What Happens in Berlin Read online

  His hand was warm, but I pulled away. “Um, okay. Thanks for telling me, I guess?”

  He nodded, tucking his hands into his pockets. “I didn’t want you to make the wrong impression of me.”

  Just then, a cab pulled up. Pops opened the door for Mom, and I gave Johan a little wave and started to follow them. Petra squeezed my hand as I got into the front seat of the cab.

  “I will pick you up at your hotel tomorrow morning. Ask your mother if she would like to come with us, yes?”

  I nodded, too tired to say anything else. As the car pulled away, I watched Petra lean her head on Charlie’s shoulder. They really were too cute for words. Then I caught sight of Johan. He was watching the cab intently, and just like when I’d seen him before, he made sure I was looking at him before he winked. I sank back into my seat, confused.

  “That was a nice dinner,” I heard Mom say from the backseat.

  “And Petra seems like a charming girl,” Dad replied softly.

  I pressed my head against the glass, silent. She was charming, and sweeter than I’d expected, but it was still hard for me to wrap my head around how much my brother’s life had changed in such a short time.

  Chapter Six

  I was up well before the sun, prowling around our spacious suite looking for a coffeepot. It seemed like every hotel had the cheap little packets of coffee tucked somewhere in the rooms, but after thirty minutes of searching, I wasn’t any closer to caffeine than I’d been when I woke up. I threw on some clothes and was just about to sneak down to the café on the corner when the door to my parents’ room opened and Pops emerged.

  He stared at me in surprise. “What are you doing up?”

  It wasn’t like I’d ever been a morning person, but his surprise irritated me a little bit. “Couldn’t sleep. I want coffee.”

  He chuckled. “There’s the girl I know and love. Let’s see what we can order from room service.”

  I looked up, startled. “Seriously? Won’t that be, like, expensive?”

  He sighed and sat down on the sofa. “JoJo, it’s a vacation. You’re allowed to indulge a little bit when you’re on vacation.”

  “I guess.” I’d gotten used to traveling as cheaply as possible while I’d been on my own, and it wasn’t like any of the hostels I’d stayed at would have even had room service.

  Pops picked up the menu, his glasses slipping down his nose. “Now, do you want that coffee or not?”

  I laughed. “Okay, fine. I’ll indulge.”

  He patted my hand. “Good girl. It isn’t every day you get to wake up in a foreign country and have breakfast with your old man.” He picked up the phone to place the order, and when he was done, he smiled at me. “Fifteen to twenty minutes.”

  “I wonder what it’s like for Charlie.”

  Pops looked at me, surprised. “What what’s like?”

  “Waking up in another country. I mean, it’s totally different for him, right, since he lives here?”

  Pops nodded thoughtfully. “I don’t know. He’s never talked about it to me,” he said, and shot me a sidelong glance, but I shook my head.

  “We haven’t talked as much since he joined the army.”

  “That must have been hard on you, JoJo.”

  Unexpected tears filled my eyes, but I turned away before he could see. “I guess. We’re all growing up, right?”

  Pops wrapped his arms around me. “Yes, kiddo, you are. And I’m proud of both of you.”

  Surprised, I looked at him. “Charlie I get; what have I done to make you proud?”

  He smiled. “Plenty. You’re working hard at school, and you’ve been working even harder at that job. You’re just about ready to leave the nest, baby.”

  I laughed uncomfortably. “I don’t know if Mom can handle that.”

  “Can handle what?” Mom came out of their bedroom, tying the belt around her robe, and I darted a panicked glance at Pops.

  “Whipped cream and pancakes for breakfast,” he lied smoothly. “We ordered room service.”

  She grinned. “That sounds wonderful. Coffee, too, I hope?”

  Pops and I looked at each other, and I tried not to laugh. “Of course.”

  “Good. We can’t have Joey finding out what it means to be uncaffeinated.”

  I shook my head. “I’m not that much of an addict!”

  “Yes you are,” they both spoke in unison.

  We all burst out laughing, and we were still giggling when the concierge arrived with breakfast.

