And Your Girl Can Sing

Chapter 24: A New Proposition, Brought To You By Sir McCharmly Himself

A cricket chirped in the distance in my mind. I was bored and decided to bite the bait. "Paul, what are you doing here anyways?"

"To see you, of course."

"That's a lie. Isn't it against the brotherly code or whatever to flirt with your mate's ex-bird?"

Paul looked visibly affronted. "I'm not flirting! I'm just having a bit of fun, you know."

"Yeah. Well if I were John I wouldn't really want this anyways."

"Seem to are an awful lot for him, since you dumped him, anyways." Paul mimicked me and I felt my cheeks redden. "I broke up with him because it wasn't a healthy relationship."

"How do you know what's healthy and what's not, Cora?" Paul asked me. "Is it because he kept trying to get you into bed?"

"Do all four of you know about my sex life?" I groaned. Paul put the mug down and crossed his legs. "Well, me and George. And John. Excepting Pete and Stu. So, technically you're incorrect—"

"Shut up—"

"Hey," Paul said. "Can I ask you? Do you really think that it's normal in a relationship in today's day and not shag your bird?"

"Hello," I said back. "I am from the future, you know."

"Oh, how could I forget."

"I mean..." I tried for an answer. "Think about this. Postwar era, you know. Women get to work. Life is fantastic that way. In other words, a huge burst of freedom that wasn't there before. Which is great and all, but the huge burst makes it easy for a lot of things to happen suddenly, like the sudden freedom in relationships. Especially here in Hamburg and in Liverpool, I guess, where you're by the water and sailors are bringing in all sorts of ideas. So your mindset is now I can do whatever I want! And you're like why not go all the way, because obviously everyone else is doing it and it feels great, right?"

"Yeah," Paul said slowly, digesting my words. "I can see what you mean." During my explanation I had crossed the room to sit opposite to him.

"Well, I suppose fifty years from then that influx of freedom isn't so prominent in the fact that I am capable of making my decisions without being so influenced by society."

"Clever bird," Paul said. "Go against society. Well," he drained the coffee. "I'm just here for the fun, ye know."

"Don't tell me you have a bloody bucket list or something you brought down to Hamburg," I rolled my eyes.

"Wouldn't you like to know." And then, "Have you told John any of this? Any of this reasoning why you wouldn't want to shag him?"

"Please stop saying it like that," I groaned. "I..." I searched for an answer. "I s'pose not. We've been fighting a lot in the days leading up to the breakup."

"Don't you think it would have made more sense to tell him anything?"

"Look, Paul a lot was happening then... but I guess so."

"All right, I just wanted to make sure—"

"Cora! What on earth are you doing?" Mila snapped, coming out from the kitchen. "Don't—oh, hello sir. Can she get you anything else?'

Paul, seeing that I was about to get in trouble, decided to make a hasty exit. He put on his coat and took something out of the pocket and gave it to me. "This is for you. From Koschmider. Think it through, won't you?"

***

After Paul left, the cafe got irritatingly more crowded. As I served drinks and pastries, the note seemed to burn a hole in my pocket. I itched to take it out but I didn't want to irritate Mila further than was necessary.