Natasha and Marion fell into a new routine of sorts. Marion worked remotely on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Natasha did her best to stay out of Marion’s way, especially when she had company, which was a few times a week, mostly on weekends. Even though she could likely return to Christiane, she would rather not. There was something exciting about being with Marion, but it also confused her. Why bother to take her in if she knew that she, too, had damning information on her?
Natasha was preparing their dinner of salmon, sweet potatoes, and asparagus when Marion informed her that next week, they would be driving through the Brenner Pass, through Austria, and then to Vipiteno, Italy, for two nights and three days. It was approximately 150 miles away by car, whatever that amounted to in kilometers. The journey typically took around three hours, and they would be leaving on Monday morning. In just five days, Natasha would be able to add two more countries to her list of travels. Maybe crime really did pay, even though she missed her husband terribly.
She looked forward to the road trip because she spent so much time being bored and lonely. There was only so much cleaning and cooking she could do, and there was only so much she could do sitting at her laptop. She made a point of going out for walks regularly, but no one seemed interested in talking to her, even though she knew there were plenty of English speakers in Germany.
When the going got rough, she reminded herself that it would only be for a year, and when she returned to the States, she and her husband would have plenty of money to live comfortably for the rest of their lives, and they would have new identities.
Finally, the morning came when Marion knocked on her door to get up and get ready to hit the road.
Marion pushed the door open and said, “I’ve got coffee going. Make us some toast and scrambled eggs while I’m in the shower.”
Having showered last night, Natasha brushed her teeth in the bathroom she used and got dressed. Then, she prepared their breakfast as she sipped from the steaming hot mug of coffee left for her on the kitchen counter.
By 9:00, they were out the door, suitcases in tow.
The beginning of the journey was a bit awkward for Natasha because the silence in the car was uncomfortable. She had to remind herself that just because they were going on a road trip together didn’t mean they were good buddies. They were two women who were basically blackmailing each other.
Eventually, Natasha dared to say, “So, can we at least pretend to be friends or something while we’re on this journey together?”
At first, Natasha didn’t think Marion was going to answer. She couldn’t read the expression in her eyes with her sunglasses on, but eventually, her lips slowly cracked into a faint smile.
“Let’s just not overdo it,” Marion said.
“OK,” Natasha agreed, even though she wasn’t exactly sure what that meant. What would be overdoing it?
Natasha sat back in her seat and enjoyed the scenery around her. Much of the rural farmland was very beautiful to look at, some of which had vast green areas, while others had colorful tulips and other flowers.
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and then Add to home screen.