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Florian, called Flo
Tom, Flo's arch enemy
Max, trainer of Flo and Tom
Gaby, Flo's best friend
Christian, friend of Gaby
Martin, friend of Tom
Henk, roommate in Max's shared apartment
Laura, an acquaintance of Flo, Gaby and Christian
 

Prolog
Dear Tom,
Does everything end as it began?
Although... - why were we never able to clarify how we met? Our first memories only go back to the time when we definitely didn't get along—well, hated each other, that's probably more accurate. But there was a time before that, a time when we knew each other but didn't pay attention to each other, completely subconsciously.
But then the time came when we really got on each other's nerves. So much so that Max got pretty angry with us...

1.
blackmail
Flo still had the words clearly in her head: "I don't care how you treat each other outside; on the field, you have to be a team. Either you pull together or you're out." That was almost exactly four weeks ago. Now they were both sitting in the coach's office again.
The coach, known to everyone as Max, was a bit younger than both of them. All three worked here at the university, albeit in completely different departments. They met at training, occasionally on campus, or at the occasional party.
"Is it possible that my sermon four weeks ago didn't have any effect? I even have the impression that things have gotten worse." Flo noticed how annoyed Max was. "Where does your hostility come from? I just don't understand it." Max took a moment to breathe. "For whatever reason, I'm giving you another chance. You can take it or not, it doesn't really matter to me. If you don't take it, then you're both no longer on the team."
Tom was about to say something, but Max was quicker: "From now on, you'll go jogging together, not each on your own. That means you'll agree on when you'll jog, where you'll jog, how long you'll jog, and so on."
Flo felt his stomach tighten. The mere thought of having to go jogging with Tom made him feel quite uneasy. Before he could say anything, he heard Tom say: "What's up with this? Why should I jog around with Florian?" He apparently didn't like the idea either.
"It's quite simple, Tom. You'll learn to adapt to each other and be a team of two while jogging. Because you'll be jogging side by side and probably argue at every fork in the road about which way to go. Little by little, that will pass, and then hopefully you'll finally be able to play together on the field again."
“And if I don’t want to?” asked Flo.
“Then you two won’t be on the team anymore.” Max’s voice was very determined.
"That's not fair," protested Tom. "Why should I be kicked off the team if Florian doesn't want to?"
“So that means you’re in, Tom?” asked Max.
“I didn’t say that.”
"As you wish. I'll clarify: If one of you two isn't there, you're both off the team. I admit that's a bit mean, because you're so dependent on each other. But who says life is fair? No one."
"Shit," Flo exclaimed, then immediately turned to Max: "I really don't feel like doing this. Isn't there another solution?"
"No, that's my final offer," was Max's reply. "You can think about it now. I want a decision by the time I get back. I have a practice right now; I'll be in the cafeteria at 5:30. If you're there, you can both show up there."
Max had to get going so he could get to his practice on time. He left his office with Flo and Tom and disappeared.

2.
Decision
At first, Flo and Tom weren't sure what to do. They went outside, where it had been quite pleasant for a few days. April had brought a few beautiful spring days, which everyone who had the time and inclination took advantage of. Almost all the spots in the sun were taken.
Why Flo and Tom couldn't stand each other remained a mystery to many. Even Flo wasn't entirely sure. They shared a mutual dislike, which had grown stronger recently. They used to simply avoid each other, but on the pitch, they were part of the team. But Max was right; lately, their behavior had been disrupting the game, and even one or two teammates had openly complained about it.
"We can sit over there," said Tom. Flo just said, "Okay." The bench was in the sun, and as soon as they sat down, Flo noticed how pleasant the warmth was.
“I don’t feel like going jogging with you,” Tom stated.
“You mean me?”
Both were lost in their own thoughts, neither of them saying anything. This went on for a few minutes before Flo said, "What the hell is Max doing putting us under so much pressure? In order to stay on the team, I not only have to jog with you, but I also have to get you to jog with me. What a load of crap."
Again, there was silence. This time, Tom broke the calm: "Maybe we should talk to Max again and explain that this isn't a viable option."
“It’s no use, he was so determined earlier, we have no chance.”
“Then we’re left with no choice but to either accept his condition or be kicked out of the team.”
“I’m afraid you’re right.”
Meanwhile, a small cloud had moved in front of the sun. Flo immediately felt colder, but the few clouds raced across the sky, so that the warming rays soon struck her again.
"What do you say we tell Max we'll give it a try this weekend?" Tom asked. "If necessary, we'll just split up. Max won't notice anyway."
"You're the only one who thinks that. Max might not notice things like that right away, but you can't fool him in the long run." Flo looked at Tom briefly. "Maybe we should really try it. We don't have much to lose."
"Okay, so let's try this weekend. Saturday or Sunday?"
"Sunday suits me better. How about three?"
"That's bad, I can't come until later. What about five o'clock?" said Tom.
“No problem, I’m still very flexible on Sundays.”
"And where?"
“Hmm... how about we walk along the stream?”
“Okay, then at least we don’t have a problem with forks in the road.”
“So at the mill at five,” Flo summarized.
He wasn't exactly happy about having to meet up with Tom on Sunday, but Max hadn't left them any other choice. Tom would probably much rather jog around alone or with others than with him. "So be it," thought Flo, "I'll probably manage to run alongside him for an hour. It won't be that bad."
"I'm going back to the office. We'll meet at the cafeteria at 5:30," said Tom and disappeared.
Flo still had three-quarters of an hour to spare. He was actually surprised at how long they'd been sitting there. The place had become a bit emptier by then, but the sunny seats were still well occupied.
He asked himself again why he didn't like Tom. Tom wasn't one of those people he immediately disliked or couldn't relate to. He just knew the dislike was mutual. "Maybe Max's actions aren't so bad after all," Flo thought. "Maybe someday Tom won't be so unbearable anymore."
He got up shortly before 5:30 to go to the cafeteria. He didn't want to go to the office until afterward; it had been too nice in the sunshine.
Max and Tom weren't there yet, so he found a free table and sipped his coffee.
Shortly after half past five, Max showed up, but there was still no sign of Tom.
“Hello, Florian,” Max greeted him, “I’m just going to get something to drink.”
When he returned a few minutes later with his orange juice, Tom still hadn't shown up.
“And?” asked Max.
"We want to try it. We've arranged to meet on Sunday afternoon," said Flo.
"Interesting. But where is Tom? Or is this a one-sided appointment?"
"He was supposed to be here at 5:30. I have no idea where he is. He just wanted to pop into the office for a bit."
“Then we’ll just wait for him,” said Max.
They chatted about this and that until it was almost six o'clock. Tom still wasn't there.
