Chapter 4: Romance Is Short-Lived

Present, two weeks ago--Meeting in person on the Island of Krk

He could hardly wait for the moment when he would finally meet Marie. He arrived at the airport an hour before he was supposed to. Passengers on the flight from Brussels were coming through the gate, and Armin was standing and waiting. Most of them had already left, and then he saw a lady with long black hair in a hat and a tight green dress walking slowly, carrying a purse in one hand and a huge suitcase in the other. Since he had never seen her in person, only on pictures and video calls, he thought she might look a little different in reality.

“If this is her, she does look different. She’s much more attractive in real life,” Armin thought.

He slowly approached her. He became sure that it truly was her when he was just a few steps away from her. Then she stopped and looked at him. He will never forget that first meeting look.

That beautiful lady said, “Armin?”

He said Marie’s name and ran into her arms. She dropped her purse on the floor, left the suitcase, and they both hugged each other tightly.

As soon as their heads touched hers and his body was plastered to hers, he felt something special, some sort of calmness washing over him. His head resting on her shoulder allowed the mixture of her perfume and hairspray to work on him like opium. It was the scent he always wanted to breathe and the softness of her skin he always wanted to touch. The kiss on the cheek and that hug lasted a very long time.

When they finally separated from each other, Marie whispered, “Armin, it’s really you.”

She seemed very happy, and Armin was speechless. He barely uttered, “God, you are so beautiful. I’m so glad you are here.”

He wanted to hug her and never ever let her go, or at least he wanted to be a little closer again just to feel her, smell her, and touch her again.

They got into the car and left the airport. Marie was clearly in a good mood and spoke in superlatives. On the way to the apartment, they stopped at a small restaurant with traditional cuisine. Marie was already delighted at her first encounter with the island.

They parked in front of the house. While Armin was taking out the suitcase from the boot of the car, Marie stood back and looked at the huge house with three floors, the cypress trees around the pool, and the olive and fig trees planted around the property.

“You went to Frankfurt from a paradise like this?” Marie asked incredulously.

Armin shrugged his shoulders. “Hah, what could I do?”

They went inside.

Armin showed Marie around. “Here is a kitchen and the living room, and right there is your room, and the first door next to it is your bathroom. I say yours, but of course, everything is at your disposal. Make yourself home.”

They entered the room. It was a modernly furnished large room with a new large double bed.

“Wow, this is a royal suite,” enthused Marie.

“Well, to me, you are my queen.” Armin smiled at Marie with adoration in his eyes.

Marie softened and hugged him, and he experienced that feeling of calmness again. While they were in each other’s arms for a few seconds, Armin was trying to regain his composure. It was hard for him to move away from her, but he had to.

“Ok, you settle in, rest, and come outside; I’ll be by the pool.”

He sat outside and watched something on his cell phone when Ivan came to pick up his car. The two of them sat and talked, and after a while, Marie sashayed out of the house and walked towards them with a carefully measured, ladylike gait. She was wearing a different hat, a sleeveless T-shirt, a long one that covered her butt so that from a distance, there was no doubt as to what was underneath.

Ivan’s eyes nearly fell out, and he quietly whispered, “Gaawd. And you’re fucking this beauty?”

“No, she’s just my friend.”

“Yes, we all know your relationship with your friends,” Ivan needled Armin.

“Ooh! Shut up.”

As Marie approached them, Ivan stood up and said, “Bonne journée, belle dame,” and kissed her hand like a true gentleman.

“Bonne journée à toi aussi. Tu es un vrai...

“Unfortunately, that is all the French I know,” replied Ivan, and everyone laughed. He continued, “I have to go now, but I’ll see you tonight at the Trio bar. I will tell everyone to come meet Marie.”

Armin and Marie continued to sit and talk. They were very comfortable. When the guests of the other apartments started to return from the beach, and the sun began to sink low on the horizon, Armin and Marie went to get ready to go out. He was fully dressed in ten minutes, but of course, she needed a little more time.

Marie came out of the room in a short black dress that showed off her best assets. Her carefully selected makeup and the grace she wore her clothes with would easily make people think she was an actress--while Armin resembled an actor from Mexican soap operas.

