Outside the restaurant on Thursday night, Niki hugged me extravagantly.
'You're coming to the meeting in January, aren't you?'
'I don't know. Don't think so'.
'Why not?'
'I haven't been invited'. I'm conscious of Carlo's eyes on us.
'C'mon, you have to come back to Berlin!'
'Berlin! In January? Even colder than now!' says Anya. 'We should go to Rome'.
'Here that, Carlo?' says Niki. 'Next time, Roma!'
'It will be Berlin or Vienna.' Alexander is being practical.
'Vienna! Come ON!!! NO one wants to go to Vienna!'
Niki kisses me on the cheek.
'You take care. I'll be back on facebook soon, promise. Let me know what's happening. OK?'
I return her kiss.
'You too.'
Later, in the Metro on the way back to the hotel, Carlo says:
'When you finish the work for Alexander, send me an invoice, for that and for the work you did for me. We need to finish your involvement with the project by the end of this year'.
That's what I thought.
It's gone midnight before I get to bed, and I'm awake at 4. I get up and pack, then back to bed, but not to sleep.