by Strauss, Lee
Sebastian’s eyebrows jumped, but he waited for her to continue.
“I love how he paints pictures with words and doesn’t care if the message is clear on first listen. He writes songs you have to pay attention to.”
“So, which one is your favorite?”
Eva hummed. “I’m going to say ‘Chimes of Freedom.’”
Sebastian nodded like he approved. “Why that one?”
She stared at her hands. “It’s about the underdog. I can relate.”
“Everyone’s the underdog at some point,” Sebastian said.
“Which is why I love this song. Its themes are universal.”
Eva barely noticed when they left the autobahn and drove down a road through thick forest. She was shocked when Sebastian announced they had arrived.
It looked like a giant hand had wielded a sword and sliced off the top of a mountain before placing the Fortress on top. Eva gaped at the massive stone structure high above them. It was far more intimidating in real life than in pictures.
“Impressive,” Eva said. And it was a good thing there was a train to pull them to the top from the parking lot below. Though many people opted to hike, it would never be an option for her.
The train was actually a tractor that pulled several carts with forward-facing benches, much like Eva had seen on TV ads promoting theme parks. Sebastian paid the driver, an older man with a scowl and a big belly. He gladly took Sebastian’s money.
The sheer height of the fortress wall could only be appreciated while standing at the base of it. Eva craned her neck up as she exited the train at the top.
“Those walls are made of sandstone,” Sebastian said. “They’re as high as forty-two meters in some places, and yes,” his hazel eyes glistened, “ I did my homework.”
Eva spotted the small outlines of people walking about high above. “How do you get to the top?”
Sebastian pointed to a lift. They walked toward it, Sebastian slowing his pace considerably to match hers.
“Oh,” he said.
“What?”
He pointed to a sign. “Out of service. They’re providing rides up on ATVs every hour for those who can’t walk up.” Sebastian checked the time. “Looks like we just missed the last one.”
Eva swallowed her disappointment. Sebastian brought her to eat lunch and he must be starving. “I’m sorry.”
“You might not be able to walk it, but I can.”
She tilted her head in confusion. Was he seriously suggesting she wait for him?
He chuckled and bent low. “Get on.”
“What?”
“Get on. I’ll piggyback you up.”
Eva’s mind shut down. That would mean “touching” him. Like in a big way.
Sebastian glanced over his shoulder. “Are you going to make me wait all day? My knees are going to give out soon.”
Eva gulped and stepped forward. She draped thin arms around Sebastian’s warm neck, careful not to whack him with her cane, and wrapped her legs around his waist. Her head rushed as he stood. The flesh of his arms touching her bare legs sent a new warmth spreading through her body. She was thankful that he couldn’t see her face, and also that her dress had enough flare to spread out and keep her butt covered. She breathed in Sebastian’s intoxicating scent and prayed she wouldn’t pass out. Never in a million years would she have dreamed of this scenario, that she’d be pressing her body against Sebastian Weiss’s back.
“Okay up there?”
She whimpered. “Yeah. Fine.”
“Man, you weigh a ton. What are they feeding you?”
Eva smiled at Sebastian’s teasing tone. She was slight and petite, weighing less than fifty kilos. Still, that got heavy in a hurry.
It was a long, steep climb through a dark cobblestone path. Eva couldn’t imagine how horses pulling heavy carts managed the trip, much less the poor soul hefting her up. “Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked.
Sebastian huffed. “Remind me to renew my pass to the fitness center.”
“We can go back.”
“I’m fine. I see the light. We’re almost there.”
They passed the defunct wooden gate, now perpetually opened, that was once operated by an ancient pulley system, and finally reached the top.
He crouched and she peeled herself off. She glanced away, feeling shy, and smoothed out her dress. Sebastian pointed. Napoleon’s Kitchen is this way.
“Napoleon’s Kitchen?”
“It’s a little outdoor restaurant by the wall.”
