Surprise, suprise

from the book A double Irish and a Dutch

Tonight, she couldn’t care less; she was ready, set to party and joined Harry, whose daughter and boyfriend had meanwhile arrived and who were already dancing on the dance floor. The music was playing and she felt like love was in the air. Harry, looking at Avoka, had seen her smile on her face while she was texting, was now jeering at her. “Who was it, the sexy ghost lover or the hot rugby player?” 

Avoka looked up with a grin. “Both.”

Harry said, “Well, what a great combination; maybe I should also get a ghost dancer for the nights my girlfriend is off.” 

Avoka giggled, “Well, the ghost is not always appearing at exact the moment you wish.”

Harry replied, “Oh, damn, if they both appear at the same time, that’s trouble, of course.” 

Avoka said, “Well, with a Whatsapp ghost it’s good to handle.”

They all laughed out loud. Avoka said, “Maybe I should have another drink; let’s see who else appears then.”

She wasn’t finished with her sentence and this drunk girl from the Fruit of the Loom “farm”, the one Avoka once had worked with on the team, is standing right in front of her. “What are you doing here? I thought you were gone.”

Avoka said, “Does it look like I’m gone? Maybe you are seeing a ghost “buh”. Or are you so drunk that you don’t really know who is standing in front of you.”

A voice behind the girl appeared. “Oh, my God!” Avoka was thinking, the other asshole, the same duo, just like last night’s party. Would they stay here?  That would ruin the whole night. But he was shouting after the drunk girl that she should come now, they had to go to another party. The drunk girl actually tried to make her way to the shouting guy but somehow missing the door, she walked the wrong way. The exit was on the other side or was she thinking she could walk through a glass wall? Both were already on an alcohol level that made it damn hard to understand what they were saying, and one was wondering how they even could still stand or walk. But Avoka just felt lucky that they both made a U-turn and found their way through the crowd and out of the bar. She was feeling relieved when in a blink of her eye, at the same moment, someone entered the door–someone who looked quite familiar. This someone, looking damn good, was moving toward her; it was Ian. 

Avoka was surprised; that was the last thing she had expected, him coming here to Cork. He walked through the crowd then stopped in front of her with a cheeky smile. She smiled at him, looking into his eyes, asking, “Did you get lost on the way from London to Dublin?”

He laughed. “I needed an emergency landing, well, I heard there was a party in Cork tonight with some special guests which could be worthwhile.”

Avoka winked. “Oh, something could be worthwhile, hey?”

He smiled. “Yes, something very worthwhile, and I just couldn’t resist taking that Cork flight.” 

He opened his arms and wrapped them around her shoulders, giving her a long kiss. It was some time ago she had last been together with him but there was no better place to be right now than in his arms. Her hands around his neck, she is whispering, “I see, yes, this could be something very worthwhile.” And they kiss again in the middle of the dance floor. The music is playing Wicked Wonderland.

A half hour later they all sit at the river window, having a good time, drinking champagne, and whisky, sharing old stories and fresh ideas how Avoka can overcome her job dilemma.

Harry is creating ideas how they also can fight back the Fruit of the Loom giant who had played this sneaky game on her by pretending her figures weren’t good enough and making her sign this additional paper and pressuring her with legal consequences that could lead to dismissal.

Always with this “could” and “we’ll give you another chance” thing. But Harry already knew how they would just play with those statistical figures, as he had seen and experienced it himself how quick and easy they were about dispersing the figures just as it suited them and how the manager would make manual adjustments. So, neither of those employees who were shown how bad their results were nor the employees who always had the continuously consistent 90% rate over months were reliable. Also, they were using more than two different systems that always showed huge discrepancies in their metrics.

He was quite good friends, or kind of, with one of the Managers, who sometimes told him on that after-work drinks in the Pub what jobs he had to do, so he knew how they manipulated things. Harry had heard a lot and he knew how unfairly this was played and that they had done that just to have the possibility to put pressure on Avoka whenever they needed to. Harry was saying, “If there was anything about the job you do that would be really bad or not good enough, you were quicker gone than you came. They employ almost 150 new people every month. Especially while you are on probation period there wasn’t any need to keep someone if the person wouldn’t do a good job. They love doing this; they played the same on a guy in my team and this went on and on they would always make him sign some additional paper to give themselves the opportunity of dismissal, mostly for having the freedom to put pressure on the people whenever they liked to or to have a ‘buh-man’ whenever they need one.”

On one side Harry liked working for that giant, as he was interested in their whole business construct, but the way they played those games on employees was also against his work ethics and he assured Avoka he would help her to fight back. Avoka had seen a lawyer but she had told her that there were not many chances, to prove that the figures had been manipulated. So Avoka simply had looked for another job and had than quit, but was again in the same situation in the new company who had a similar work style. Harry gave in.  “Yes, I know that they love playing this on you; you are too much for them.”They all laughed.

Most people said exactly the contrary and would say, “Yeah, there must be something that you do that annoys them that they all act that way.”

But Harry added, “Yes, in my company in Germany I had experienced the same thing. There was one girl, more that kind of beauty if you know what I mean, keen, quiet, resourceful, who really brought in good ideas. One would think that she would be popular with those others and that this would improve the work productivity and effectiveness. But they all tried to put her down, spreading lies, both men and woman—in, particular one, who really was good and you would think he is not in need of acting like that. But wrong. He saw her as too much competition. And in your present job where you are, Avoka, with those young guys, especially with such a strong cultural macho background like Latin and Indian, you as a woman–you think they like that?”

Again, the whole corner table laughed. Harry’s daughter threw in. “Well, Honey, they are not against you, they are for themselves. So, you better fight for yourself, too.” She shows a bittersweet smile, flashing her white teeth, then adding, “We’ll find a way to turn that around. On both companies, we’ll turn that bullying into gold. My boyfriend’s father is a lawyer who works in a well-known law company who has dealt with those companies before. I’ll talk to him to make an appointment for you.”