  ~

  “Did Charlie say anything to you about the wedding?” I was towel drying my hair, wishing for the umpteenth time since I got to Europe that I’d had the guts to cut it all off back in North Carolina when I had the chance.

  “Not yet. That’s why I’m going with them to taste the cake this afternoon; I want to get an idea of their plans and see how I can help.” Mom finished applying her makeup and then smiled at me in the long bathroom mirror. “I like Petra.”

  That surprised me. “I thought you were going to hate her forever.”

  Mom laughed, embarrassed. “I said some awful things, didn’t I? But she seems like a lovely girl, and,” she sighed, “I think they’re really in love.”

  I bit my lip, thinking of the secret Charlie had shared with me. Were they really in love, or were they just feeling desperate? I shook my head, confused, and Mom misinterpreted the gesture.

  “Give her a chance, Joey. For Charlie’s sake.”

  “She asked me to be her maid of honor.” The words sort of slipped out, and Mom stared at me, stunned.

  “When did this happen?”

  “Last night at dinner.”

  “Oh, sweetie, that’s wonderful! You’ll get to wear something lovely, I’ll bet, and weddings are always so much more fun when you’re in the bridal party.”

  I smiled, starting to get excited despite myself. “It’ll be my first wedding, unless you count when I was the flower girl for that old babysitter we used to have . . . what was her name?”

  “Beth,” Mom answered quickly. “And that counts. But this will be your first wedding as an adult!” Tears welled up in her eyes and I stared at her, surprised.

  “Did you just call me an adult?”

  She sniffed and nodded. “My little girl is growing up. Both my babies are grown up!”

  I almost spilled the news about Petra’s pregnancy right then, but I kept my mouth shut. After a minute, Mom got a grip on herself and gave me a tearful smile. “When are you and Petra going to pick out the dress?”

  “Today. She said she’d meet me here this morning, before the cake tasting.”

  Mom nodded, her lips a little wobbly. “That’s good.”

  “Did you want to come, too?” The invitation was out before I had time to consider that maybe Petra wouldn’t want my mom tagging along, but Mom shook her head.

  “No. I want you to have some time alone to get to know your new sister.”

  For some reason, hearing her describe Petra that way pushed my buttons. “I don’t have a sister, Mom. I have a brother.”

  She sighed, exasperated. “But Petra is going to be part of this family. You need to stop thinking of her like a stranger, Joey.”

  “It’s just all so fast. I mean, don’t you think they’re rushing?”

  Mom hesitated, but then she nodded. “I do. But it isn’t my marriage; it’s theirs.”

  Stunned, I watched her walk out of the bathroom. She has a point, I admitted to myself. Still, I couldn’t help worrying that Charlie was making a big mistake.

  Chapter Seven

  I was waiting outside for Petra, watching the people around me hurrying to wherever they were headed. Even though it was summer, the air was crisp and cool, and I was wishing I’d worn a sweater or something by the time I spotted Petra walking up the sidewalk, holding two paper cups. She smiled when she saw me, and I waved. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.

  “Good morning, Joey!” she called merrily, waving the coffee cups.
“Charlie told me I had better bring coffee, or you might not be happy to see me.”

  I grinned, despite myself. “He’s right. Thank you!” I reached for the cup she held out to me, and I inhaled deeply. Ah, coffee.

  “I didn’t know how you liked it, but Charlie said black was probably a good guess.”

  I nodded. “Yeah. I don’t usually waste time with any froufrou coffee drinks. Just give me the caffeine and stand back!”

  She chuckled. “Is that why he calls you his cup of coffee?”

  “What?”

  “I have heard him say you are ‘cuppa Joe.’ This is coffee, yes?”

  I laughed. “I guess. He’d been calling me that for years, though, before I ever knew what coffee tastes like.”

  She laughed. “It is fitting, no?”

  We had started walking down the street, and Petra stopped in front of a green sign with a large “S” on it. “Are we taking a bus?”

  She pointed to the tracks set into the pavement. I hadn’t noticed them before. “It’s the S-Bahn. Sort of like, what would you call it? A train?”