"I wonder if he's changed his mind?" Flo thought aloud. "I don't understand. That's just typical. No wonder I don't like him."
Max ignored the comment. "I have to go soon. It's best if you come by again tomorrow. I'll be here more or less all day."
Just as they were both about to get up, Tom came.
"Sorry, but I ran into my professor. And unfortunately, he really wanted to discuss something. As if it couldn't wait until tomorrow."
"Oh, I know that! Mine's always like that too," Max said simply. "Flo told me earlier that you two had a date for Sunday."
“Yes, we want to meet at the mill and jog up and down the stream.”
"Very nice." Flo noticed how pleased Max was. "But I really have to go now. See you next week at training. And don't even think about trying to make a fool of me. I can tell." He was gone.
Flo and Tom looked at each other and just said "Bye." Flo went to his office to check his emails and then left.

3.
Gaby
“Hello, hello. How are you?” Since last semester, they had started meeting in the cafeteria every Friday morning.
"And yourself?" Gaby and Flo hugged each other briefly. They were the last remaining members of their former group, which had formed during their first semester. Everyone else hadn't pursued a university career after graduating, so they didn't see each other as often anymore.
After talking for a while, Gaby and Flo brought up the topic of training.
"Just imagine: Max wants to kick me off the team if I don't go jogging with Tom!" Flo fumed. "But the best part is yet to come: If Tom doesn't want to go jogging with me, I'll be kicked out too!"
“Then just go jogging, what’s the problem?” Gaby’s comment was typical again.
"You're making it easy for yourself again," Flo started to get upset. "But I can reassure you, we've arranged to meet on Sunday afternoon. It's sure to be fantastic."
"I don't understand you. What do you have against Tom? Why don't you like him? Explain that to me."
"I just don't like him – and he doesn't like me. So it's mutual. At least we have that in common." Flo tried to remember what it was like when he first ran into Tom. For some reason, he must have repressed the memory.
"Should I tell you something, Flo?" Gaby asked thoughtfully, as if she wasn't sure yet whether she really should. But she was sure, because she continued almost without pausing: "When I met Tom, I thought he was exactly your type." Gaby looked Flo in the eyes. "I don't mean that in terms of looks, I don't really know exactly what you're into. I mean more in terms of Tom's personality."
"Me and Tom? Me and Tom, of all people? You've lost your mind." Flo turned away. "How could you possibly come up with such nonsense, Gaby?" He simply couldn't believe what she had said.
How many years had he known Gaby? Seven? The answer wasn't important to him right now. He knew she was his best friend by now. She'd supported him through both good and bad times, just as he'd been there for her when she needed him. While that hadn't happened as often lately, when push came to shove, the clique still pulled together. Some things were easier for her to get off her chest than to vent to her boyfriend.
That's precisely why it was difficult for him to simply brush Gaby's comment aside. He probably would have done so with anyone else, but since it came from Gaby, it wasn't so easy. He didn't have much time to think about it, though, because they both had to leave.
"Think about what I said, Flo," Gaby said. They hugged each other briefly as they said goodbye.
"You're completely wrong, Gaby. Tom of all people!" Flo shook her head. "I just can't believe you thought of something like that."
"It's okay. See you, Flo."
“See you later, Gaby.”
As he walked home, he pondered Gaby's words again. "Is Tom exactly my type?" Flo wondered. He couldn't get that idea out of his head. "Me and Tom, of all people?" The question kept creeping into his mind.
Already on his street, he was wondering what type of guy he actually fancied. What was it like back when he was with Peter? What made him special? How long ago had that been?
As he unlocked his front door, he was still thinking about the questions.

4.
Be silent in the Forest
"Hi." Tom was already there. His greeting was more of a polite one.
"Hi. I'll just lock my bike for a moment, then we can get going."
The mill hadn't been in operation for a long time, and the mill wheel was rotting away. It stood right next to a small road, from which a forest path ran along the stream. On Sunday afternoons, it was quite crowded; it was simply too close to town. Nevertheless, many people came by car to take a walk from here.
Tom and Flo set off. As with the occasional jog with the whole team, finding a common pace wasn't a big problem. They constantly had to pass pedestrians, which meant it was hardly a relaxed jog. Added to that, neither Tom nor Flo said anything.
Flo wouldn't have known what to talk about either. He was quite uncomfortable with the silence, and he had the impression that Tom felt the same way. He didn't ask himself why he felt that way about Tom.
His thoughts revolved around the silence and also Gaby's words, which he just couldn't get out of his head. How did Gaby get the idea that Tom was exactly his type?
Who was Tom, really, and what did he know about him? They had met on the team; Tom joined shortly after Flo. That was some time ago. Since then, he'd remembered that there was someone else he would have liked to get together with. Apart from a few friendly words, nothing had come of it, and they lost touch afterward. He probably wouldn't have had a chance either, as a happy fatherhood proved to him much later during a chance meeting.
Back then, Flo hadn't paid any attention to Tom, just like he had to anyone else. They exchanged a few words, but they were only about the game; nothing personal came up. They greeted each other when they saw each other, but that was all.
This didn't change for a long time, but over time, a mutual hostility arose. This gradually worsened. Flo couldn't remember, for the life of her, what triggered it.
He didn't know much about Tom anyway. He must have been about his age; they were similarly tall and similarly athletic. Both had come here for college. Unlike him, Tom had blond hair and no glasses. Oh, and he was pretty good at playing. Like Flo, Tom was an important member of the team.
The latter made Flo suspicious, now that he thought about it. Why would Max take such a big risk, losing him and Tom? Sure, they weren't irreplaceable, but they would have been a loss for the team. Or were they so bad by now that it didn't matter anymore?
While Flo was lost in thought, they arrived at the star. Tom simply chose one of the five paths, leaving Flo no choice but to take the same route. A slight irritation rose within him.
By the time they arrived at the children's playground, they still hadn't said a word. Flo was sweating, not quite dry anymore. The jogging hadn't just left its mark on him; Tom also looked a bit tired. They agreed to turn back.
When they reached the road, they unlocked their bikes and headed home. They only briefly took the same route. As they parted, they said a quick "bye." Flo was glad to be alone again.

5.
In the Bar
May was quite rainy. As soon as the sun shone, everyone tried to be outside. It didn't happen often, so there was plenty of time to huddle around at their desks and work. The days in the office were correspondingly long.
Flo made really good progress with his work. He managed to delve deeper into the topic and prepare an important presentation. He was able to put the preparatory work to good use for his dissertation.