They went straight to the kiosk when they got there and ordered the specialty: potato soup and a thick chunk of bread along with two frosty mugs of beer.
“Hmm, that hits the spot,” Sebastian said after taking a big swig. “Nothing like cold beer on a hot day.”
Eva sipped hers more delicately, but agreed.
They slowed their pace after a few slurps of tasty soup. Eva couldn’t stop watching her non-date who sat on the opposite side of the table. She was used to his public attire of a dark sunglasses and a brimmed hat pulled low. He wore a grey T-shirt and his peacock tattoo flexed as he lifted his spoon to his mouth.
“Is there a story behind that?” she asked.
He glanced down and then back at her. “Yup.”
He didn’t jump in to fill her in and she wondered if the meaning was too personal. She didn’t know him well enough to pry, and so she filled her mouth with a piece of soup-soaked bread.
“You don’t like it?” he finally asked.
She pursed her lips. “It’s nice.”
“Nice?”
“Yeah, what? It’s nice.”
He smirked and leaned in. “Most girls tell me it’s sexy.”
She almost choked on her soup. She pressed a paper napkin against her lips. “Fine. It’s sexy.”
He laughed. “You’re just saying that now.”
“No, I’m not used to saying things like that outright, but it’s true.” She paused, then forced the words out of her mouth. “It’s sexy.”
“Really? Eva Baumann thinks my tattoo is sexy?”
She rolled her eyes. “Now, don’t get a big head about it.”
Eva was full of surprises. A lot of girls flirted with Sebastian, told him he was hot and talented, and many were pretty forthright about wanting to take him to bed, but none had ever sassed him like that.
He liked it.
The way the sun sifted through the trees onto her flawless skin, he found himself thinking she was beautiful. She wore a little makeup today, but not too much. She wasn’t trying to hide behind a mask of foundation or eyes made unrecognizable by dark shadow and thick mascara.
With her legs hidden under the table he could forget that Eva was disabled. She wasn’t pretentious. She didn’t try to pretend she was something she wasn’t. And she didn’t want anything from him, wasn’t using him as a step to gain hold of her own ambitions. He sensed she had a good heart and it occurred to him that he could trust her. He hadn’t felt that way toward anyone in a long time.
“It’s kind of a long story,” he began, “but I’ll give you the short version. My father’s a doctor and my mother’s a lawyer.”
Eva failed to keep her expression blank.
“I know,” Sebastian responded. “That info always surprises people. What happened to me, right?”
“I didn’t think that,” she said.
“Well, they sure did. They hounded me all through school to apply for medical or law. For a while I considered a career as a violinist in an orchestra. I was accepted for enrollment at the Conservatoire de Paris, and though that wasn’t my parents’ dream for me, they considered it an acceptable alternative.
“But in the end I decided I just wanted to play guitar in an alternative rock band. My parents thought I was being foolish and immature, but it was what I wanted to do. They didn’t get me.
“When they finally realized I wasn’t joking, that I wasn’t going to pursue a path in academia, they kicked
me out. Dad said I was a proud peacock, and not to come back until I got serious with my life.”
Sebastian finished his beer and pushed the mug aside. “It’s been my passion to prove him wrong ever since. I got this tattoo to remind myself not to give up.”
“So what’s it feel like?” Eva asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve proved him wrong. How does it feel?”
Sebastian frowned. “Not as good as I thought it would.”
He gathered their empty dishes and deposited them at the kiosk and then led her to the moss-covered stone wall that overlooked the valley below. The River Elbe snaked through green pastures and forested hillsides dotted with the red roofs of the village houses.
“It’s stunning,” Eva said.
“This fortress has been here for 400 years and has never been breached. It was used as a prison for much of that time until recently.” Sebastian pointed and added, “Napoleon visited, which explains that.”
A wooden panel painted like the portly Napoleon, complete with hand tucked in his vest, stood off to the side. There was a hole cut out where the face belonged that tourists took turns poking their faces through while their friends snapped pictures.