  A sleek yellow-and-red tram pulled up. “It’s like a light-rail, right?”

  Petra looked confused, but then she nodded. “It will take us where we need to go.”

  The doors opened and Petra dragged me on board, jostling through a crush of passengers and pulling me to a pair of seats along the wall. I noticed the stork with a baby stenciled on the back of the seat, and I flushed. We were sitting in the maternity section. Nervously, I glanced around to see if anyone was watching us, but the other passengers seemed occupied by their newspapers. A few kids had their earbuds in, and an old woman was eating a peach as she stared out the window. I relaxed a little bit, but it still felt weird to be sitting in the baby seats with Petra.

  She was quiet now that we were on the tram, and I risked a look at her out of the corner of my eye. Her pale-blond hair was fine, and it framed her face in choppy layers. Her skin was pink, and looking at her, I realized she reminded me of a fragile china doll. Was that what Charlie saw in her? Someone to protect?

  As if she had heard my thoughts, she looked up at me. “Do your parents think I am a good match for Charlie?”

  I swallowed, nervous. Did they? “I don’t know. They barely know you.”

  Petra’s face fell, and I felt like an ass.

  “We all had a nice time at dinner last night,” I added, trying to steer the conversation away from whether or not my family approved of her. Hell, I was still trying to figure out if I approved of her.

  She nodded. “Me, too. My papa really liked your papa.”

  I laughed. “That’s good. Pops loves meeting new people.”

  She eyed me coyly. “And my cousin seemed to like you very much.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Sure.” True, he hadn’t been ugly, but I wasn’t really looking for a vacation hookup.

  Petra opened her mouth to say something, but then she closed it. I watched her expectantly, but she looked away, staring out the window at the city. “We are almost there. Our stop is the next one.”

  I stood up, swaying with the motion of the car, and Petra reached for my hand. Surprised, I helped pull her to her feet, and she smiled at me.

  “It is still early days, but I sometimes feel as if my balance has already changed.” She casually patted her stomach.

  “How far along are you?”

  “Three months, give or take.”

  I nodded, uncertain of what to say. “Will you start showing soon?”

  She nodded. “But my wedding dress is loose. No one will know.”

  “When are you planning on telling people?”

  She shrugged as the tram rolled to a stop. “After the wedding, I suppose.”

  “Do you really think you’ll be able to pretend the pregnancy happened after you guys were married? I mean, three months is pretty far along; people are bound to count back and realize.”

  “Perhaps. But my father will feel better if we pretend. Won’t your parents be happier to think of the child as conceived in wedlock?”

  I wasn’t sure. “I don’t know what they’ll say.”

  Petra squeezed my hand. “They will know soon enough. Thank you for keeping my secret.”

  I followed her off the tram. “I really don’t think you should lie about this.”

  “But you must see; my papa’s heart would break. Please, Joey,” she grabbed my hand, and I was surprised to see tears in her eyes, “please stay silent.”

  I glared at her. “Fine. But I don’t like lying to my parents.”

  “It is not lying to keep back information that they never ask for.”

  True. “But what if they do ask?”

  Petra looked at me, her blue eyes wide and innocent. “Why should they?”

  I didn’t have an answer for that, and I followed her silently into the dress shop.

  A woman in a fitted gray suit came forward to meet us. Her hair was slicked back in a severe bun, looking almost like a blond helmet plastered to her head. “Guten Tag!”

  Germans cap many nouns, including this one and Morgen (morning), in case you wish to be specific: “Guten Morgen!”

  Petra smiled at her and started speaking rapidly in German. I had no idea what they were saying, but they had a quick, raspy exchange, and then Petra turned to me. “We will try on dresses here.” She led me to a small fitting room with a curtain strung across it. The saleswoman pulled my arms up and ran her tape measure around my bustline and then quickly down my inseam. She barked something in German to Petra, who smiled and looked at me.

  “She says you will be easy to fit. Not too skinny, not too plump.”

  The woman clucked her tongue, and Petra laughed. “What did she say now?” I almost didn’t want to know.

