She felt refreshed as she stepped out of the bathroom in only her towel. It was the middle of the day and she doubted there would be any... clients, in the house at this hour. However she still moved quickly down the hallway to the room she had seen Adele come out of. She knocked cautiously and called as she did "Adele... It's Nili..."
The door opened up quickly and Adele ushered Nili in smiling and laughing a little. "Oh look at you Cherie! Here come in quickly..." She had dressed herself in a simple blue floral dress that buttoned down the front and she looked like any girl Nili could have seen on the streets of Clichy.
"Here, here, I have set out this dress for you, it will love so lovely with your skin and hair." Nili looked on the bed and saw a bright green dress that had a deep v and three quarter sleeve. The neckline was a little lower than Nili was used to, but she thought the dress was very pretty indeed.
"Thank you so much Adele, you are too too kind."
Adele laughed and turned her back to Nili "Go on and change, Cherie. Our tea will be done soon."
Nili took her advice and quickly dressed herself. Adele turned around once she was done and smiled at her.
Nili smiled back at her and decided she could like Adele very much. "Shall we? I could use a good cup of hot tea."
"Oh but of course!" Adele took up her hand again and began tittering on in her melodic voice as she lead Nili downstairs.
Donny could hear them from his post just below in the ditch. They were laughing and carousing with eachother as they walked their patrol. He stole a look at Wicki and could see he was straining to make out what they were saying.
He looked over to his left to see Aldo and he watched closely for the signal. Aldo smirked and Donny could see the light in his eyes. He flicked his fingers towards the road and Donny smirked wickedly before he whipped his gun up at the road and opened fire.
"So you have been with the Bear Jew, correct? I heard some of the men giggling about your love sounds this morning." Adele and Nili were curled up on the couch in the parlor and sipping their third cup of tea. They had been gabbing for the past 3 hours and Nili decided she liked her very much, their talk had only recently shifted to her relationship with Donny.
Nili blushed deeply "Uhm, yes. Only just last night though." Nili was embarassed but she knew it must just be routine for Adele to speak so freely about sex.
Adele's mouth opened in a little 'o' and she giggled again "Oh my goodness Cherie, he was your first?"
Nili turned redder than she though possible and she cleared her throat and giggled a little with her "Yes, he was."
Adele laughed a loud and took Nili's hand in hers "Oh to have such a thing, I wish I could have such fond memories of my first encounter with a man." Her eyes softened a little and Nili knew she must have had a hard road that lead her to where she was.
"How are things with you and Wicki, you seem very fond of him..." Nili tried to change the subject and warm her friend's spirits
Her face brightened Nili smiled to see joy back on her face. "Oh my Wilhelm, he is a good man he seems very fond of me. He tells me he cares terribly for me."
"He seems like a good man, I like him very much and so does Donny."
Adele smiled wistfully and patted Nili's hand "You love your Donny very much, I can see it, tell me, what kind of lover is he?. The girls here, we have wondered very much."
Nili laughed a little nervously but truth be told Nili was curious about sex. Her experience last night had been her only encounter with it. Her mother had explained the basics to her and told her only to wait until marriage. But she knew nothing about the intricacies of making love or any of the other things she knew went along with it.
"He is a very good lover, although I admit I know next to nothing about how to please a man."
Adele squealed a little and her eyes lit up "Oh Cherie to please a man is the easiest thing in the world, come I will help you learn. You forget you are in a house full of professionals."
Donny stood smiling over the body of the Nazi private wiping away a bit of him that had ended up splattered across his forearm.
"Wh'udder you boys doin' out here?" Aldo asked pacing in front of the young man who tremlbed on his knees.
"Vee vere just on patrol, nothing more. I assure you Sir." His voice shook and he eyed the huge man with the bat in a way that made Donny smirk like a jackal.
"You don't know anything about a fuckin' plane comin' in. No intelligence, nothing you were 'sposed to be lookin' fer?" Aldo stopped short in front of him and grabbed the boy's chin hard
"No Sir. Ve are not officers, just privates on patrol, we know nothing." Donny saw the tears start to slip out of the boys eyes and a rage filled him. How dare this boy cry in front of him? How dare he try to evoke anything in them with his tears. Donny could bet this little fuck had seen plenty of little Jewish women and children cry in front of him right before he put a fuckin' bullet in their skull.
"Well thank you very much Private, but I'm afraid we won't be needin' you now. Donny, have at 'im." Aldo stood up briskly and waved his hand as he turned towards the other men.
