Decision in Paris - First Book E-Book

Lynn Lamarr

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Serie: Decision in Paris - Frst book
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Seitenzahl: 909

Beschreibung

About this book: Aydan Loàn beautiful, rich and aspiring. He has everything a person can wish for and needs for a good life on earth! But strangely enough he is not happy! In him slumbers a deep secret, which nobody may ever find out and he does not give away anything. Aydan believed until a few days ago still to have escaped his fate forever. For an assignment to save his company from bankruptcy, he has to travel to Paris in a hurry. The city of love reveals the deep secret he tried to hide and turns his life upside down. A decision is due, which makes hearts break! In "Decision in Paris" Lynn Lamarr has succeeded in packing social issues that could not be more topical into a stirring story. Truths we don't dare to speak become the core of this novel, and it manages to capture the emotional world of the protagonists on paper with a sometimes drastic choice of words. Because the world is only as we allow it to be!

Leseprobe

This book is written for all those ... ... who feel like this!

My personal word:

I wrote this book for all those ...

... who feel so ...

... who suffered so ...

... who fought so

... and so were ostracized ...

... and lastly for those who had to suffer along!

Like me!

In the faint hope that the words in this book move something to the positive ... they shall be anchored there. And who knows, maybe, if life wills it ... my view of things changes a little the perspectives that until now have not been able to change anything.

I wrote 'Decision in Paris' to share new perspectives. I told a story from life! Surely the reader will ask himself in the middle of the book whether I am also so, also feel like the characters in this story. If the reader thinks I am also like that, then I have done my job well! And if the reader realizes how authentic this story is, then I have achieved my goal with my writing. Yes, and if my words touch the reader, that is my greatest reward. Even if the question and all the speculations remain open, whether I am as I am not, and am not as I am! And if the question arises nevertheless, which burns guaranteed so some after this book on the tongue, then I can give only one answer ... is it important for this story, how I am or am not? Probably not! I wrote about a murderer in 'City Without Light' and I am not one! So, from that point of view, not everything in my books has to do with me as a person and even if it did, it wouldn't change anything, affect anything, destroy anything! At last, we are as we are ...

I work in a large company where I deal with multifaceted people on a daily basis. Not long ago, a young man came to me and told me about his disposition, and this trust, this hurt, this being lost touched me so deeply that I decided to use this fact as the main theme in this story, as already described in 'City Without Light'. It's easy to dismiss things that are different as bad without ever asking the question of why. I fight for justice in all my novels, to lend my voice to those who are rarely heard in our time, like the sick, the weak, the poor, and all those who are not as the universally held worldview demands. I wrote ‘Decision in Paris’ for those people who like to experience and recognize a different view of things! Who see that the truth is often a lie and vice versa!

The story of two men who don't want to be as they are ... is last in nothing to be lied and also not to be glossed over ... equal what we are and what we do, we can't choose it and the one who could choose his predisposition may contact me any time and I rewrite this novel any time! If someone tells me, he could choose it, how his life should look like, I want to get to know him immediately! Until then we have to accept, how this life is and to judge it in nothing! And if same-sex love is our only problem worldwide, then this world is a lot better off than it shows itself at the moment, because then we are free from hunger, unemployment and everything what makes this globe so bad! There the love of two equal people is probably still the least suffering! And exactly we have to live and to direct our priorities there where they are really needed! However, certainly not in the love of two like-minded people!

I know from personal experience that we can choose nothing here in this world! Neither which skin color we carry nor the eyes color, so nor that of the hair, but only the modest fact to get the best out of the fate. That alone is what is in our power, and this only as far as an environment also allows it and as far as this is open for the kind of a life. As a child I had red hair and was covered with freckles, I was teased for it! Later, when I had this bullying behind me and was fighting for acceptance, my parents got divorced.

I became a child of divorce and was ostracized for it. When I also gloriously put this behind me, my mother died very early, and I came to an orphanage and suddenly became an orphan and was also dismissed like that! But why I came there, nobody was interested! At last, I had to endure things for which I could not do anything, and therefore I know from personal experience what it means to be different from others without ever being to blame for it! It is exactly for these disadvantaged people that I have written this book.