Everyone supported this idea and they kept on making plans on how to fight those sneaky giants back. Harry agreed, “Yes, the best is their 8-minute-desk-absence-policy for the toilet!” Ian looked up questioningly. “Eight-minute-desk-absence-policy for the toilet?”

Harry nodded. “Yes, every employee has to put himself on a menu with a few options like available, unavailable, meeting, coaching, break and idle. And apart from anything that you are scheduled to, you are allowed 8 minutes of idle time a day. And if you need to go to the toilet in between you are allowed, to put it on idle but the maximum daily idle time is eight minutes.”

Harry’s daughter said, “Fantastic because the toilet is something that can be scheduled so well.” Ian bursts into laughter. “Seriously? And what happens if you’re over?”

Harry said, “Well, they have a set percentage of discrepancies on those figures but anything else counts as an incident. The same as if you are more than five minutes late–it will be reported and no matter what reason for, it counts as an incident, the same as being sick. And in general, if you have more than three incidents within six months you’re getting kicked out. Of course, they play with this policy; there are many who are sick all the time like Avoka’s team-leader who are far beyond three incidents and who are still there.”

Avoka agreed, “Yes, actually the time I used to work there, when I had moved to my flat, the neighbor girl had told me that before me a Spanish girl had lived in the flat and she had been kicked out of the Fruit of the Loom company because she had been late three times.” Avoka continued, “This was funny anyway as she said the Spanish girl now worked for Voxgo. This was the same company who had made me an offer and where I had been in March for three days but decided not to sign the contract because of the unprofessionalism of the team leader and organization. This company actually, had worked on the project I’m working on now, but their quality wasn’t good enough, so they took it away from them.”

Ian threw in, “And they gave it to that so professional Indian outsource company you are working with now?” He shook his head. “As if they do a better job on the project, seriously?”

Harry agreed and burst into laughter. “This is unbelievable, but quality has a different definition here. It is not like our understanding of delivering the best solution for the customer but for the company’s most benefit, of course.”

Ian nodded. “Ah, so solving the customer’s problem is not really asked for.”

Avoka said, “Exactly, just making him feel like you are understanding and bringing across how you can’t help him in a friendly way.” Harry said, “But it’s funny, Avoka, that with each company you end up with the same project and the competencies get worse and worse with those people.” 

Avoka added, “And actually it’s not just the same project. I also meet the same people again, the Voxgo team-leader and some other girl I had met again at the Fruit of the Loom company they work there, too, now.”

Harry said, “No, seriously? It’s really hard to understand how they get so successful with that.”

Avoka said, “Yes, but it seems to work for them. The company stands as damn successful–at least it looks like it.”

Harry mused, “But if they build their business on the same figures like they manage the figures in the systems we work with, you can be sure that 90% from the one person compared to 90% with another are based on totally different grounds. Just like yesterday, one of the guys came back from a two-weeks holiday but had consistently a 90% rate on his stats. I wonder how he managed this with not answering a single chat–that’s impressive, isn’t it?” Everyone laughs.

Ian said, “Yes, who knows if those financial figures they put out are real and their brand value or maybe it’s just kind of overrated just like they did with the real estate bubble?” Harry agreed, “Well that would be a point but we’ll see. We must find a way to prove it.”

Ian said, “All right, I put my menu on idle time for the 8 minutes for now.” He laughs and stands up, walking to the toilet.

Harry said, “Well, yes, I think it’s time to put mine on unavailable.” 

Avoka laughed, “Oh, I think that’s the one we’re not allowed to set.”

Harry said, “Oh, damn. So, what will this get me now, an incident?” 

Avoka said, “Maybe.” Harry replied, “Anyway, I think we should count the incidents. I’m with you, Avoka. I will try to get some more people involved. If we go for suing them together we stand much better chances. What do you think?”

Avoka agreed. “Yes, that’s a good idea, I guess, and we can bring much more awareness to how these companies really work and who takes the profit out, including their mysterious tax strategies they use.”

Harry said, “Yes, but that’s another issue but we’ll keep an eye on it, too. I know they are running claims in the US, too.”

Ian returns to the table. “Hey guys, I have an idea for another point that’s certainly not on one of your company’s menus and would cause another incident.”

He’s flashing a smile towards Avoka. “Ah, and I guess it’s one worthwhile incident, isn’t it?”

Ian is nodding and Harry says, “Oh, I’m sure it’s one that’s never getting on the menu, and certainly not by law.”

Harry’s daughter says, “Well, well, but that’s the one I thought about already the last 30 minutes and I like that one! Let’s go!”  

They all get up, pay at the bar’s till and leave the Electric. Harry takes a cap home. His daughter is spending the night with her boyfriend at his place and Ian and Avoka walk over to the Imperial hotel where Ian has booked a suite.

Avoka wakes up in the morning with sweet kisses on her face and Ian holding her tight, flashing his bright smile into her face, and they enjoy breakfast in bed. Two hours later they take some time to the Escape, the Hotel’s spa, having the pool all to themselves.

It’s an incredible atmosphere swimming those long lines. The pool is built in an old traditional Roman style with high marble columns. Ian is hanging at the pool’s edge; Avoka is swimming toward him. He wraps his arms around her, lifting her up and kisses her lips. Than they both sink into the water, skin on skin. Even when they are drowning it feels like they are becoming one and it feels like they are each other’s air. In this moment, she knows he must be the one.  

Late that afternoon they take a stroll through the Crawford Gallery and then make their way back to Dublin. They arrive at about ten o’clock. Ian drops Avoka at her flat at Marlborough Road No 6.

Avoka is happy, feeling like she is on cloud number seven but coming down quickly when she opens the door.  At the corridor stands a crowd of people, the two guys from the ground floor and three friends. They wink at Avoka, who walks over to them. One of the guys starts, “The girl from the front flat was screaming for help. When we asked, the boyfriend came out saying everything was okay.”

