‘Her bicycle! Of course.’
Johann grabbed Volker’s arm and pulled him along the street, turning the corner to the bicycle racks he’d seen on their way there. He saw a few girls getting onto their bicycles, and a few others were already cycling away. He ran ahead to see them better, but he didn’t recognise Ava among them. There were still dozens of bicycles waiting to be claimed.
He turned back to Volker. ‘Her bicycle will have been fixed up by now,’ he said. ‘She’ll be easier to spot if we wait here.’
Volker checked the time on his wristwatch. ‘I’ll stay another ten minutes, then I’m going for that drink, which you’re paying for, by the way. You owe me that much. I’ve been very patient.’
‘Yes, you have. Another ten minutes then.’
During that time, Volker smoked three more cigarettes and Johann watched the bicycle racks gradually deplete. As before, there was no sign of Ava Bauer. Although when he had asked one girl whether she knew Ava, and whether she had seen her at the meeting, she had told him she thought she had. It renewed his hope.
But where was she?
‘Time’s up, my friend,’ Volker said.
Johann felt Volker’s hand on his shoulder and he knew it was indeed time to go. There were only a few bicycles left now, and he had to concede that the odds of one of them belonging to Ava were small. He had missed her again.
‘Come on, I’m frozen to my bones,’ Volker said.
Dejection must have been written all over Johann’s face as he turned to his friend because Volker returned a sympathetic smile.
‘It’s not so bad, Johann. We’ll give it one more try next week, eh?’
Johann gave a slow nod. ‘You’re a good friend, Volker. But I really don’t mind coming by myself.’
They set off at an amble, back along the pavement.
‘Nonsense, I won’t hear of it,’ Volker said. ‘Besides, you’ve built her up so much now that I want to see this Ava Bauer almost as much as you do.’
They were laughing together as they turned the corner and crossed the street beneath the pale glow of the lamplight. Then a familiar voice stopped Johann in his tracks.
‘Johann?’
He turned back, and at once he caught his breath. It was Ava Bauer.
‘Ava!’ Johann’s face was beaming. ‘I thought I’d missed you.’
She was just how he remembered her. She wore the same long grey coat, and her dark blonde hair was rolled up beneath the same felt hat she had been wearing when he first met her. She was standing beside the kerb with her bicycle, and Johann was at a loss to understand how she could have retrieved it without him having seen her sooner.
Ava continued to smile at him, but with a degree of bemusement as she asked, ‘Whatever are you doing here?’
Not waiting for an introduction, Volker stepped forward. ‘He came to find you. He’s besotted with you, aren’t you, Johann?’ He thumped Johann playfully on the shoulder. ‘And now I can see why.’
Johann laughed to hide his embarrassment. ‘This is my friend, Volker Strobel. You remember I told you about him?’ He turned to Volker. ‘Volker,’ he said, beaming. ‘This is Ava Bauer.’
Ava offered her hand and Volker took it in his. With his eyes fixed on her, he spoke to Johann first. ‘You told me how you met Ava, Johann, but you did not tell me how pretty she was.’ His eyes seemed to devour her as he leaned in and kissed her hand. ‘Fr?ulein Bauer.’ He clicked his heels. ‘It is a pleasure indeed to finally meet you.’
Johann thought Ava was about to start giggling at Volker’s flirtatious introduction, but by the time he had lifted his head again, Ava’s face was composed, with just the hint of a smile at the corners of her mouth.
‘I know the name Strobel,’ Ava said. ‘Are you related to senior Reich Minister, Joseph Strobel?’
Volker raised his chin proudly. ‘Baron Joseph von Strobel is my father—although since the German nobility is no longer recognised, my family has stopped using the title.’
‘Volker’s a very well-connected man,’ Johann said.
‘Yes, perhaps,’ Volker said. ‘My father is a great politician, just like our Führer. That’s where the real power is.’ He paused. ‘But enough of all that.’ He moved closer to Ava and placed his arm loosely around her so that his hand was resting on her bicycle saddle. ‘Do you know that Johann here hasn’t stopped talking about you since the riots?’
Ava looked as though she wanted to giggle again, and from the mischief written all over Volker’s face, it was clear to Johann that his friend was out to embarrass him.
‘I wanted to see you again, Ava,’ Johann said. His stutter returned. ‘I-I hope you don’t mind my having found you again like this.’