all the complications that would bring?”
Katharina was defeated. “Maybe not, Aunt Petra. Maybe not.”
“Then I think the right thing for you to do is to phone this Hotel Mermaid and tell them the truth. We must go now, Josef, we have lots of shopping to do. You will phone us first thing in the morning, Katharina, and let us know what you are going to do. I must urge you to seriously consider this offer – it is too good to miss, and Josef’s friend at the hotel is holding it open for you before he considers anyone else, so he must know by tomorrow at noon. Come now Josef, stop dilly-dallying, we must go.”
“Yes, dear.”
Katharina saw them out, then came back through to the living room where Johanna was sitting. “Well, what did you make of all that, Jo?” she asked.
“I wish someone would come along and offer me a job just like that. You would be mad not to take it.”
Katharina had an idea. “Jo, do you really mean that? Do you really want a job?”
“Do I want a job? You bet! I’ve got to get something soon – I’m rapidly running out of cash, and my folks won’t give me any more.”
“Then why don’t you take the Hotel Mermaid job? We can go round there today and see the lady – she’s really nice. I think she’d appreciate me telling the truth.”
Johanna agreed. “OK, you’re on. Let’s do it.”
All of Katharina’s father’s things had already been cleared out, so it took her and Johanna just an hour to pack all her own stuff into the four suitcases. Josef was going to pick them up later in the car, and she was keeping an overnight bag in the apartment with just the essentials in it. The two girls then decided to go out for lunch.
“I’m not going to the Café Mozart,” Katharina said forcibly. “Let’s go somewhere small where we can sit indoors.”
She was beginning to feel quite uneasy in town on her own.
After lunch, they made their way to the Hotel Mermaid. The owner was surprised to see Katharina, and genuinely concerned about the bruising that was still visible on her face. She had, by now, discarded the arm sling. The owner was very impressed by Katharina’s honesty, and equally as impressed by Johanna’s experience in the hospitality industry. So much so that she accepted Katharina’s suggestion, and offered Johanna the job there and then, starting in a week.
As they left the hotel and walked down the pavement, Johanna shouted out to the world, “I’ve got a job!”
Katharina joined in with, “So have I!”
They went round some shops and Katharina chose a new dress for her date. ‘Something subtly sexy’, as Johanna described it.
“I don’t know if he’ll even notice, as I’m not a manhole cover or a stone!” Katharina mocked. She also chose what she hoped would be a suitable present for Rupert’s birthday.
When they got back to the apartment, Josef was there loading up the cases.
“Tell your friend that I will take the job,” she said to him. “Johanna is taking the other job, so it has worked out fine. Thank you so much, Uncle Josef, you are just wonderful,” and she took him in her arms and gave him a big kiss.
When Josef left, Johanna asked if she could stay the night. Katharina was dubious.
“Oh, it’s our last chance for one more night,” she implored. “Please, please, my little pet Kitty-Kat!” and she ruffled Katharina’s hair, which she hated.
“Cut that out! You really are impossible!” she scolded Johanna. “OK, if you behave yourself.”
Saturday morning dawned, and Katharina looked around the apartment. This was the last day she would ever spend here – her family home. The flat was empty now, except for the large items of furniture which were to be left as the landlord had purchased them.
The girls lounged about all morning, drinking coffee and chatting. Then they went out for lunch.
They returned to the apartment about three o’clock, and got down to the serious business of making Katharina beautiful for her date. Johanna did her hair for her, and helped her to put on some subtle make-up. After she had put the new dress on, she stood back and Johanna looked her up and down, clapped her hands and said, “Perfect! I could fall for you myself!” Then she added one of her famous ‘put-down’ tailpieces, “Pity about the thick glasses, though. Could you not leave them in your bag and just take them out if you need them?”
Katharina was appalled. “You’re joking! I wouldn’t even be able to find the bag if I did that. You really know how to make a girl feel good, Jo!”
At seven o’clock the doorbell rang and Katharina answered it. There stood a very awkward and embarrassed Rupert, with a small bunch of flowers in his hand.
Katharina was the first to speak. “Oh Rupert, come in. Happy birthday!” She gave him a little kiss on his cheek. “This is my best friend, Johanna.”
She frowned at Johanna as a warning sign to behave. Johanna flashed her big brown eyes at Rupert, wished him a happy birthday, and kissed him on the cheek. Rupert said something unintelligible and turned red. One girl he could barely cope with, two and he was a bumbling wreck.
Johanna then came out with the worst line ever. “Well, Rupert, I hear you and Katharina have at least one thing in common – she likes The Stones too!”
Rupert looked completely perplexed and shuffled about on his feet. He was wishing right now that he had stayed at home. He quickly handed the flowers to Johanna by mistake, and she said, “Oh Rupert, I didn’t know you cared! Only joking – I think these are for you, Kat.”
“Can you take them home, Jo? There’s nothing here to put them in, and I’ll get them tomorrow. You’re just leaving now, aren’t you?”