He'd given them what they asked for, but he couldn't be left alive. They couldn't leave any survivors tonight no one could know they were here for a rendevous.
Donny took a hard swing and just like that, the crying stopped.
Aldo signalled to the other men while Donny finished up. They'd seen the plane fly over head a few moments ago and they knew that their man had dropped.
"Alright boys, spread out and keep your eyes and ears open, Hicox is around here somewhere and we've gotta find him 'fore a kraut does."
"So that is all you have to do?" Nili asked giggling as she looked at the experienced woman across from her.
"But of course Cherie, I told you men were most easy to please, all you need is a firm hand and a deep throat."
At that both girls burst out laughing and fell into eachother clutching their sides until tears came down their faces. They were just catching their breath when they heard the brothel door burst open and many pairs of heavy footfalls.
Nili perked up and she heard Aldo Raine's rough voice call out from the entryway. "Nurse, can you get in here, we need you to check out our boy. Think he might need some stitchin' "
Nili leapt up and Adele followed her as they moved quickly to the foyer where they saw the Basterds crowded around a dapper looking man in a military uniform with a nasty looking gash on his hairline and blood seeping through the leg of his pants.
"Hello darling, I suppose you're the Nurse they were calling for. I assure you I'm fine for the most part, just a few little scrapes." He flashed her an easy smile and gave her a look of clear interest. "I'm Leuitenant Archie Hicox by the by, I'm charmed to meet you." He offered out his hand and Nili placed hers in it and he quickly raised it to his lips to kiss it.
"I'm Nili Cohen." She looked quickly to Donny and saw the incensed look on his face, she quickly pulled her hand away from the dashing Brit.
"If you'll just let the men help you into the kitchen I can work on tending to your wounds." Nili nodded to Utivich and Stiglitz who held his shoudlers and they both helped him into the kitchen. Nili stayed behind a step and waited for Donny who grabbed her up possessively and placed a hard kiss on the top of her head without a word.
After he let her go she moved quickly to the kitchen where she'd laid out her kit, Adele was boiling more water and she had a lit candle set out for Nili already.
"Alright, Leuitenant Hicox, if you'll just roll up your pantleg I'd like to just swab out the wound there." Nili felt a little self concious with all the Basterds watching her. She'd barely noticed they attention the other night, but last night there was a possibility of Wicki actually dying and she had thrown herself into helping him. Now it was like she was putting on a little song and dance for them, and the way the Brit was looking at her was making her a bit uncomfortable.
"Of course love, anything you ask." He smiled a lopsided grin at her and he reached down to roll up his pantleg, the wound there was superficial, not deep enough to stitch, but still very nasty to look at. Nili swabbed it out easily and bandaged it quickly.
"Fantastic, darling" He said once she had finished there "Now I fear this one up here on my egg will be a little more troublesome for you and for that I am deeply sorry." He was trying very hard to charm her and she could see Donny trying to keep himself in line.
"It's nothing Leuitenant, I've seen much, much worse, this will be child's play." She was trying to be curt with him, but she also could not abide being rude to him either.
"I'm sure it will, you seem to be a very accomplished very intelligent woman, love."
Before Nili could say anything she heard Donny's hard voice from the corner of the kitchen "She is."
He obviously missed the tone of Donny's voice as he didn't even bother to look at him, he kept his eyes focused on Nili as she tried to avoid his gaze and clean his wound before stitching it. "Oh of course chap, she's as gentle handed as she is lovely."
Donny was not fuckin' happy with this Hicox character. He was openly trying to pick up his girl right in fuckin' front of him and he was fighting the urge to wring his scrawny neck here and now. He could sense that Nili was uncomfortable with his advances and that was only adding fuel to his fire. He felt a boot kick against his and he looked over to see Aldo next to him giving him a sharp look that clearly conveyed "Cool it." Donny grunted and obeyed his C.O. Taking a deep breath and trying to hold back his anger.
Nili watched as Hicox winced as the needle sunk into the first stitch "Am I hurting you Leuitenant?"
"Oh this old skin can take it, love. Don't worry your pretty little head about me." His tone was cavalier and Nili wondered if he was going to take the hint that she was not interested or just keep on digging his grave. "I assure you love, if I had known American nurses were so striking I'd have injured myself a little earlier."
Nili laughed nervously and peeked over at Donny who was staring at the ground and clenching his fists tight. The rest of the men had bemused smirks on and they all seemed to be enjoying the awkward interaction. "Well, thank you Leuitenant." She had no idea what else to say.
