Konrad and Alexandra (PDF) - Rolf Gross

of, the political situation would ease up. Now they are looking for a culprit." Konrad made a gloomy face.Katharina smiled radiantly. "May I divert you from your worries? I had come to ask your help and company."He nodded and they finished their torte and got up. She put her arm into his and her solid, warm closeness restored hisbalance."Where are you taking me?""Oh," she smiled enigmatically, "I want you to be my husband for a couple of hours. Or , if you prefer, my rich gentlemanfriend."He frowned. "It depends on what services you expect from me!""I urgently need some new clothes and your advice. I always have to choose and pay those things myself and havenobody who admires what I buy. Besides it will give me the opportunity—and the excuse—to flirt shamelessly with you,and all you have to do is play the jaded gentleman and pay afterwards!"He disengaged his arm from hers and laughed briefly. "But you know that I never have any money in my pocket.""Oh, well," she said coquettishly, "I will pay you for this nicety," and slipped a hundred mark note into his pocket.He pulled the bill out again and looked at it. "This is a nice, crisp bank note for my dubious services." He stuck the noteback into his pocket. Shaking his head he said. " You will rob me of my last self-esteem, but I like the idea! Where to doyou want to be taken?"She put her arm back under his and steered him to a small boutique around the corner. "I need a new dress. So nowdon’t embarrass me."Konrad put on a jaded air. "The lady needs some new clothes, would you show us some of your dresses, maybesomething lose and airy for a warm summer day."Katharina played the coy mistress.The sales lady assessed them discreetly and sized up Katharina. While she disappeared in the back of the store, Konradseated himself in a comfortable easy chair and crossed his legs. "Shape up, you know I don’t like demure women," hegrowled at her below his breath. "Besides I am richer than that lady thinks. Shh, here she comes, don’t let her know."The sales lady held up a two-part dress with a white, ample blouse and a long, gray, flowing skirt. "Maybe you want to trythis ensemble, so we can get an idea of what it should be that you like."Katharina vanished with the dress into a dressing room in back of the store. Konrad knew that this was not the dress forher."Do you also carry some nice, wide-brimmed fedoras to complement the dress?" He thought of the fun Alexandra and hehad had in Berlin selecting a hat for her. The lady brought a collection of three grandes chapeaux , feathers and all.Katharina returned dancing and shimmying through the store. This outfit was not what she needed, not even when headded the most fashionable of the hats. The dress was elegant enough, but one that every woman wore these days.Konrad, without blinking an eye, asked the lady, "Don’t you have something more colorful, more daring, maybe with ashorter skirt?"Well, of course, she had that too. "Maybe your wife would like one of the ethnic outfits that are so á la mode these days."How easy it was to make her his wife!The saleslady laid out an entire Hungarian "peasant" outfit, a colorful embroidered blouse, skirt, and red leather boots."This dress will instantly transform your wife.""Well," guffawed Konrad, "it certainly will make you into an entirely new woman. Go try it on, Katharina, and don’t forgetto kick your legs when you come back."When she reappeared she had let her long, blond hair down and produced an imitation Csardas for him. The skirt barelycovered her pretty knees.Then Katharina made the mistake to say: "I really like this, Konrad!"Which was supposed to mean that she too began to enjoy this fashion show, but the saleslady immediately seized uponthe opportunity and declared, "Madame, this ensemble truly brings out the best in you, it has been specially made for usin Budapest, first quality!"Which was a lie, Konrad decided. "Totally unexpected possibilities in your personality are surfacing, Katharina. Youshould wear such a combination for the next Fasching—but forgive me, I cannot see myself going with you to a receptionat the Dahls’ like that."Konrad got up. "I am afraid, I cannot describe what I am looking for. May I have a look myself?" Without waiting forpermission he walked into the racks followed by the anxious saleslady. He started to part the blouses looking for a loose,colorfully printed silk blouse. The skirt would find itself."Sir," the sales lady said alarmed by his invasion of her domain, "these are the wrong sizes, you have to look here."After pulling out half a dozen blouses in various colors he found the blouse sans pareille, an outrageous silk print of largered, yellow, and orange swirls on a dark, wine-red ground with a deep décolleté. Triumphantly he held the blouse up toKatharina."That is it, if it fits you.""Sir, I have to congratulate you on your excellent taste," stammered the sales lady disbelieving, "this is a collector’s item,84