“I originally thought we’d go on foot, but it’s already late, so we’re going by motorbike. We’re going to the center of the city, and we’ll park there. We’ll have dinner and afterwards go to a café so you can meet my friends.”

“Oh, I don’t remember the last time I had ridden a motorcycle. With this dress, it may be a bit tricky. Please drive slowly.”

After less than a mile, they came to the waterfront. Marie was full of adrenaline from riding a motorcycle, and her getting off the motorbike garnered many looks from passersby. They had dinner in a nearby tavern, and Marie was delighted with the black risotto.

Even during the dinner, Armin received messages from his friends, who were impatiently waiting to meet Marie. When they finally arrived at the café bar, Marie was introduced, and she got to know each of them individually. Everyone was delighted with her, especially the male half of the group. And what about the women, the girls? Of course, they were all nice, polite, and really friendly towards Marie, but you could see that they were sizing her up and analyzing everything related to her. I guess that’s only natural. However, Marie was an experienced woman, and she knew how to deal with young people. After an hour or so, all the tension melted and the atmosphere became so pleasant that everyone felt that they had known Marie for a long time. Marie also felt as if she had known them for a long time. Probably none of them believed that Armin and Marie were just friends, and during the evening, Marie whispered to Armin, “You and Nancy had something, didn’t you?”

“Yes, that’s the girl I told you about a long time ago. How do you know?”

“Um, well, I am a woman, and she is giving off vibes...”

Considering that it was a working day, the members of their group slowly said their good-byes one by one, noting that they would hang out the next day as well. Armin assumed that Marie was tired from the trip, so they just went for a walk, then got on the motorcycle and returned home.

They were standing in the corridor, ready to go to bed. They looked at each other.

“Good night, Marie, I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Good night. I’m glad too.”

Armin was warring in his mind: should he leave or should he hug her and kiss her for good night? He timidly stood in front of Marie, slowly approached her, and held out his hands. Marie stretched out her arms, they hugged again, and Armin once again experienced that feeling of calm as soon as he breathed in her scent and touched her skin. Of course, it occurred to him to kiss her on the mouth, but he didn’t want to spoil any of this. They each went to their room.

In the morning, Armin woke up when he heard Marie enter the kitchen. As soon as they saw each other, they hugged. It was obvious that they were both enjoying the embrace.

“How did you sleep?” Armin grinned at Marie.

“I don’t remember when I had slept so well. Tell me what kind of coffee you drink here and whether you drink coffee first or make a shake or a smoothie. I know you don’t eat breakfast like I do.”

“Good question. Today I will introduce you to my routine. First, you make a shake, and then you jump into the pool. When we have finished in the pool, we come back and drink it.”

“And coffee?” Marie asked hopefully.

“We go to a café and have ‘kafenisanje’ there, haha.” Armin laughed easily.

Marie looked at him strangely. “What is that kafen ... kafenizeme?”

“We go to a café. We drink coffee and tend to talk with people for a long time. You will see. Now, let’s make a shake! Let it sit for a while we visit the pool.”

“Ok, wait while I put on my bathing suit.”

She soon returned dressed in an orange one-piece swimsuit. There were already several guests at the pool drinking coffee while the children were swimming. Armin jumped in while Marie entered the pool slowly.

After their refreshing swim, they returned to the house.

“Now you can dress as if you’re going to the grocery store in the morning, but we are going to a coffee shop,” Armin said, setting the agenda for the morning.

They got on the motorcycle and soon came to the café. As soon as they entered, she first wondered why Armin was greeting everyone, and then she realized that Armin knew everybody, which was even a stranger concept to her. When someone entered the café, they would greet Armin and her. Someone would nod their head, and some would come up to them and shake their hand.

“Well, you are very popular. Everyone seems to know you.”

“No, everyone knows everyone here.”

It was difficult for her to understand how people were interjecting into the conversations of other people--even those who were not sitting at the same table. Then she realized that, actually, everyone was talking to everyone. They drank two coffees, talked to people continuously, and also used their cell phones. Many guests read the newspaper, and some commented, after which a discussion would arise. Now Marie understood what was meant by “drinking coffee” here.