‘Decision in Paris’ stands up for just that, so that we all have the chance for acceptance, tolerance and justice. No one in this world likes to stand up for something for which he can do nothing! No matter for what! And I hope to have changed the view a little bit after this story and that those are grateful who don't have to be like others are ... who never want to be like that! Lastly, it only remains to mention that we all are as we are ... without a question and choice what tomorrow still brings and so we have to take the day and be there for those people who have far less than ourselves ... because the very fact to be free in a world where freedom is something precious ... is more than anything else to ever strive for in this very world! And what not everyone on this earth can experience ... be it by a stroke of fate, by an illness, by financial hardships or just ... to be different ... to be free means ... to be free from everything ... so also from prejudices ... because really free can only be the one who leaves others the freedom to be different ... in this sense ... have fun with

'Decision in Paris' ... The summer was just beginning! Part I

Preface:

This book was written for all those who like to read exciting and entertaining stories. I decided to tell a story that will take the reader to another world. That makes the reader laugh and cry. Who feels anger and hate and loves. When the reader closes the book at the end of this story, he should be able to say:

"What a story ... what a journey!" I hope to have passed on something to the reader with this story, some tension and who knows, maybe also a slightly different perspective on this world. So that we do not always take everything at face value, what the politics and the media world make us believe, go with a little more reason into the future and put the common sense again in the foreground and recognize that we are only guests on this globe!

The story is to be read with the heart, because so it was written, and only so this story is to be read! With the heart!

We at the publishing house want a story to be fun to read! It has always been our ambition that this book, too, as once

‘City in the Dark’

has three goals to fulfill:

distract the reader from his everyday life ...

to touch his heart ...

and to take something for yourself at the end of the story ...

If this book fulfills even one of these points, then the story has achieved more than we could ever hope for, and much is suddenly unimportant!

We claim at the end of this story ... ... nothing will ever be the same again!

A special thanks goes to …

… all my back reader, who searched for the last mistakes and tried to find my clumsiness! Thanks also that he encouraged me very often, when mine left me. Who read my story and with his opinion and feeling about it helped me to believe in myself - and in the story! Drove me to bring all my stories to an end! THANK YOU!

THANK YOU to all those who motivated me to continue ... even if I often did not want more! No longer saw the point!

THANK YOU for being there in the decisive moments! Furthermore, I would like to thank the following people for their work, who inspired me with their work and accompanied me throughout my life and gave me strength:

MIREILLE MATHIEU, PETULA CLARK, DALIDA, JUDY GARLAND, LARA FABIAN, DORIS DAY & ELVIS PRESLEY.

Without these people, many things would not have been possible!

Further thank you:

JAMES HORNER, JOHN WILLIAMS, CHRISTOPHER YOUNG, HANS ZIMMER, JERRY GOLDSMITH & PATRICK DOYLE

and all the other great film composers, whose names I cannot mention all here! I needed their music to often get into the desired mood, so that I could feel as the story is now to read! With the heart!

THANK YOU, a thousand times!

Only those who have ever loved like this ... ... knows what it means to love!

Lynn Lamarr

Index:

Chapter 1: The Love Letter …

Chapter 2: A Hurtful Question …

Chapter 3: Women …

Chapter 4: Two Questions …

Chapter 5: How To Purchase Of A Car …

Chapter 6: The Prosecution …

Chapter 7: Three Lawyers …

Chapter 8: The Judgment …

Chapter 9: He Who Touches Love...

Chapter 10: Two Letters …

Chapter 11: A Reason …

Chapter 12: A Touch of India …

Chapter 13: The Mirror …

Chapter 14: Unpleasant Messages...

Chapter 15: The Importance Of The Matter …

Chapter 16: The Wedding …

Chapter 17: The Powerlessness …

Chapter 18: A Decision …

Chapter 19: Jealousy …

Chapter 20: White Roses …

Chapter 21: Nameless …

Chapter 22: The Best Man On The Spot …

Chapter 23: Claire …

Chapter 24: Pasts …

Chapter 25: Sanctions …

Chapter 26: The Executor …

Chapter 27: The Breach Of Fidelity...

