Sabina put her hand under the table and began stroking Karl Ernst’s leg, which caused him to automatically look at Elaine. Karl Ernst then slowly turned to look at Sabina, who then smiled and blew a kiss with her hand that was free. She then moved her hand further up his leg.
Somehow the beer, laughter, darkness, and show allowed Karl Ernst not to object. He slowly turned and returned to enjoying the show on the stage and under the table. Both shows – on the stage and under the table soon became more risqué.
The fourth act was “Big Bertha”, whose watermelon-sized breasts were unusual on a woman of such slender build and proportions. Between the gyrations on stage and the squeezing of Sabina’s hand, Krafft became aroused in a way he had never been in his life. He also was dying to use the toilet.
“Uh, please,” he asked Sabina, as if to finally acknowledge her, “where is the men’s room?”
Sabina took her hand off his genitals and stood up. “Come, I’ll show you.”
She grasped Krafft’s hand and pulled him up, then led him around the other crowded tables towards the back of the showroom. The lobby, as the rest of the club, was almost completely dark. A dim light was emitted from a room off the to the left in which Krafft noticed a man making love to the woman they had purchased the tickets from.
Krafft turned his head as they walked by the open door to get a better look. The woman’s white blouse was fully unbuttoned and she had no bra. The man has is back to Krafft, but the expression on the woman’s face was clearly seen. Her eyes were bulging as if in extreme pain, however the rest of her face radiated full pleasure. He wondered if Elaine had such an expression when they were making love.
As he tuned his head to face Sabrina, it suddenly dawned on him he had never seen the face of a woman he had ever made love to – his eyes were always shut. At this moment, and in this environment, his awareness of this fact had him feel shamefully inexperienced.
“Come on!” Sabina whispered loudly, “We’re almost there!”
“Yea, I’ll take a cigarette…”
The Colonel remained seated and held up the cigarette up in his hand. Payne walked forward four steps and took it; the Colonel raised the other hand with a lit lighter that Payne leaned into. After inhaling in a long, slow manner, Payne then turned and walked back to the window.
“Thank-you.”
“You are quite welcome, Captain.”
The cigarette melted all of Payne’s anger that had raged inside him since his capture. He was still upset, embarrassed, and burdened by being a prisoner-of-war. He felt by being a POW he had let his country, and his family, down. The introduction of nicotine into his body had him feel as if all of this was happening far away. After a few more puffs Payne began to be a little more relaxed and didn’t see Colonel Koch as a German soldier, or even as an enemy.
“Where did you learn English?”
“At school, in Lübek.”
“You speak very well, for just learning it in school.”
“We pride ourselves in our schools, Captain. Of course, we listened to the BBC as part of our learning… and I still do… occasionally.”
The BBC! One of the many things of home completely forgotten. What he would give to have a radio now. Just to hear the reassuring voice of a fellow Englishman.
“Do you think you could get me a radio?”
“I’m sorry, Captain, that would be against regulations.”
Payne took a long drag from his cigarette. “Yeah, regulations.”
“I will, however, see what I can do.” Koch said while looking at the door. “However, now, Captain, I believe we need to look into your predicament.”
Payne was not listening. His mind went into the memories of listening to the radio while looking out the window.
Koch pulled out a photo from his briefcase, and held it towards Payne.
“Captain, for me to help you, I need you to help me…”
Having one of his favorite liquors being delivered was a joy. Having one of his employees return looing more beautiful than he could ever imagine was even more so. Every sense told him this was Elka Meyer standing in front of him, however his eyes could still not believe it.
Edwin Kaufman moved to Hof – which lies where the German states of Bayern and Sachsen converged on the Czechoslovakian border – when he was 17. His German mother and Finnish engineer father were immediately popular, both socially and financially.
Gilda from the front desk stepped into the hallway breaking the electro-biological impulses that were developing from the strong attraction between Elka and Edwin.
“Elka?”
Elka turned around.
“Will you come to the phone room?”
Elka walked through the main desk area where it seemed almost the entire staff had collected and despite this number of employees, was oddly quiet. Earlier in the day it seemed every girl was smiling and overjoyed that Elka was going to show each of them every step she did in applying her make-up so her transformation could spread though the entire staff. Now there was only a look of gloom and fear in each of their eyes.
Elka walked into the phone room.
“Elka Meyer?
Elka turned to the operator’s desk and saw two dark figures standing just beyond where the door angled open.
“Yes?”
“Elka Julia Meyer, of Grundwaldstrasse Five?”
Elka knew enough about German culture that when your middle name was used to identify you officially – you were in trouble.
“Yes?”
“Gestapo. We have some questions for you.”
Good Germans even feared hearing these words. Also, this was the first time Elka was introduced to a man, or group of men, with their individual names being given. Elka began to feel faint.
“May I sit down?”
“Certainly, Frauline Meyer.”
The shorter of the two agents looked at Patricia standing in the doorway.
“You may go now, but stay in the hotel in case we need to call you again.”
“Jawohl.” None of the agent’s names were spoken – or offered up to this point – even though both men had already questioned Patricia for over 40 minutes.
“Frauline Meyer, whose telephone number is this?” The taller one held a paper in front of her eyes. On it was the number she had tried to dial for Bettina, plus all the different dates and times this number was attempted.
“This is the number to my cousin’s boyfriend… in Berlin.”
“Why did you want this number called?”
Elka thought she had already gave this information in her first answer.
“My cousin was here in the lodge one those days and wanted her boyfriend to know where she was…”
“Your cousin’s name?”
“Bettina Meyer.”
“Her boyfriend’s name?”
“Otto…”
“Otto what?”
“I don’t know.”
Both men looked at each other, which immediately made Elka feel they thought she was being dishonest.
“She never told me his last name…” Elka added.
Again both men looked at each other, but remained silent.
“Frauline Meyer.” The tall one spoke again, while holding up photograph of a pleasant-looking grandmother type. “Who is this woman?”