Fina shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her hands repeatedly stroking her own hair, which she had tied back in a ponytail. It seemed to take an eternity before she heard a noise, saw a shadow behind the spyhole,heard the key turning in the lock and finally saw Esther's red head appear in the slightly open door.
'Fina!'
'Esther! Surprise!' Fina spread her arms a little exaggeratedly.
'Oh, wow, I didn't expect that. To ever see you here at my door... Come in!'
Marta now took a step forward and thus came into Esther's field of vision for the first time. She greeted Esther almost shyly: 'Hola, Esther!'.
Esther just looked at her with wide eyes. The silence lasted for a moment and was already beginning to become uncomfortable.
Marta cleared her throat and was about to say something apologetic. Perhaps it would be better to let Fina and Esther talk to each other first and take a walk herself. Then Esther finally found her voice again.
'I never expected this,' she said, her head shaking. She gave herself a little push and opened the door further.
'But come in first. I'm more than curious to know what brings you both here to Paris. Although... I might have a slight idea.
Fina and Marta entered Esther's apartment one after the other. It was – no surprise – tastefully decorated, which was already evident in the hallway. The walls were full of photographs, mostly of women. Most of them were taken in Paris, that was obvious, but apparently also in other places. There were also a few pictures of Esther herself. The black and white photos, all carefully framed, were aesthetically appealing.
Esther led them into a living room that was the perfect size. It wasn't small, but it definitely wasn't too big either. The stylish furniture looked inviting and there were also some appealing photos on the walls here.
All in all, the apartment seemed much warmer than Esther had seemed to Marta. But she had to admit that she hardly knew Esther, except for the lecture the young lady had given her in her own office. It had been an unpleasant moment, Marta had had to pull herself together not to be too snippy. At the same time, there was a little bit of the self-confidence that she also knew from Fina. It had had a similar effect on her like with Fina, Marta was impressed, outraged and ready to flee or counterattack. But the feeling of attraction had not existed between them.
But there had to be more than this common ground for Fina to have given her heart to Esther. She therefore trusted Fina's taste and decided not only to remain open, but also to forget the first meeting in her office, and the uncertainty she had felt at the time, as much as possible.
'Are you visiting or on the run?'
At least Esther was not one to beat around the bush.
'We tried to reach you in advance, please excuse the intrusion,' said Fina, without initially addressing the question.
'Oh, yes, I only returned from Italy yesterday. Some business and a few days' holiday. When do you ever get to go to Rome, right?' She gestured for the two women to sit down. "But let's cut the small talk. Or at least postpone it until later. What brings you to me? To me, of all people, I should probably ask. I don't have the feeling that this is just a friendly visit." She glanced briefly at Marta in particular.
'Esther, we want to live here together. In Paris.' Fina had simply and briefly stated the sentence as if it were nothing. Almost as if it were a self-evident fact, something completely normal. Until then, she had been sitting on the couch with her hands folded, presumably sending little prayers to heaven in between. But now she took Marta's hand in hers.
'And if possible... we need help,' she added.
Marta nodded. It was obvious that she was uncomfortable, but she remained silent and let Fina take the lead.
Esther looked at them thoughtfully. Finally, she stood up and said: 'I think this is going to be a long conversation. A coffee would be good, wouldn't it?' With these words, she disappeared into the kitchen.
'So is the position still available for me?' Fina asked, genuinely surprised.
'There is no longer THE job, but there is another one. Where the magic happens, let me put it that way. And if I remember correctly, you always had a good sense for it. It is only an assistant position. But who knows... if you can make an impression...'
'That sounds wonderful,' said Fina with honest enthusiasm. She had always been more interested in creating magic than selling it, if she was honest. But she had never had much choice, the jobs for women in Toledo were limited.
'But you'd have to be able to speak French really quickly.'
Fina nodded confidently. 'I can do that.'
'There is only one position available at the moment, though.' Esther looked apologetically and worriedly at Marta.
Marta nodded. 'It's all right.'
'Are you sure, Marta? You'd be more suited than I am, probably. With all your experience.' Fina looked at her questioningly.
'No, really. It's fine. I liked professional life, not necessarily the products themselves.' She reflected for a moment. 'I'll find something. Even if it's in a café.
Marta smiled at the thought. Perhaps also because she had to think of the apron that was waiting at the bottom of the suitcase, ready for use. It was almost the first thing that Marta had packed. It was a little kitschy, but she loved this apron. Probably because she loved the woman who had made it.
And if she now let Fina take precedence, so that she might one day have something like a career, that was fine. Even if she only could make her contribution by serving guests in a café. There was more to life than just professional fulfilment, Marta now knew. She no longer needed it as much for herself as she had needed it in Toledo.
Fina smiled happily at her and then turned back to Esther.
'And... I mean... will the salary be enough, at least at the beginning, to cover the rent for two rooms?
'What do you mean?' Esther asked, frowning.
'For me and Marta. As close together as possible, if you know what I mean?'
Esther was silent for a moment. Then she looked at Fina with a smile in her eyes.
'Fina...this is Paris. You know that homosexuality has been legal here since 1747, right?' Fina nodded and Marta nodded too. Of course they knew that.
'That means you can rent an apartment together.'
Fina and Marta stared at Esther in silence for a while until the realisation dawned on them.
'I don't want to mislead you,' Esther warned, raising a finger. 'Even here, you have to be careful, tolerance has its limits, even in Paris. And I wouldn't necessarily recommend anything more than holding hands at the Seine. But in your own four walls... well... it's nobody's business.
'Holding hands by the Seine,' whispered Fina, almost reverently.
Marta had more difficulty accepting the new information.
'Can we just rent a flat?' she asked. 'I mean, as women, without...someone having to agree?'
Esther smiled openly. 'Don't worry, we'll sort it all out. I'll call a friend of mine called Hervé. If you want, you can look at some flats this week. And until then, I hope you'll be my guests. Agreed?'
'Agreed!' was the resounding response from the two women, who now both laughed.
They knew that Paris was different. Of course, they hadn't come here for no reason. But until that moment, neither of them had realised how different life here would probably be. A vague hope, a wish, would now become reality.
For the first time since she had left Toledo, Marta felt that she had done the right thing, albeit rashly and unreasonably, as she had to admit to herself. All the more so when she looked at Fina's excited face. This, right at this moment, was the new beginning, the freedom they had always dreamed of. They would live here together. Together! As a couple!
'Yes, mi vida, together,' Fina took Marta's hand, which had obviously spoken her thoughts aloud.
Esther smiled at the two of them. They were somehow sweet together, she realised. She felt no jealousy. There is a time for everything, and the time with Fina was definitely gone. All she could do now was to ensure that Fina was happy here. At least as far as it was in her power. After all, someone else was now responsible for a large part of this happiness.
She glanced at Marta, who seemed very different to her. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but this was not the same Marta she had met in Toledo. Love changes people, Esther thought. Almost always, if you allow it.