Chapter 28: Lausanne …

Chapter 29: Inconsolable …

Chapter 30: Harlow …

Chapter 31: The Smile Of A Man …

Chapter 32: Man's Worst Crime …

Chapter 33: Hard Decisions …

Chapter 34: Deplorable Truth …

Chapter 35: Breaking Hearts …

Chapter 36: Every Time …

Chapter 37: Glances …

Chapter 38: Cloclo …

Chapter 39: Too Spontaneous …

Chapter 40: The last Metro …

Chapter 41: Fresh Bread …

Chapter 42: The Pulse …

Chapter 43: Gréco …

Chapter 44: Straw Fire …

Chapter 45: Forbidden love …

Chapter 46: The Only Crime …

Chapter 47: The Code …

Chapter 48: Hand in Hand …

Chapter 49: How Colorful The Bird …

Chapter 50: The Summer Began …

Chapter 51: The Lies Of The State …

Chapter 52: Shards …

Chapter 53: The Art Of Tea

…

Chapter 54: CSD …

Chapter 55: French Legend …

Chapter 56: Red Ballet Stockings …

Chapter 57: Monte Carlo …

Chapter 58: The End Everyone Wishes For …

Chapter 59: The Most Beautiful Time …

Chapter 60: Reason And Unreason …

Chapter 61: True And Upright Love …

Chapter 62: Unspoken Truths …

Chapter 63: Moment Of Wrath …

Chapter 64: Unasked …

Chapter 65: Betrayal …

Chapter 66: Irony Of Fate …

Chapter 67: The Face Of Happiness …

Chapter 68: The Right Time of Truth …

Chapter 69: All The Tears …

Chapter 70: Listen To Your Heart …

Chapter 71: Being A Father …

Chapter 72: The Most Beautiful Time Of The Year …

Chapter 73: The World Is Nowhere …

Chapter 74: Never …

Chapter 75: Paris One Summer Long …

Chapter 76: Not The Right …

Chapter 77: With Time You No Longer Love …

About This Book

More About This Book

The Publisher About This Book

About The Author

©All rights reserved, in particular the right of mechanical, electronic or photographic reproduction, storage and processing in electronic systems, reprinting in newspapers or magazines, public performance, filming or dramatization, transmission by radio, television or video, including individual text or image parts. As well as ideas and concepts contained in the story.

The Publisher

The content of this book is pure fiction! Names, persons and places are either a product of the author's imagination or were purely invented. Any resemblance to living or dead persons is purely coincidental.

The Publisher

Decision in Paris

The summer was just beginning!

Chapter 1: The Love Letter ...

Every life on this world is born into a scenario, the fate hovers like a shadow over the people. No matter what starting conditions a life may have, nobody knows the end. The year 1999 was just on the threshold of entering the new millennium. The feelings of mankind were divided. Some were waiting for the end of the world, others for a better 1000 years. And those who believed in neither were convinced that a computer crash would spell the end of humanity. But none of this was to happen. The world continued to turn just as it always had. However, on this New Year's Eve, Aydan Loàn stood on the threshold of the year 2000 and could celebrate his twentieth birthday on the first day of the new millennium.

"Finally ready!" were his words after the cork of the champagne popped, which were not only meant for his birthday alone, but also for the hopes of the new millennium. In the fall of 1999, he had finished his apprenticeship as an insurance salesman, after which he planned to take his high school diploma, which would cost him another year. Later, if he passed this matriculation examination, four more years of study would await the boy. But before he could start school in the summer of 2000, he wanted to earn some money. He had the opportunity to stay at the agency where he once completed his apprenticeship.

