Lisa & Rokko - Missed Chances (english version)

Chapter 9

When Lisa woke up and turned over, she found herself staring directly at her still-husband's face.
"Ah, David... what... what are you doing here?" she stammered, sliding back a little in shock. Now would be the perfect time to wake up from this nightmare, she thought.

"I've missed you. You just disappeared." He held out a huge bouquet of flowers. "Here, I even brought you something," he added when she didn't respond.
Fortunately, she didn't need to answer, because shortly afterward her mother entered the room as well, trying to lure David out.
I've already set the breakfast table. Come downstairs, so Lisa can get dressed."

Get dressed? She could just as easily have had breakfast in her pajamas. No need to dress up just because David was here. After all, they had lived together for a long time, he was used to that. But it seemed to work. He let Helga lead him out of the room.
What was even going on? Her parents were back? David was here? How did he know she was back in Göberitz?
Had David come for the Kerima anniversary celebration, and had she brought him here? No, she couldn't have been that drunk, especially after everything that had happened between them! Or... maybe she had?

Lisa reached for her glasses. Once she put them on, she glanced at the date on her clock radio. It felt as if she had slept for days and missed so much. The date was correct, though. Only now did she notice that she wasn't wearing pajamas and had apparently slept in her underwear. Judging by her throbbing headache, she must have been too tired to change.

While Lisa fixed herself up, David was taken aside by Bernd downstairs. After ringing earlier, he had rushed straight up to Lisa's room, and only now did he have the chance to speak with his father-in-law.
"Tell me, boy, what's going on here? You were supposed to stop by while we're on vacation. Why did you take so long?"
Bernd whispered to his son-in-law, casting a glance toward the kitchen to make sure Helga was still busy preparing the coffee and hadn't overheard the conversation.
"I wanted to, of course, but something very important came up. Besides, it's less conspicuous this way than if I'd been waiting right outside your door before you left," David explained, apologizing for his delay.
"What are you two being so secretive about?" Helga asked, throwing them a suspicious look.
"Nothing, sweetheart, nothing."

Because Lisa took so long, the three of them started breakfast without her. When she finally hurried down the stairs, she went straight out the front door without even glancing at her family. As the door clicked shut, Bernd and David looked at each other in confusion.
"What's going on here today?"

------

"Ah, my favorite customer," Jürgen grinned at his best friend as she entered his kiosk a little later, shaking her head as she approached the counter.
"I just can't believe it."

"That I haven't won an award for Best Kiosk Psychologist yet? Yeah, I find that unbelievable too."
"Jürgen, you won't believe who was standing in my room this morning when I woke up."
Lisa started telling him everything that had happened that morning.
Meanwhile, Yvonne arrived.

"So, how was it?"
"What?" Lisa asked.
"With Rokko?"
Lisa looked at her, puzzled. "Why Rokko? I'm telling you about my strange encounter with David."
"Well, that must have been really weird, considering you went home with Rokko yesterday. You were pretty tipsy already. That's why Max and I actually wanted to take you with us. I went to the bathroom briefly before we left, but after that, you were nowhere to be found. When I asked someone about you, they said you had left Kerima with Rokko."
Lisa processed this, confused. ''The last thing I remember is dancing. I don't understand why I blacked out. I only had one glass of champagne with Hugo, and a second one I didn't even finish."
"And at least three dozen of the chocolates," Yvonne added.
When Lisa stared at her in confusion, Yvonne chuckled. "You do realize there's a ton of alcohol in those, right? Those were liquor-filled chocolates."
"Lisa, then it's no wonder at all. Half a glass of champagne alone is enough for you to do the craziest things. You know you can't handle it," Jürgen pointed out.

She didn't need the reminder. It had been far too embarrassing when she couldn't remember anything at the Kerima Christmas party and thought she had spent the night with David. Thinking about her roleplay with him the next day made her blush with embarrassment. Not to mention the incident at the pre-wedding party. If David hadn't gotten her so drunk, she certainly wouldn't have kissed him. That had clearly contributed to her confusion and the rushed decision the next day.

----

On the way to Kerima, Lisa thought again about Yvonne's words. She must have been mistaken. After seeing how Rokko had reacted since his return, she couldn't imagine having left the company with him. And why was David here? Had Yvonne mixed up Rokko and David?
Nonsense, she shook her head. Yeah, as if anyone could genuinely mix them up.

She decided to ask Rokko about it despite his distance, hoping he could fill in her memory gaps. But when she passed his office, it was empty. When there was still no sign of him by midday, she went to Max.
Hesitantly, Lisa opened the door to his office and stepped inside. Max, bent over some documents, looked up and gave her a friendly, slightly concerned look.
"Lisa, everything okay? What can I do for you?"
"Max, I need to speak with Rokko. Do you know where he is?" she asked, trying to hide her uncertainty behind a calm tone. But his raised eyebrows indicated that her request seemed unusual to him.
"Mr. Kowalski has called in sick for the entire week," he explained, pausing for a moment as if trying to read more from her reaction.
"Oh... okay, then I guess it'll have to wait," Lisa murmured, leaving his office dejectedly.