Andromeda, a novel by Joe Nobel, Part 40 -- escape, at the most unlikely of times

Andromeda

Have you decided what you want?” Odin, dressed as a waiter asked.

“Coffee,” Liudmila said weakly.

“Other than that?” He scribbled on his little waiter’s pad.

“You know what we want!” Anna said, slapping the table with her fist.

“Then do it,” he shrugged.

“We haven’t packed. We’re not ready,” Liudmila said.

“What’s to pack? That silly little book of magic?” Odin said as if he were advising a customer on an item on the menu.

“It’s caused us enough trouble,” Anna mumbled.

“Trouble?” Odin raised an eyebrow, then to Liudmila “You’re playing with fire with that thing. It’s a good thing you didn’t summon the god you had intended. He’s not as cheerful and as easy to please as I am.” He scribbled something on his waiter’s pad. “I put you down for four slices of cake with coffee.” Then he continued as if answering a question. “The bathroom is inside, down the hall, right next to the staff entrance. You know, staff entrance, as in: where the staff come and go unseen.” He pointed inside. They sat frozen in their chairs. “See your guard standing by the fountain?”

“No,” Anna said.

“Neither do I. He’s off flirting. I’ve enlisted the Goddess Freya. She came down from Asgard just for you. Even as we speak, she is amusing your guard. He’ll be mesmerized for hours by her charm.” He turned and left to give their order to the kitchen. “Don’t forget to leave a nice tip for your waiter before you go,” he said over his shoulder as he walked away from their table.

They sat there, staring at each other.

“So, it’s now or never.” Anna said.

They gave each other the slightest of nods.

“Like Odin said, the ladies room is by the staff entrance,” Anna continued. “We’ll each casually walk out to powder our noses. You first, Aida. Liudmila will follow in a couple of minutes. Then I’ll go two minutes after that. We’ll wait there for each other, then casually stroll out the back door and make our way to the American Embassy.”

Aida stood. She kicked her chair accidentally as she did. Then she bumped into the man sitting behind her.

“Walk, don’t run,” Anna said under her breath. “Remember, you’re just off to pee. Be natural.”

The wait was excruciating. Liudmila fidgeted, then pushed her chair back.

“Not yet. She’s only gone a few seconds,"

“But —”

“I’m CIA trained, remember,” she said. “It’s all coming back to me. Do it my way and I’ll get all of us out.”

“So, why didn’t you escape earlier if you had that CIA training?”

Anna didn’t have a good answer. “I didn’t want to,” she finally admitted.

After that, they sat in silence as the seconds ticked away. Two blond little boys looked on from the square. Simple clothing said they came from simple families. They knew they would never be able to step past the ropes dividing the outdoor seating from the rest of the plaza. Never to be able to sit down in a place as elegant as the Gerbeaud and sample its delicate confections. Anna tried to dismiss them from her mind: too much going on.

“Why don’t you go see if that silly girls need change for the washroom.” Anna said.

“Yes, I will do just that,” Liudmila said. Her voice choked. She managed to smile. She stood and walked into the restaurant.

Odin came out with their coffee and cakes just as Liudmila walked by.

“There, I believe I’ve gotten it right,” he said placing the food at each setting. “I hope you won’t be offended if I ask you to pay now.”

“Not at all, sir,” Anna answered blankly.

“Four coffees, four cakes, that will be one hundred Forints, please.”

Anna fished around in her purse. That was exactly how much she had. Odin rubbed the coins between his fingers. Then he tossed the money to the staring boys. They stooped and picked up the change like pigeons after crumbs. After watching the boys, Anna turned back to Odin. He had disappeared.

Anna stood. She turned and casually walked through the ornate doorway. The confection counter stood ahead of her with rows upon rows of delicate pastries decorated with colorful marzipan, glaze, or swirls of creamed frosting. Grand mirrors covered the wall behind the counter. Vaulted ceilings arched up, painted dark brown with baroque leaves of gold. This would be the last time she'd see this place. All-in-all, it wasn’t a bad place to spend her few hours of freedom. She turned to the right and walked down three marble steps to the dining area. A quick turn right to the ladies' room, and she disappeared from sight.

... to be continued ...

---

Look for more Erotica, Science Fiction, and Fantasy at @joe.nobel
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