Truth be told, Susanne did want to hear it. Had Miriam been about to mention a boy’s or a girl’s name? What do you care? Even if she kissed all of the people in that movie theater, it wouldn’t be any of your business. She kept her gaze on the karahi paneer on her plate. “Uh, that’s okay.”

For a minute or two, they ate in silence, which was only interrupted by Gino’s snoring from his spot next to the couch.

“So did your parents catch you?” Susanne asked after a while.

“Oh yeah. They were waiting in my room when I snuck back in. And boy, were they mad. I was grounded for three months.” With an almost inaudible mumble, Anja added, “That kiss was so not worth it.”

They talked about wine, movies, and Miriam’s childhood while they finished their dinner. Soon every last bite of food, except for a couple of onion pakoras, was gone.

Susanne stood, stacked the empty plates, and carried them the two steps to the kitchen, where she looked around for the dishwasher. “Where do I…?”

“I don’t have a dishwasher,” Anja said. “Just put them in the sink. I’ll do them later.”

Wow. No dishwasher. Susanne couldn’t imagine it. But even though the apartment felt almost too small for three people and a dog, she had to admit that she’d had an unexpectedly nice evening in this cozy, little space. “All right, ladies. I’ll leave you to your Netflix, then.”

“You’re welcome to stay,” Miriam said. “You could even help us decide between Lost Girl, The 100, and Orange Is the New Black.”

Until now, Susanne had thought of Anja as pretty old-fashioned, but she wholeheartedly approved of her taste in TV shows. All the choices sounded great, but she didn’t even want to imagine where the three of them would sit to watch Netflix…all cuddled together on the sofa bed?

Definitely not an option. “No, thanks. I think I should go. Looks like it has stopped raining for the moment, so this is my chance to get home. It was nice meeting you.” She nodded at Miriam from several steps away, keeping the table between them so she wouldn’t invite a hug.

Anja walked her to the door.

“Thanks again for dinner,” Susanne said. “That was really good. I had no idea there was such a great Indian restaurant in Freiburg.”

“There are a lot of great things in Freiburg if you give it a chance,” Anja said softly.

Susanne stiffened. “It’s not that I don’t like the city. It’s just… I’m here to work, not to enjoy a vacation.”

Anja gave a short nod. “I understand.”

Did she really? But there was no point in asking. “Enjoy Netflix. See you on Monday.”