War Girls Complete Collection Chapter 65

Chapter 10

I

n the next staff meeting, Professor Scherer announced that he needed to leave on a business trip and wouldn’t be available for the next few days. Anna didn’t mind not having the professor around, but she would miss Peter’s regular visits, since the professor rarely left town without his trusted driver and personal security guard.

Much to her surprise, Peter later stopped by her lab with his usual grin.

“Peter, I thought you were gone with the professor?” she said, her heart taking a leap.

Not that I mind.

“We aren’t leaving until early morning. And I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye to you, now could I?” he asked and sauntered towards her.

The butterflies in her stomach did double dips as she noticed something purple in his hand, half hidden behind his back.

“You look peachy in that dress, Anna.”

She glanced down at what he could see of her dress, hidden by the white lab coat she wore, and shook her head saying, “You can’t see my dress as it’s mostly covered up.”

“Oh, well, maybe I meant to say you were peachy; therefore, anything you wear is by association peachy.” He hovered dangerously near, and his presence made her all light-headed and silly.

Anna blushed and giggled. “What if I was wearing a burlap sack?”

“You would still be beautiful.” He took yet another step and held out a single purple crocus for her. “I’m sorry, but that was all I could get.”

“It’s beautiful, thank you so much.” Anna took the flower and turned away to hide her burning cheeks. She busied herself looking for a vessel to use as vase. When she found a test tube and filled it with water, Peter stepped beside her and covered her trembling hand with his.

“Would you go out with me tonight?” he said leaning in to her, his low voice sending sweet shivers up her spine.

“Go out with you?” Anna looked at him and blinked a few times, dumbfounded.

“Yes. On a date.” He grinned at her, his eyes twinkling. “I want to spend time with you away from work.”

Anna swooned, her knees wobbling so much she gripped the counter to steady herself. She should like his attention…she did like it…but at the same time, the memories she’d locked deep down in her soul threatened to bubble up every time she considered…

“People do that? They actually do other things besides work?” Anna asked with a raised brow.

“If you have to ask, then you definitely need to say yes,” he insisted, taking the test tube from her and then holding both of her hands between his own strong palms, rubbing them with his rough thumb. Anna’s heartbeat accelerated under the soft caress. “Please. I know you want to, I can see it in your eyes. Say yes.”

“Yes,” Anna’s instinct answered before her rational brain had a chance to kick in and deny his request.

“Wonderful. I’ll pick you up after work here. Or do you need to go home first?”

“Afraid I’ll get away?” Anna teased him.

“Absolutely.”

“Don’t worry. I always keep my promises.”

“That’s my girl. See you soon.” He let her hands go and then whistled his way out of the laboratory.

She watched him disappear from view and then did a little twirl behind her counter. Until the fierce grip of self-doubt and dark demons attacked her, choking away her joy. A few hours later, having made a trip to the ladies’ bathroom to freshen up her face and hair, she returned to the lab to find Peter waiting for her.

“Ready to go?” He offered her his arm and led her outside. “So, what do you like to do for fun?” When Anna gave him an incredulous look, he revised his question, asking, “Hmm, let’s rephrase this. If we didn’t live in a city reduced to rubble with the worst war from time immemorial raging, what would you do for fun?”

Anna giggled. Peter had the refreshing ability to make her feel light, almost as if floating. Under the strength of his ministrations, darkness seemed to fade away. “Well, I like going to the motion pictures, and I like to dance. It’s been such a long time since I did either one of those.”

“There are still motion pictures to go see.” They had already left the grounds of the Charité, and Peter wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they walked along the river Spree and towards the Reichstagsgebäude. The formerly magnificent building had never been fully restored after the mysterious fire in 1933, and the damage from the constant air raids had turned it into a shameful ruin, reminding the citizens of Berlin of the war raging across Europe.

“Propaganda films…” Anna said and stopped to look at him. She needed to know where he stood and how far she could go in voicing her repudiation of the things the government did. He held her glance and then nodded.

“I agree. But the war won’t last forever.”

“You sound so certain of that.”

“I am. Everyone is. Let’s get a bite to eat.” He turned to continue walking along the Spree River to the bridge across and Anna pondered his answers. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but something about his demeanor hinted that he did not approve of the Nazis. Not enough, though, to trust him with her own opinions.

Peter stopped in the middle of the heavily damaged bridge and looked down into the black water flowing lazily beneath them. Just weeks ago the river had still been frozen over, much to the delight of the children. They walked straight ahead until they reached the street to see and be seen on: Unter den Linden.

To the left lay the heavily damaged Brandenburger Tor, the Quadriga miraculously still on top of it, and to the right the formerly beautiful grand boulevard. Peter steered her towards a restaurant that had managed to remain unscathed amongst the rubble. While eating, Peter entertained her with small anecdotes about his work with the professor, and Anna told him how much she loved to work with Professor Scherer.

Peter listened with interest, but didn’t talk much about himself, unlike most other men Anna knew, who could go on and on boasting about their importance. It endeared him even more to her, but a little doubt remained. Why did he avoid talking about his family or his upbringing? Maybe, she figured, his parents had died, and he avoided the resurfacing of painful memories?

“Thank you for such a lovely evening,” Anna said as it was getting late. They still didn’t have phone service at home and Mutter would worry if Anna returned too late.

“I’ll see you home, before it gets dark,” Peter said and paid for their meal, before he helped her into her coat and then offered his arm again.

She liked walking beside him, feeling his reassuring presence and the sparks coursing through her body. A kiosk stood behind the bus stop, radio blaring with the usual evening news. Despite the clear sky, the detested bomber pilots seemed to have taken a day off, because no air raid pre-warning was given. Anna shuddered and turned up her coat’s collar.

The most important news of the day was the assassination of the SS and Police Leader of Warsaw, Franz Kutschera, by members of the Home Army, the Polish resistance moment. In reprisal, three hundred Polish civilians had been taken hostage in an attempt to expose the murderers. Even as the reporter spoke about the despicable crime committed against Kutschera and Germany, Anna felt Peter tense and almost crush her hand in his forceful grip.

“Peter? Are you alright?” The sight of his tightly set jaw and dark scowling eyes frightened her.

“I’m sorry.” He glanced down at her hand and released it. “I hope I didn’t hurt you.”

“Just a bit, but are you sure you are fine?”

“I am. I should get you home now,” he said and relaxed his facial muscles to send her a reassuring grin. A

fake

grin.

Anna couldn’t fathom why the news of a random SS officer being assassinated in Warsaw had sent him off-kilter. It wasn’t like these kinds of things didn’t happen every day. How could a man who wore a loaded Mauser at all times be squeamish about a single murder? Unless…the victim had meant something to him.

Anna swallowed hard as fear settled deep into her bones. Had he been sent to spy on her?