Ludmilla and María José observed the hardworking cleaning women from the upstairs bedroom of the elderly German lady.
“Why are they doing this?” the pastry chef asked in confusion.
“Because you overreacted,” Ludmilla replied indifferently.
“Wouldn’t you have worried about your dog if you were in my place?”
Instead of answering, Ludmilla stared mockingly at her friend.
“Right,” María José waved a hand dismissively. “You would never have a pet. There’s no room in your heart even for people, let alone for creatures that are useless for cleaning or cooking.”
“Good thing it was pure love and kindness that made you say that,” Ludmilla smirked.
“Am I right in guessing that they’re glued to the window, watching us?” Dajana whispered.
“Of course!”
The two women chuckled discreetly, lowering their heads. From time to time, Viktoria glanced cautiously toward the observation post.
“If the diligent hands are finished, I’d love to offer them a few tasty bites,” Günter announced from the terrace.
“Oh, thank you, no need to bother,” Dajana smiled. “I’ve already lured Viktoria over with some cake and frothy coffee.”
The man gave his wife a questioning look.
“Really, my love?”
Viktoria hadn’t forgotten what she had promised. However, she couldn’t suppress her curiosity. She absolutely had to take a look around the Slovak family’s house and find out why they had come to the island and what their plans were.
“I’ll just pop over for half an hour, darling,” she winked subtly at Günter. “I’ll be home soon—you know, I still have a lot to do.”
The man barely hid his disappointment. With a resigned wave of his hand, he turned and walked back to his own side.
“Is it okay?” Dajana asked worriedly.
“Oh, come on,” Viktoria laughed weakly. “It’s just that I promised him I’d help clean the fish.”
“I’ll come too!” the Slovak woman said enthusiastically. “We’ll finish faster if there are three of us.”
“We’d just be in the way, trust me. I know my husband. First, he insists we do it together, then he grumbles that I’m in his way, and anyway—nobody can clean fish the way he does.”
“It’s like you’re talking about Adrian!”
The two women looked at each other and shared a knowing and meaningful smile.
“Tell me, why this island?” Viktoria asked as they lounged on the upstairs terrace of the Slovak family’s house.
“For the good weather,” Dajana replied indifferently.
She adjusted the backrest of her deck chair to sit up straight. She didn’t want to spill hot coffee on herself. Shaking the canister, she first sprayed a thick layer of whipped cream into her guest’s cup. She arranged the store-bought macarons by color on the plate, scattering dried fruit in the center.
“What a treat!”
It had been a long time since Viktoria had enjoyed a proper girls’ get-together. Her old friends lived far away, and she hadn’t met anyone here with whom she could form a meaningful friendship. Occasionally, she and her colleagues grabbed a bite at the oceanfront, but sooner or later, the conversation always turned to teaching.
“So,” she persisted, determined to get the truth out of Dajana, “there really wasn’t any other reason you wanted to move here?”
“Believe me, no,” Dajana sighed. “For me, as an accountant”—she blushed as she said it—“it doesn’t really matter where we live, as long as it’s not home. I can’t work in my field here until I speak the language fluently and learn the local regulations. And I assume I’d have to redo my schooling here as well.”
“Wow! You’re an accountant?”
“Yes, I thought you knew. I didn’t get my degree in cleaning,” she laughed, a little forced.
“Isn’t it tough doing physical work now?”
“Not at all,” she answered quickly. “In fact, I don’t mind not having to take responsibility for anyone. The pressure was too much on me. I was already planning to step back. And besides”—she fully embraced the little lie—“I have to learn the language, and it’s hard on my own. But this way, since I’m working, I’m forced to do it.”
Viktoria didn’t need to know that Dajana was actually working for Slovak entrepreneurs.