The tension in the air was palpable as curious onlookers flocked to the store while Natasha and Marion settled at the outdoor table that Christiane was seated at.
“What’s going on?” asked Christiane.
Natasha and Marion did their best to appear clueless.
“Did something happen at the store you were just at?” Christiane asked, bewildered.
“I don’t know,” offered Natasha. “Everything was fine when we were there. We just stepped out the door when we heard some shouts.”
Christiane’s bewilderment only grew as the trio observed a police car pull up in front of the store.
“Seems like the store was about to be robbed as soon as we stepped out, huh, Marion? If that’s the case, we got out of there just in time.”
Marion glanced at Natasha with a mixture of concern and warning on her face. If Christiane caught on, she didn’t show it.
“I’m just glad you two are okay,” said Christiane.
“Me too,” said Marion, not wanting to seem too quiet.
They ate their lunch in silence, with Marion not having much of an appetite while Natasha ate almost like she hadn’t eaten in days. It was evident by the tone of people’s voices and their gestures that some people were talking about what happened in the store. However, none of them spoke English or German, so the trio couldn’t understand what was being said.
Marion was anxious to get Natasha alone so that she could discuss what had happened. She needed to assess just how at risk of trouble she may be from Natasha. Marion wasn’t sure who she was angrier with at the moment. The woman who accosted her, or Natasha for filming the damn thing. She felt horrible all around. She had actually taken a life, self-defense or not, unintentional or not, and that was something she had to live with for the rest of her own life. She was scared, she was angry, and she wished to hell she’d never agreed to go on this trip.
Feeling like she may be sick, Marion excused herself to go to the ladies’ room.
A few minutes later, Natasha entered the otherwise empty restroom.
“We need to talk,” Marion told her firmly.
“Yes, we do,” Natasha said with a smile, as if they were old friends meaning to catch up on what had been going on in their lives.
“What the fuck do you want from me, Natasha? Money? Sex?”
Natasha giggled from inside the booth she had gone into as if they were sharing a private joke. “Neither. I’ll message you.”
“You’ll message me? What are you, crazy?! You don’t do anything that can leave a digital trace.”
“Relax, no one will know what we’re talking about but us.”
“I don’t understand why you can’t just name what you want right now, right here.”
“I need time to process what happened and think.”
“Think about what? What it’s going to take for you not to ruin our lives?”
“I doubt our lives will be ruined,” Natasha said frankly.
“And why is that?”
“Because I don’t intend to ask for anything you can’t give me.”
“Natasha, what the hell do you mean by that? Just spell it out for me already!”
“Could you stand on your head all day?”
“No, of course not. Why would you ask me that?”
“To make a point. I wouldn’t ask you to stand on your head all day because I know you couldn’t do it.”
Much to Natasha’s relief, someone entered the restroom before Marion could argue further.
ns216.73.216.158da2
and then Add to home screen.