Lisa & Rokko - Missed Chances (english version)

Chapter 8

Great. The trip to the tiki bar had done the exact opposite of distracting her. Instead, it had only given her more things to brood over. If only she had stayed strong, resisted the temptation, and kept working where no one could disturb her. She had taken the next S-Bahn back to Göberitz, and when she finally reached her room, she sat down on her windowsill as usual and took the wedding invitation in her hand to look at it. After what had happened recently, she'd brought the card home again so no one else would get their hands on it.
It was one of the few things she still had from her time with Rokko. Apart from that, there was mostly the weight of the damage she had done and the regret of having married the wrong man. Slowly, she began to realize that Jürgen had been right. Yes, Rokko had come back after her call, but not because of her. She had to learn that the hard way in the past few weeks so she would finally understand. There was no hope for a second chance between her and Rokko, and even reconciliation seemed unlikely. While she was still torturing herself over him and the woman from the bar, she had no idea that Rokko had only walked his acquaintance from the bar to the S-Bahn. They had said goodbye politely, the woman hugging him tightly before slipping him a note with her phone number and giving him a kiss on the corner of his mouth. But he had never called her.

The next morning, Lisa, who had slept far too little because of all her brooding, hurried to Kerima. To her dismay, she realized she had forgotten that today was the company's anniversary celebration Great. As if things weren't bad enough already.
Throughout the day, she comforted herself with the thought of leaving early, sneaking out, and avoiding the party altogether. But she hadn't counted on Yvonne, who accompanied Max to the event. After yesterday's fiasco, Yvonne seemed to have made it her mission to cheer Lisa up and hardly left her side. Whenever Lisa so much as glanced toward the elevator, or even thought about slipping away, Yvonne would shoot her a warning look and pull her back.
At least from her spot next to the catering table, Lisa had a good view of Rokko, who was clinking glasses with Max.At least they have decent chocolate here, she thought, taking another praline. But when Hugo suddenly appeared in front of her with a glass of champagne, she couldn't refuse, even though she hadn't planned on drinking. Hugo's exuberant smile was contagious, she hadn't seen that look on him in ages.
"To us and Kerima's grand visions!" Hugo exclaimed, raising his glass to her. Lisa took a hesitant sip while Hugo enthusiastically talked about new ideas. It didn't take long before Yvonne came back, grabbed her hand, and dragged her to the dance floor. Despite her original plan, Lisa found herself swept up in the mood of the celebration.

As the party reached its peak and everyone danced with abandon, Lisa felt the tension of the day slowly melt away. The champagne helped too, and she let herself have another glass, this time in the company of Kim, who surprisingly smiled at her warmly. From there, the rest of the evening blurred into a whirlwind of music, conversations, and fleeting impressions that came together in her memory like a hazy picture.

--------

Rokko blinked sleepily, taking a moment to orient himself. His head throbbed faintly, and he noticed something heavy resting on him. He opened his eyes, expecting to find himself back in his own apartment, but instead he was surrounded by kitschy decorations, stuffed animals, and brightly colored bedding. This was definitely not his place. When he looked down, he realized what the weight on his chest was.Lisa. Her face was nestled against his shoulder, and his arm was wrapped around her. They were apparently squeezed into her old bed, which was far too small for both of them. When he tried to move away carefully, she pulled him even closer.
Was he dreaming? Or was this some kind of parallel universe where Lisa had never left him, and they were living happily ever after? The latter was quickly ruled out when Lisa suddenly murmured, "David."
"Of course," he muttered to himself. So that left only two options: harsh reality or a nightmare. Neither of which explained how he had ended up here.

Lisa's dream

I'm running with Rokko through a wide meadow, feeling the grass beneath me, and we both fall to the ground laughing. I close my eyes, savoring the moment—but suddenly, the familiar chirping of birds disappears, replaced by the menacing rumble of thunder. The sun, which just moments ago had been warm on my skin, blinding me with its light, is gone. Instead, a dark shadow looms over me.
"I think we should go," I say, turning my head toward Rokko. But when I open my eyes to look at him, it's not Rokko lying beside me. "David," I whisper, startled. He props his head on his elbow, his eyes fixed on me, and for a moment I don't know what to think.
"I think so too," he says.
"Where's Rokko?" I ask suspiciously.
"I told him we were back together. He looked pretty crushed and took off," he grins.
Before I can grasp what's happening, we're suddenly on David's sailboat, caught in a massive storm. The boat is tossing violently, about to break apart under the pounding waves.

Rokko stared for a moment at the spot where Lisa lay. A sudden thought shot through him. He felt the blanket against his skin and wondered in alarm: Am I naked? A quick check brought some relief—he was still wearing his boxers. And Lisa lay beside him in her underwear. Still, the situation was beyond absurd. His mind raced. How on earth had he ended up here?
His gaze lingered on her as one clear thought pierced the fog of alcohol:
"Stay here," she had said when he was about to leave.

And he must have been so drunk that he had actually lain down beside her and fallen asleep.

He was frozen in shock until a loud bang sounded from downstairs, followed by a disapproving "Bernd!" He recognized the voice of his almost-mother-in-law, followed by a sheepish "Sorry, sweetheart" from his almost-father-in-law. Lisa stirred, apparently woken by the noise too, and seemed just as confused. Clearly, she thought she was dreaming, because she mumbled something incoherent, turned to the side, and went right back to sleep.
He took the opportunity to carefully pull his arm out from under her and get up. His pants were on the floor next to the bed. He grabbed them, pulled them on, and buttoned them up quickly as his eyes darted around for the rest of his clothes. The door was only a few steps away. He had to get out of here fast.
"This is insane," he thought, scooping up his shirt from a chair and slipping it over his head. As he adjusted the collar and rolled up the sleeves, he rushed to the door, pulled it shut behind him, and hurried down the stairs, almost crashing into Bernd at the bottom.
Bernd just stared, mouth open, as Rokko darted past him.
"What...?" began Lisa's mother, but Rokko was already out the door.
"That was Mr. Kowalski, wasn't it?" was all the stunned Helga managed to say.
"What's that Polish boxer doing here?" Bernd asked in disbelief.
Rokko's tie wasn't properly knotted, and his shirt was crooked, but he knew he didn't have a second to lose. As he ran toward the S-Bahn station, he was so focused on escaping this ridiculous situation that he didn't even notice the taxi driving past him and stopping right in front of the Plenskes' house.