Aydan actually experienced a very beautiful childhood. He grew up in a way that many could only dream of. His father was a rich industrialist who offered him, his mother and his brother Fabrice, who was a year younger, a life that can only be seen in movies. The two children were fundamentally different. The question often arose whether the two Loàn brothers were really descended from the same father. Aydan was almost one meter eighty tall and quite well built, he loved sports, music and his books, especially poems and poetry. But most of all, he loved colors, which he tried to turn into pictures! His passion belonged to photography, and he was always looking for the beautiful things in life. The boy possessed black straight strong full hair like his mother, which he wore short and very well-groomed. His nose showed the beauty of his mother, as well as the well-shaped lips. The even white teeth he had from his father, but the most beautiful thing in his face were actually his dark eyes, which held deep secrets. He took after his mother, truly in everything. Estefania was a beautiful woman who once emigrated from Italy, from a small village in Tuscany. Her father Giovanni-Franco Batista was the third of twelve children. His mother Maria and her husband Paolo barely had enough to eat and room for all their offspring. Thus, the village where they all lived did not offer enough work either. Therefore, after Giovanni finished his apprenticeship as a bricklayer, he decided to leave his village and go out into the world. But his money didn't stretch far, so on a vineyard in Tuscany, where he was earning some money, he met and also fell in love with Maria, the daughter of the maid who, like everyone else there, lived on the estate. Together they set out in search of a better life, and like many Italians in the sixties, he found employment in Alsace, seventy kilometers from the Swiss border. Before long, Maria became pregnant and the two had to marry. Their first child together would be named Giuseppe, and just one year later Estefania saw the light of day. The two siblings grew up in abject poverty. They did not have much, the greatest luxury was to find food on the table every day.

Estefania learned the profession of a dressmaker, but her school performance was not sufficient for more. Her brother found an apprenticeship as a carpenter. The girl grew up to a true beauty and turned all the men’s eyes, if not the head. No matter what age, too. After her apprenticeship, she found a job in a clothing factory and worked her way up to forewoman. One day, the boss's son came to visit, and he had to take over the company after his father died. The young owner of the company walked through the sewing hall where Estefania was doing her work on one of the big sewing machines. He looked at the beauty as she passed, and she followed his gaze. No, not like the other seamstresses who bowed their heads to the floor out of fear and awe. This pleased him, this pride, this lively girl, whom he asked to come to his office just an hour later. There, the new owner of the company asked the young woman, who was just 22 years old, about all the things he didn't usually get to see in the company.

At one point, when all the questions were getting on her nerves, she realized without a second of fear:

"Maybe you come to the company unannounced when you want to see the truth! And not when there is enough time to fix and conceal everything for the boss! To put flowers in the reception, which otherwise are never there!" This answer impressed the man so much that in the same hour he asked her if she wanted to dine with him. In a city he did not know and did not like. And Estefania answered right away, too:

"Yes!" Amar Loàn stayed a whole week in this small town just for this beauty. This 32-year-old man, who had once studied business administration for the sake of his father, so that he could actively help in the company and later take it over. His father Victor Loàn was a native of Ireland. Like his son, he took over his father's once small tailoring studio in Dublin. This went from ten employees to a hundred in just nine years. Right after the war, people needed clothes, beautiful things to wear. In search of different fabrics for normal garments as well as fine cloth for the noble clientele, his path led him to Colmar. There he met the girl Irene in a linen weaving mill. The Irishman quickly fell in love with the simple beauty. Impetuously, he realized that producing in his own country was cheaper, and so Irene moved with him, for love and a better life, to Dublin. But once in search of the best fabrics, he quickly realized that it was cheaper to move part of his production to Colmar. There he bought a small factory building, which he purchased for good money. With the upswing, the production in this factory grew rapidly and so did the workforce. Twice a year Victor Loàn visited the factory in Colmar. Their marriage remained childless for a long time, until Amar brought happiness to this small family as the only child. The sudden death of Victor, who was still at the company late at night, abruptly ended this beautiful, harmonious family happiness. He died of a heart attack, alone, lonely and without anyone to help him. Victor passed away very painfully. Irene could never forgive herself for not standing by her husband on that difficult night. With the death of his father, Amar realized that he had to take over the company, without a question of his own desire.

But the boy was completely overwhelmed and needed weeks to recover from the sudden death of his father, but above all to settle into the company. Life, however, went on. It did not ask for mourning and wishes, it demanded the next day without notice. And so, for Amar, a visit to the Colmar branch was mandatory. The people there wanted to know what would happen after the director's death, and that was how this story began.

The day came and Amar finished the visit to the branch, so he had to leave Estefania alone! He had no choice but to go back, because his mother urgently needed him at the plant in Dublin. No sooner had Amar returned to his life than he began to miss the girl and she him. Yes, Estefania had fallen madly in love with the man ten years her senior, so that the very next day she wrote him a love letter. With great astonishment, three days after his departure, Amar held this handwritten envelope in his hands.

His secretary, who already worked for his father, carried the said envelope to his office along with the daily mail.