The couple in the front flat must have had a bitter fight and the guys were wondering what to do. Now it was quiet. One was suggesting to call the police but everyone was afraid the boyfriend would put it on them and might beat them off. So, they all decided when she screams again to go in and call the police.

Avoka was a bit shocked but then went upstairs. You never knew how they would react; the guy was from Tunisia and the girl she hadn’t seen before. She gets her bed ready and then a good night message from Hunt arrives. She sends a sleeping moon back, wishing sweet dreams. 

Work hard, play hard 

A bike trip to work 

The next morning Avoka takes her bike that she had picked up the week before in the city store, a second-hand bike. She gets ready and opens the door, looking down into the big brown eyes of a young pony that is standing in front of her door…

To be continued….

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Arrival at Lower Baggot Street

from the book i-Land – A double Irish and a Dutch

Tuesday morning everything is ready, set and she takes off on her way to Dublin. After a half hour drive with the bus from the Airport Avoka arrives at Lower Baggot Street and walks the road along towards 99 Baggot Street where she has rented an apartment. It’s a small room with a kitchen and small bedroom. She has rented the room for seven days, and then she needs to have found her own apartment.

So, she immediately starts looking at draft.com, the Internet site everyone recommends for searching flats. She also lets the guy from the Indian outsource company as well as the guy from the agency know that she’s arrived in Dublin now and also asks for her detailed starting date and the exact address, as that still has not been provided yet. The agency guy replies how pleased he is and immediately sends some links where Avoka has to fill in some information for the personnel department but also data safety sheets and so on. Like always the links didn’t work and the agency guy asked for new links. While Avoka fills out the link the saving process stops and crashes and the whole mask looks more like it has been programmed very poorly. So, it takes ages to fill out the whole thing and Avoka already has a nose full and hopes this kind of disorganization won’t continue.

As the receptionist from the apartment has recommended, Avoka goes out to the supermarket down the road for shopping. She gets some drinks and breakfast stuff. On her way back, she eats at the Chinese next to the apartment, one of those restaurants in the basement. That’s how this whole street looks like, a typical traditional road with houses in brick and stone built around the 19th century or earlier with apartments, offices, little shops and restaurants.

At 11 pm she’s tired and returns to her apartment. Meanwhile she has received some confirmations for viewing apartments for the following day. She takes a shower in this little after build-in shower cabinet called bathroom and finally lies down in the bed. Opposite the apartment are construction works for a new hotel.

The next morning the weather looked friendly, which was unusual for Dublin, and Avoka started this sunny day with a breakfast in one of the coffee shops along Lower Baggot Street. She took a picture of her croissant and coffee including the view though the big shop window, capturing the morning business of lower Baggot Street and sending it with a beautiful morning wish to Hunt who instantly replied how this street reminded him of his time in England and how he loved this, following with a kiss and wishing a successful day. Avoka smiled, lifting up her eyes from the display, looking out of the shop window and then turning her head to the right. The guy next to her looked at her and then commented, “Oh, it’s a beautiful day, today, isn’t it?”

Avoka replied, “Yes, I’m surprised. People always say the weather was so bad here but this really looks like summer.”

The guy nods and replies, “Yes, what people say, and what’s real is not always the same isn’t it? Where are you from?”

Avoka replies, “I’m from Germany. I just moved here. I’m starting to work for one of those Internet companies who are based here in Dublin and I have one week now for finding a flat.”

The guy replies, “I’m Tim, nice to meet you. Oh, that’s interesting. I’ve got a friend who just moved to Germany. I can ask her; maybe she knows someone who rents a flat here. I’ll just write her an email if you like, I put your email in the “cc” so she can reply to you straight away, if that’s okay for you? I know how insane the housing business is here, especially in Dublin.”

Avoka enters her email into his smartphone straight into the “cc” field. This guy is really friendly, actually, compared to the Irish people she had met in Cork, who were rather unfriendly and never wanted to know anything and never had a right answer when for example Avoka had asked for directions like where the post office was or any other queries.

She also introduced herself and the guy told that he was presently working on a new company and was about to launch a card similar to a credit card but actually not for people to spend money but save money. He explained how people use credit cards and this card would allow people to save money. It would work like this: Every time they made a purchase they could decide if they would like to round up and put the difference in their saving account, an idea that probably would animate people who loved shopping to make savings. He also explained that he was looking for a good finance person. Avoka explained that her new job now was in online advertising, something that would be very interesting to get some insights in and probably a good way for him to reach his audience. So they also exchanged numbers. Tim was saying, “You are a very clever person; you immediately grasp the concept and think a step further. I’m originally a mathematician; that was my field of study but I like this creative part creating an innovative company, that’s what really excites me.”

Avoka was impressed and they kept the conversation going. He explained he was stuck with business plan and needed a really, tough financial guy which was hard to get. She suggested Tim why he would not go for one of those financial companies who could do the job for him. He liked her idea and Avoka looked for one of the top financial companies here in Ireland who were involved in that kind of business consulting. One of them was actually based in Cork that matched all relevant criteria. Tim immediately called the company and got involved in a discussion for more than the next thirty minutes. Avoka continued to look for available flats. At eleven o’clock she had to leave to catch one of her viewing appointments. She tapped at Tim’s shoulder and they agreed to stay in contact.

An hour later Avoka had had her first viewing in the South of the city and could not have been more disappointed. From the outside, it looked nice in one of those areas with old town houses in a very nice street. In front were already about twenty people waiting when the viewing started. The apartment was on the ground floor, a bedsit with a small bathroom, a kitchen row, which was so dirty that no one ever would use it for cooking, a bed and with the five people inside the room was more than full. There was hardly any space to move around. Everyone entering the room with excitement and great expectation immediately turned his face frowning, rolling their eyes, not positively surprised that someone really offered something shabby like this for a price of over seven hundred euro. The room might had a size of twelve square meters. One guy asked the real estate agent what the size of the room was and he immediately answered, “About twenty-five”. One of the viewers was just rolling his eyes again and answering, “No, never, maybe half of it.”