It stood empty now. “Take my picture,” Sebastian said. He handed her his phone and jogged behind the fake Napoleon. He made a goofy face and she snapped.
“Your turn,” he said when he returned to her.
Eva’s smile tugged down. Sebastian could tell from where they were standing that she wouldn’t reach the hole. “I’ll lift you.”
A woman and her teenage daughter hung by watching and Sebastian asked the mother if she’d take a picture. Sebastian scooped up Eva by the waist and hauled her to the back of the display. A fountain of laughter burst from her mouth. He laughed in return. He’d wanted to make her smile, and truth be told, he saw this as a good excuse to touch her again. Her waist was tiny but still soft in a womanly way. He hoisted her up so her head lined up with the hole and Eva’s body pressed against his face.
He chuckled to himself. Smooth move, Seb.
Eva giggled. “You can let me down now.”
Sebastian returned to the woman to retrieve his phone and walked back to Eva. The daughter had stood around looking bored, but now she stared hard at him. He knew that look. He’d been recognized. The daughter pointed and spoke excitedly to her mother.
“Hurry.” Sebastian crouched low. “Get on.”
The daughter had a camera of her own, a good one with a lens. “Keep your head down.” He hoisted Eva on his back and galloped away. Eva burst out laughing as she bounced about hanging on for dear life, nearly choking him.
Sebastian didn’t know why he cared if he was photographed with Eva on his back. Then he felt the warm breath of her laughter on his neck, and he realized that he didn’t care. And now he wondered if he’d ever find another excuse to convince this girl to hold onto him again.
Eva fell into a happy daydream during Abendbrot. Her afternoon at the fortress with Sebastian was the highlight of her whole life. His body had felt so good pressed against hers. Even though it was in the friendliest of ways, it was the closest she’d ever been physically with the opposite sex. Every time he touched her was like an injection of energy and life. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed like that. She’d die with a smile because of this memory. Her non-date with Sebastian Weiss was definitely the best day of her life so far.
Snap, snap. “Eva?” Gabriele said, her fingers flicking in Eva’s face. “Is everything all right?”
Eva’s eyes fluttered as her mind returned to her present situation. Her parents stared at her with concern and Gabriele chuckled. “Where were you?”
“Oh, I was just thinking of something.”
“Of what?”
“Just… Annette.”
“Annette?”
“Yeah. It was good to be at her house again.” Eva flushed with the lie. She couldn’t tell them what Annette’s room looked like anymore.
“I’m glad you felt up to going,” her mama said. “It’s been a while.”
The inference was there. Was she getting better? Her body had recovered as much as it would from the accident, but she’d never quite recovered emotionally. Eva had withdrawn from society, creating a safe little world for herself.
A world she never imagined would expand—could expand—until Sebastian came into her life.
“I think I’m ready to go to university,” Eva announced.
Her family worked to contain their shock. Her papa grinned. “That’s great.”
Eva surprised herself by her impulsive declaration. She had Sebastian to thank for that. He’d shown her she could be accepted the way she was. He made her feel smart and interesting. He looked at her like she was pretty or at least not loathsome.
If Sebastian Weiss wanted to be her friend, then other regular people surely would, too. She wondered why she’d been so afraid.
Gabriele clasped Eva’s hand and squeezed. “I knew it was just a matter of time.”
Eva had to bite her lips to keep the smile that wanted to take over her face at bay. It helped if she kept her mouth busy with food, and even though she was too excited to be hungry, it was better than inspiring another inquisition by her family.
After the meal she helped clean off the table. Her papa retired to the living room to watch the news, which was his habit. The news program had ended, and the introduction to an entertainment program began. Eva was passing by on her way to escape to her room where she could lie on her bed and let her thoughts roam freely.
