The Uncanny Encounter

"Ludwig, I think the date didn't go well."

Ludwig tilted his head. "Really? I heard that it went good."

Mary was now confused as well. "My boy Wilson called me to pick him up and he was in complete silence. I just assumed something went wrong."

"My dear Sophia told me that he fell for her, so maybe he was just lost in thought. You know kids these days, thinking too much when they should be doing things."

"Ha ha." Mary leaned on Ludwig. "You are absolutely right. Do you have time to do some things for me?" Mary asked with a seductive look, biting her finger.

"When, now?"

"Wilson is always in his room. We will be quiet."

"Well, ja, sure, why not."

After this short visit to Mary, Ludwig returned home and went to take a shower. He then went down the stairs into the cake shop that was part of the house. He went into the kitchen, put on the apron, and started the long work shift ahead of him.

Sophia was out with her friend Sabina. They were in the coffee shop where they were both regulars. The interior was really warm and smooth, the vibes were on point, they thought. The monkey decorations and statues were a little bit weird, but you have to have something idiotic in a café for some reason.

"He was so bad, Sabina. He is worse than Max and Leon. He was lost." Sophia was talking loud without fear of being rude to other customers, even though the tables were close.

"I hear you, Soph. You know, me and my boyfriend Swen, things are going weird. He is talking about moving to France to explore. Also, the girl he is cheating on me with now is not very hot."

"We don't have luck with men, ja? Das is clear, at least."

"Yeah, you are right. Maybe you could flirt with your colleagues, two dudes that are dumb, and set us up for some quick snack with them." Sabina said with a devilish smile on her face.

Sophia was biting the straw and thinking about which two dudes could possibly interest Sabina.

Sabina twirled her long blonde hair strand and waited a little bit, then started. "You know, the ones in the support roles, one super old and the other super young."

"Ewwww, gross. What will we do with them?"

"Well, I am fine with the older dude. I know you hate him. I could let him hope just a little bit and then break his old little heart."

"You are gross, Sabina. Besides, I am not sure he even has a heart. He is ridiculous. So I would be stuck with the younger one? The quiet one, the one that is into anime and weird stuff?"

Sabina leaned in.

"I don't know about this, Sabina. I want to do something for revenge on my father, but I don't think this is a good idea."

"Listen, Soph, you will not know unless you try."

Sophia nodded in agreement and unsureness.

"Sure, I can set us up probably if they get the clues, but they are pretty uninterested, I think."

Next day, same coffee shop, same vibes, same people.

"Hey, girl, how is my favorite German sheep?"

"Hallo, Sabina. Can you please stop calling me sheep?"

"Aaa, das ist unmöglich! Did I say that right?"

"Sure." Sophie said, annoyed and disappointed. Then she called the waiter and ordered two cocktails.

Sabina also sat down. "I didn't choose a cocktail yet," she said to the waiter.

The waiter almost turned around, but then he stayed. "But your friend here ordered two cocktails?" The waiter said with his eyebrows higher than a hipster in the spring.

Sabina exhaled. "Yes, but those are both for her. Are you new around here? Give me two Sex on the Beach cocktails as well."

"Sure, madam." The waiter nodded, did a spin move, and then went to the bar with his eyebrows still raised high as the sun at noon.

"Sooo?" Sabina started.

"So what?"

"You know, how it went with the two colleagues from work. I arranged the old dude for you."

"Yes, BINGO!"

"But the young guy is in a serious relationship." Sophie said, and then an awkward silence for a second filled the space until the waiter put the cocktails on the table.

Sabina stuck her lips out. "So what? Did you tell him, like, only a drink, a snack? What, he will not die if he just goes for a quick drink."

"Stop it, Sabina. He was not interested at all." Sophia said and was looking down at the drink, like she would find some answer there.

"But, but you are so pretty. What does he think? Is he stupid? He really missed an opportunity right there."

"He knows, Sabina, he knows. Just leave it. He knows I am hot, he knows that I am good, but he just said he is not interested and never will be. He was also so so sure about it. He is one of the lame ones. Just leave him be.

"Okay, Soph. Are you good? You are sad that you don't have a toy now?"

"A toy? Don't make me look like some kind of villain puppet master."

"But you are German, Soph."

"So what does that... ah, nevermind, just forget it. Did you watch the new series?"

Sabina was not happy with that topic. She took a big sip and immediately asked, "Did you hear that my ex's girlfriend did plastic surgery? She is trying to look bigger like me, that stupid sheep."

"Really? I've seen her images. She looks natural and big since before."

"No, no, that is Photoshop for sure."

"Wow, she fooled me."

"Yes, she did."

Sophia was staring at her drink for the next few minutes without really listening to Sabina, who was gossiping about her ex, who knows what. She was disappointed that her young colleague at work was actually interested in going on a date even though he was in a serious, long-time relationship. She told him that only her friend was interested, and sadly in their older colleague, the gentleman Mark.

Sophia felt happy as she was. Looking at Sabina, she was wondering why she would even need a man in her life, why she even needed to take revenge on her father. He tried to do a good thing in his stupid way.

In the not-so-big room, Wilson was playing video games. He was sad that he didn't have friends to play with. He was making efforts to find new friends with the same hobbies or anything, but with not much success. It is hard to find friends when you get older, he thought. Maybe I could go to a café alone, and then maybe if I go enough times, I strike up a friendship with someone there. I know, I will go to this really popular one with the monkey decorations. I gave the manager those monkey decorations. I thought they were really cool. Even if there is no space in the café, I am sure the manager could just fit me in somewhere.

Wilson arrived and parked his BMW in front of the café. At the front door, he noticed a familiar face. His mind started racing. He felt his heart in his chest starting to beat again.

He got out of the car at a fast pace, almost strangling himself with the seatbelt in the rush.

"Hi," he said, almost out of breath.

"Oh, hi."

"Didn't expect to run into you here."

Before Sophia could say another word, Sabina interrupted. "Oh, hi there, nice to meet you." Sabina then put her hand forward towards Wilson's lips in a ridiculous fashion as a sign for Wilson to kiss the back of her palm.

Wilson just ignored this. "Would you go in for a drink with me?"

Sabina said, "Yes, sure," with an over-the-top flirty look on her face and with a voice like some character from Barbie world.

"Sorry, I didn't mean you. You are not interesting. Please stop." Wilson said and then locked eyes with Sophia.

Sophia had that "who cares" look on her face and said, "Ja, sure, why not."

Sabina faked a smile wider than her hips and said, "Okay, darlings, I am going to leave you to it." Then she slid something into Wilson's hand and left.

Wilson opened the door for Sophia. Sophia was four cocktails deep now and very surprised she agreed to go back in.

Wilson spotted an empty table with more than 10 cocktail glasses and thought that was where they could sit. He pulled the chair out for Sophia, and she was adjusting her long red hair so that it dropped across her face in an attempt to hide herself from the waiter.

The waiter arrived and looked at Sophia. "Two more cocktails, madam?"