  “She says you may be too tall, but I told her that doesn’t matter; your dress will be short, not long.”

  “How short?” The saleswoman moved off, and I glanced at Petra nervously.

  “It is a summer wedding. Short is good, yes?”

  I looked down at my jeans. “I guess. Just not too short, okay?”

  “Joey, you will look beautiful. Trust me!”

  The clerk reappeared, nearly buried in tulle. She thrust the pile of multicolored dresses at me and gestured to the curtained fitting room. Petra smiled and sat down on a pink chair. “Show me the ones you like most!”

  I nodded. The saleswoman gave me a poke, and I hurried into the dressing room, dropping the stack of dresses on the small bench against the wall. There wasn’t a mirror in the narrow fitting room, and I sighed. I’d have to go out into the store to see any of the dresses. At least Mom isn’t here. I had a feeling Petra wouldn’t be nearly as critical as Mom was when we went shopping.

  The first dress I tried on was olive green and strapless, and I wasn’t a big fan of it. Still, I poked my head around the curtain. “What do you think?”

  Petra’s smile faded. “You look ill, yes?”

  I looked down at the dress. “I guess. I don’t really like it.”

  She smiled and shook her head. “You don’t need to waste time showing me anything you don’t like. It’s your dress, Joey, not mine.”

  “But don’t you want me to match the rest of the bridal party?”

  “All the dresses Eileen brought are similar colors to what the other girls are wearing. I want you to wear what you want. None of the dresses match; it is a more, how do you say, informal style.”

  I grinned. “I like the sound of this wedding more and more.”

  Closing the curtain, I shimmied out of the green dress. The next three dresses were a similar color, and after Petra’s assessment that the green made me look sick, I ignored them, skipping straight to a light-plum-colored dress. It had a halter neck, and an A-line skirt, flaring out slightly just above my knees. The fabric was thick and shiny, like satin, and I instantly loved the way it felt on my skin. Tying the back of the halter loosely, I stepped around the curtain with a flourish.
>
  “What do you think?”

  Petra started to clap. “Oh, lovely! That is perfect!”

  I grinned at her, but then I heard a male voice add, “So beautiful!”

  Johan strolled up to us and casually kissed Petra on the cheek. She grinned up at him, and I resisted the urge to dart behind the curtain.

  “You are right on time! We have just finished.” Petra patted his hand and gestured to me. “Doesn’t Joey look beautiful?”

  “Yes, very.” He studied me, and I flushed.

  “I’ll get changed then, and we can pay.” I turned to go back into the dressing room, but Petra shook her head and stood up.

  “Eileen will want to pin you and see what alterations must be made. Keep the dress on. I’ll fetch her.”

  “I’ll go,” Johan stepped easily away from us, and Petra smiled at me.

  “You are very beautiful, Joey.”

  “Thanks.” Uncomfortable, I fiddled with the hem of the dress. “Why is your cousin here?”

  “I asked him to meet us. I have to be at the cake tasting with Charlie and your mother in less than an hour, and I didn’t want to abandon you. Johan will take you sightseeing.”

  I shook my head. “No, thanks. I can just go back to the hotel.”

  Petra frowned. “But you asked Charlie to take you around last night at dinner. I though Johan could help, since Charlie will be busy today.” She bit her lip. “Don’t you want to see Berlin?”

  I did, but I didn’t want to hang around with her cousin. This all felt too much like a setup. Before I could say anything, though, Johan reappeared with Eileen. The woman gestured to me to lift my arms into a T, and then she began measuring fabric and pinning me in random places. Petra and Johan had a quick discussion in German, and Petra leaned over to kiss my cheek.

  “Johan promises you will have a wonderful time. I will see you tomorrow, no?”

  “Sure, I guess. Um, have fun with the cake.”

  Petra beamed at me. “Of course! And have fun in Berlin. It is a beautiful city.”

  She was gone before I could say anything else, but Eileen was still poking and pinning me. Johan settled into the chair Petra had vacated and smiled at me. I looked away, praying Eileen would hurry up so I could escape.