He continued jogging with Tom. They now met every weekday evening, usually on Tuesdays. The "silence in the forest" routine had remained almost unchanged. Greetings and farewells were friendlier, and occasionally they even exchanged a few trivial words. Flo had gotten used to the radio silence between them. It no longer bothered him. While he was essentially running through the forest with Tom, it wouldn't have made much difference if he had been jogging alone.
To his surprise, there were no problems, neither in scheduling the meeting nor in deciding where they wanted to run. They changed routes quite frequently, sometimes using one of Tom's and sometimes one of Flo's home courses.
Last Tuesday, they met at a place neither of them was particularly familiar with. At crossroads, they both headed in the same direction without thinking. Flo didn't notice this until she was walking home.
Gaby occasionally teased Flo about jogging when they met on Fridays. But she was careful to only mention it to Flo when they were alone.
After Gaby, her boyfriend Christian and Flo had been to the cinema on a sunny Saturday, they wanted to end the evening in one of the student bars.
To Flo's dismay, they ran into Tom there. That wouldn't have been a problem if Gaby hadn't made sure Tom sat down with them. Tom didn't do it entirely voluntarily, but Gaby left him no other choice.
Tom seemed just as uncomfortable with the situation as Flo. Immediately after sitting down, he said he couldn't stay too long because he was out with a friend.
Gaby drew Tom into a conversation, which Christian also joined in. Although Christian knew about the strained relationship between Flo and Tom, Gaby hadn't told her boyfriend that she thought Tom was exactly Flo's type. This was just between her and Flo.
Tom stayed for a surprisingly long time. The three of them had a lively conversation, and Flo had the impression they were getting along. He only said something now and then; at first, Gaby practically forced him to.
After a while, when he briefly left to go to the toilet, Tom wanted to go back to his friend, but Gaby wouldn't let him go without further ado.
On the way to the toilet, Flo was approached: “Have you seen Tom by any chance?”
"How come?"
"He's disappeared. You should know him, right?" They only knew each other by sight, having met a few times on campus.
"Yes, of course. He's sitting over there at our table in the corner." Flo pointed in that direction. But he couldn't be seen from here.
"Oh, thanks. What's your name? I'm Martin."
"Florian, but everyone calls me Flo. So you're a friend of Tom's?"
“Yes, but tell me, aren’t you the one who always goes jogging with Tom?”
Flo nodded.
"I thought you were talking..." Martin bit his lip. "Sorry, I didn't mean to."
"All right. I think I'll go on then. I was just about to go to the bathroom."
On the way back, Martin was talking to someone Flo didn't know. By the time he got back to the table with the other three, Tom was really about to leave. He said something to the effect that it was a nice conversation and then left.
“Why can’t you two get along?” Tom was already out of earshot when Christian asked.
“We just don’t like each other.”
Flo didn't feel like talking about his relationship with Tom. Gaby and Christian looked at each other and changed the subject.

6.
Max will jog along
At the next training session, Max approached Flo and Tom. He asked them both to come to him after they showered.
"So, what's up?"
“I wanted to hear from you how your jogging is going.”
Flo spoke again: "Once a week we go out, usually on Tuesdays, often on a new route, although usually one of us knows the area." Tom just nodded in agreement.
"Very good. Has your relationship improved?"
“You mean, did your blackmail work?” As harsh as the wording sounded, Tom’s voice was softer.
"What kind of blackmail?" Max shook his head. "But back to my question: Have you buried your hatchet?"
“Flo and I have always been one and the same.”
"Interesting, apparently I completely misjudged you." Max turned to Flo: "What do you say to that?"
"You heard Tom: We're one heart and one soul. How can I disagree?"
Max looked alternately at Flo and Tom. "And I am the Emperor of China. You may leave." He emphasized his last words with a corresponding hand gesture. "By the way, when and where are you meeting next?"
"On Tuesday at 7 at the big stone. Why?"
"It's simple, Tom. I'll jog with you."
This could get fun, thought Flo.

7.
The Plan
After Tom and Flo left Max's, they didn't split up immediately as usual. Initially, they wanted to sit down at Flo's or Tom's office to talk about Tuesday, but then the weather was simply too nice for them to stay indoors. They drove to the lake, sat on one of the jetties, and dangled their legs over the water.
"I thought Max had actually achieved his goal," Tom began. "We should have improved."
"Do we have that?" Flo was more likely asking himself this question. He immediately followed up with the answer: "Yes, we do. Otherwise, we wouldn't be out here talking."
"Well, our relationship isn't really that great right now. Basically, Max pushed us to sit together now."
"Okay, you're right. Still, Max should have achieved his goal. What else does he want from us?"
"Maybe it's some kind of final exam?" Tom put his hand to his head. "I really think Max is capable of anything."
Both were lost in their thoughts.
“I’d really like to let Max run wild, but I can’t think of a good idea,” said Flo after a few minutes.
„Hm.“
Again they were silent.
"Well, I'd be there. But I don't have an idea yet."
This time the break lasted longer.
"What options do we have? We could go jogging on Tuesday without saying a word to each other."
“We’ve had practice.” Flo was sarcastic.
“Come on, we’ve gotten used to it.” Tom turned his head to the side and looked at Flo.
"Yeah, okay. By the way, I found the silence quite uncomfortable at first." Flo was a little surprised at his own openness.
“Me too.” Tom had long since turned back to the horizon.
Again the conversation stalled.
“What do we do now?” Tom thought.
“We’re not alone...” Flo began.
“Yes, otherwise we wouldn’t have to worry.”
"Now let me finish," Flo said indulgently. "Well, we're not alone..."
“I already know that.”
"Are you actually trying to annoy me?" Flo looked at Tom. Tom glanced back briefly.
Flo wasn't upset. He was just wondering if they'd ever really looked at each other.
"Come on, don't be offended," Tom interrupted his thoughts, "I won't interrupt you anymore."
"Uh... what?" Flo jumped, but immediately started lecturing: "As I've explained several times, we're not alone. Max is with us, so we can talk exclusively to him and don't have to exchange a word with each other."
“Hmm.” Tom didn’t have anything else to say for the moment.
“What do you think?” Flo asked after a while.
“It’s better than being ignored, but I still don’t really like it.”
“Do you have a better idea?”
"I'm just wondering if we shouldn't take Max's wish literally."
“What, literally?” Flo didn’t know what Tom meant.
"Max seems to want to test us. If I'm interpreting him correctly, he wants to know what it's like when we jog. So we should fulfill that wish."
“I don’t understand, we didn’t want to keep quiet about it.” Flo was still perplexed.
"I don't want to either." Tom turned back to Flo. "So, what's different about this next jog from the previous ones?"
“Max is playing examiner.” Flo looked back.
"Yeah, right. What does that mean?"
“Is this going to be a quiz show?”
