The fair's organizers expected the exhibitors in another hype setting in Berlin as the day before. The bar was a hangout for artists of all genres.
Monday watched her phone as Kenneth asked, but nothing came. She went to the bar with the others. It was clear the organizers just wished for the exhibitors to have fun at the location. The hybrid bar-slash-nightclub slash-art gallery wasn't adapted for extended discussions. With neon lights and loud music, all one could do was dance. Mondays' group was about to order when she received a message:
Ditch the bar and join me outside.
The straightforward message rang like an order. Monday tamed her reaction by finding the man's excuses. Perhaps he only had a few seconds to write while an interlocutor took a sip of their beer.
The techno music banged hard. Monday leaned over to whisper, "Ben, I've got to go."
He nodded to acknowledge the statement, "alright, see you tomorrow."
"Dagmar," Monday waved.
"Tchüss," the author replied. Monday didn't give them more information about her relationship with Kenneth, and they didn't push to find out.
Monday left to join Kenneth, who waited outside.
"What took you so long?" The man asked when he saw her arrive.
"I had to say goodbye. Where are your people?" Monday said, realizing there was no Meredith in Kenneths' perimeter.
"They're busy," replied Kenneth.
Inside, Meredith waited beside the man's bathroom. Rob had told her Kenneth was there. It was child's play to escape her. All one had to do was say, "look, there's Kenneth," and the woman ran, barking and wagging her tail as if she played fetch. Rob had to admit the woman hit the summit of ridicule.
It wasn't even funny for Rob, who knew how sincere Meredith's feelings were. Again, Kenneth was not at fault. The man never had a word above the other with her. Neither did Kenneth accord Meredith any privileges that would give way to a misinterpretation of his feelings. He was professional, and the woman let fantasies carry her logic away as she traveled with the man during business trips.
"Where's Meredith?" Garfield asked when Rob joined his table.
"Somewhere playing the fool. Listen, Garth, here's a piece of advice. Don't ever fall for someone you work with, especially when this someone is chasing after a waterfall."
Garfield pondered a second and replied, "I'd say, stand at the bottom and catch the person before they splatter."
Rob grinned, trapped the intern's head under his armpit, and rubbed a knuckle on his head, "you're not that dumb, Garth. We might just keep you."
Rob wondered if he could prevent Meredith from committing the irreparable before it was too late.
During that time, Monday and Kenneth took a taxi to her hotel. The woman checked out, and they went to his hotel. Kenneths' room was definitely better than hers with its balcony and living room space.
"Are you hungry? Is there anything you need?" Kenneth asked.
"I'm hungry, but what I'd really appreciate taking a warm shower."
"No, Monday, please don't tell me they didn't have hot water there."
"It was lukewarm, basically cold for me."
"Go ahead. I'll order something to eat."
Kenneth looked in the woman's luggage direction. Everything seemed surreal; their one-nightstand made babies, more nights with alternative scenarios. He, who hated sharing his bed, volunteered to have Monday with him.
Kenneth was losing his emotional rationality, and he didn't dislike the feeling. It swept over him like a heatwave, and his heart thumped not with euphoria but curiosity. The man wasn't an adventurer. He liked to know where he was going. He usually knew how or when a relationship would end. Meticulous, Kenneth had strict criteria, hair, nails, toes, manners; the man examined everything. If he was to waste his time, he preferred to be with a woman who appealed to him at least.
Yet, with Monday, Kenneth was a little lax, and not knowing why he was this way drove him crazy.
What did Monday have more than the other women?
The man didn't think once. Perhaps it was what she lacked that attracted him. She was spontaneous and simple. There seemed to be no artifice to her, and yes, Kenneth liked that.
Monday headed to the shower. The scorching hot water had the woman under a fog of steam in an instant. She was so happy to feel the heat of the cascade of water on her body that Monday moaned with delight.
"Monday, are you okay in there?"
"It just feels soSo good."
The man gulped; her voice was something else. Like aging wine, it just kept getting better.
Monday came out ten minutes later in one of the hotel robes. She wore a reverse headscarf with a top knot that gave her eyes an almond shape. Her complexion looked fair and fresh from the shower.
"How do you feel?"
"Better," Monday said, beaming.
"Here, have a seat, eat what you want," Kenneth said. He pulled out the chair for her.
You have to take care of those who make you happy.
Kenneth attempted to apply his teachings.
Monday sat down; the man didn't order fancy but convenient Greek salad, a flammkuchen.
"Start without me. I'll be under the shower."
Monday nodded, and Kenneth left the room. She was eating when she heard Kenneths' phone ring. He had left it on the table. The persistent ringing aroused the woman's curiosity. Monday leaned forward to look and sneered at the caller's name: Meredith Evans. She doubted the man knew twenty-six of them. The phone stopped and started ringing again.
What did the woman want?
Kenneth came out towel drying his hair, "Is everything okay?"
"Yes, your PA seems excited, though," Monday said and pointed her fork at his phone.
Kenneth didn't even gesture to pick the device up. Instead, he came to stand behind her. He posed his hands on Mondays' shoulders. The woman looked up, and Kenneth planted a kiss on her forehead. His time was precious, and he wished to spend it exclusively on Monday.
He went to sit across from her, "wow, what a tiresome day."
"I can imagine you didn't stop once."
"I'm rinsed," Kenneth suddenly sat up, "how's the food?"
He'll have to share his time and energy.
Dagmar's words rang like an alarm. Kenneth had spent the whole day on the go, conference after conference. Monday didn't wish to be a burden. The man needed a calm and appeasing evening.
"Good."
Kenneth began to eat. The meal continued in silence, not because they had nothing to say but because the lack of noise, including their speech, relaxed them. Once they finished and room service cleared the food, they sat to digest before investing the bed where they faced each other. Monday caressed his hairline while memorizing his facial traits. It was odd how the more she saw the man, the more attractive she found him. The red hair and freckles weren't so bad.
"Thank you for coming here and for being at my conference."
The woman frowned; he had already thanked her during the day, yet Kenneth repeated it.
"You don't need to thank me. You're the one providing this luscious space. As for the conference, Ben insisted that I go with him."
The woman had no clue of the impact her presence at his talk had on Kenneth. He knew Monday didn't care about his speech. Thus she came for him, the person, and it felt good.
"I'm going back to New York after this and," Kenneth paused, "I won't be able to travel back to Europe before a month, maybe two."
"Ohㅡ."
A short silence filled the room.
Kenneth picked up, "perhaps you couldㅡ."