To end the awkward pause that followed, Francis leaned over the table towards Ludwig. He smiled but unlike before, there was no amusement in it. It looked more like it was self-pitiful. It made Ludwig shudder visibly.

"Alright," Francis said. "You told me about your Ex so I'll tell you about mine." He sighed. "Well, there isn't just one girl in my case. Nor two. In fact, during the last ten years, I went out with so many girls that I lost count on them. There where quite a few guys, too."

He laughed as he saw Ludwig's shocked expression.

"Hey, I never said I was a man for a lifetime. I never was before. None of my 'relationships', as one might or might not call them, lasted longer than a few, well, nights. Oh, well, there was one. One single girl which I called my girlfriend for more than three months. That's my personal record until now."

Ludwig simply stared at him. Francis could only muse what the other was thinking right now. He hoped that he wasn't thinking of him as a very loose man or as somebody who only searched for temporal satisfaction without any emotion involved. He feared that Ludwig might think that he was just another guy in a long, almost endless row of short-lived relationships. Although Francis didn't know why yet.

"She was really something special," Francis continued since there was no way to stop at this point anyway. "We had a lot of fights, but for some reason, we both enjoyed those fights almost as much as the angry sex that followed. Alice really was a wonderful brat."

"If she was that great, why did you break up?" Ludwig grumbled under his breath. Was it Francis or did her sound rather pissed because of that information? He really hoped so.

Francis shrugged. "Well, let me tell you more about the relationship we had first. We met at a pub. Well, I usually don't go to pubs but that fortune night I did because 'Tonio wanted to see it. She was sitting at the bar, having a huge mug of beer and was fighting very heatedly with some guy. Being the nice guy I am, I tried to save that poor soul from her wrath and ended up quarreling with her myself. After a few beer we started, well, getting interested in one another. And so I brought her home with me."

Ludwig sighed. "So taking someone home with you after you had some alcohol is quite normal for you?" He made the question sound more like a very sour paraphrase for "I didn't want to know that, thank you very much!"

"It is. It's not only my habit but a common custom," Francis explained. "Though I usually neither extend invitations for breakfast or diner nor do I usually phone afterwards. But I did phone her later. And so did I phone you, too, dear Ludwig. Don't be jealous, Alice was years ago and there's no chance we'll get back together ever again."

This time, Ludwig didn't say anything though Francis waited for another comment on his words. It almost seemed like Ludwig was sulking. Stupid idea, Francis thought, a man like Ludwig wouldn't sulk over the ex-girlfriend of a guy he hardly knew.

"We were going out for three months," Francis continued. "Not only going out but fighting and having sex and doing couple stuff, too. We even had once a candlelight dinner I cooked for her. After she tried to set my kitchen on fire."

These words didn't seem to improve Ludwig's mood so Francis decide to end his story faster than he originally had intended to. For some reason, the stare Ludwig had directed at him made a lump grow in his throat.

"In the end, she dumped me," Francis sighed. Ludwig's eyes narrowed. "She started screaming at me all of a sudden. Nothing unusual in that. That time, though, she accused me of never been in love with her and being only interested in her because I could have sex with her as much as I wanted to. Well, that sex part was probably true back then but I've changed, I swear! Then she told me she had got to known another guy and is oh so deeply in love with him. I never saw her again after that."

Ludwig remained silent for a few moments. Long enough to make Francis wonder if he had enraged his new … friend with that story. After a while, Ludwig gently shook his head.

"So you really were in love with her back then?" he assumed. And then, after another brief break: "But you aren't anymore? 'Cause she ran off with another guy and left you? You've moved on?"

Francis nodded, cursing in his mind at that lump that wouldn't go away.

Ludwig opened his mouth as if he was about to say something. Then he closed his mouth again. He sighed. Took a deep breath. The he tried again: "Would you … Francis, would you cook for me, too?" He had blushed. "I mean, only if you want to. I could help you a bit but I can't cook at all so be warned."

Francis beamed. The lump had suddenly vanished. "Of course! How about next Saturday?"

Ludwig smiled softly. "That would be great."