Together in Berlin

Chapter 9 - Cole's POV

Chapter 9 – Cole's POV

Beth dragged me by the hand in the pub. I followed her obediently, trying not to overthink this and freak out.

I had never gone out as Beth's boyfriend before. I had no idea how her friends would react and if they would like me. Was I supposed to do everything I could to win them over, or should I just act normally? I never had a girlfriend before. I didn't know what to do.

And it wasn't just about her friends liking me. It was also about how we should interact with each other. Maybe we wouldn't be fun together as a couple.

I looked down at our hands, my fingers interlocked with hers.

I smiled. Everything was going to be okay.

I easily spotted the table where her friends were sitting. They were waving enthusiastically at us.

Nikki was there too, so it was nice to know Beth wouldn't be the only one I knew there.

"Hey everyone, this is Cole," Beth said as soon as we reached the table.

Her three friends introduced themselves quickly around the table. Nikki also made a show of articulating her name slowly to introduce herself, like I didn't already know her.

They all looked friendly. I wasn't exactly surprised though. Beth wouldn't make friends with just anyone.

"It's nice to finally meet you. We've heard of you, but not much about you," Deirdre said.

I pressed a hand to my chest while sitting down beside Beth. "Are you telling me that when I'm not there, Beth is not constantly bragging about me, and only talking about me all the time? I'm quite disappointed."

That made Beth's friends laughed.

I was happy.

"So, what do you do when you're not in town distracting Lili simply with your presence?" Mila asked me.

"I work at a law firm in New York that specializes in humanitarian cases. We're trying to help change adoptions laws right now so it's more accessible to everyone," I explained, rambling a little, to make sure they knew I wasn't a shady lawyer working for a big corporation.

"That's pretty neat," Lucas said.

I thanked him. He looked like an easy-going guy, someone I could probably be friends with too.

A waiter came to our table to ask about our order. I skimmed through the simple menu quickly and ordered a burger.

"What do you want to drink?" he asked me.

"Oh, just water is fine," I answered.

I heard disappointed moans all around the table.

"Just water?" Deirdre asked.

"I'm not much of a drinker," I explained.

"Bring him a glass, we'll get a pitcher," Lucas answered for me.

"Is this that peer-pressured drinking I've heard so much about?" I laughed.

"Aw, poor American," Lucas crooned.

"I love the way that in Europe you say American like it's an insult," I said, amused.

"Oh, it's not just in Europe honey, it's everywhere in the world," Deirdre teased me.

"Fine. I'll have whatever you're drinking," I conceded.

"Your strongest stout it is!" Lucas told the waiter.