"No need to thank me darling, I'm only stating the truth. I'll have you know before the war I was a movie critic in Britain, and I've seen some very lovely women in my day. You my dear, surpass them all. Have you ever thought of making a bid for the pictures?"
"No, no, I haven't. I always wanted to be a nurse."
He almost nodded but caught himself as she stitched him "Ahaa, not only is the lady lovely but she also has a good head on her shoulders, tell me did I perish when I fell from that plane, because I am almost sure you are an angel." He was getting ahead of himself and Nili was not fond of it.
"Leuitenant, you are becoming a little forward with me."
"Oh my, I appoligize my lady. I meant no intrusion, are you a married woman?" His voice was still silk smooth and cavalier, as if he were only expecting her to be overcome with her enchantment with him.
"No Leuitenant I am not married..."
He cut her off quickly "Ah well then there is still hope that a poor sap like me may take you out sometime."
"No, there's fuckin' not because she's engaged." Donny simply could not hold it in anymore, he was seconds away from launching himself on this skinny little man and beating him until he couldn't tell his ass from his elbow.
Hicox turned sharply to Donny and his smirk returned "I don't see a ring on her finger..."
Donny moved to take a step forward but Nili quickly interviened "I'm sorry Leuitenant but I am engaged and Sergeant Donowitz is my fiance."
Donny felt his anger dip just a little but he still wanted to wipe that smirk of the little fucker's face.
"Well then, I find myself already making enemies. I appoligize for being forward, but you must be used to enchanting men. I will not take back saying that you are a beautiful woman. Tell me though Nurse, what can one prescribe for a bad case of the Green Eyed Monster?"
Nili just cleared her throat and sent a pleading look to Donny, begging him not to act on his rage. "I'd prescribe looking elsewhere Leuitenant."
He kept quiet while she finished up with him and as soon as she was done Aldo called a meeting with Stiglitz, Hicox and Wicki to discuss their operation, and Nili suspected, to get Hicox out of harm's way. The other Basterds and Adele filtered out of the kitchen on cue knowing Donny and his woman needed a moment.
Nili moved cautiously towards the corner where Donny was sitting examining his hands intently. She reached out gingerly and took his clenched fists in her hands and she was relieved to feel him ease up under her touch.
"I'm sorry" she said quietly as she moved his arms around her waist and then wrapped hers around his neck. He let out a deep rush of air and finally looked up to meet her eyes.
"I just can't stand that fucker. Who does he think he fuckin' is comin' on to you like that. That's not how you treat a lady."
Nili lost it then. She burst out laughing and she kept on until she cried tears of mirth and her sides ached.
"What?" Donny asked agitated, she couldn't reply though and he asked again "What?" She kept on with her giggles and tried to catch her breath until he angrily dropped his arms from her waist and stepped away "What's so fuckin' funny?"
Her face fell when he dropped her and she wiped her eyes and looked up at him "Don't you remember how you first talked to me Esa Donowitz? Exactly the same way."
"Yeah, well are you gonna take up with him now?"
Nili put her hands on her hips and stared him down "You're being childish."
"No I'm fuckin not." He said crossing his arms and meeting her angy gaze "Why didn't you tell him you were taken after the first come on?"
She was exasperated with him now "Oh I was trying to be polite, don't be silly. I told him didn't I?"
"No, I did. You just fuckin' sat there and let him try to use his shit British accent to get you into bed."
She was hurt that he would even speak that way to her, her eyes began to fill but she looked down and blinked them away quickly "I can't believe you'd say that to me. Listen to yourself."
"I was listening, are you embarassed of me? Is that what it is? You won't admit to being with me cause I'm just some big fuckin' stupid lug?"
"No! Not at all, what is wrong with you?"
"Just cause I don't talk as nice as him"
Nili was beyond angry with him "Sergeant I don't know why you're talking to me like this, but you know I love you"
"Just cause you fucked me?"
The retort Nili had poised on her tongue died right as those words left his mouth and she could not blink back the tears anymore. Her face flamed with embarrassment and she quickly reached down and ripped off the silver chain dropping it to the floor and flying passed a stunned Hirschberg and Omar as she ran up the stairs.
Donny angrily kicked the ring with his boot as he slammed his fist into the countertop. He felt the impact in his hand and he knew he'd broken at least one knuckle if not more. He swore loudly and walked out of the back door slamming it behind him.