“Yes.”
He came back carrying two mugs of coffee. “That depends on how you approach it.”
I frowned. “Meaning?”
Karl took a sip, then set the mug down. “Are you going because you feel you should? Or because you want to?”
“I want to.” That part was clear at least.
Karl nodded. “And do you trust the man who is taking you?”
That answer came just as easily. “Yes.”
His expression softened. “Then you will be fine.”
It sounded so simple.
“That’s it?” I said.
“That is it.” Then he added in a gentler tone, “You are not being led into something against your will. You are choosing to step into it. There is a difference.”
I let that settle.
He’s right.
“And if I get there and decide it’s not for me?”
“Then you leave,” Karl said. “Preferably with the same man you arrived with.”
I managed a wry chuckle. “That seems sensible.”
He grinned. “I have my moments.” Then he studied me again, more closely this time. “You are not as uncertain as you think.”
“No?”
“No.” He smiled. “You have already decided. You are simply asking for permission.”
I straightened on the piano bench. “I don’t need permission.”
Karl arched his eyebrows. “No,” he agreed. “You don’t. But it’s nice to have it anyway.”
I loved the hint of amusement in his voice.
“Thank you,” I said with a smile.
Karl inclined his head. “Enjoy yourself. But wear something appropriate.”
I glanced down at what I was wearing. “What does that mean?”
His expression was utterly composed. “It means that Berlin will expect a certain standard of effort.”
I laughed, and just like that, the weight lifted from my shoulders.
Whatever the following night turned out to be, I wasn’t walking into it blindly.
I was walking into it knowing exactly why.
“Now, finish your coffee, and then we’ll go and see Berlin from the top of a bus.” Karl’s eyes gleamed. “But be warned. Thiswill take a couple of hours. And yes, before you ask, thereisthat much to see.” Then he chuckled. “Try to keep your mind on the tour, and not on your party. Because I will be asking questions later.”