As she led her through the hall and into the dining room, she tried to see her temporary home through Anja’s eyes. She hadn’t hung any pictures or added other little touches that would have made the place feel more homey. The only piece of furniture she had bought since moving in had been a couch so Franzi would have a place to sleep. The dining room, however, was still as bare as ever, and the kitchen hadn’t gotten much use either.

Compared to Anja’s small but cozy home, her apartment was seriously depressing.

“Um, I didn’t see the point of buying a lot of furniture since I…” Her voice echoed through the nearly empty dining room, making her return to Berlin sound like something threatening instead of something to look forward to. She forced herself to say it anyway. “Since I’m not staying much longer.”

Anja said nothing. She followed Susanne into the living room, which thankfully looked a little homier. Since there were only three pieces of furniture—the recliner, the coffee table, and the couch—it wasn’t as if Anja needed long to take it all in, but to Susanne the seconds seemed to tick by slowly.

She shoved her hands into the pockets of her slacks and watched while awaiting Anja’s final judgment.

“Is that why we always meet in the café or go to my apartment when we work on promotional stuff?” Anja asked. “Because you don’t have much furniture?”

Susanne nodded, even though deep down, she knew it wasn’t the only reason. Inviting Anja into her apartment felt like giving her even more insight into her life and personality, adding one more layer of intimacy, and that was probably not a good idea.

Yeah? So then why bring her here now? They could have gone to a café in the city center and passed the time until the streetcars were running again.

Anja bent over the coffee table and studied the framed photo that Franzi had brought as a housewarming gift. “Oh my God, that’s so cute! Is that you and your sister?”

Susanne groaned. This was exactly why she had never let colleagues visit her apartment. But then again, Anja was more than just someone she worked with, wasn’t she? “Yes. Please ignore the hair.”

“What happened? Don’t tell me you cut each other’s hair!”