"Can you stop fiddling with the stereo?" I admonish George for the fourth time since we have left Emily's place.

"It's only playing German songs!" He responds defensively.

"No shit, Sherlock! Playing German songs in Germany... how confusing..."

"No shit, Sherlock..." George mimics me. 

I huff and roll my eyes. Emily releases a chuckle from her seat.

"Oh, you two are fun!" she remarks and laughs when I give a small tap to George's hand after he touches the radio button for the umpteenth time. "Where are you children taking me again?" Emily presses after she has asked three times since we started our journey.

"To a place in Cologne. It's a restaurant." I respond.

I stop at the traffic lights and check the instructions Waze displays.

"Is she certain of where she's going?" Emily asks George.

"With Natalie, no one ever knows."

I slap George's arm.

"Ouch! Did I travel all the way here just to get beaten up?"

"If you continue to run your mouth. Yes!"

Emily giggles. "Reminds me of my brothers and I. Bickering to no end."

"An annoying and overly talkative brother..." I huff. I swerve the car to the side and look at the name of the street. Waze keeps insisting there is a right turn, but I don't see any.

Emily scoots closer. "Just tell me where it is and I will guide you. You realise I live here, right?"

I huff. I don't want to give it away, but I'm completely clueless. "One second." I park and exit the car.

"Where's she going?" I hear Emily from behind.

"I'm going to call the restaurant and ask for directions." I respond, hoping she takes the bait.

I can see George's smirk plastered across his face, and I put my tongue out. He can be excruciatingly annoying. I look at my phone and call Marie to get some directions. The phone rings but she doesn't pick up. I look at the navigation app again and try to figure out what have I done wrong. It says we are 5 minutes away, but I cannot see a hint of water where we are much more a whole harbour. I sigh. Really should have paid more attention yesterday when I got the Uber to meet Daniel.

I turn around and see Emily outside the car. "Just tell me where it is!"

I hold my hand and turn my back to her. I sigh and give Daniel a call. He answers on the first ring.

"Hey, where are you?"

We are now late by twenty minutes and counting. Germans hate lateness, and I wonder what Gunther is doing by himself without his bride on a surprise party meant for them.

"I'm lost..."

"Ping me your address." He replies.

I Airdrop my location while still on the phone with him.

"You're not far, Kleiner. You need to turn back and make the first left, then go straight ahead. Once you see a pub called the Brauhaus ohne Namen, park the car. I'll meet you outside. We have Gunther holed up inside the pub with Jonas until we would hear from you."

"Sorry... I know I'm ridiculously late..."

"Hey, you don't know the city. Don't worry about it. Just call me if you can't find the place."

Once I'm on the right street, within two minutes, I reach the pub and spot Daniel almost immediately. Gunther and Jonas stand outside the pub too.

"Is that Gunther?" Emily asks. "Are we meeting them too? I thought Daniel was taking them clubbing somewhere in Dusseldorf..."

I smirk in response.

When we leave the car, Daniel approaches us with a warm smile.

"What are you up to?" Emily asks Daniel. She looks up at her fiancée. "Do you know what they are up to?"

Gunther shrugs in response. "Beats me." He looks at George curiously and holds his arm out to greet him. "Nice to see you again, George."

Daniel's smile fades, and he looks at George with suspicion. A stare that is returned in kind by George that glares at the blonde man unashamedly. George greets Gunther and introduces himself to Jonas enthusiastically.

"Hi, I'm Daniel." The German man holds his hand out and requests a handshake.

George looks at his hand and back at him. He gives him a half-heartedly handshake. "I know..." he responds coolly before taking a big stride towards my side and leaning his arm over my shoulders protectively.

I glance towards Daniel that stands unamused at the gesture and I cannot help but smile at the hint of jealously I see crossing his flushed face.

"So, where are we going?" Emily asks with a pointed singalong at me.

I chuckle. "You've waited this long. You can wait five minutes more."

"More like ten minutes..." Jonas chirps in. "Good to see you, Natalie." He flashes a warm smile.

I peel myself from George's overprotective embrace and walk towards Jonas. "Good to see you, too. How have you been doing?"

I spend the ten-minute walk catching up with Jonas. We both exchange quips about Gunther and Emily's relationship and he reminds me of how he choked the first night he met us with Emily's candour about relationships. So much has changed since then. Once in a while I steal glances at George and Daniel that also walk side by side exchanging hushed words.

"That seems like an intense tete a tete going over there." Jonas chirps in amusedly.

My face reddens at being caught staring.

"I could go there and spy if you would like..." He offers with a warm smile.

I shake my head. "Just worried George might say or do something stupid."

Jonas laughs. "Well, I'm worried about the other one!"

I give him a sideway glance. What does he mean by that?

When we finally arrive on the boat, Emily's face lights up at the decorations and all the guests, which include her family. She cries and hugs me and Daniel, squinching us together to each side of her. Gunther grabs Daniel by the waist and lifts him up in a hilarious move and gives me a fist pump with a big grin.

The music fills up the space and finger food and drinks start circulating by people in white coats and black trousers. Marie really overdid it.

"Get dressed!" Marie's unmistakable voice says from behind. "You look weird wearing jeans and a pullover at a party. Emily and Gunther already changed."

I look at her and smile at her outfit. Classy and edgy, just like Marie.

"What are you doing still staring?" She pushes me forcibly inside the cabin. "I've left the dress hanging for you. I'll wait here."

I enter the small space where there's a bed and a small sofa. My dress hangs by one door. I remove my clothes and lay them neatly on the sofa. I turn my back to face the door where Marie stands just in case someone opens it. But the yellow light that shines on the wall in front of me makes me realise I'm not alone.

"Sorry... I didn't know you were here."

I turn around and Daniel stands with his white shirt open, staring at me in my underwear. It takes a moment for me to notice until he coughs ever so slightly to remind me of my current state. I look down embarrassedly and turn back around.

"Can you please turn around?" I ask.

I hear his feet shuffle and peek to see if he has obliged. I take the dress from the hangar and put it on as quickly as I can until I realise the zip is on the back.

"Daniel?" 

"Do you want me to zip you up?" There's a hint of mischief in his intonation.

"Hmmm. Yeah." I respond.

Daniel, in a heartbeat, is near me. His cologne intoxicates my senses. I feel his hand lowering to my lower back. His finger touches my skin while softly pushing the small metal lock up. His hand pulls my hair to one side and his breath tingles my skin. His movements are slow and purposeful. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I hear the zip come to a halt but his finger still lingers ever so softly on my neck. His breathing quickens and so does mine. He lowers his mouth to my neck and places a gentle kiss on it. A sensual and slow kiss. My insides contort with desire.

"Nat..." he whispers ever so softly.

"Nein! Sie können nicht eindringen!" The raised voices from outside awaken us from our slumber. (You can't get inside!)

"Get out!" George's voice booms.

I rush to the door and open it to find George and Marie in a screaming fit.

"What is happening here?"

"This woman is not allowing me in to change clothes!" George defends himself.

"I was waiting for you to leave the room first!" Marie rebuts. She looks beyond of me and I realise she's looking at Daniel.

"What is he doing here?" George snarls.

"None of your business." Daniel responds.

I roll my eyes. Can't take this much male testosterone and Marie machinations.

"I'm done. All dressed up. You can go and kill each other inside."

I walk past George and Marie and beeline towards the bar. I need a drink!