“Just answer my question, you can trust me that far.”
"What does that mean?" Flo repeated the question to gain time for the answer. "Max will see how we get along. Whether we understand each other, what we do, etc."
"I think my question wasn't good enough. Let me try another way: What would we do if Max wasn't here?"
“To ignore us.”
"That brings us back to the first option. What would we have done in the second?"
“We would have kept quiet, but at the same time talked to Max.”
"Yes, exactly." Tom was still looking at Flo. "And what's the exact opposite?"
It slowly dawned on Flo. "We're not ignoring each other, just Max. Or rather, we're ignoring Max."
"Finally." Tom breathed a sigh of relief. "That was a difficult birth."
"Yeah, yeah, don't be like that. The little one's doing great. A C-section doesn't have to be bad."
"Don't distract us." Tom smiled back. "So, Max just isn't here for us. We'll arrive after him. It's best if we wait a little further up the path and only go to the big rock once he's passed us. Don't greet him, just each other."
"But... do you think we can just treat Max as air?" Flo wasn't a particularly good actor. "I don't really know."
"Well, that's probably the hardest part. Maybe we should just say 'hi' to him and then ignore him as much as possible. What do you think?"
"That sounds better. And if it can't be avoided, we can answer his questions in monosyllables." Flo increasingly liked the idea.
“Then the biggest problem remains how we both deal with each other.” Tom looked back at Flo.
"Hmm. What are we supposed to talk about for so long? We don't even know each other." Flo turned back toward the horizon.
Tom was silent, and so was Flo.
“Then we have to practice that.” Flo was determined to make Max look bad.
“Practice what?” This time it was Tom who couldn’t follow the thought.
“Well, to talk to us.”
“What, practice?”
“If you keep going like this, the next question will be who should practice.”
“What... who practice?” Tom didn’t understand Flo.
"Yes, exactly. You didn't ask the question about who should practice." Flo grinned. "But I'd be happy to explain it to you again: 1. Who: You and me. 2. What: Conversation. 3. How: I can't answer that question yet."
"Now I get it. Are you always such an asshole?"
“Only to a select circle.”
"Thanks. It's nice to be included and not just ignored." Tom grinned back.
“So the question remains how.”
“Or the question of what about.”

8.
Exercise might it Master
Flo actually liked Max, but the show he was putting on with him and Tom wasn't to his liking. He was so annoyed that he even got into a fight with Tom to teach Max a lesson. Tom apparently felt the same way.
They wanted to challenge Max in several ways. The course had to be challenging, not just in terms of length. They also wanted to run faster than usual. Both were sure they were fitter than Max. If he was going to participate, he should have a torment he'd remember for a long time.
Tom and Flo had arranged to meet for an hour on Saturday evening. Now they were sitting opposite each other in one of the beer gardens, silent.
"I don't want to be rude, but this isn't exactly an interesting conversation." With these words, Tom initiated a mutual question-and-answer game in which they both learned a lot about each other.
Both were the same age and had siblings. While Tom always had to look after his two younger sisters, Flo and his younger brother were only two years apart. Neither was from around here, having just moved out of the house to study. Flo and Tom were currently single, though Flo, as usual, didn't refer to them as "girlfriends," choosing a gender-neutral term instead. He'd had some practice at this by now and wasn't so quick to slip up.
They were surprised to find that they had other common interests besides sports. When they started talking about vacations and Tom told them about the trip he was planning during the semester break, Flo simply said that he'd always planned something similar.
Both listened attentively, eager to have enough to talk about on Tuesday. They joked about whether they shouldn't take notes so they wouldn't forget anything. Initially focused on preparing for Tuesday, the conversation gradually turned into a lively one. The planned one hour turned into two, then three, and eventually it was past midnight.
On the way home, Flo realized that the evening had been quite entertaining after all. Tom didn't seem so bad after all.

9.
The Test
"By the way, my brother called yesterday. He actually wants to quit his apprenticeship."
Flo, Tom, and Max were on their way. As expected, the pace Flo and Tom were setting was quite grueling for Max, but that didn't bother either Flo or Tom; they were even happy about it. They had only greeted Max briefly and barely included him in the conversation. If he even had enough breath to speak, Max always received curt answers. It almost seemed like two friends were out walking, one of whom had brought his little brother along to look after him. Accordingly, he was ignored.
There was something wrong with what Tom had just said. It didn't occur to him right away, but then it occurred to him that Tom had only had two sisters on Saturday. So how could his brother call?
"Your brother? I didn't know..." Flo began, but was interrupted by Tom.
"Me neither." Tom raised his eyebrows. "He's been under a lot of pressure because he apparently lied to his instructor. He's apparently not a bad guy either; he constantly bullies his students, trusts no one, and snoops on everyone."
Flo wondered if Tom hadn't told him the truth on Saturday, or if he'd only just invented his brother. Why did Tom keep making faces that Flo could see, but not Max? Suddenly, it dawned on Flo: Tom was out to pull a fast one on Max. And not only that, the supposed instructor was none other than Max himself. Tom could be pretty mean.
Flo played along. He asked the very questions that seemed to be about the instructor, but in fact all referred to Max. He continued to not say a word, but instead panted loudly behind them.
Flo and Tom became increasingly involved in their game. They continued to turn the wheels and had now reached the point where they agreed that the instructor, or rather Max, was practically asking to be led around by the nose.
They both really enjoyed gossiping about Max without him even noticing.
For Max, the jog seemed to never end. It was over hill and dale, the loop simply endless. Flo and Tom had to work hard to always be a little faster than Max, but it was worth it. Besides, Max never wanted to test them again.
A few days later, she asked Max if they always went for a fast jog. The quick, unconscious face he made spoke volumes. He clearly hadn't forgotten his sore muscles. "Serves him right," thought Flo.
“No,” said Tom, “but we didn’t want to overwhelm you.” His face was so innocent that even Flo would have believed him if he didn’t know better.
"Well, I'm not that unfit," Max defended himself, "but I do need a little practice. Maybe I should run more often?" The question was meant more rhetorically, but Tom jumped at it.
"Good idea. Want to join us? We wanted to do the long loop again next time, though," said Tom, looking as if he'd always been looking forward to going running under Max's supervision.
But Max said he didn't have that much time right now. Flo knew that was just an excuse. He smiled secretly.
Meanwhile, someone had appeared in the door, which was almost always open when Max was there. This was the only way to circulate the air, which was heated up by the sun in his office in the afternoon.
Max introduced Henk. Henk asked Max if he wouldn't mind inviting some friends over for Saturday evening. Flo and Tom looked at each other, confused. Who else was under Max's wing?
