Committed

Part 2

"Hey, Anni."

Anni squinted through the sunlight that was filtering in the window as she headed to the coffeepot. Apparently Nele has forgotten the rule not to speak to her before her coffee.

"Hey."

"Is Jasmin up?"

"Do you see her?"

Anni could feel Nele studying her as she grabbed a cup from the cabinet. She was beginning to feel annoyed at the scrutiny, hoping that Nele wasn't imagining what she had caught a glimpse of last night.

"Are you okay?"

She scowled at Nele. Why the hell wouldn't she be okay? All she needed was a damned cup of coffee. "Mmmhmm."

"Are you sure?"

"Nele, please. Whatever you think is wrong, just tell me. Don't play twenty of the same question with me before I've had my caffeine."

"Kurt showed up yesterday," Nele said carefully, as though waiting for Anni to blow up or fall apart.

Anni sighed. "Yeah. I know."

"What does Jasmin think?"

"Man, Nele! I can't talk about this before coffee! I don't want to talk about it at all."

"Talk about what?" Jasmin's sleepy voice penetrated the tension filled air in the room.

"Nothing," Anni muttered, finally taking a sip of her much needed coffee.

"Kurt," Nele answered, receiving a glare from Anni.

"Oh. There's nothing to talk about," Jasmin shrugged. "Morning, baby." She kissed Anni sweetly on the lips before going for a mug of her own.

"Morning. Sleep well?"

"Mmm, like a rock." She sent Anni a saucy wink.

Both of them knew Nele was watching them with barely contained questions, but they refused to acknowledge her. Anni just wanted to forget Kurt even existed. Jasmin didn't want Anni to feel uncomfortable, so she stayed quiet. There was nothing to say anyway. Kurt was a part of her past. Anni is her present. And, hopefully, her future.

"You guys are seriously just going to ignore the fact that Jasmin's ex-husband is in town?!"

"Nele!" Jasmin delivered Nele an angry stare.

"What?"

"I already said there's nothing to talk about. Kurt showed up at Vereinsheim, spouted nonsense, then Anni and I left. That's it." Jasmin brushed her hands together as though she were dusting them off. "Done."

"So you're not going back to him?"

The sip of coffee that Anni just took instantly came back up as she began to choke. Jasmin was instantly at her side, gently tapping her back.

"Okay?"

"Yeah. Just went down the wrong pipe." Anni tried to hide her embarrassment - and fear - behind her flippant remark, but Jasmin didn't buy it.

"Nele, why would you ask me that," she asked angrily. "I'm with Anni. Of course I'm not going back to Kurt."

"Sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. It's not like you've been a lesbian for long, I just thought . . . "

"Maybe you should stop thinking, Nele," Anni retorted. "How do you think it makes me feel when you are basically asking Jasmin if she's just going to toss me to the side to go back to her ex?"

Jasmin's eyebrow rose as she gave Anni a look. Anni tsked, waving away Jasmin's questioning look with impatience. Yes, she had the same thoughts, but that's not what they're discussing here.