War Girls Box Set

Chapter 9

The two women walked to the town center where their favorite nightspot was located. They stepped into Bar Boca, a lively place frequented by Norwegians and Germans with a great atmosphere, jazz music and dancing. People bent on having a good time despite the war going on outside littered the dimly lit bar.

“This place is packed,” Lotte said, struggling to wade through the crowded space. She peered at the patrons, who all had one thing in common: they were intent on unwinding and forgetting everything about the war and the hardships it had brought to the city of Stavanger. Drinks had already numbed the pain and painted wry smiles on the lips of those who wanted to hide their wretchedness.

“The more the merrier,” Gerlinde replied happily, never one to be daunted by a room full of attentive men. “Let’s see if we can find someone to buy us a drink.”

Plenty of German soldiers milled about and Gerlinde seemed to know most of them, acknowledging their wolf whistles and greetings with a shake of her head or a smile, depending on who was the offender.

The two friends threaded their way across the tiny dance floor, where couples were swaying to the rhythm of the lively music. While Gerlinde enjoyed the nearness of gyrating bodies packed so closely together, Lotte fought against a mild form of claustrophobia. She’d learned to dislike masses of people since that fateful day when she was shoved onto a cattle wagon with dozens of other women.

Finally, they arrived at a table occupied by officers from their garrison. But even before Gerlinde could bat her eyelashes at one of them to make him buy their drinks, both of the women were whisked off to dance.

It was all in good fun and Lotte was glad to be invited out of the fog of her dilemma. The young man, Albert, was making a play for her and it was hard not to notice. He was handsome and charming, and Lotte wouldn’t have minded his advances if it weren’t for Johann. She’d promised him faithfulness when he’d kissed her goodbye in Warsaw six long months ago.

She hadn’t seen Johann since, and the last letter she received from him had arrived three months ago. It had been heavily blacked out by the censors and what remained were vague scribbled words that said nothing of his real situation.

Our new cook is much better than the last one. The Ivan is close, but we are confident we’ll win. Don’t worry about me.

Our new cook is much better than the last one. The Ivan is close, but we are confident we’ll win. Don’t worry about me.I love you.

I love you.Always,

Always,Johann

JohannShortly after she received the Feldpost letter, news broke that Warsaw had fallen. She had no idea whether he’d been ordered out before, had died in action defending the city or… had been captured by the Ivan.

Feldpost She cast the worry aside and remembered the good times with him. The way he made her laugh… A smile curled her lips. Johann was the last person she should have fallen for. But love didn’t ask for convenience or logic, and when Cupid’s arrow hit, there was no holding back. She only hoped he’d survive this awful war and would return to her side as soon as it ended. If not, she’d wait. Until the end of the world, if she must.

“You have such a dreamy look on your face. Am I lucky enough to be the reason?” Albert asked, pressing her closer against his chest.

The blood drained from her face and for a moment the guilt swallowed her up. She hadn’t done anything, hadn’t meant to… and yet, here she was, encouraging this young man.

Casting her eyes downward, she shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. I was thinking of my boyfriend.”

“Oh.” Albert’s jaw fell and he released his grip, holding her with several inches between their bodies. As soon as the song ended, he dropped her hand as if she were a slimy fish and fled from the dance floor.

Lotte glanced around and found Gerlinde sitting at the table with a couple of Germans in officer’s uniforms. She passed by the bar and ordered a beer, afraid that something stronger might dampen her senses, and then steered through the crowd to join her friend.

“Alex, where’s your suitor?” Gerlinde asked.

“Disappeared as soon as I told him about my sweetheart,” Lotte snapped and to her delight she saw the corners of the mouths of some would-be admirers around the table drop. Since she had no patience to fight off unwanted advances she clarified, “Leutnant Johann Hauser is currently in Poland, fighting for the Reich.”

Gerlinde shot her a dark stare, followed by a honeyed smile. “Please sit, we were just chatting about the music.” Officially jazz music was considered Negermusik belonging to an inferior race and therefore prohibited. But here, far away from the Führer’s reach, even the younger officers indulged in listening to it, if not with permission of the garrison leaders, then at least with their tacit indifference.

NegermusikLotte did as she was asked and sipped on her beer, letting herself relax from the anxiety engulfing her. As time passed, alcohol loosened the tongues of the men at her table and they spoke more frankly than they would otherwise in the garrison.

“The war will soon be over,” a dark-haired Leutnant with a Kaiser-Wilhelm- mustache said.

Lotte’s spirits soared at hearing this. Usually nobody dared to openly speak such defeatist words for fear of being court martialled. But if this officer openly admitted to it, maybe the war would be over by the time the Gestapo connected the dots and arrested her… It was a tiny straw to hang onto, but it was better than nothing.

“None of this defeatist talk! Germany is invincible!” A zealous Nazi banged his fist on the table. “The war will be over when the Führer says so, and not one day before. Then, we will rule the world and renew it as a better place for the master race.”

The mixed group at the table quieted down, until someone changed the topic.

“One of the kitchen aides was arrested today,” a young blond man with bright blue eyes remarked casually. “It seems she worked for the Norwegian resistance.”

A stunned Lotte turned to stone, barely able to breathe. The fear resting within her woke up with a start and went on a rampage inside her.

“Some people never learn,” the Nazi retorted, laughing. “We have disbanded more resistance rings than we care to count. This one won’t be the exception. Once our Gestapo friends get her to talk, the rest will be scattering like rats leaving a sinking ship, scrambling to stay alive. An example will be made of this foolish creature.”

“She hasn’t confessed anything of value so far,” the Leutnant said.

“That’s because she’s been interrogated by amateurs. Just wait and see what the Gestapo will find out,” the Nazi laughed. “She will soon be singing at the top of her lungs, eager to rat out her comrades in order to save her worthless skin.”

Again, the icy grip of unabated terror whooshed the air out of Lotte’s lungs and she struggled to remain calm. The moment Lina talked, Lotte’s own life was worth less than a Pfennig. Bolting from the bar seemed the sensible thing to do, or better yet, desert and go underground. She had to make a move before it was too late for her to escape. But how?

Pfennig“You look pale, Alex,” Gerlinde said with concern. “Are you alright?”

“Stuffy in here,” Lotte replied, hoping to control her panic and not pass out. “All the cigarette smoke. I feel kind of light-headed... need some fresh air.”

“Let’s go outside for a while,” Gerlinde suggested as Lotte got up to leave.

“You stay here, Gerlinde. I’ll be fine once I’m outside. Don’t ruin your evening for me. Have a nice time and tell me all about it when you get home.”

“No, please stay,” her friend insisted. “Let’s get some fresh air and something to eat. You’ll feel better then.”

“Really, I must go.”

“You can’t go home; the evening’s still young.”

“No, you certainly can’t go home yet, lovely lady,” a handsome lad in civilian clothes with the slightest Norwegian accent blocked her way. “Not when we haven’t even met.”

Before she could protest, he guided her swiftly toward the dance floor.