“…an amateur photographer sent us this. German rocker Sebastian Weiss spotted at Konigstein Festung with a mystery girl…”
Eva stopped short, her heart halting. There she was riding on Sebastian’s back. On TV! Her gaze cut to her papa. Thankfully, his eyes were closed and he appeared to have nodded off.
They’d zoomed in on her face! At least her hair covered her features, and her cane was in her opposite hand and blended in with the trees behind her.
“…rumor has it this mystery girl is the reason the band broke up…”
“…apparently the band is still together, just on hiatus, but this mystery girl may know why the band suddenly postponed their latest tour …”
“Is that you?”
Eva jumped at the sound of Gabriele’s voice.
“Don’t be crazy.”
Gabriele pulled on Eva’s dress. “Is this crazy? The mystery girl is wearing the same dress.”
Mercifully, the show moved on to the next subject of gossip. Eva limped down the hall to her room. Gabriele followed and closed the door behind her.
“Spill, Eva. And don’t even try to tell me you were with Annette.”
Eva closed her eyes and sighed. She might as well tell her sister. Gabriele wouldn’t let up until she did.
“It’s not a big deal. Remember when I played at the Blue Note? Sebastian heard my song and liked it. He thinks I’m a good songwriter and he wanted to try writing a song together, so I went to his flat—”
“Wait. You went to his flat? Alone? Are you crazy?”
“Yes, and yes, and apparently. He’s perfectly harmless.”
Gabriele frowned, but waved a hand for her to keep going.
“We started on a song, but got stuck. Sebastian thought we couldn’t finish it because we didn’t know each other very well, so he asked me to go to lunch with him today.”
“So you could get to know each other better?”
“Yes.”
“And you went to Königstein Fortress… for lunch?”
“Yes.”
Gabriele shook her head and smirked. “You’ve really surprised me, Eva. I didn’t think you had it in you.”
Eva smiled wryly in return. “Well, neither did I.”
“But you’re not going to see him again, are you? I mean, Mama and Papa would freak. He’s not exactly the kind of guy they’d want you to date.”
; “We’re not dating. We’re writing songs. It’s just business.”
“Just business? Eva, you’ve been crushing on this guy for a year, and you want me to believe it’s just business?”
“It is. He’s not interested in me that way.” She poked at her cane. “For obvious reasons. But this is a chance for me to do something. Think about it. I could have a song on the charts!”
Gabriele relaxed. “I suppose, if you look at it that way, it could be a good opportunity for you. Are you going to meet again to write?”
Eva nodded. “Tomorrow evening.”
“But just as friends?”
“Yes, Gabriele. Just as friends.”
A week of the band’s hiatus revealed one thing to Sebastian: he didn’t have any friends. His life had revolved around his band for years, and particularly the last one. The band, Dirk, the road crew: they were his friends.
And not very good ones, it turned out. After his fall out with Karl, everyone had dispersed. Sebastian wasn’t sorry about that. He needed a break from those guys. It was just that he discovered there wasn’t anyone left outside of that ring. He wandered around his flat, moving from guitar to guitar, fighting back loneliness.
He should take off. Go to Italy or Greece, but the thought of traveling by himself depressed him even more. At least here he had Eva. Okay, he had one friend outside of the band, and she was coming over later that day. Maybe they’d finish that song. He’d love to shove that in Dirk and Karl’s faces.
His phone buzzed in his pocket, and for a moment he worried Eva was canceling, but it was worse than that. It was his sister Leah. She was in town and heading over.
Damn.
He scanned his flat. It was messy, and a pile of dishes filled the sink, but it wasn’t so bad for a bachelor—especially one Leah considered irresponsible. He almost got up from his spot on the couch to start cleaning, but decided against it. It was just his sister. He’d clean up after she left. For Eva.
When the chime rang, he pressed the button to release the lock on the building door and then opened the door of his flat. He went back to the couch and plopped a guitar on his lap. He heard her steps echo in the stairwell. She paused in the door frame before coming in.
