Strangers: A Novel(57)

She’s right about that, even if everything inside me balks at the prospect. She is Geiger’s assistant, so we often have to interact. Not to mention that …

I grudgingly nod and sit back down. “All right, as long as it’s about work. And while we’re on the subject of work, what do you know about this big new project?”

Nadine raises her eyebrows. “What big project?”

“Phoenix or something. Gabor says it’s a big deal. I’m about to drive to Munich to pick up the chief negotiators. Surely you know something about it?”

“No, no idea. I don’t know anything about a big new project. Phoenix, really?”

I study Nadine’s face and decide to believe her. This whole thing keeps getting more and more confusing. Part of Nadine’s job is to prepare contract negotiations and take care of everything that’s needed. From meeting room reservations to catering to hotel booking for potential business partners. If even she hasn’t been informed about the whole thing …

“That’s very strange,” I say, more to myself than anything.

Nadine shrugs. “It can’t be that important, otherwise I’d know about it.”

I see it differently. If a hundred units isn’t a large project, what is? But maybe it’s all still so vague that Gabor doesn’t want to go shouting from the rooftops about it? Is that why he left me out? That would make sense. And it’s reassuring to have finally found a plausible explanation. It was, however, stupid of me to mention it to Nadine.

“Well, it doesn’t matter anyway,” I say, trying to downplay the whole thing. To ensure she doesn’t probe into it anymore, I add, “In any case, I agree that we can maintain normal contact while we’re working. Outside of work, though…”

I leave the rest unsaid.

“All right … so I guess I’ll be going back now.” She still hesitates, as if she was waiting for something else I was going to say. I stare intently at the monitor. She finally turns away and leaves my office.

At five minutes to nine, I’m sitting in Gabor’s lobby, watching Frau Schultheiss sliding some papers from one side of her desk to the other. At nine o’clock on the dot, I’m summoned in to see Gabor.

He’s standing in front of the window, and turns to face me. Unlike last time, he’s not smiling; instead he seems stressed. I try to ignore the tugging sensation in my stomach.

“Good morning, Erik. Take a seat.” Gabor nods over to the seating area. I select the same place I had during our last meeting.

“I’ve arranged a car for you from a rental company. An E-Class Mercedes. These men aren’t going to sit in one of our tiny company cars. You can drive it until you find something to replace your Audi. Hand in the rental invoice and the gas receipts afterward, we’ll take care of all that.”

He sits down opposite to me and crosses his legs.

Gabor’s putting a luxury ride at my disposal until I have a car of my own again? And covering the gas as well? Is he feeling bad about something and trying to make up for it? Suddenly a thought pops into my mind, and I wonder why I’m only thinking of it now. “May I ask why you’re not sending your driver to Munich?”

Gabor looks at me blankly. “My driver? Hardly. I would have gone to pick them up myself if you, as a representative of the management, weren’t taking care it. Anything less would be an insult to these gentlemen.”

“Strange people,” I comment.

“Indeed. And that, as I already said, is why it’s extremely important for you to be at the train station on time. These people will take it to be a slight if you’re late by even a minute. You’ll need about an hour to get to Munich, and then another thirty minutes to the station at least. You’d best set off at half past ten so you have time to spare.”

Gabor gets up and starts pacing up and down the room. He seems very nervous, an indication of just how important this whole thing is for him.

“Frau Schultheiss will prepare the documents containing all the project info for you while you’re out. The negotiations will begin in earnest tomorrow before noon, so you have the rest of the day to read up on the project. The first meeting will be tomorrow after lunch.”

Gabor stops his pacing and sits back down behind his desk. “That should be it, I think.”

My cue to exit the stage.

At the door I turn around again to face him. “Thank you, Herr Gabor.”

“For what?”

“For making me part of the project team after all. I was getting worried.”

“Go already. I’m counting on you.”

“Should I get a cab to the rental company? And how will I recognize them?”

“Frau Balke will drive you. She’ll also give you a sign with the negotiators’ names and the information about the platform and their exact arrival time.”

Nadine, of all people. Figures, though. She handles work trips, travel expenses, and rental cars.

We don’t talk much on the way, and the few words we do exchange are strictly business. Thank goodness.

I get into the black limousine at half past ten.

Nadine has given me the sign with the names and a slip of paper with the arrival time and railway platform.

Eleven minutes past one, platform sixteen. I can hardly pronounce the two names on the letter-size sign, they sound Arabic—which explains a few things. After all, they are the kind of people who can put up the money for one hundred of our solar power units, when a single one alone costs several million. And it’s also no wonder Gabor doesn’t want to go around shouting about a big deal like that prematurely.