War Girls Complete Collection Chapter 316

Chapter 35: Tom

Berlin, January 1946

T

hree weeks had passed since he’d last seen Ursula and despite the teasing of his friends, he simply couldn’t get her out of his head. Every time they met, the connection between them grew stronger and he loathed the powers that kept them apart. It was such a cruel twist of fate.

One day he ran into Mitch in his favorite bar.

“Hey, mate, I didn’t know you were back,” Tom said.

“I’m not. Just here for twenty-four hours to grab my stuff. I’m going home.” Mitch beamed at him.

“For good?”

“Yep. I’ve been demobilized and there’s a nice quiet job as flight instructor waiting for me.”

“Good for you.” Tom tried to be happy for his friend, but he mostly felt sadness that he wouldn’t be able to catch a flight to Munich anymore.

“Don’t look so miffed. You still thinking about that woman?” Mitch gulped down his beer, ordering another one.

“Always.” Tom didn’t expect the skirt chaser to understand him, but Mitch was one of the very few people who knew the truth.

“Jesus, you’re knee-deep in shit. All this trouble for one woman. Find yourself a warm and willing Fräulein here and get over it. Believe me, they are lining up for the likes of us.”

Tom shook his head but Mitch kept talking. “Here’s what you do. You buy some chocolates and a box or two of cigarettes… they’ll do anything you want.”

“What does your girl back home think about this?” Tom couldn’t resist the side blow.

“What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her. I’m like a sailor and I need a warm bed in every port.”

Tom shook his head. “That’s not for me. I love Ursula and only her.”

“Man, she’s got her talons into you good. But with the way things are you might start thinking about emigrating to Timbuktu.”

“Where?” Tom asked.

“If you ever hope to make things work with this Ursula, you’ll need to find a place where nobody has even heard of the war or the Nazis. Antarctica comes to my mind, but Africa is warmer. I personally think you’re crazy, but to each his own.”

“Things will change.”

“Will they? Have you mentioned this girl to your parents or anyone back home yet?”

Tom blanched as he remembered his parents’ reaction. The level of hatred they’d shown had caught him unawares. “It might take some time.”

Mitch scoffed. “Good luck with that. You and I probably won’t be around by then. Heed my advice. Find yourself a nice Englishwoman. If you have to, visit this Ursula every once in a while for a quick boff. It’s not like you have to cross the big pond to come here.” Mitch tossed some bills on the table and yanked his jacket off the back of the chair. “I need to head out. Have a good life and remember, there are plenty of fish in the sea that are a lot less of a headache.”

Tom waved him off, wondering whether he should heed Mitch’s advice and forget about Ursula – for the sanity of both of them.