After the café, they went for a motorbike ride towards the interior of the island. They stopped several times for Marie to take pictures. They had lunch there and then returned to the apartment to prepare for a swim in the sea.

“Local people don’t go to the seaside before 4 or 5 in the afternoon when the sunrays don’t scorch your skin that much,” Armin explained.

They walked to the local beach and settled at the very end of the beach, where the beach was the narrowest. Between the sea and the café, there was space for exactly one row of towels.

They left their things under the towels and slowly entered the sea. Armin was holding her hand as they entered the water to make sure she didn’t stumble because the beach was a mixture of sand and small stones. The sea was warm, and Marie enjoyed swimming in the clear blue sea. When they left the water and dried off, they just climbed two meters higher and sat down in the café. Sipping a cocktail right by the sea was a new experience for Marie. Of course, Armin knew the people who worked in the café, as well as the owner.

Marie and Armin went for a swim in the sea and came back several times. Marie looked perfect in her yellow two-piece swimsuit.

In the evening, Armin borrowed Ivan’s car to take Marie off the island. They toured Rijeka and Opatija, including a walk and a romantic dinner. It was almost two hours after midnight when they returned to Krk and stopped in front of the disco. They decided to go in.

“Since I didn’t drink all evening because I was driving, now that we are here I can drink something too.”

“I have nothing against it.”

They stood by the bar drinking, and Marie immediately started to dance. Armin wasn’t exactly a great fan of dancing, but with a glass in his hand, he swayed gently to the rhythm. The disco became emptier and emptier. Marie took advantage of the empty dance floor and went dancing while Armin stayed at the bar. Marie captured the attention of all the guests. Many guys started approaching her. They would ask her something, but as soon as she answered, they would run away. Every so often she would come to Armin and let it be known to all who were interested that she was not alone.

They returned to the apartment quite drunk. After showering, they sat on the balcony for a while, each returning to their own room eventually. Before they opened their doors, respectively, they both stopped. They looked at each other and hugged. Armin felt that calming feeling again as soon as he smelled her and touched her skin. He struggled with his thoughts on whether to kiss her or not. He didn’t, though. They each went to their room.

In the morning, if you can say morning at 11 o’clock, the sound of the blender woke Armin up. He got up and saw Marie making a smoothie.

“Good morning. I see that you have mastered the schedule, haha,” Armin quipped.

Marie laughed, put the drink in the fridge, and headed for the pool. While they were in the water, she said, “You’re right, this morning swim really does relieve a hangover.”

Drinking their smoothies was followed by a trip to the café, and Armin told her his plan for the day.

“Given that we both need an adrenaline injection after yesterday, I made a plan for us that will certainly wake us up. Knowing that our body and mind occasionally need a shock to wake up the dormant cells, we will have an adventure today.”

“Um, I’m listening.”

“Now, after coffee, let’s go for a drive. I’ll show you some beaches, and then we’ll go on the zip line. We will cross from hill to hill on a steel cable, and then we will roll in the mud. In the evening, since it’s Saturday, our whole bunch of friends go to Biki’s place on the beach. Biki is our friend who has a so-called beach bar on a small beach. Since we don’t see him because he works all the time, every second Saturday the whole company goes to his place. There aren’t many guests in the evening, so the whole bar and the beach are just for us. Biki prepares a barbecue, and we have a lot of fun there.”

“Everything sounds great, but that zip line ... I looked it up on the internet before I arrived. It looks scary and dangerous.”

“It just looks dangerous, but it’s actually quite safe. There hasn’t ever been an accident. You’ll see, you’ll feel like a different person after that.”

“We can try, but I can’t promise anything.”

First, they visited the well-known beach in Stara Baška, and then he took her to the forest. They walked for quite a long time and then reached the top of the rock. At the foot of the rock, a small beach was nestled between the rocks. There were several people on the beach.

Marie was delighted with the scenery. “This is like a scene from the movies. How could we get down there?”