"No, no problem," Max said to Henk. "Henk is my W-mate," he said to Tom and Flo.
“I’m your what?” Henk probably didn’t understand Max any more than Tom and Flo did.
"Well, my roommate. Should I abbreviate that to WG-Genosse?"
"Aha. Well, I have to go now, otherwise I'll be late. See you later." And Henk was gone.
Max also told Flo and Tom that he and Henk always coordinated about the shared rooms. But that wasn't a big problem, as he and Henk got along pretty well. The stress was kept to a minimum.
When Tom and Flo left Max's office, they talked briefly about Henk and Max.
"I wouldn't have thought Max lived in a shared apartment. I always thought he had a girlfriend. You can be so wrong." Tom didn't contradict him. "Oh, by the way: do you always play poker like that? At first I thought you were crazy."
"Based on the look on Max's face, I was pretty sure he wouldn't go jogging with us again. It's a shame, actually; I had a lot of fun. He really didn't notice anything." Tom shook his head. "Maybe we should always call him 'Instructor' instead of 'Trainer' from now on?"
"Good idea. But I don't think even then he'll know which way the wind is blowing."
"You're probably right." Tom grinned. "When will he be our next victim?"

10.
Meet an the mill
At the next training session, Max was noticeably reserved. Tom asked him again if he wanted to join us the following Tuesday, but they would do the long run then.
“I’m sorry, Tom, but unfortunately that’s not going to happen,” Max explained again.
"Too bad, maybe it will work next week." Tom turned to Flo: "Shall we meet again at the mill on Tuesday?"
"Sure. Too bad you can't, Max."
That evening, Flo wasn't sure whether Tom had really meant his date at the mill. After all, they no longer had Max breathing down their necks, and he certainly wouldn't show up.
When he met Gaby shortly afterwards, he had to tell her about the special jog with Max. Gaby had been away for a few days to attend a conference.
Gaby had trouble following Flo, who kept suffering from fits of laughter. These fits were so contagious that after a while, Gaby, too, was almost out of breath.
When they'd almost calmed down, Flo had to explain that Max would have to miss the next jogging session because he apparently didn't have time. Again, both of them gasped.
"So that means you'll still be going jogging? That's great!" Gaby smiled.
"Do you think Tom was serious about the date?" Flo asked. "I have my doubts."
"But why? And what happens if you don't go to the mill and Tom waits for you there? Do you want that?" Gaby wasn't deterred.
"No. But I don't want to look like a complete idiot if Tom doesn't come."
"And if so? Who would notice that you're feeling displaced? Just take something to read, sit down by the mill, and if Tom doesn't come, go jogging alone or just drive away again."
“I’ll think about it again,” Flo gave in a little.
But that wasn't enough for Gaby: "No way, you'll be at the mill on Tuesday or you'll get into trouble with me."
Since Flo didn't want to argue with that, he naturally drove to the meeting point on Tuesday. He also brought some reading material with him.
But he didn't have to wait long; Tom was on time. After they'd been jogging for a while, Flo couldn't hold back any longer and said to Tom: "I didn't expect you to come at all. After all, there's no longer any pressure for us to jog together."
Tom didn't answer immediately. "I felt the same way. But I figured I'd jog alone if necessary."
"What do you mean, 'in a pinch'? Are you saying you don't mind jogging with me?" Flo was surprised.
Tom stopped and took a deep breath. "Listen, Flo." He looked at Flo. "No, I don't mind jogging with you." Flo couldn't hide his surprise and was somewhat speechless. But Tom added: "But if you have a problem with that, I'm happy to go jogging alone." A shadow crossed his face.
"No, no, I didn't mean to say that. I was just surprised." Flo backpedaled. "I didn't think you'd mind my presence."
"Good, that's settled then. Could you imagine us continuing our jog now?" Tom had already broken into a light trot.
After jogging, Tom and Flo arranged to meet again the following Tuesday, but then went their separate ways.

11.
The Loch
The next time, they jogged side by side in silence. Unfortunately, when they returned from their run, Tom discovered he had a flat tire.
"Fuck. And of course I don't have any repair kit with me."
"Unfortunately, neither do I. And if I see it correctly, no other bike has any repair or tool kits on it either. That would be pretty stupid."
"And I have an appointment with my professor, who's going to a conference tomorrow. Of course, I also wanted to take a shower." Tom was pretty sweaty.
"Do you want to use my bike? I can push yours home and you can pick it up tomorrow," Flo offered.
“You would do that? Thanks.” Tom almost threw his arms around Flo.
"Here's my key. The lock sometimes jams, but you'll manage. Now hurry up, or you won't be able to get into the shower. And you're not socially acceptable like this!" Flo, however, was also sweating profusely.
After receiving the key for Tom's bike from him, Tom rushed off to get to his professor in time. Flo pushed Tom's bike home. Before he even took a shower, he quickly fixed the wheel.
The next morning, Tom stopped by Flo’s office.
"Aha, so that's what your office looks like," said Tom after he entered. "So we're no different in that respect."
"Oh, it's pretty tidy at the moment. You should have seen it the other day, before I tidied up." Flo pointed to a corner where, until recently, there had been a lot of documents for a now completely finished project from some time ago. "Did you make it to your appointment on time?"
"Yes, luckily. Thanks again for letting me use your bike. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to make it."
“It’s good that it worked out,” Flo said happily.
"May I buy you a beer? As a thank you for lending me my bike?"
"Not for that. But we can still go for a beer," Flo replied.
"Tonight? What do you think of the Grübi?"
"Good idea. At 7?"
"Very good. Can I stop by your place beforehand and fix the flat tire? Maybe at 6:30? Then we can drive over together," Tom suggested.
"Yes, we can do that. Would you rather patch the front or the back?" asked Flo.
"In the front, of course, what a stupid question. Unfortunately, it was flat in the back." Tom shook his head at such ignorance.
"Okay, then I'll fix the hole in the front," said Flo. "I patched the back one yesterday, after all, I wanted to cycle to university this morning."
"You did what? Patched it too?" Tom looked incredulous. "Now you can't refuse the beer invitation!"
"Okay, you win. I'll let you buy me a beer."
As agreed, they met at the Grübi.

12.
The Loch in the Fence
Over time, Tom and Flo not only jogged but also began meeting in bars. At first, this happened by chance, but after a while, they began meeting regularly.
The evenings always flew by.
This time, they had already planned their next jog for Friday. The weather had been getting warmer and more oppressive over the past few days. Meanwhile, warnings were being issued against exerting themselves too much outdoors.
Flo and Tom jogged anyway, but took it easy and shortened their lap. Nevertheless, they were sweating profusely. They had just enough water, even though both had brought a lot this time.
