"My brother gets really jealous of his wife…..
Only when other hot guys are admiring her many perfections."
"I don't see why Anthony couldn't have just picked us up. He would have been more than happy to give us a ride," Edwina and I jostled through the crowds at the stadium. I led the way, determined to make it past these hordes of fans, heading towards our seats. "I already told you; we had no trouble getting here on our own," I fired back at my irritated younger sister, who gave a dramatic huff under her breath. "Ability does not equal ease, sis. Look, would you just relax today and at least try to be nice to Anthony? He's really not a bad guy, you know." "Is that so? What did you two talk about at coffee yesterday?" She paused here, clearly struggling to come up with an acceptable answer- well, an answer I'd except anyway. "We talked about lots of things. Our families, where we grew up, his time at Oxford, the kinds of things he does for fun." "Sounds real stimulating," my eyes rolled unimpressed.
We finally reached the stands where our seats were. Edwina and I stood off to the side where she brushed herself off. Then she checked her phone before turning her head to look my way. "Anthony's here. I'm gonna go meet him at the West gate." "But we literally just got here! Can't he find us?" "Kate," my sister gave me one of those looks before taking off. "Don't get lost!" I hollered after her. "I won't!" She waved back, disappearing in the masses. I watched her leave before sighing heavily to myself. "It would have been easier if I came here alone….." My annoyed voice admitted to no one.
"Kate!" A familiar male voice suddenly reached my ears. My feet darted around where I saw none other than Friedrich walking towards me. This delighted smile passed over my lips upon locking gazes with him. "Friedrich!" He seemed just as happy as I was to discover me there, coming right over to me and clasping his hands casually behind his back, leaning forward a bit.
"What a surprise to see you here!" "I know! I didn't take you as the "football, sports" kind," I responded kindly. "My aunt surprised me with season tickets." "Season tickets?! Wow, you're lucky!" "Indeed. If I can't see my beloved Union Berlin play, then I'll settle for Chelsea." "Heh, I worry you might find English football a tad disappointing; they aren't the German leagues over here. As for me, my heart will always be with Ajax." "Ah, of course! You attended Masters in Amsterdam. Its home team must be very special for you," he nodded in comprehension. I was a little startled that he remember that titbit trivia about me….. He remembered that I went to the University of Amsterdam…. My smile intensified staring at him warmly.
"I am happy to see you again, Friedrich. Heh, seems like you were able to escape the palace library, after all." His light-haired head gave a gentle shake. "Well one must have other hobbies than reading, though seeing as you're here… I can already tell that you have impeccable tastes," his grin widened and I shyly glanced downwards. I was about to say something when the announcer came onto the speakers, proclaiming that the match would start in ten minutes. Friedrich and I both gazed up at it, then at each other. His hand reached up in between us.
"Where are you sitting, Kate?" "I box five, row seventeen, seat forty." "That is very near where I am as well. Would you like to sit together?" Hesitation filled me as my mouth dropped open a tiny bit. "Um well actually…. I'm here with my sister….." "That's fine. If she's anything like you, then she'll be perfectly agreeable," Friedrich smiled and my eyes drifted back out to his face. Grinning myself, my hand stretched up to take hold of his, still waiting in the air patiently for me. Friedrich's fingers wrapped around the back of my palm and he proceeded to gently guide me through the masses, up the steps and down the row towards our seats. Anthony and Edwina were nowhere to be seen, not that I was too concerned.
Friedrich waited for me to sit down first, making sure I was all comfy in my seat before finally releasing my hand and plopping down beside me. He flashed me a brilliant smile, immediately looking into my eyes once more.
"This must be very different for you from Amsterdam." "And you Berlin. I really miss the stadiums over on the continent….." I sighed a tad wistfully. He leaned in a bit closer. "What else do you miss? Did you like Vienna?" "Oh very much so! I miss a lot of things; the food, the culture, the heh, climate….." I chuckled and he nodded as if telling me to go on, which I did. "But I suppose the thing I miss most... is just going to new, unexplored places." "You like exploring?" His eyebrow raised. "Oh yes, especially museums! I've spent more days than I can count…. wandering around in museums."
A peaceful moment slipped in between us as he tentatively considered what I just said, clearly thinking to himself. His eyes wandered out a little into space in that reflective manner.
"Yes, I too have spent a great many hour in countless museums. I believe we ought to respect our preserved history, and the hands behind such artifacts." "I feel the same way! Maybe that's why I love old buildings and ruins so much. It's astonishing to think about all the labour that went into designing and constructing them. We can't forget their suffering… for their sake," and Friedrich looked me right in the eye with ample approval. "I couldn't have said it better myself. Is this why you like Versailles so much?" "Well yes, I suppose so. It is such a great work of human architecture and engineering….. The closest to perfect I think we'll ever get, and at such a great human cost," I admitted and he smiled so intently at me, like I was somehow saying all the right things.
Eventually though he leaned back in his seat a little, gazing out at the field momentarily. His eyes lowered ever so softly. "My Oma once said that you can know a lot about a person by what their favourite place is." "Oh?" And he peered back in my direction with such a kind smile- a warm, sincere expression. "Correct me if I'm wrong. You enjoy looking at beautiful things but not owning them, and you yourself are not vain. You've fallen in love before with places, not people. And you truly value art and education for their own sakes; not for what they can bring or do for a person. You believe pragmatism has no place in aesthetics, yes?" I gawked back at him wide-eyed and completely flabbergasted. Soon enough I heard my lips utter the word "yes", making another large smile blossom across his face. He straightened his back up slightly.
"Let me guess. You're a deontologist?" "Y-Yes! A Kantian….. But how did you…." I was totally stunned by this. Not many people even knew the meaning of the word. He chuckled, giving his head a small, tender shake. "I could tell, you have that air, that aura about you. It's very continental; not many people in England with those moral views." "Well no, you're right… unfortunately," my gaze rolled off to the side. Friedrich blinked back at me, smiling once again to himself.
"Fascinating, isn't it?" "What?" "That I can uncover so much about you from just a few meetings," he responded and I chuckled warmly. "Maybe I'm more of an open-book than I thought." "Or maybe I'm able to read you better than most," he shot back, causing the pit of my stomach to feel….. weird again. Not the same kind of hot sensation that Anthony aroused in me; I still saw Friedrich only as a friend. But even I had to admit, he was a good guy and VERY perspective. Feeling weird, I forced a playful grin, giving his shoulder a light shove. Our eyes met again, lingering on one another for a second. He smiled for real, lowering his head slightly.
"For the record, Kate, I believe in objective moral truths too. I believe there is no altering what is right or wrong according to our will. We are subject to morality; not the other way around. You and I are alike in that way…" "Oh, I have no doubt we are. You are so kind and earnest; how could you possibly believe anything different? I think you're a good person, Friedrich…. And you're right, we've known each other for just a few days, but I can already tell that about you," if only Edwina would hurry up and get here. He's so perfect for her! She has no idea! He did lean in a tiny bit nearer to me though, smiling so genuinely now.
"I doubt I am anywhere as good a person as you." "Trust me, I'm not a good person…." If I was, I'd force my sister to stop this wedding. But Friedrich just shook his head resolutely before giving me another brilliant, honest expression. "You seem like a good person to me….. You are kind as well, Kate.
And you don't waste time going around trying to prove it."