Franzi rummaged through the cabinets, probably in search of something she could feed the cat.

“And if this is how you listen to the person you share living space with, it’s no wonder you don’t have a girlfriend…or a boyfriend either. I told you not to let him in or to feed him.”

Muesli circled them both, purring and meowing.

“Come on, Susi. Give him some tuna or something.”

Susanne shook her head. “You know I’m not staying. It would be mean to lead her on.”

Franzi leaned against the counter and studied her. “Her? Muesli is a male, isn’t he?”

Oh shit. Had she really said that? “Him. It would be mean to lead him on.”

A grin curled Franzi’s lips. “Why do I get the feeling it’s not the cat that’s on your mind?”

“Because you have an overactive imagination.” Susanne threw up her hands. “Fine. Give him the tuna. I need a shower.” She fled to the bathroom before her sister could start another discussion about Anja.

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

“What do you think?” Anja peered across her kitchen table at Susanne. The article about gift ideas for stationery addicts was the tenth blog post Anja had written, but she still held her breath while she waited for Susanne’s judgment.

Or maybe it was the way Susanne looked that made her breathless.

Since it was Saturday, they had met at Anja’s apartment to prepare more blog posts for the website launch. Susanne had traded her power suit for faded jeans that clung to her in all the right places and a sweater with its sleeves pushed up, revealing her toned forearms. Her hair tumbled loosely onto her shoulders.

Susanne held up one finger in a give-me-a-minute gesture while her eyes flicked left and right over the laptop screen. A wrinkle of concentration formed between her brows. Finally, she looked up, and the wrinkle smoothed out when she smiled. “It’s great.”

“Really?” Anja couldn’t help beaming. Susanne’s praise warmed her more than the mug of hot chocolate she had made for them.

“Really,” Susanne said with a decisive nod. “It almost makes me want to buy a fountain pen.”

“Ooh. That’s high praise coming from a pen-clueless, digital-only snob like you.”

“I’m not pen-clueless. I’ll have you know that I can now tell a Lamy 600 from a Pelikan 2000.”

A giggle rose up in Anja’s chest. “It’s Lamy 2000 and Pelikan M600.”

“I knew that. I just wanted to make you laugh.”

Anja studied her. Had she really done it on purpose, just to hear her laugh?

Susanne tapped the edge of the laptop screen as if to direct Anja’s attention back to the blog post. “So I would keep the second half exactly as it is. But maybe you could revise the beginning a little.”