She gave Johanna a little shove and a knowing look, then turned to Rupert. “Thank you so much, Rupert, they’re lovely. What a lovely thought.”
Katharina showed Johanna out, and Johanna whispered to her at the door, “He’s dishy. I’d love to get my hands on him for a night!”
“Good night, Jo. See you tomorrow.”
“I’ll want a blow-by-blow account tomorrow!”
After Johanna was gone, Katharina went through to where Rupert was standing and said, “I’ve got a little birthday present for you.” She lifted a little gift-wrapped box off the table and handed it to him. “Happy birthday, Rupert.”
“Oh, thank you,” Rupert said, surprised, “you shouldn’t have, really. Thank you.”
“Open it,” said Katharina, “I hope you like it . . . I mean, them.”
He tore the wrapping paper off, and opened the little hinged box. There, inside, was a beautiful pair of polished pebble cufflinks. His face lit up like a little boy.
“They’re just beautiful. That’s a beautiful gift – thank you very much.”
Katharina stood right in front of him and pointed to her cheek with her index finger. Rupert looked flustered, cleared his throat, went up close to her cheek, drew back again, and finally gave her a very quick peck on the cheek like a timid bird eating a breadcrumb from your hand.
“Put your cufflinks on now.”
“That’s a good idea,” he said, as he took them out of their box. “Then I think we had better go. The table is booked for seven thirty.”
They went down to the street where his car was parked, and he opened the passenger door to let Katharina in. Immediately, her feet got caught on some stones lying on the floor. Flustered, Rupert said, “Oh, I’m very sorry, I forgot they were there. I’ll put them in the boot. I was gathering them from the Danube this morning and I haven’t sorted them out yet.”
He took the stones and put them in the boot, got back in the car and drove off. They were silent for a few minutes, and then he spoke.
“I am going to do a collection of stones from the Danube, from source to sea. These were the easiest ones to get today. Do you know the river originates in the Black Forest in Germany as two smaller rivers - the Breg and the Brigach - which join together at a place called Donaueschingen, and it is from this point that it is known as the Danube? It roughly flows eastwards for a distance of about 2850 km, and passes through several Central and Eastern European capitals, before entering the Black Sea at the Danube Delta in Romania. Not a lot of people know that. Do you know what I would love to do? I would love to drive to the source of the two rivers and get some stones from there, then get stones from Donaueschingen where the actual Danube starts, and then get more stones from each of the capitals it passes through. I’ve already got Vienna’s ones. The real highlight would be to get some stones from the Danube Delta, and even more exciting than that would be to get some sand or silt from there.”
This is going to be a fun evening, Katharina thought.
They arrived at the restaurant, one of Vienna’s classiest, moments after Mr and Mrs Bauer. Rupert introduced them.
“You already know my father, Felix.” They shook hands and he gave Katharina a little kiss on her cheek.
“And this is my mother, Miranda.” She had a lovely warm smile, and she hugged Katharina, kissing her on both cheeks.
“Rupert has told us all about you,” she said. “In fact, he has spoken about nothing else for the last week, apart from stones from the Danube.” During the last part of the sentence, her eyes looked skywards and she made a funny little face at Katharina, and then winked. Katharina thought she was going to like this lady. She already liked Felix.
They talked all the way through the excellent meal, with Miranda taking the lead most of the time. Katharina told them all about her forthcoming position, but she didn’t say anything about the forthcoming baby. All in good time, she thought. Anyway, I might never see them again.
At the end of the meal, over liqueurs, Felix pulled a cigar from his inside pocket and politely asked if anyone minded if he smoked. Nobody objected, so he lit up. The evening had been very pleasant and ended all too soon. Felix settled the bill and they made their way to the door.
“Now Rupert, you will see young Katharina home and make sure she is safe and sound in her apartment. We shall see you later,” he said.
“Would you like a walk down by the river first?” Rupert asked Katharina. “It’s such a beautiful night.”
“Yes, I’d love that,” she replied.
They said goodbye to the parents, Katharina thanking them for their generosity, and set off in Rupert’s Golf GTI for the river. They parked the car and started walking. Katharina put her arm around Rupert. He didn’t reciprocate, so she grabbed his arm and put it round her. He started to get all flustered.
“Oh . . . umm . . . I’m so sorry. I’m no good at this sort of thing. You must forgive me, I’m not really sure of what to do,” he blurted out.
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep you right! Let’s just enjoy the walk.”
They stopped now and again, and watched the lights twinkling on the water without saying anything. Katharina felt safe and warm with this lovely boy’s arm round her, but even though he was older than her, she still felt like he was just a boy. He needed some maturing now he was twenty-one. She turned to look at him and he smiled at her. She reached up to him and he bent down slightly, then she grabbed his collar, pulled his face towards hers, and they kissed very gently. She liked the feeling very much, and she thought that he liked it too, as he was smiling at her with his eyes lit up.
“Did you like that?” she asked, finally breaking the silence.
“Y-y-yes. Very much,” he said, quite confidently now. “Would you believe, that’s the first time I have kissed a girl properly, and it couldn’t have been a nicer one.”