This was ridiculous if one would calculate the square meter price this probably came up to seventy euro per square meter for a flat that looked like trash. No one signed up for taking this thing any further.

Avoka had about two hours for her next viewing on the other side of the city, the North Circular Road. This time she would best go with no expectation at all. That was the best attitude here.

Finally arrived at the North Circular Road, Avoka walked up from road number 210 towards 236 a typical Dublin road with Victorian terrace houses. Usually, she liked the houses with those colored doors. But with increasing numbers, the niveau of the area was decreasing. Number 236 had an open door, one in blue. Avoka walked up the stairs and the real estate agent welcomed her immediately and led towards the basement. The two walked through the cellar, the agent saying, “Here can be stored stuff, for example, your suitcases or bike. This flat is in the basement; we redecorated this part. I know it’s not so friendly walking through the basement to get to your home but have a look here.”

He opened the door and the room was one long tube with a long window front; at the end of the room was the bathroom. The view was into the backyard which was not really taken care of and any of the other occupants would walk by. It also seemed to be very difficult to be heated and that was a really, important part here in Dublin. It was nicely decorated but for Avoka this was a no-go; she had the feeling that after staying for an hour in this flat she would feel like the ceiling was coming down, not a comfortable place for her and certainly not for that amount of money, of 900 €. The agent kept on talking how he had made his first money with a construction job in Germany and didn’t want to stop. So Avoka simply explained she was not interested. She was speechless what people offered here for that amount of money, they were asking, and she was wondering, if she would find anything appropriate at all.

Checking for hotels was a similar devastating act; the prices started with 80 €/night for hostels and very popular was to offer hostel dorms, where people would stay with up to 12 people in one room. Avoka could not imagine staying with absolute foreign people in a room at night and wondered who would go for that, especially when you have all your luggage with you, including all important documents and other personal valuable belongings like you do when you move to another country.

She came back to her apartment, frustrated and worrying that she might not find a permanent accommodation. She had three more days left. She wrote to the agent who had arranged the transfer about the flat situation, who came back with the hostel suggestion that this would be a great place to stay. Avoka only shook her head, thinking, sleeping with 12 people in one room, a great place to stay. No way!  Again, she was going through this popular daft.ie with all those offers but when you call they would always tell you the flat had already been taken. She found one new offer which looked really appealing. A room in a nice Victorian house styled with a light blue sofa and dark wooden furniture, newly decorated. She called the guy, who said the viewing would be on Saturday 1300 o’clock and Avoka agreed.

Tired and frustrated, she went to bed and as every night a good night message and a kiss popped up from Hunt. She somehow got upset that now that she was in Ireland again, Hunt took up this daily communication per Whatsapp but when he had the chance to meet her he kept it low. So she wrote back asking why he kept sending her those messages if he didn’t want to see her. Again, he replied with a picture showing a couple in despair. He also wrote, “Oh, I see you are out of sorts with me.”

Avoka replied with a yes. And she tried to explain to him that she did not like that kind of communication when he had no intention to meet her. And this whole thing went on for another thirty minutes till they finally had agreed to a good night with a sweet kiss. But Avoka was thinking, when he prefers to see others, then, why the hell, he doesn’t write those messages with them. She really, only liked to write those messages and exchange her thoughts with someone who really cared and would also like to meet her in real life. She did not need that kind of thing.

Saturday morning, Avoka has filled another form for the Indian company and signs that she accepts all the differences made offered to the employees that are employed directly with the Internet guru she was going to work for and the employees that were coming from a third party, as she was the second kind of employee. She also filled some employee information on the Indian company site that she now is employed with and it takes ages. The loading time takes so long and when saving it often crashes and needs to reload again. Frustrated and turned off she thinks, Oh my God, in what old fashioned way is this application programmed and this is the company giving technical support? Like the shoemaker always wearing the worst shoes himself.

Finally finished, she gets out of her apartment, going for a coffee at Nero’s, her favorite coffee shop here in Dublin. She also takes a Belgian twist for breakfast, then checks daft.ie again for flats. But nothing new is coming up or at least nothing anyone would like to pay for. She sends a picture of her breakfast to Hunt, wishing him a good morning and he replies with a kiss, wishing her good luck for the flat. Avoka still has time before taking the bus to her flat viewing and walks down the road towards a cash machine to get money for the bus, when one of the guys from the corner office tells her that today the busses are all on strike. Avoka asks, “Seriously?”

The guy answers, “Yes, it’s unbelievable but there is not one bus going from here.”

Avoka, surprised, takes the money from the cash machine for one of the taxis. On her way through the city they drive through the areas with all those brick houses. She asks the driver about the area around Phonix Park Phibsborough, “How is this area, is it a good living area?”

The driver replies, “Well, yes, the part here is okay for living, there are many families living around the area; farther down the road it becomes less nice to live in.”

They arrive at the little dead end road and Avoka gets off. The houses look nice and are also built in the Victorian style. Avoka walks towards number 6 where people are working in the front yard.

She is half an hour earlier than originally appointed. A guy standing in the corridor waves her in, calling, “It’s okay, she come in! I will show the rooms.”

Everything looks really new refurnished, beautifully white walls and lovely decorated rooms. The guy, Michael, starts with the flat on the top floor for viewing, a lovely two bedroom-flat and Avoka is surprised how they really made the optimum with those flats, as it probably wasn’t easy to build well-refurnished flats in such an old building. All flats are decorated with a white Ikea kitchen, a dark wooden floor and also modern cupboards and a comfortable, modern light-blue sofa that can be turned into a bed. The top floor and the ground floor flat include those beautiful rounded glass fronts. Avoka was now thinking about the top floor, which was a two bedroom flat, and the flat on the second floor, one for 900 Euro, the other for 700 Euro.

