Chances

8.4 Mae West

Autumn 1996, Schnautz residence

After they finished their plates too, Herbert opened a bottle of wine. Mae liked it, and they had a few glasses while chatting.

"The food was really great! I'm impressed!", he told her.

"I'm glad you liked it!"

"Also Mariella seems to really like you!", he added, when Mae got up to clean the table.

"She's a cute girl!", she said.

"I'm relieved... She can be a bit complicated sometimes...", he went on.

It looked like he had been worried a little too. Mae didn't get why. Children usually loved her.

"I guess she'll do fine! It must have been hard to raise her alone all this years", Mae said when they sat down to another glass of wine.

"It wasn't easy sometimes. But I'm glad she's here!", he smiled.

Mae wondered what happened to Mariella's mother. She wanted to ask first, but thought it might be too intimate.

She chose to let Herbert decide when he wanted to tell her about her.

"Hmm, what about if I cook for you every weekend? It is nice to eat together!", she proposed instead.

"Really?", Herbert liked her idea. "That would be great!"

"But now we have the house for just us two. How about we get a bit... closer?", he suddenly said with a boldness which was unusual for him.

"Ohooo? Is that the wine talking from you?", Mae teased him.

But she was happy. He usually was very shy, so in her impatience she kept initating everything so far.

It was nice to see that he grew more comfortable around her.

Herbert smirked at her.