After jogging, Flo said that on the way back he would make a little detour to the lake to jump into the water.
“Oh, I’d love to come along,” said Tom.
"I'd be happy to. But I use a secret swimming spot that you mustn't tell anyone."
“My great Indian word of honor!” swore Tom with his hand raised.
He knew the swimming spot from a former student who had since moved away. Only Gaby and Christian were still in the know; otherwise, no one else seemed to know about it. It wasn't a big detour, so they got there fairly quickly. They skillfully squeezed through the bushes and hid their bikes. After opening the well-camouflaged gap in the fence, they squeezed through and closed it again. The swimming spot wasn't visible from the outside, so anyone could stay there without being suspicious.
"So, here we are. Only Gaby and Christian still know this place. Everyone else has moved away," said Flo.
“Wow, really a great place,” said Tom.
After changing, they went for a swim and then played around in the water. Afterward, they lay for a long time on the shore in the small sandy cove. At dusk, they cooled off in the water again. The water fight was wonderful.
By now, it had almost become dark, with only the moon providing a faint light. In the small sandy cove, Tom and Flo chatted until dawn, never once battling fatigue. It had cooled down only slightly; the air was rather stagnant.
"I could stay here for hours," Flo confessed, "but unfortunately, I have to leave soon. I promised a friend I'd help her move. And maybe I should get a little more sleep."
"Okay, you could do that here, of course. And then have a quick breakfast with me at the bakery on Hedwigstrasse," suggested Tom. He didn't want to part from Flo just yet.
“Good idea, I’m not even sure if I’ll get home safely.” Flo was very tired by now.
Tom was already yawning, too. Tom and Flo fell asleep almost simultaneously.
When Flo woke up again, it was already quite late. He and Tom had been cuddling close together throughout the night.
Tom was still asleep. He gently woke him. Tom slowly woke up and asked what time it was.
"It's already nine o'clock, I'm supposed to be at Ginsterweg by ten," said Flo. "I have to leave, otherwise I won't be able to have breakfast."
Flo noticed that Tom had also noticed that they had woken up cuddled up close together.
The silence was unbearable. But then Tom suddenly burst out laughing. It wasn't long before Flo was infected.
Tom and Flo hugged each other and held on tight for a long time.
“Hey, Flo,” Tom began, but immediately stopped.
"Me, Tom?"
But Tom remained silent.
Flo plucked up the courage: “Tom, I like you!”
“I love you too, Flo,” Tom replied.
"Actually, I don't just like you, there's more." Flo was surprised by his own words. They had just bubbled out, without his mind being able to stop them.
“Me too, Flo.” Tom’s face had gained color.
Flo hugged Tom again. This time, too, they lay in each other's arms for a long time.
Flo's cell phone rang. It was Gaby.
“Hello, Flo. Where are you?” asked Gaby.
"At our swimming spot. We wanted to leave right away so I could get to Laura's in time."
"You're at the swimming spot with Tom? Wow!" Even Tom had heard Gaby's words, she had spoken so loudly.
“How do you know…” Again, Flo’s words just slipped out.
"It's taken long enough. Have you finally gotten close?" Gaby was relentless.
"Yes." That was Tom. "Finally!"
“I’m happy for you, Tom and Flo.”
“Me too.” Flo looked at Tom.
“Tom? Flo? Are you still there?” Gaby broke the silence.
"Yes, we're still there," said Flo. "But I have to leave right away; I don't want to be late for Laura's. She was already having trouble finding enough helpers."
"Should I come along? Even though I don't know Laura, I can still carry furniture and boxes," Tom offered.
"Laura certainly won't mind," came the call from the phone. "By the way, Flo, we both wanted to meet at your place."
"Oh, shit, I completely forgot about that. Sorry, Gaby, it wasn't intentional."
"No problem, for such important things, I even expect you to stand me up!" Gaby wasn't upset at all. "See you at Laura's soon."

13.
A framed Game
Tom and Flo now saw each other daily. Since Tom's apartment was a bit more spacious, Flo was with Tom more often than Tom was with Flo. Both were on cloud nine.
They hadn't seen Max for weeks, who had taken over a multi-week excursion at very short notice for a sick colleague.
When Max returned, he surprised Tom and Flo by inviting them to dinner. He stammered something along the lines of apologizing for the blackmail. Flo and Tom agreed, but both had to restrain themselves to remain serious – they still had vivid memories of jogging with Max. Max probably did too.
Flo and Tom decided to annoy Max a bit for the blackmail before they came out to Max.
Now they were standing in front of the front door. Flo had always liked the area where Max lived. Beautiful villas lined the streets, all old and grand. Even the fences exuded an ambiance that captivated him. Some gardens were overgrown, others meticulously maintained. Most of the residents, however, had found the right balance.
The doorbell didn't fit the house. It was incredibly simple, but it did the job, as Tom and Flo quickly discovered. They pushed open the door and went upstairs. Directly under the roof was the shared apartment where Max lived.
"Hello, you two. Nice to have you here. But first, come in." Max led her into the living room.
Henk came out of the kitchen. "Hello Tom, hello Flo."
"Hello Henk," Flo greeted the other half of the two-person shared apartment. "I shouldn't have come. A house like this makes me jealous. But when I see my student bunker..."
"We searched for ages back then, too." Henk looked at Max. "But it was definitely worth it."
"Okay, enough small talk, sit down over there," Max interrupted the conversation. If Flo didn't know him so well, he would have taken it as an order. Instead, it was more of a friendly request. With the words "We still have work to do in the kitchen," the two hosts disappeared back into the kitchen.
While they were waiting, Tom and Flo took advantage of the waiting time to look around the living room. A bookshelf dominated the room, although it contained only a few reference books. Numerous novels, a few encyclopedias, several comics, and countless travel guides from a wide variety of regions dominated the scene. Also on the shelf were a small television and the stereo system, which provided background music.
“So, everything inspected?” Henk stood in the doorway.
“Which of you two contributed all the travel guides?” asked Tom.
"Most of them are mine. I love travel guides." Henk paused briefly. "I even bought some of them after I got back."
"It's always the same with you. I tell you to sit down – and what do you do? You snoop around on the shelf." Max laughed. "Have a seat, the food is ready and ready to be served. You can sit down too, Henk, I'll take care of it."
When Max returned from the kitchen, he was wearing potholders and carrying a casserole dish containing a lasagna. A specialty of Henk's, as Max explained. Instead of using regular lasagna sheets, he used spaghetti instead.
The conversation during and after dinner was exciting and funny. Time flew by. When they turned to the topic of training, Henk disappeared for a moment and returned with a full and an empty beer crate. He placed them side by side on the floor, took a bottle from the full crate, and placed it in the empty crate.