Avoka is thinking about the heating costs, as they all were equipped with electric heating and as she did not know how things would go on she thinks to keep the fixed cost as low as possible would be better for now. She could go for a proper flat later on when everything has been settled. So, she agrees to the flat on the second floor.

At 12:45 more interests join the viewing and within five minutes all flats are gone.

Avoka is happy about the room despite it is a very small room but it is nicely refurnished, everything was working and new and in a good quality. Still, it was much money for a room of this size but the condition was worth it and she was relaxed now that she had found somewhere to stay at least.

First day at East Point

Tuesday morning Avoka took the bus towards East Point. She got off the arena bus stop and walked along the busy port road, passing the Yahoo building…..

To be continued…..

sundayreads

Chapter 4 – April showers

from my book Magnetic – Again, just a girl!

Anna had decided to take Fritz’s offer and had been working with the agency in Germany for a few months now.

It was the first week in April when she was waiting for someone to pick her up to join a concert. A legendary Jazz band was playing tonight in Frankfurt. A friend of Anna had just told her that a friend would pick her up for the nine o’clock concert and it would be someone called René an architect who would pass by the Sky club on his way from the office. Standing at the corner near the Sky Club, not the best place to wait for someone after eight o’clock. Some guys mistook her for a woman with another profession making her offers to join the car. When at ten past eight a green BMW stopped without shouting prices or any other offensive comments but asking in a polite, frisk way “Hi, Anna, that’s you, pick up for Stolen Moments?”

“Maybe, René is this you? Would you also have gifted moments?” Anna asks with a smile on her face, feeling relieved to get off that street corner.

“Yes, I am René. Gifted moments? Well, I don’t know, maybe we can make it gifted.” René replies with a wink.

“Whatever moment but you come in the right moment to get me off this street here. What took you so long?” Anna greets René with a kiss on his cheek and takes the passenger seat than fastening the seat belt.

“I had to finish a draft we are working on a new building for which we have a public bidding and tomorrow is the last day for entry.” René tries to an apology.

“No worries. We are still good on time.” Anna calms him down.

The concert was a blast. At the final song, Rene and Anna are standing in the first row. Anna sits on Rene’s shoulders, in her hand holding a lighter swinging to the rhythm of the music. The two enjoy every minute the band is singing. With the last bits of the song, Anna jumps off Rene’s shoulders then slightly tumbles. Rene catches her and pulls her closer when a bonus song is announced. The two get closely involved with each other, kissing. The stolen moments turn into a moment of magic, the beginning of infinite love.

*

A month had passed René and Anna had seen each other several times and had planned their first trip together to a Spanish island. The night before their departure Inga who was now living with Loui in Cologne called and had news about their oldest sister….

Read the full story here Magnetic – Again, just a girl!

Chapter Three – Paris 60’s fashion

from the book MAGNETIC – Again, just a girl!

In 1960 Inga revealed in a letter to her mother that she was married. She had fallen in love with an ambitious English actor and had silently married a year ago. Anna and her mother were surprised as this announcement had come so sudden, and it took only two more months, and Inga had announced her divorce. Knocking on Anna’s door who had meanwhile moved to Paris and was working as a model. Inga now found herself in the city of love, Paris, the city she had always dreamed of, just not as she once had imagined happy in love. But devastated and without the men of her dreams.

The upcoming week was Fashion Week, and Anna had a go. She had gotten hold of great model jobs for major brands after she had been the muse of one of the great French designers. Whereas Inga was looking for a new love, Anna had fallen in love with a new man, just two months ago. Her new flame was Jean, a film director who was known for his film noir.

Sunday night after the show, Anna invited Inga to one of the after-parties, and shortly after midnight, Inga disappeared with one of the guys, who Jean had introduced her to, Louis. He was actually in the insurance business. Anna got a call from her sister the next day late in the afternoon. She told her that she had spent the night with Louis and asked if they would want to meet at the Au Rocher de Cancale later in the evening for dinner. Anna had a quick chat with her lover Jean and came back on Inga to agree.

The Au Rocher de Cancale was one of the oldest restaurants in Paris. A restaurant that had opened its doors in 1864 and was famous for its salads and oysters. Inga loved the oysters because of being up to date with the crowed while Anna enjoyed the chewy feeling and the sour flash of citron on them. The oyster’s taste disguised Louis as well as the fact that they were served alive. But he kept a smiling face while swallowing to keep up with the etiquette. Jean, who had French origins, had grown up with the tradition of eating oysters. He could tell a thousand stories for each oyster they had eaten. He enjoyed simply the taste, the raw of it as well as the show of how the three went about the oyster food. Jean smiled and started the conversation.

“It’s the Cannes Festival next week. I have an invitation and a friend who has a beautiful beach house there. How about a weekend trip?”

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Magnetic – Again, just a girl – BOOK RELEASE

CHAPTER TWO – JUST A GIRL

The three girls, Anna, Inga and Betty, were standing in the Hall waiting to see their newly arrived sister for the first time.

Dolphie’s friend Charly, the owner of the old villa, had asked the girls to come to the salon, the part of the house where they usually were not allowed to go. The salon featured an extravagant interior. The long dining table was placed on the left and was set for sixteen people with expensive dishes of white porcelain, silver cutlery, textile napkins tied in little silver rings. At the right were a sofa set and the table. The wall had been decorated with huge paintings, of which some were displaying family members, others depicted landscape sceneries of the nearby outdoors A passage lead along to the next room, which was used as the living room, and from there into another room the library. Anna was standing in the library at a wooden table, which was from the 18th century. She was impressed, observing the book titles in the huge library shelves, then her eyes caught the big book on the wooden table, the family bible. She opened the book, reading the dedication on the front page ‘Again, God gave us just a girl’. The moment Charly came through the passage, walking towards Anna.

