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The afternoon passed quickly, and Ulrike listened to Maria's and Helmut's tales with interest while contributing one or two of her own. She was surprised how well the afternoon was progressing. The more she chatted with Carmen's parents, the more relaxed she became, and she was glad that she hadn't cancelled the invitation after all.
As Maria took a break to clear the table and to put the empanadas in the oven, Helmut also rose to help her. Ulrike was about to offer her help when she noticed that Carmen and José were talking about the Lamborghini. Completely forgetting about her intended offer, she looked sharply at her partner as she overheard José suggesting to Carmen to take her on a ride the next day.
Ulrike was about to voice her protest, but instead she barely suppressed a yelp as Carmen kicked her leg under the table. Clenching her jaw, she levelled a glare at Carmen that she hoped would tell her that they would have a lot to discuss once they were alone. It wasn't only that she didn't fancy Carmen going for a drive with José the kamikaze driver in his overpowered canary, it was also that she had planned to spend the day with Carmen; after all it was the last day before Carmen had to go back to work. And it was supposed to be a beautifully hot day. Ulrike had thought they might take a drive and have a nice picnic somewhere, maybe at one of the lakes. Or perhaps even a longer drive to some place in the surrounding area. She still felt a bit awkward when driving in the former GDR including the east side of Berlin - too many bad memories, she guessed - but she thought that perhaps Carmen might enjoy the adventure. She had been looking forward to this day, and she couldn't believe that Carmen was going to spoil it by spending it with her brother instead, and without even consulting with her.
Carmen returned Ulrike's glare with a raised eyebrow and a smirk that turned into a wide grin before she turned her attention back to her brother. She knew that Ulrike wouldn't want her to accompany her brother, but she loved sports cars, and she was looking forward to hearing the sounds and feeling the vibrations of the powerful engine of the Lamborghini while it ate away the kilometres at maximum speed. On a Sunday, and with the school holidays ending, there would hopefully be little traffic out of Berlin, and they would be able to get quite far with this new fantastic car, perhaps even as far as Munich. The way back would probably take a lot longer, but by that time, she hoped, even in that direction most of the holiday traffic should have ceased.
Reigning in her frustration, Ulrike turned back to Maria and Helmut who had just returned to the table. At least with them she didn't have to pretend being polite. And the appreciation of nature was, after all, something Maria and she had in common; however, having borrowed a few books on Argentina from the library after she met Carmen, Ulrike could understand very well that Maria would miss the fabulous natural beauty of her native country.
"Yes, you have to make do with what's possible here," said Maria, smiling. "The gladioli just won't grow as tall as they do in Argentina, and there are no hummingbirds feeding on them; but aside from yellow roses, they are still my favourite flowers."
"They are stunning," said Ulrike appreciatively as she admired the wonderful display of gladioli along the right side of the backyard. And letting her eyes wander over the rest of the skilfully designed garden, she thought that Maria's was indeed one of the most beautiful gardens she had ever seen, and she had seen a lot of gardens, as she often went for a walk in the allotment-garden area close to her home, and she told Maria so.
"Thank you," said Maria, "I just love gardening; it's almost like painting, it just takes longer for the picture to appear in its full glory."
"Indeed," said Ulrike, and lighting a cigarette, she continued, "However, I never had a talent for painting, but I think I would love gardening."
"You don't have a garden, do you?" asked Helmut.
Shaking her head, Ulrike said, "No, I don't even have a balcony, just a small wintergarden."
"You should see it," interrupted Carmen, "It looks like a jungle."
Ulrike grinned. "I just love buying plants. I buy them really small, thinking they would fit just nicely on the window sill in my office, and then they grow huge in no time and I have to put them in the wintergarden."
"You seem to have a talent for gardening then," said Maria.
Ulrike shrugged, "Perhaps, though I don't really do much apart from watering. I think plants just love the conditions. Both, my office and the wintergarden are south side."
"That would probably help," said Maria, "However, a friend of mine has a beautiful flat with all rooms being south side, and she can't even keep a cactus alive for more than a few months. She just has no talent when it comes to plants."
"But her baking skills are excellent," said Carmen.
"That they are, indeed," agreed Maria.
Leaning back, Ulrike relaxed just listening for a while as Carmen and her mother talked about people she didn't know. However, she carefully avoided looking at José, who was talking to his father about some business related matter. Helmut smiled at her as he caught her glance. She really liked Carmen's father, and she returned the smile. Except for José's presence and her far too warm clothes, she was really enjoying this visit.
As Maria got up to get the finished empanadas, Ulrike rose as well; this time offering her help. However, Maria declined, saying that she would manage on her own. And since Carmen was yet again chatting with her brother, Ulrike took off her shirt, and ignoring Carmen's disapproving glance, she draped it over the backrest of her chair and joined Helmut who was placing the asado on the grill.
"It's hot today," remarked Helmut as he noted Ulrike in her tank top. "I've been wondering how you and my daughter can bear wearing such formal clothing."
Taking a quick glance at her partner and seeing that she was engrossed in her conversation with José, Ulrike thought that maybe this was the occasion to find out what kind of 'dress code' was really expected here. And leaning towards Helmut, she said in a low voice, "I can't really bear it. But I was told that wearing shorts and a T-shirt wouldn't be appropriate."