Katharina believed it. “Well,” she said, “how would you like to make it a second time?”
Without saying another word, their lips came together and a long, passionate kiss followed, with Katharina taking the lead and making all the right moves to hide Rupert’s inexperience and avoid any embarrassment to him.
To make him feel good, she praised him. “For someone who hasn’t done this before, you are very, very good at it!”
“You’re just being kind – I’m hopeless!”
“I’m not complaining. Let’s go back to the car and you can take me home.”
They drove back to the apartment, and as he parked outside, Katharina asked if he would like to come up for a coffee.
“Well, I suppose I could. It’s only ten-thirty,” he replied.
They went up to the flat, and Katharina apologised for the bareness. “Everything has gone, Rupert. Tomorrow I move in with my aunt and uncle for a week, and then I move into the hotel where my new job is.”
“Can I help you with the coffee?” Rupert asked.
“In a minute,” Katharina replied, “take your jacket off and just wait there – I have another birthday present for you,” and she went through to the bedroom. She took off her coat, and walked back through to the living room. Rupert glanced at her, and then nervously looked away again. She stood there and beckoned him over to her. When he was right up close to her, she put her hands up and cupped his face in them, guiding his lips towards hers. She gave him a very sensual, lingering kiss, and she could feel him responding. He put his arms around her without any prompting, and returned the kiss, quite gently at first, then with feeling. She could see he was perspiring down his brow. Then he spoke.
“Katharina, you are . . . you are so . . . gorgeous! Oh . . . I’m sorry . . . what have I said! I’m sorry.”
She put her fingers up to his lips, touching them, and whispered, “Shhh. Don’t speak.”
Katharina was thinking: This is one of those nights that stay with you for the rest of your life – one of those nights that you never ever forget.
Rupert was thinking: Mother and Father will be wondering where I’ve got to. I’ll need to go.
Suddenly, Rupert said, “I’ll have to go.”
“Stay here tonight,” Katharina said.
“Oh no, I can’t,” he protested. “Mother and Father will be expecting me home.”
“Phone them and say you’ve had a couple of glasses of wine and you shouldn’t drive. Go on!”
“But I don’t drink – they won’t believe me.”
“Rupert, you’re a twenty-one-year-old man. You’ve just kissed a real woman. Just do it! The telephone is still connected – phone them now.”
He got up, went to the phone and dialled his home number. Katharina went to make the coffee. She could hear his side of the conversation, and it wasn’t going well.
“They didn’t believe me,” he said when the call was finished. “They think you might be leading me astray.”
Katharina put on a coy, innocent look, and said, “As if I would do such a thing!”
They sat down with their coffee and gazed at each other in silence. Then Katharina said, “Now, there’s a quarter bottle of brandy in the sideboard. I think we should have one after our coffee, and then you will have sampled two of life’s little pleasures in one night – your twenty-first birthday night.”
He felt pleasantly dizzy after the brandy, and then he just turned all giggly and lost all of his inhibitions. He initiated another kissing session, and by one o’clock he had fallen asleep in her arms. She carefully got up from the sofa, draped her coat over him and gave him a little kiss on the cheek. Then she went through to her bed.
They slept right through until mid morning, and Rupert was appalled when he saw the time.
“Mother and Father will wonder where I am.”
“They know where you are, darling,” Katharina said softly, running her fingers through his hair. She kissed him, then said, “You go and make some coffee, I’ll take a shower.”
After the shower, she sat down at the table beside him.
“I have something very important to tell you, Rupert,” she said solemnly. “I’m pregnant.”
He leapt up from the table, knocking the cups of coffee over, with one of them smashing onto the floor. He put his hands to his head and shouted out, “Oh my God, my dear God! Oh . . .” All of the colour drained from his face and he looked physically sick. “Oh, I’m so sorry. Oh what am I going to do? This is terrible . . . awful. I’m too young to be a father! Oh, what will Mother and Father say? They’ll disown me – that’s what they’ll do, disown me!”
Katharina tried to butt in to explain, but to no avail.
He continued. “Don’t you take pills or something to prevent this happening? No, no, it’s all my fault. That’s right; I should have done something. I shouldn’t have kissed you. You shouldn’t have let me. Oh, what are we going to do? I’ll stand by you, of course. Yes, I’ll pay for everything. I’ll . . . marry you!”
“Stop. STOP! Now listen.” She finally got him calmed down. “It’s not your baby. It couldn’t possibly be your baby just from kissing! It’s my previous boyfriend’s. I’ve known for a few weeks now, but I didn’t tell you in case it spoiled our date. Have your mother and father never explained to you how these things work?”
“No, not really. They left a book once in my room, but it wasn’t very interesting so I never read it. I realise now that I probably should have.”
“You definitely should have,” Katharina said, giving him a little cuddle. “Now, let’s get organised and you can give me a lift to my Uncle Josef’s on your way home. We will need to take everything that’s left here with us, and then say ‘goodbye’ to the apartment forever.”