“Oh, you are reading in our family bible?” He took a look at the dedication.

“Ah, my grandfather wrote this at my auntie’s birth,” Charly commented and then he smiled. “But you have no idea what this girl did! She became the first person who ever took a long-distance drive with a car. Together with her husband she invented the first automobile.” And Charly continued to tell Anna the story about Bertha’s first “promotion ride” with the automobile. Anna was impressed and Charly pointed to one of the family portraits of a young beautiful woman.

“That is her, Bertha.” Then the two walked back to the salon, taking a seat at the dining room.

*

The following year Dolphy arranged for his two daughters, Inga and Anna, to get a good education and the girls were sent to England.

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Magnetic – Again, just a girl! (Download for FREE on Kindle, just today)

Out Now! New ebook – Blend 37 – Pippa Bow

Read the first chapter….

Christmas Day

Sitting on her flight back to London Pippa was glad having kind of survived the family Christmas celebrations which had turned out in a more stressful event running from one Christmas party to the next all within three days.

The Christmas day had started with a lunch with the neighbors followed by a late afternoon celebration at her brother’s house and with the third destination at the Christmas dinner party at her father’s girlfriend’s house including the girlfriend’s daughter Bea which Pippa had not met within sixteen years. Contrary to descriptions from Pippa’s brother that Bea was a kind of irritating person, which was no surprise with that kind of a mother, she would not have any other chance.

Actually, Bea had turned out to be a really nice, witty and very sympathetic woman. She was joined by her once lover but now ex-boyfriend and a good friend who seemed also to be a very charming, likable guy. Next to Pippa was sitting Izabella her brother’s girlfriend’s daughter who had also arrived from London only four days ago by surprise, joined by her mother. On the opposite side, Pippa’s brother, her father and his girlfriend had taken a seat at the table and a little Whity underneath the table, one of those little terrier mix dogs who Bea and her then lover and now good friend had found on a Sicily holiday as a lost dog and had brought the little animal over.

They all had enjoyed a very delicious Christmas goose as the main course and closing with a variety of desserts and sweets from cinnamon parfait with a hot plum mouse, coco pudding with mango sauce to an untraditional Christmas pudding made with Jameson Whiskey. They all had spent a joyful evening with festive cheer in its own way but very different from the Christmas Pippa once knew from her childhood.  She remembered a Christmas when they still were the picture-perfect portrait family. Her Grandmother who had spent the year before Christmas Eve with one of Pippa’s ants, one of her mother’s sisters with a quite chaotic Christmas party experience, where the tree had caught fire and the Christmas night had turned out into one of their typical family fights where none of the family members would talk to each other for at least a week.

That year grandma had been sitting on one of the black leather Ray&Charles Eames chairs in her typical flower dresses that she used to wear. The one for Christmas differed only in the color as this one was black with golden and white flowers, unlike her usual flower dresses that showed painful color combinations of lilac, blue, yellow and turquoise. In addition, she was wearing some black flat ankle boots that came together with some skin-color knee-high socks. In her grandma-style, she was commenting the Christmas night with her little sarcastic bits and bites. While the family was singing Christmas songs in the shimmering light next to the Christmas tree which was lighted with real candles: “Oh, that Christmas tree, a noble fire and the blond Pippa on the piano, this is a Christmas,” and she added cynically “so typical German.”

*

The next day Pippa had visited her neighbor who had their Christmas party with a three-year-old, the grandchild and a single mother who had the trouble with the kid’s Dad where the communication was only possible through the courtroom. They had reported one triumph but would have the next battle about more holidays sharing with the kid.

Pippa made a quick visit to her brother’s wife before she had another dinner with the family. Her brother and his girlfriend would head off to Cannes, the girlfriend’s daughter had a flight to Moscow, her father’s girlfriend’s daughter with the good friend would take off to Bangkok.

Read the next Chapter “Between the years”…

 

 

London is always a good idea…

Another story – life is sweet

Sue had had a date with Bernhard. Her silence and smile on her face said it all how this night must have ended or better said where.

As sweet as this morning had started in the arms of Bernhard, she knew there was nothing to repeat or to be continued.

But now she felt guilty somehow. Her husband had announced to come over for the weekend.

Apart from that she also knew that she wasn’t the only one, so this was just one of those one-night stands. But what was this?

Sisley came over to Tina’s desk explaining she couldn’t make it on Friday. Sisley happily explaining: “Oh, Tina, I will be in London at the weekend meeting my friend Nicole and you won’t believe who else will be there!”

Tina Questioning: “Who, your rock star Robby?” Sisley replying: “No, you won’t believe it. Bernhard! He has a loft to be decorated and needs a designer. Well, he asked me if I had time to view it with him. He would love to hear my idea about it as he liked my style.”

Tina: “Wow, now he gets on you!” Sue asking upset: “Your style?” Then immediately trying to hide her anger, the last thing she needed was her boss winding her up about last night or even worse, someone could make a comment about this thing to her husband. Actually, it was good not to meet any one of them as long as her husband was there.

With a sweet smiling face, she asks Sisley: “So you are going to spend the whole weekend in London?” And with a bittersweet underlying sound in her voice: “And who are you most likely going to spend the night with Bernhard, Robby or Nicole?”

Sisley replying: “Well, yes, as you see, London is always a good idea!”

Mel Calls from London

The next morning Sisley’s phone rang, Mel, her friend from London was on the Phone: “Hey Sisley, how is it going on up North? I’ve been out last night with my colleagues you remember the one we met the time you came over, here?”

Sisley “Sure, I remember your colleagues.” Mel: “Yes, they told me to go to Newquay, the UK surfer paradise, so what do you think about next weekend, let’s go there?”

