Girl in the Blue Coat(19)

He waves me into a small, bachelor’s apartment. A sofa and a couple of chairs are clustered on one side of the room, opposite a kitchenette with mismatched cups drying on the countertop. There are only two other people in the room: a boy with full lips and heavy-lidded eyes, and another boy, handsome with wavy hair, who looks like the American film star William Holden. Both of them drink tea, or tea substitute, out of chipped cups.

“The famous supper club,” I say. “And I was concerned I wouldn’t be able to find you in the crowd.”

Ollie is not amused. He holds out both hands for my coat, hanging it on the prong of a swaying coatrack. I don’t know why I’m being tart. He’s doing me a favor. I’m nervous, I think. If he were a new contact I had to impress, I’d be able to wear a better mask, but I can’t un-remind myself of the fact that this is Ollie, who I’ve known for years. “Judith isn’t here,” I notice out loud. “She’s coming, isn’t she?”

“She’s coming.” He has tired eyes, up-all-night-studying eyes. “But you can’t accost her right when she gets through the door. Sit through the regular meeting first. She wasn’t excited about talking with you. The least you can do is show a little restraint and prove you aren’t a complete lunatic.”

“Half a lunatic?”

“Do you promise?”

“I promise,” I say.

“I went out on a limb for you and I don’t want you to embarrass me.”

“Ollie, are you going to introduce me to the other people in the room, or should I sit mutely in the corner and try to refrain from breathing?”

He grimaces, then relents, turning toward the other two boys.

“And Ollie?” I say.

“Yes?”

“Thank you. For inviting me.”

Ollie nods an acknowledgment before leading me the rest of the way to the coffee table. “This is Leo.” He gestures to the one with the full lips first. “He lives here—we’re in his apartment.” Now he turns to the one who looks like William Holden. “And this is Willem, my roommate.” One name I won’t forget, at least. Willem is the Dutch version of William, just like his American movie star doppelg?nger.

Leo drops his cup into the saucer with a clatter, wiping his hand on his pants and banging against the coffee table as he moves to greet me. Willem smoothly kisses both of my cheeks and offers me his place on the sofa, moving to a less comfortable-looking chair. He has a friendly, open face. I bet everyone who meets him thinks they must have met him before.

“You were Bas’s girlfriend, right?” he asks, once I’ve settled in and smoothed my dress over my knees. “I only met him once, but he made me laugh. Ollie says he made everyone laugh.”

“He did make everyone laugh.” Usually I’d be put off by a friend of Ollie’s presuming to know anything about Bas, but Willem’s face is too earnest not to like. “My mother used to say he could charm the hands off a clock.”

“I’m glad to meet you. We’re just expecting two more. Tea?”

I shake my head, declining. “This club is smaller than I thought it would be. Cozy.”

“There are more of us. We try to meet in smaller groups instead of having everyone at once,” Willem explains. “If there’s a raid, we don’t want them to have a way of catching us all. The only time we’ve all ever been in a room together was for our friend Piet’s wedding. Otherwise, it’s small groups. Smaller is better for the work that we do.”

“Work?”

“We do lots of things,” Leo interjects, opening the jar of pickles I set down and fishing one out. “Right now, what we’re trying to figure out—”

“Let’s wait.” Ollie cuts him off from across the room, still posted by the window on the door. “Until Judith and Sanne arrive.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t bring something more to eat,” I tell Willem and Leo. “I came straight from work.”

Leo snorts, spearing another pickle. “You don’t see any of us carrying cakes, do you?”

“So are the others bringing the food? Or do you take turns, or…”

A thin dribble of vinegar trickles down Leo’s chin; he catches it before it hits the table. “What, now?”

“The food. Does one person host, and bring everything, or do you take turns?” His stare is blank. He has no idea what I’m talking about. I whip my head over to Ollie by the door. His shoulders are hunched up around his ears so his strawberry hair disappears into his collar, and the infinitesimal tilt of his head tells me he’s been listening to everything we’ve said. Leo is still waiting for me to explain my question.

“I’m sorry,” I say stiffly. “I got confused. Would you excuse me? I forgot to ask Ollie something.”

He doesn’t turn to face me, even though he’d have to be deaf not to hear me stomp up behind him. When I’m standing so close our sleeves are touching, I whisper quietly enough that Willem and Leo won’t overhear.

“Ollie. Where did you bring me?”

“What do you mean?” He raises his eyebrows.

“You know what I mean. What kind of meeting is this? Judith’s not even coming, is she?” My heart has started to thud. “Who are you really watching for?”