The handwritten address immediately caught his eye, as did the fine paper. It was precisely for this reason that he first reached for this mysterious letter. With the ivory letter opener, which his father had once brought back from a trip to Africa, he hastily cut open the envelope, took out its contents and read the words, which felt as delicate as the sweetest chocolate:

"Dearest Amar,

my thoughts are wherever I am ... only with You! No matter ... where I go and what I do! As soon as I think of You ... a smile appears on my face and in my heart. In my imagination I stroll through the city park, see us at midnight, just when the lanterns go out and we kiss ... in the dark of the night! Or us sitting behind a glass of champagne, which I have never been able to taste.

Yes, Amar, I think a lot about us, about me, and when I think of you, I start dreaming. Your laughter has enchanted me, your humor that makes me happy, beguiles me. Your way, your essence make feelings arise in me that I never knew before.

I am not so experienced in love, there are certainly other girls my age who are a lot more daring in this point. I have always kept the love, the upright and true! With you I could imagine a love as deep as I see it in my dreams. Where we laugh and cry together, where I watch over you by day and by night.

Yes, and I want to know so much from you, what color you love, what music you listen to, what food you like and what fears you want me to dispel.

Give me your hand and we will enter an unknown land together! A land which all want to experience ... that of love! I am not a woman of big and beautiful words, but one thing I know for sure, that the meaning of life has something to do with love. This is what I want to find out only with you!

A colleague of mine ... once asked me when I would know that I really love upright and honest?! I shrugged my shoulders and could not give her an answer! And she told me: 'When we don't ask any more questions ... then we love!' And me? Don't ask any questions. I want to go with you into the future! Without any fear! To go to bed with you in the evening and to wake up with you in the morning, at last to spend every single minute with you, and this every day! I didn't think it was possible to love like this... Yes, my heart calls Your name, and I feel deep inside that I love You far above everything!

Yes, my dearest Amar, if you feel only approximately in such a way ... as I feel for you ... so let us go together into the future! Surely, we will not understand many things on the way there! Who loves, asks no questions, and I ask none ... now I hope deep inside me ... you also have no questions!

I have opened my heart for you and do not want to close it again ... without taking you inside! There, where YOU are anyway already ... deep in my heart!

With love Estefania"

Amar whispered a devotional after all those words written there by her:

"Yes!", and so began this love story. Later he confessed to her that he had never read anything more beautiful than those words that she put together so beautifully just for him. Estefania was a little reluctant to move to Ireland and begged him to stay in Colmar. With his father no longer alive and his mother consoling herself with the vice-director of the company, nothing kept him there. The two of them did look for a cottage a little outside Colmar, but eventually they bought a mansion. They were, with all due respect, considered a very unequal couple. Amar, with ten years more on his back, seemed rather lowly next to her. He embodied the typical Irish type with red hair, freckles and cheese-white skin. She, on the other hand, as an absolute beauty, attracted all eyes. Estefania had wild brown hair, a face like an angel and was otherwise full of life. But love often brings together people who see only with their hearts.

Amar gave his wife a free hand in everything she wanted. In the end, she drove a lot of things forward in this factory. Estefania selected the fabrics, traveled to Paris twice a year for sure, and looked for the latest fashion there. At one point, two years after the wedding, she became pregnant and Aydan was to see the light of day. Another year later came Fabrice, who outwardly took after his father. The boy had exactly the same red hair, freckles and pale skin. Without a doubt, the two Loàn brothers could not be more different.

Chapter 2: A Hurtful Question ...