Sisley: “Wow, there is a surfer paradise on that island? Well, yes we can go there”! Mel: “So cool, so we meet there next weekend? I check for Hotels and let you know.” Sisley: “Alright, honey, let me know by tomorrow and I’ll be with you.”

Friday afternoon Sisley thinks: “Thank God it’s Friday!” this week past so slow she can’t tell how happy she is this week is over, most of the time she hadn’t had much to, do. In the office, people would explain her their job and then turn around complaining how less time they had and explaining to her would take so much time, too.

A really nice place to work in this kind of atmosphere when your colleagues were so motivated in helping to explain their job, so you could help them out. Sisley thought cynical.  But anyway, Sisley was just happy and so excited for the weekend that she had planned with a friend to spend in Newquay.

Walking towards her car, the secret couple Tina and Phil passed by wishing a great weekend and of course both took separate cars but coming from and driving home to the same address – so no one would get aware of their affair. Sisley just smiles wondering how silly that actually, was shaking her head than smiling to both: “Have a nice weekend, I’m driving down to Newquay, I need a little different scenery.” Jumping into the driver seat, Sisley turned on the music driving all the way down south-west towards Newquay.

 

At 6:30 pm she arrived at the hotel. Her friend Mel was already there, starting to scream when she saw Sisley: “Oh, Sisley, you made it on time, great, let’s go to the beach right away, you won’t believe what guys are there, I spent the whole afternoon at the pier, wow….I’m so excited!“ Sisley: “Well, I just drop my bag and yes, then we go to the beach, can’t wait.”

The two girls walking down the little street from the hotel to the promenade towards the pier. A bright smile on Sisley’s face comes up, looking at the wide blue ocean, the waves shivering, with some wild ones coming in between and at the front of the waterline a group of surfers. One guy just coming out of the water, shaking his mid-long hair in the background the sun slowly going down. Sisley’s breath stuck, she imagined having a great time here but looking at this, it was going beyond her imagination. The guy looking up biting on his lips than looking towards Mel and Sisley flashing a bright smile.

Mel: “I told you the guys here are hot.” Sisley almost speechless, her breath still stuck and her words coming out spluttering: “Yes, you said that and it’s more than true!” The girls walk on by and move on to the beach bar having a drink. The hot surf cutie passing by: “You look like you’ve just arrived, where are you from, ladies?” Mel: “I’m from London, I’m Mel and my friend Sisley she’s from Manchester, we needed a break from big city life, and I guess we found the perfect place for it on this island.”

The cute surfer guy: “Yes, you could say that this is the place to be if you want to have a good time. I’m Nick by the way. Nice to meet you. Mel: “Pleasure.” Sisley just winks with her hand saying “Nice to meet you.” Nick goes on: “Do you girls also surf or you’re more enjoying the wellness part? If you girls like to meet tomorrow morning we’ll be here from 10 o’clock”, he paused than continues: “Riding some waves?” He twinkles with his eyes: “Just an idea if you’re up for surfing.”

Mel and Sisley look at each other, eyes wide open, and both answer at the same time: “Yes, of course, that’s why we are here for, surfing, it’ a great idea, we’ll be here tomorrow morning.” Nick: “Great than see you tomorrow.” He winks with his hand and walks back to the group who’s already packing the boards, towards the pick-up and Van on the parking area. Nick walks towards the Pick-up opens the driver door. He then turns around waving at Mel and Sisley shouting calling at the two with his bright smile “You don’t want to miss it.”

TO BE CONTINUED…

 

 

After Eight – secret numbers

The two girls sitting in the Italian restaurant. Tina starts talking about last time she had been here with a girl-friend who came to visit her for a weekend. At that time there had been a similar waiter, who they, later on, had met in one of the clubs and her friend went off with him so she had to spend the rest of the night on her own. Now asking Sisley: “I hope you’re not going to do the same to me tonight? Actually, with this guy I could understand, even I would run off with him despite having my boyfriend Phil.”

They continue talking about the new trainee, Su, who works for Tina on some research projects and a new study for natural rubber and Claudia the Austrian finance trainee. Sisley already had met Claudia and wasn’t that impressed about her.

Both trainees Su and Claudia had their accommodation in a private house with a teacher couple and they had just a small room each. The couple’s kid’s rooms as their children both presently study at a German University.

Claudia had immediately made a sharp comment about why Sisley had a three-room flat and they had only a single room in a family home. Claudia somehow did not want to understand what program Sisley was in and that the company paid for everything.

Sisley wanted to be nice and had offered Claudia to stay in her third room that wasn’t used by anyone for free. But Claudia had preferred to complain instead of accepting Sisley’s offer.

Tina just laughed and said: “Are you stupid to offer her your room for free, you should ask a 100 bugs a week at least, with that interior!!! Anyway, be happy that you don’t have that bitch in with you, she’s going to stay for six months, imagine she’s hanging in there all the time!” Sisley laughed, Tina was probably right.

Both girls were finished with their main course now and there comes the surprise dessert: the house-made Tiramisu, a grappa for each, a dark espresso and after-eight-mints. Next to it secretly including someone’s phone number.

Tina and Sisley smiled. Sisley starring at the phone number than asking Tina: “You want to call?” Tina seemed to be totally into the guy despite her boyfriend, so Sisley handed over the guy’s phone number saying: “Have some fun, honey.” Tina smiles “Thanks, Sys! Not for tonight. We have another party to join.,” and takes the phone number hiding it in her purse than looking up again “but for any other night.” Tina adds with a dirty smile and she thinks about the nights she sometimes spends on her own.

After having paid their bill the two moving over to the Cutting Edge club around the corner where they have an invitation to join another party with VIP guests and which is the favourite club of some Man United players who live close by.

