‘We can go tomorrow if you like,’ he suggested. ‘I’ll sort tickets and meet you at the train station at nine. And maybe you can sort the hotel?’
Sophie nodded nervously, but there was also an excitement in her stomach, a thrill from the idea of going away with him, even though she had been clear about what this was. She reminded herself they would have separate beds in separate rooms, and she was grateful because she wasn’t totally sure she could trust herself with him.
‘You don’t need to be at your gallery?’ she asked.
‘Oh, it can last a few days without me. I’ll close it up. It’s a glorified art studio, really. I don’t sell that many paintings, maybe two or three a month if I’m lucky.’
She smiled, totting up in her mind how much that would bring him in if all the pictures were of a similar price to the one she had noticed today.
Once he’d finished his coffee, Sophie walked him to the door and he kissed her on both cheeks. She felt a little spark. But she pushed the feelings away, telling herself she was still raw after the break-up with Matt, a little needy for any kind of affection. Sophie watched Alex walk down the quaint circular staircase and disappear out into the Parisian evening and felt such warm feelings towards him.
That night, Sophie had a vivid dream of the bombs dropping on France and woke up sweating. She could only imagine what it had been like for Vivienne and the other people of the Resistance. She got up and booked two rooms in a hotel for her and Alex in Berlin, then enjoyed fresh coffee on her balcony, watching the streets of Paris come to life, before she had to leave to meet Alex at the train station.
He was waiting for her with a cup of coffee and a warm croissant.
‘Did you eat?’
She shook her head, laughing.
‘I had the feeling that you would be preoccupied,’ he responded, handing her the drink and the pastry. She took them gratefully.
They decided they would get the nine-thirty train, which would take them all the way to Berlin.
As they travelled from Paris, they talked the entire time, for the whole eight hours. But she still didn’t tell him about Matt. She told him about everything else – he already knew about Emily, but she talked about her work, her home, her cat. Just not, ‘oh and by the way, I just got dumped’. Not, she realised, because she was hurting, so much as she found she simply didn’t want to talk about her ex. He was her past, he would always be Emily’s dad, but he had been right – their relationship hadn’t been going anywhere. He’d done it the wrong way, but he’d done them both a favour in the long-term.
Alex, on the other hand, didn’t seem to have any trouble talking about his personal life. He also had a cat, and had just finished with a girlfriend, three months before. ‘And she broke my heart,’ he said, placing his hand on his chest. ‘But she went to a better man, so what can I say?’
They arrived late in the afternoon. Sophie mused how each city had its own smell. Berlin’s was damp and clinical. Around her, people chattered in many different languages, none of which she understood, and suddenly she was so grateful that Alex was with her.
‘Let’s get a taxi,’ she suggested.
They made their way outside and Alex gave the taxi driver the name of the place where they were staying. On arrival, she was glad to see that the hotel was a hive of activity and there were quite a few people buzzing about. She hadn’t wanted anything too intimate, and having lots of people around could stop things becoming too intense between the two of them.
Depositing their bags in their rooms, they went down to have dinner. Alex interpreted the menu. ‘I hope you like sausages,’ he mused as he translated. ‘They have ten different types right here.’
Sophie shook her head. ‘Do they have a salad?’
‘They do, but I hope you want it with sauerkraut because it all seems to come that way.’
After the food arrived, Sophie recapped everything she knew. He listened attentively.
‘It’s so odd that she went back to France though. I mean, if SOE threw her out, why would she come back to work for them? I know you want the best outcome for your family, but the fact