Outside the hotel, in an alcove just off the crowded sidewalk, Wulf tapped his phone screen to hang up. Beyond him, bundled-up tourists and Parisians strolled through the chilly night, chattering in so many languages that even he couldn’t follow any of them.
Dieter stood a few feet away, smoking.
Concerned, Wulf glanced over at him. Dieter had given up the habit a decade before, a few months before they had mustered out of the Swiss Guards together.
Dieter asked, “Problem at the office?”
“Handled,” Wulf said. “Jeffrey was your best hire. If they don’t keep him on, I’m hiring him for our staff.”
Dieter smirked. “I want to be there when you tell him who you are.” He sucked hard on the cigarette and held in the smoke.
Wulf switched to Alemannic so they could speak privately amidst the crowd. “Did this trip come at a bad time for you?”
“No. I’m fine.” Dieter sucked another deep drag off the cigarette.
“Everything all right at home?”
Dieter didn’t answer.
“Do you need to return?” Wulf asked him.
“No.” Dieter stubbed out the cigarette and threw it in a rubbish bin. “I’m not sure of the situation. If I’m wrong, I would prefer to keep it private. If I’m right, I would prefer to keep it very private.”
Wulf put his hand on Dieter’s shoulder, a quick squeeze of support, and dropped it. Dieter knew that Wulf would listen, should he need it. After that God-awful night in the Helvetian barracks, Dieter should know that Wulf could listen for hours, if needed.
“What are you doing in there?” Dieter gestured back to the restaurant where they had left Flicka and Rae.
Wulf shrugged. “Same as always. Trying to convince her.”
“You’re not doing a very good job. She’s always on the verge of tears.”
There might be confounding factors for that. “She’ll bolt if I’m more forward. I’m trying to show her my life, my real life. On the plane on the way home, I’ll lay it out for her. She isn’t safe there. We can protect her.”
“Ja. Girls love that romantic German logic. Make sure you start with that, Durchlaucht. Then try commanding her like His Royal Pain in the Ass. She’ll kiss your feet.”
Wulf raised one eyebrow. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather discuss something? Or take care of something at home?”
Dieter rubbed the side of his face. “Honestly, I’m fine.”