Flo and Tom looked at each other in confusion. Before they could say anything, Max had already spoken: "Just one bottle? Half the crate should be in there at least!"
“Uh,” Tom started, but didn’t get very far.
"Okay, one of them is a bit provocative." Henk took several bottles from the full crate and placed them back into the empty one. He stopped at the eighth bottle.
This time, Tom got there first. "Could you explain to us what you're doing?"
"No." Max turned back to Henk: "Why only eight? Twelve at least!"
“But then it would be a draw,” protested Henk.
"No way, it's a draw. My box is still full."
“You have to prove that to me first.”
"No problem." Max turned to Flo and Tom. Before he could continue, however, Henk intervened: "Not like that, it's against the rules."
"Oh yeah, I completely forgot." Max was silent. Henk too.
But Flo doesn't: "I don't understand a thing. Do you know what's going on here, Tom?"
"Nope, I don't know." Tom considered. "Maybe we should drink the beer, Flo? They're probably not completely sober anymore either."
"You won't drink any of my beer. It's enough that I've lost so many bottles to Max."
"Aha, a bet. Tell me more, Henk." Flo's request was fruitless.
"What could they have been betting on?" Tom thought aloud. "And most importantly, why are they deciding who won now?"
"That's a good question..." Flo scratched her head. "Why now?"
“What were we talking about earlier?” asked Tom.
"About all sorts of things... What was the last one, Tom?"
“Hmm.” Flo and Tom were silent.
Max and Henk had leaned back and listened to their guessing. Out of the corner of her eye, Flo had noticed Max's expression brighten at first, while Henk's darkened. When their guesses faltered, the two exchanged expressions.
Flo felt Tom signal him with his hand. He understood immediately. They would simply turn the tables and forget about the bet. Flo knew it would be difficult for him to curb his curiosity, but Henk and Max were much more on edge. Flo could practically feel how restless Max was.
Tom completely switched gears and brought up a completely different topic.
Max and Henk looked at each other in astonishment. "This isn't going to work, guys," said Max. "You have to keep going; a lot depends on this."
"Why should we? We won't get any of that beer anyway." Flo turned to Tom and continued his topic.
"My God, they're stubborn. Now I believe you that it was hard work. And one where you don't know how it will end. I'm amazed at how willing you are to take risks, Max." He took a bottle from his crate and placed it in Max's crate.
"What do you mean by hard work? And what do we have to do with your bet?"
“Wait a minute, Flo, I just remembered what we were talking about earlier: It was about training.”
"About training, you say... Hmm..." Flo thought hard. It suddenly occurred to him that maybe—yes, that was it! "The two of them were betting on whether Max could break through our enmity and make us a team. We're the victims of a bet, Tom! The victims of a bet."
Henk stood up, put all the bottles from his box into the other one and went into the kitchen.
“Congratulations, the first box is mine.” Max beamed.
“What, the first box?” Tom looked at Max in confusion.
Henk came in with a second crate. He placed the now empty one on top of Max's crate and the new, full one right next to it.
“You didn’t say anything, did you, Max?” Henk looked at him.
"No. Except that the first box is mine."
"Okay." Henk was satisfied. He looked confident, Flo thought, and the second puzzle seemed even more difficult.
“Does it have something to do with us again?” asked Tom.
“Yes.” Max and Henk answered simultaneously.
“Is this a new bet?” Flo left the questions to Tom.
"I'm allowed to answer that, right, Henk?" Henk nodded glumly. "It's still the same bet."
“Aha.” Tom was silent.
Then he turned to Flo: "Is it an escalation of the first bet or a direct connection? From a gut feeling, I'd say it's an escalation. What do you think, Flo?"
"I don't really know." Flo looked Tom in the eyes. "If it's supposed to be an escalation, then that can really only mean one thing..."
Flo realized that Tom knew exactly what he meant. "That can't be true! Never." Tom simply refused to believe it.
But it was also too unlikely. "Max can't be that cold-blooded," thought Flo.
Both fell into silence.
After some time, Henk spoke up: “I’m never disrespected by my own guests for so long!”
"Leave them alone," Max chimed in. "You're only disturbing them because you see the second box go down the drain, too."
Again everyone was silent.
“I would like to take a look at your apartment.” Flo was surprised by Tom’s request.
Max and Henk were also confused for a moment. Max's face broke into a grin. "With pleasure," he simply said. When Henk heard that, he didn't look very happy.
Flo understood. "That's what Tom's getting at. I would never have thought of that."
Everyone stood up.
With incredible joy, Max showed them the kitchen, a tiny storage room, and the study with two computers. Then he dragged them into the last room.
"You deserve your box, Max. I'm still wondering, though, if that bet was completely off the mark or just plain awesome." Tom went back into the living room, the others in tow.
"That's not what I had in mind, Max." Henk grinned. "But I'd still like to see some proof."
“You first.” Tom looked at Henk.
“I’ll make a surefire bet, lose it, and then be forced to—” He didn’t get any further.
"What do you mean, 'forced'?" Max looked indignant. "We'll talk about this again when we're alone together!"
“Come on, do it.” Tom was impatient.
"It's okay." Henk put his arms around Max and kissed him. Long.
When they were just standing arm in arm, Henk looked expectantly at his guests.
"Now it's our turn, Flo." Tom approached Flo. "We have to go through with this."
Her kiss literally paralyzed Flo. He realized how long it had been since they had kissed.
When they were finished, Flo noticed that Henk had already put all the bottles in Max's second crate.
"How does one come up with such a crazy bet?" Flo asked. "Could it be that you're a little crazy?"
"When I first saw you, I thought you were both gay." Max had sat back down like the others. "What didn't register with me, though, was your hostility. I spent a long time wondering if I was wrong in my assumption." Max paused for a moment. "So far, I've almost never been wrong when I thought someone was gay."
"Max told me about you two at some point." Henk chimed in. "Then Max said that the hostility, which he couldn't explain, was getting worse and worse, and you couldn't keep them off the field anymore. He was about to throw you out. He'd never done anything like that before."
"I hadn't even thought of something like that in other cases. You two remain a mystery to me. When you weren't yelling at each other, you were a good team and a real asset to the team." A shadow crossed Max's face. "I was definitely at my wit's end."
“I advised him to think about the team and draw a line under it.”
“Yeah, Henk said I should kick you out.”
"I didn't know you back then. Shortly after the conversation in which Max threatened to expel you, I took a picture of you both. I was there at a training session."
“I remember that,” Tom said.
"Then I had a vague idea why Max was so reluctant to kick you out," Henk continued undeterred. "When we talked about it again afterward—why was it so important to you, Max?—Max just said he didn't want to ruin your happiness."