The whims of nature were all too evident in the two boys. Unlike Fabrice, who branched out like an open book, Aydan was always shrouded in mystery and remained secretive, if not closed. His mother never knew what was going on inside her son. Nothing that moved him, tormented him, or even what his wishes and dreams were, penetrated to the outside. Aydan remained a mystery to everyone. He could only express his feelings in pictures, which showed a tremendous intensity and strength. For this reason alone, everyone was convinced that the boy would one day make a career as a photographer. Despite this, however, and at the insistent request of his father, he studied economics. Amar, however, was of the opinion that photography would not bring anything to his business, and so Aydan finally bowed to his father's will. Just like many other sons in this world before him. Yes, Aydan became visibly more unhappy with this forced career choice. His brother Fabrice showed more courage to assert his will and learned the profession of a carpenter, just as his grandfather's brother had once done. Fabrice was in everything rather the wooden type, in his movements, his way of speaking and also otherwise. He was very gifted in craftsmanship. This stood out in his whole being. He was loud, had a language like a construction worker, walked like a farmer, was also otherwise inelegant and did not mince words. Aydan embodied the opposite in every respect. He always chose his words politely and nobly, his speech was neat, every hair in place, his appearance perfect. His clothes were elegant and he himself was extremely courteous. His look was so different from that of his classmates - so full of melancholy. There was always a sadness in his eyes, which he tried to hide wherever he was. He laughed, but his laughter always showed his aloofness. There was always a darkness in his crystal-clear blue eyes that reflected his loneliness.

Yes, the two brothers were more than dissimilar, as they could hardly be more different.

A disparity like day and night. Despite Fabrice's wooden behavior, his mother had much the better connection with him. She couldn't do anything with Aydan's secretive manner. On the contrary, his secretiveness annoyed her, and the two often had arguments, if only because she couldn't figure Aydan out. Estefania was exactly one of those mothers who always wanted to know everything about their children. Deep down, she wished she could have the kind of interaction with her son that other mothers have. She wanted to exchange a few words with him and be close to him. Yes, Aydan was and remained a very secretive boy, as beautiful as he was, his nature remained mysterious. Unapproachable!

Amar, on the other hand, did not worry about his wife's grief or his boys' hardships. On the contrary, he considered the secrecy rather a sign of growing up. The father rather made sure that his two sons lacked nothing and that they could attend the best schools that existed in Colmar, from which, however, only Aydan knew or had to take advantage. Fabrice stuck to his carpentry apprenticeship, and so Amar staked everything on Aydan.

His disappointment was immense when Aydan once again expressed her desire to study photography after graduating from high school. But his father raged.

"I didn't pay you to go to the best schools and take pictures. Get these ideas out of your head ... as a hobby ... okay! But certainly not as a profession! A boy with your looks and skills will know far better things to do ... than to run after an illusion ... which brings no money! It's enough if your brother remains a woodworker for all the world!" he let the dream burst, snorting with rage.

And so, against his will, Aydan studied economics, which made him even more closed and aloof. As already mentioned, with the chime of the millennium Aydan came of age and with it the desire to move away from his parental home in order to realize himself and his dream. Away from the eternal reproaches of his mother and the stubborn demands of his father. Yes, Aydan wanted to do what his heart told him was right and not continue to surrender to his misfortune. Unlike Fabrice, Aydan only ever hung out with boys, which raised a strange suspicion in Estefania, but which she never dared to bring beyond her lips, so as not to tempt fate.

His father finally asked him to help out in the company, but Aydan resisted. He wanted to be creative, to give in to his true passion. He had so many ideas he wanted to realize, his old life was just getting in the way. A drama unfolded when he confessed to his parents that he had found a job. Yes, in Switzerland, to be precise, as an auditor in a small insurance company.

"A 15-man operation!" were his words. Aydan's mother acted as if he were moving to another continent. A whole two-hour drive away was worth an unprecedented argument. His father never forgave him for not wanting to tackle the company that was to be his inheritance. Estefania was even more unable to forgive him. She never wanted to let her son go so easily. She forgave him even less for the fact that he had never spoken about his plans. Yes, his silence and this eternal secrecy made her angry. The woman was completely outraged when she found out that Aydan wanted to start a flat-sharing community with a couple of boys.

She found it hard to accept this fact and truly tried everything to dissuade her son. And her unspoken suspicions became clear to her again, like a veil being lifted. And even more so after she learned that he was now moving in with Lamas, his best school and college friend, who she felt was a bad influence on her son. Lamas and Aydan had known each other forever and always hung out together. The two found employment at a subsidiary of the company Life and Save' whose headquarters were in Switzerland. Lamas was lucky and found this job right after graduation. He then invited Aydan to join him, who so gratefully accepted the offer. If only to get away from his parents' home.

So, in the spring of 2000, at the young age of 20, Aydan left home to start a new life. His life! So, he went under heavy protest of his parents, who threatened to disinherit him as well as to cut off all other benefits. A behavior, which did not stop Aydan from his intention, however. On the contrary.