“Only with a boat, there is no access from the landside. Tomorrow I will borrow Ivan’s speedboat, and we could go there, but we’ll have to go early before anyone beats us to it. And of course, we’ll have to take drinks and food.”

“Oh, I can’t wait to see the beach up close.”

They got to the zip line, and Marie looked scared. And what a spectacle it was!

“Oh, I’m not sure...” Marie tried to backpedal.

One moment she wanted to, and the next she would change her mind. Marie was no scaredy-cat. She was an adventurer by nature, but this seemed a little too much, even for her. Armin used all his powers of persuasion and succeeded in the end. Marie finally made up her mind. Soon she was strapped in, and with a scream, she launched herself over the abyss. She had a camera on her helmet, so the moment was recorded forever. Armin followed her, so they saw each other again after a few minutes. When Armin got down and took off his safety gear, Marie immediately jumped into his arms. She was still in shock and was shaking all over, but she was very cheerful and happy.

After that, they drove to a famous beach where the shallow sea combined with the soil creates a “healing mud”. That the mud has healing properties was probably a marketing trick, but it definitely couldn’t hurt, and it was a lot of fun. Hundreds of people smeared themselves with mud and then lay like that in the sun until the mud turned into a crust. Then they went into the sea to clean themselves. The two of them did the same.

“This is interesting. Although it doesn’t smell very good, it draws out some impurities from the skin,” Marie commented.

“If anything, it’s fun. Now let’s go eat something light to save appetites for Biki’s grill, and after that, we won’t think of food for a very long time.”

All his friends gathered at the café earlier than usual, while it was still daylight, and then they piled into their cars and went to Biki’s. There were still a few people on the beach, but there was no one in the beach bar, which was a trailer and a covered area under which there were 2 tables. As soon as they approached, the smell of barbecue filled the air. Biki, a born entertainer and animator, did his best to create a good atmosphere.

Lots of drinks, actually quite a lot of brandy and wine, helped to relax everyone. Kebabs, steaks, sausages, and everything else that could be put on the grill was put on the table as soon as it was cooked. The guys took turns at the grill, and the music slowly forced everyone to get up and dance a little.

At one point, Nancy said that she was going to the toilet, which was about fifty meters behind the trailer. Marie stood up and said she was going too. On the way there, Marie said, “You know, I don’t feel like going to the toilet, but I wanted to talk to you.”

“I’m listening.” Nancy turned towards Marie.

Marie tried to clarify her role in Armin’s life. “You probably think that I have something going on with Armin, but we really are just friends. I know that you were once together, so ... I just wanted to tell you that if you still have feelings for him, I’m not an obstacle for you.”

“No, Armin and I are just friends. We broke up a long time ago because we decided that we didn’t fit well in a relationship. So I’m not an obstacle for you.” Nancy smiled.

“Haha ... What are you talking about? I’m 38 years old! Do you think I would be interested in a relationship with a guy of his age or vice versa?”

“Trust me, he wouldn’t protest, neither he nor any other guy.”

“Thank you, but no,” Marie insisted. “Okay, I just wanted to tell you because I wouldn’t want you to misunderstand something and think that I have any intentions of turning our friendship into a relationship. And I noticed how you looked at me so...”

“Oh no, oh. It’s not about that. Anyway, thank you, and you don’t have to worry. I have a boyfriend, and everything is fine.”

“Then we are good?”

“We are, of course. Except I don’t believe you’re just friends,” Nancy retorted.

They returned to the table and even sat down together. After a new round of food and drinks, Biki said, “And now ... what?”

He played the song “The Small Forest”, and everyone started dancing and singing “The Night Swimming.”

Of course, Marie didn’t know what that meant, and it was even less clear to her what Biki was doing when he wrote something on pieces of paper and then crumpled them up and put them in the glass. Nancy explained to Marie that there was going to be a night swim, which Marie accepted enthusiastically and said that she had never swam in the sea at night, but when she told her that night swim meant swimming without clothes, her smile suddenly disappeared.

The pieces of paper were pulled out one by one. When a piece of paper was drawn, the person, whose name was on it, had to take off their clothes and enter the sea. The first was Buco. He took off his shorts and ran screaming into the sea.