“I won’t ever letyouteach me anything, that’s for sure,” I muttered.
Stefan’s wry chuckle snapped me back into the present. “Oh, I don’t know. He seemed very… enthusiastic.”
“Yes.” I followed Han’s retreat with a glare. “About completely the wrong things.” I shook my head. “I came here to learn German, not to be auctioned off.”
Then I realised I’d spoken out loud. I clammed up.
Stefan’s mouth twitched. “You weren’t auctioned.”
I snorted. “Give him time.”
Stefan sat down beside me, closer than he’d been on the train.
Not that I was measuring.
“I wasn’t expecting to see you again so soon,” he said.
“Nor was I,” I admitted. There was no way I could stop myself. “What exactly did he say to you?”
Stefan’s smile deepened. “Are you sure you want to know?”
I hesitated before replying. “Yes.”
He leaned back in his chair, but his gaze didn’t shift. “He told me you couldn’t keep your eyes off me.”
Brilliant. Bloody brilliant.
I was going to kill Hans.
“He also said you thought I was very attractive, and that I should come and join you for coffee.”
I felt heat rise instantly in my chest, neck, and face, sharp and undeniable.
“I didn’t say that.” Which, while technically true, felt like a weak defence under the circumstances.
“I know,” Stefan said with a smile.
That stopped me in my tracks. “You do?”
“Yes.” His smile didn’t falter. “But I’m glad he did.”
That didn’t help. If anything, it made things considerably worse.
I held his gaze, long enough to realise this was a mistake. Not long enough to look away.
And there it was again, that same feeling from the train. Not just awareness or curiosity, but something heavier.
I looked down at the table.
“So,” Stefan said after a moment, as if nothing had happened, “how is Berlin treating you so far?”
I exhaled, trying to steady myself. “It’s not what I expected.”
Stefan tilted his head. “In a good way?”
“I think so.”
He nodded. “Good.” A moment later, his voice softened a fraction. “Then perhaps I should make sure it lives up to expectations.”