Turning towards the grill to hide his amusement, Helmut turned one of the steaks before he said in a conspiratorial voice, "Next time my daughter attempts to turn you into a fashion plate, you can tell her that I said you're welcome to wear whatever you like to my place."
Grinning, Ulrike said, "Thanks, I'll do that."
Helmut winked at her and as he returned his attention to the asado, he asked, "You've got your own taxi business, I hear?"
"Yes," said Ulrike, "A one-woman business."
"Oh?" said Helmut surprised, "So, you're driving all on your own?"
"Yes. I've tried having a second driver once, but it wasn't worth the hassle."
Helmut looked at her thoughtfully. "It must be a lot of work, if you have to make a living from it without any help."
"It is," agreed Ulrike, "I work about 50 hours a week, sometimes more. But I don't mind. I love driving."
Nodding approvingly, Helmut said, "You must be very disciplined then," and he walked over to the table, gesturing Ulrike to follow.
"I guess I am," agreed Ulrike and following his example, she grabbed a serviette and took an empanada from the plate. She was about to return to the grill with Helmut, when Carmen stopped her, asking her to eat at the table.
"It's okay," said Helmut, and reassured Ulrike by putting a hand on her shoulder. "Come on."
As Maria saw Ulrike's reluctance, she added, "In Argentina we always eat empanadas with our hands."
"But we aren't in Argentina, Mamá," argued Carmen, visibly embarrassed as Ulrike followed Helmut with the empanada in her hand.
Grinning at Helmut, Ulrike whispered, "I prefer Argentinian customs."
And as Helmut agreed chuckling, Ulrike looked surprised at José, who got up, and, grabbing an empanada as well, joined them at the grill and said jokingly, "You German ladies go on eating prissy, I'll join the tough guys."
Despite her dislike of José, Ulrike couldn't help but join the ot
hers in their laughter. For some reason she found it rather flattering to be considered a 'tough guy'. And she felt a great sense of relief over being so easily accepted into the family.
Carmen had glared at José at first, but when all the others broke into laughter, she finally gave in and laughed as well. Perhaps she shouldn't have been so anxious about presenting her partner to her family. Obviously they had really come to terms with her sexuality. It surely seemed as though they had no problem whatsoever with Ulrike. They even sided with Ulrike instead of her. Unnoticed by the others, Carmen shook her head as she cut her empanada. She would never have dreamed of such an outcome; and as yet she wasn't sure if she liked it. Everyone loved Ulrike, and Carmen was happy for her partner, no question there. But somehow Carmen felt a bit as if she had been thrown on the scrap heap.
"She's a lovely person, your Ulrike," said Maria.
Forcing a smile, Carmen replied, "I'm glad you like her." And she glumly finished her empanada while her mother went on praising Ulrike as if she were a gift from God. And when her mother remarked that it was a pity that the two of them couldn't have children, Carmen reached for the bottle of wine to pour herself a third glass, unsure if she could take any more of this without getting as drunk as a skunk.
Ulrike was watching Helmut check the steaks, still trying to avoid looking at José, when he suddenly touched her arm and asked, "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
Tensing, Ulrike reminded herself to remain polite, and with her gaze still fixed on the grill she said, "Sure."
Running a hand over his gelled hair, José said, "You looked a bit pissed there earlier. Do you have any problem with me taking my sister for a drive?"
Surprised at his straightforwardness, Ulrike hesitated. Should she be just as honest? Would Carmen be mad at her if she told José what she thought about him and his driving style, and that he was ruining the day for her - a beautiful summer day that she had planned to spend with Carmen?
Before she could decide on a course of action, José went on, "Carmen told me that you're not particularly fond of me, and I'm sorry that you seem to have got the impression that I would recklessly endanger my sister. I assure you, nothing could be further from the truth. I love my sister dearly and believe me I have cursed myself to hell and back for landing her in hospital. Nonetheless, there really wasn't anything I could have done to prevent it." And reacting to Helmut's disbelieving growl, he repeated, "There really wasn't, Papa."
Finally turning towards José and looking directly into his eyes, Ulrike asked, "Did you drive in the same way as you did when you cut in on me earlier that day?"
Wincing under Ulrike's piercing stare, José pulled a contrite face and said, "I'm truly sorry about that, really. I was in a hurry. And to answer your question, no, I didn't 'drive like that'. We weren't in any hurry and I was even driving below the speed limit because the streets were still wet. Look, I am a passionate driver, all right, but I'm not suicidal. And I stress again that I would never endanger my sister."
Considering all he had said, Ulrike grudgingly had to admit that he did seem responsible enough to trust him - at least when driving his sister. She had also noted that, just like her, he had not touched the wine and was drinking water. Nonetheless, it was still bothering her that he would be taking Carmen for a drive the next day, and she asked, "All right, but couldn't you go for a drive another day?"
José shrugged. "Normally I'd say, yes, but I'm going to Buenos Aires to work on a partner project this coming Thursday, and I won't be back before October, maybe even November. And I don't need to tell you that by then the road conditions won't be as ideal anymore."
Ulrike breathed a heavy sigh. Now she really could no longer hold a grudge towards José, nor could she refuse to give her approval, without coming across like a possessive, overprotective asshole. And kissing good bye to her lovely day with Carmen, she finally agreed to their plans. However, she did let José know in no uncertain terms that she expected him to bring Carmen back safe and sound.
Taxi - Trials (Book 2) Page 4