Out and about – Manchester

The first week had passed really fast. Sisley had already found an evening activity where she would join the Gym in Manchester and in addition, she had found a dance session at the Zion arts Center in Hume. An area that wasn’t really recommended to go to and once she had mentioned it at the office the “Ladies” were shaking their head that a “girl” could not go to such a place. Sisley just laughed about it and the “good soul” confirmed her that it wasn’t that bad.

For Sisley, it wasn’t even a question to go to that area and of course, this was okay. Many students and dancers attended at this dance hall and it was a great class very interesting. They learned a lot about dance improvisation by the well-known teacher Julia and her assistant a gay guy who seemed to be bored by almost everything but acting in such a funny way that it was cute.

Once Sisley started to dance his being bored actually disappeared and he seemed quite excited about her moves. Immediately he came over performing next to her. It was a great night, Julia also recommended a guy who would teach street dance as Sisley had asked for someone to teach at the Manchester sports club that she had joined at her arrival. And just a week later the guy Julia had recommended would start teaching at the sports club. Sisley was really pleased about so she could join twice a week some of her favourite dance classes.

Two weeks later after the introduction on one of the sales desks, Sisley took over the holiday cover and managed the job well on her own. The three other sales desk ladies were surprised how she handled it with such ease as themselves who were doing that job since ages had sometimes more difficulties in dealing with the people and seemed to be much more challenged with the tasks than Sisley was.

The German girl from the trainee program Tina came over and asked Sisley to go for lunch. At 1:00 pm they met and went over to a pub. She gave some more insight of the internal relations and how it was not liked by the management and everything had to be kept secret.

She told a story about the finance director and an admin girl who were a couple and married now. In the beginning, she had worked here in the department for him but once it came out that they had something going on she had been moved to another department. By company rules, it was not allowed for couples to work in the same department.

Tina also announced that there would start two new trainees one from Germany and one from Austria at the beginning of the following week. The German trainee was already older like twenty-eight years old and was married which was unusual for the trainees they normally had but she had good grades and was at the end of her study and would do work on a marketing project. The Austrian girl was a trainee in business administration and would work in the finance department.

Tina and Sisley arranged to go out the following weekend. Tina had suggested Pizza Express in Alderley Edge where they also had a good nightclub.

Friday night at seven o’clock Sisley was ready and drove over to Tina’s house. She had a four bedroom flat in an old Victorian house, the interior looked more like an Ikea showroom. Tina laughed as Sisley said that then she asked her to come into the living room and showed Sisley her latest IQ-Test result. Somehow she seemed to be obsessed with this.

She also flashed Phil’s results on Sisley. Phil was actually the guy Sisley had previously met in Germany as a trainee and who worked in the same department as Tina. Why did Tina have his Test Results in her living room? Sisley was thinking. Tina cracked a smile and said: “You don’t know, do you?” Tina asked, “And please keep it a secret, nobody knows this in the company but Phil and I we are together already since over a year.”

Sisley was surprised and was now standing there with an open mouth, rolling her eyes saying: “What?” She could hardly believe. Tina was long over thirty and the guy was hardly over twenty and had an attitude like a little school boy. But then she thought: Okay, Tina is such a dominant woman, that’s obviously what she needs one who she can command and does anything for her. Then she replied: “Well, why not, but you’re really good at hiding it. I would have never thought about you two being together the way you act in the office.” Tina answered: “Yes, but this is why Phil was in Germany last year because he is with me and I asked him to because this would be good for his career.”

Sisley just thought: Sure, two weeks in Germany will be really further someone’s career who has no self-motivation at all but anyway. Tina was now praising her IQ-test: “Ha, ha mine is two points higher than his.” Sisley couldn’t believe how stupid this woman was despite her IQ-Test score. Why had someone such a need to show off like that? Sisley asked: “Oh my stomach, I’m starving, I had no lunch today. Common let’s go I love the Pizza Express they have such crispy pizzas and their pasta are so yummy.

Tina said: “Oh, yes let’s go I love their foods too, I always love to eat both pizzas and their pasta and they have a “carne” I just got to have it.” Sisley asked: “You want to eat that all on one day? Oh, how about we share some of it then we can have a taste of all of it?”

The two girls left the house and went over to the cars. Tina had a new Polo with a right-hand wheel she had just bought a month ago. She would stay here another 3 years so her program went for four years in total. Sisley was supposed to stay for a year. Sisley followed Tina towards Alderley Edge and at eight thirty both arrived at the Pizza Express.

They had reserved a table and the waiter accompanied the girls to their table. They had such handsome guys as waiters, tall, dark hair and dressed in these white, leger Shirts. This one had such strong green eyes and of course a sexy smile.

Tina stared at him, swallowed and sat down on her chair. “He got a nice trained chest, doesn’t he, looks different from Phil, doesn’t he?” Sisley commented laughing and Tina replied: “Well but this guy you won’t have for your own, probably, do you?” She smiled.

”Well, you can’t have everything!” Sisley smiled than saying: “Why not?” Tina was wondering: “So what you mean, one who is true to you for your own, and the other one good looking to share?”

Sisley, nodded with her head saying: “Could be an option, couldn’t it?” Tina stared at Sisley: “It’s an idea yes, I never thought of it, and not that you come up with such ideas, you look so decent, but actually a quiet one is a good option.” Tina sipped on her drink. “I did not know you are so creative!”

And there he was the hot southern country looking guy: “You want me to take your order, Ladies?” Sisley answered: “Yes, we would like to share some dishes, so we can order some more and have a taste of all of it, that’s okay?”

The waiter looking at Sisley straight into her eyes: “You want a taste of all of it?”

Sisley replying: “Well, yes, from the offers in the menu, of course, or are there any specials not listed on the menu?”

The waiter “Yes, the main courses are all on the menu, but we have special surprises on the desert, so I will let you know after the main courses, but keep some space for it.”

Sisley and Tina shortly exchanging some eye contact than they place their order for the hors d’oeuvre and for the main courses for the desert they chose the surprise…

TO BE CONTINUES