Forbidden Urge

What You Wish for...

Philipp couldn't catch up with Arnold for two weeks, and that almost drove him crazy. Normally they talked once a week, to organise when to meet, and normally they couldn't even meet more than once a month, but Philipp was going berserk hoping and praying that Ana indeed had thought about organising that dinner with their daughter, and that they would all three find time to gather some time soon. He needed to see that blonde again. At least to see that she is not as pretty as she had seemed that first night, and that it was only some wrong first impression he had formed due to the suddenness of the moment and a few glasses of wine. He needed to calm down. His thoughts were drifting towards her too often and at most inopportune moments - during trainings.

His boys noticed something was odd because he'd suddenly shout without a reason, or he'd tell them to do what they had already done. They invited him out, he accepted, but they didn't draw much from him. He was as hard-shelled as always.

And then it finally came - Arnold's call, exactly thirteen days from when they last had met:

"Hey, what do you think about a dinner on Thursday, since you boys are playing on Saturday?"

"Sounds great," Philipp was glad his friend couldn't see the relief and joy on his face. "Do you want to go somewhere or..." he asked carefully, trying to get the information who would attend the gathering.

"No, at our place again. Next time we can go somewhere else."

Damn it. He didn't want to risk asking if Heidi would be there. He dreaded to think what would come as an answer if Arnold even suspected his interest in his daughter. No, no, no. You'll have to pray, he told himself. "Alright. I'll come as soon as we finish the training."

The week was busy, thus Thursday came fast. Philipp was as excited as a child before going to an amusement park. He had brought a different suit to the training grounds, to change and look his best when he appeared that evening in the Bauers' house. While he was fixing the collar of his light blue shirt, Luka Zimmermann, one of his best players (and definitely most childish ones, together with Gerard Lange, with whom he was inseparable) jumped in:

"Coach, I only wanted to confirm something about the action... Oo-la-la! You're going for a date! We should've known!" he burst into laughter.

Philipp went white. He didn't think he looked like a guy excited for going out with a girl, like some kid. "Zimmermann, watch your mouth!"

"Come on, Coach, it's nothing bad if you're going to have some fun."

"I am not going to have that kind of fun. I'm having a dinner with friends." He didn't know why he was justifying himself to Luka, of all guys.

"Alright, let it be your way. I'll ask you tomorrow then," and he left giggling. Next day, Philipp knew, Luka and Gerard would be giving him those deciphering looks sniggering like idiots and trying to get him to speak. He won't tell them a word about Heidi, he decided.

On the way to the Bauers' house, he stopped by the florist's to buy some flowers for Heidi. He felt he must not miss out on that gentlemanly gesture. After all, he was probably about to officially and properly meet Heidi now, talk to her a bit longer. He couldn't just show up without anything. When he was almost in front of the house, he realised he'd look like an idiot and definitely disclose himself with one bouquet only, since he had never ever brought flowers for Ana, so he went back and got another one. All the way to their house he prayed to all the forces that the blonde was at home and without any plans for that evening. Who goes out on a weekday anyway? Well, people do, Philipp you moron. And you do, too, sometimes, so shut up and hope.

"Oh, these are so lovely! Thank you very much, Philipp!" Ana beamed. "You guessed well," she looked at the second bouquet he was holding. "Heidi is having dinner with us tonight."