“You didn’t feel any luck back then,” Max grinned, “so I had to give it a helping hand.”
"Anyway, Max said you were a couple, but you didn't know it yet."
“To which Henk said that it didn’t matter anyway, because you wouldn’t even get along.”
“That prompted Max to say he could do it.”
"And Henk made it a bet. The idea of using the number of bottles as a benchmark was mine. An empty crate meant I had completely failed, while a full crate represented normal friendship."
"I was so careless and added a second box in case it didn't stay a friendship but turned into a couple. A surefire bet, or so I thought. Especially since I had built in the safeguard that you'd have to let us know."
“Even that didn’t help you.” Max was as happy as a clam.
"I even had to come out to them both." Henk pouted. "And that was before they even came out to me."
"That's just the right punishment for raising the bet," Tom chimed in. "Flo, what do you say about us being the victims of a bet?"
"Well, I wouldn't say victims. How about we're the real winners?"
“You’re right,” he said and gave Flo a kiss.
“Oh, by the way, do you remember our jogging together?” Flo grinned at Max from ear to ear, but before he could say anything, Henk laughed.
"Of course he remembers. He could barely move the next day. At first he didn't want to say what was wrong, but I'm not that stupid after all."
"Oh, we've definitely reached our goal," Tom chimed in. "I don't think I'll jog like that again for a while. I didn't have any sore muscles, but we weren't much more fit than you, Max, and we were constantly pushing ourselves to the limit."
"At the time, I thought I couldn't go through with it, but I probably didn't want to lose face in front of Tom." Flo paused. "But I didn't realize that at the time."
"That reminds me, I have to tell you that I don't have a brother. Not that you'll think that later." Tom looked at Max.
"What, you don't have a brother? But what about his education?"
"Why do you think Tom has a brother?" Henk interrupted Max. "And how do you know, Tom, that Max thinks you have a brother?"
"It's quite simple. He overheard a conversation in which I claimed my brother had called me to tell me he was dropping out of college."
“That can’t be true, you’ve been talking about it for hours?” Max was astonished.
“Why are you eavesdropping on other people’s conversations?” Henk distracted.
"I wasn't eavesdropping. Don't believe everything Tom and Flo say." Max only spoke to Henk. "While jogging, the two of them talked almost exclusively about the trainer of Tom's brother... er... alleged brother. They made it so vivid that I still have a picture of him today."
"Oh, that's good. We brought a picture of him with us. It's out in the hallway." Tom didn't show his surprise at Flo's words.
"Then go get it, because I'm really curious. But why is there a picture of the instructor if you don't have a brother?" Max asked Flo.
"You're asking questions." Flo grabbed her head. "Do you want to see the picture now or not?"
"Yes, of course."
“Then just come with me.” Flo stood up.
Tom could hardly suppress his grin, but only Flo and Henk noticed. The four of them trotted into the hallway, where Flo and Tom's backpack was. Only then did Max and Henk notice that they had each arrived with only one backpack. But Flo made no move to pick up the backpack.
“I thought you wanted to show me the picture?” Max was getting impatient.
“You’re already standing in front of it.”
"What?" Max didn't understand. He only saw the mirror, which bore ugly fingerprints.
Now Henk couldn’t hold back any longer: “You didn’t…?”
“But we did...,” Flo also laughed.
"..." Tom agreed, tears almost welling up in his eyes.
Max didn't understand a word. He looked back at the mirror, searching for the image he couldn't find. Suddenly, his face turned red and he swore loudly. The curses were barely audible, drowned out by his laughter.
"And I didn't notice anything." Max had somewhat recovered. "Those two have been making fun of me for hours and I don't even notice." Max took it with humor; what else could he do? "No, actually, much worse. They even knew I was listening. How can anyone be so stupid?"
"We've been wondering that for weeks, too. And we were talking about you completely openly. We'll probably tell our kids about that," Tom said dryly.
"I remember it very clearly," said Flo, "suddenly Tom had a brother. At the preparatory meeting, there were only two sisters."
“What, preparatory meeting?” Henk didn’t let Flo finish.
"Yes, of course. And not just one," Tom explained. "When Max announced he was going to spy on us while we were jogging, we first drove to the lake to figure out what to do. Max's behavior really got on both our nerves; we were far from forgetting his, or rather your, blackmail."
"By the way, one of our plans was to completely ignore you, Max, not even say hello." Flo grinned. "But I probably wouldn't have been able to stick with that; acting has never been my strong suit."
"What was left was that we wanted to ignore you as much as possible. And Flo and I wanted to have a lively conversation the whole time. But up until then, we had hardly exchanged a personal word. What do you talk about then?"
“And that’s why you invented a brother?” Henk looked astonished.
"I could have sworn back then that you two were getting along well by now. And it was all an act." Max couldn't believe it. "How can you say you can't act, Flo? You were truly convincing."
"Not quite. We had a meeting before the jog. We went to the beer garden on Saturday, just to get to know each other enough to talk. But we went way overboard and said a lot more to each other than was necessary. The conversation was really fun. That's when the ice was broken for me," Flo concluded, slightly dreamily.
"For me, it was a little earlier. After we'd made our plans at the boat dock, I wondered why Flo and I weren't getting along. The next day, I noticed that the two of us were getting along, even if we didn't exchange personal words. We'd accepted each other much longer when it came to jogging. There was no argument about where we wanted to run and how fast, etc. Jogging was purely business, forced upon us by some underhanded blackmail, if I remember correctly," Tom couldn't help remarking, "but in that time, we'd forgotten our dislike."
"I think someone was completely framed." By someone, Henk meant Max, of course. "Planned like a general staff. Respect."
"But I only remembered the thing about my brother while I was out and about. Flo almost blurted it out, but I interrupted him in time."
"Do you think that would have made a difference? We probably could have talked about a UFO landing and Max would have believed anything we said!" Flo enjoyed twisting the knife again.
"But I have to admit that I immediately noticed the resemblance between the newly invented instructor and Max. And Flo jumped on it right away. The amount of time we talked about you, Max, back then was probably unprecedented. It was wonderful to gossip about you without you noticing. And you always follow along, or rather, pant, obediently."
"You reminded me a lot of my little brother back then. I often had to take him with me when I wanted to play with friends. But that wouldn't have worked with him."
"And that's the thanks I get for doing everything I could to help you find each other." Max pretended to pout. He knew the story would probably be held against him until the end of his days. And he knew he'd always laugh until he cried.
Even years later, Tom was still greeted with the question of how his brother was doing. To which Max simply replied that he would have to ask the Emperor of China