Aydan really blossomed. The immense pressure of his parents fell off him like a ton of weight, and finally he could step out of the shadow of his brother, who was oh so perfect. He was no longer the mysterious aloof boy, but cheerful, full of life, curious, and no one else recognized him either. Everywhere he went, he radiated good humor. Especially the women were very fond of him and literally melted away, but he did not want to know anything about the female sex. The two young men quickly worked their way up. As early as 2003, Lamas took over the agency and Aydan became his deputy.

Together they recorded the best sales figures, which consequently prompted them to set up their own small five-man insurance company in 2005. This was to be called 'Safe into the Future' and was soon to be heard from. Until now, however, they had been laughed at.

"This will never work!" were the words of the supervisor, and Aydan's father also held the same opinion. The scoffers were soon to become envious.

One day, Aydan got an idea by chance. A colleague who was desperately looking for a job gave him the idea. The high unemployment figures, which were particularly dramatic in Germany and France, awakened in him the vision of launching a product that would enable every employee to sign up for an insurance policy that would cover his or her income. The idea was simple: anyone could sign up for a supplementary insurance policy that would guarantee them the difference between unemployment benefits and their wages. Similar to the unemployment insurance in Switzerland or Germany, but with the serious difference that the wage compensation would be 100 percent in case of loss of work. This service, which they offered, guaranteed the unemployed person's full salary for two years. The premium payment was adjusted in percentage to the wage. Those who earned little had small premiums, and those who received much paid more. This meant that anyone who wanted to be secure for the future could afford it. Another service was 100 percent pay in the event of loss of income either through an accident or prolonged illness. So, one product after the other was added. Furthermore, a pension plan for the long-term unemployed, who had no coverage from a regular income. They had all these benefits guaranteed by law. They continued to be laughed at by the big insurance companies. Only soon they would stop laughing, and Aydan was of the opinion:

"Everybody has existential problems! Fear of possible unemployment ... no more money to bring home and thus lose any security!", and the two young entrepreneurs were also quickly agreed once:

"Anyone who has ever been unemployed knows what it means to receive 20 to 30 percent less in wages!" Yes, and that's how it happened. Everyone was interested in this supplementary insurance. Lamas and Aydan had found a gap in the market that allowed their small agency to grow quickly.

By the end of 2006, they already had more than 20 employees, and the workforce would continue to grow. Aydan realized at one point:

"We need to hire a lawyer!"

"Why?" also came the question immediately from Lamas, who, unlike Aydan, was the more down-to-earth one. Lamas grew up in modest circumstances as the third child of Leana and Olivier Valmont.

The mother was Italian and Olivier was a real Frenchman, as he was in the book.

"We should be able to protect ourselves legally!"

"You think?"

"Yes! Moreover, I have a claim before me, which the man must fight for us."

"And that would be?"

"You know, I once thought about our unemployment insurance!"

"Ah, so what?" asked Lamas, who still did not understand.

"I mean ... it can't be that a client pays for a service with us that then gets billed again through payroll."

"Right!"

"This way, our customers pay for their service twice!"

"Sure, and what exactly are you trying to tell me?"

"Well, very simple! The customer should be allowed to choose which insurance he wants to claim!"

"Oh! So, you mean that just here in Switzerland and Germany, unemployment insurance is going away for all those who get protection in our country!"

"Yes! Just like that!"

"Unemployment insurance is mandatory and nationalized in both countries!"

"So what? Health insurance in Switzerland is also compulsory, and I can choose it!", Aydan replied.

"I don't think the Labor Office would agree that we should collect this money and not them ... these are millions that would be lost to them!" realized Aydan in a serious voice.

"Well, so it's about time that this company also has to work for its money! Just like any other!", Aydan knew to say.

"Probably won't just accept these so casually!" affirmed Lamas.

"As I said, a lawyer must fight for this right for our clientele. Can't have the apparatus and its bureaucracy gobbling up more money than is paid to the unemployed when we do this work anyway!"

"Is identical with health insurance ... they need more money for their staff and administrative apparatus than is needed for the recovery of the sick!" added Lamas.

"This could also be taken care of by the insurance companies ... this administrative stuff!", Aydan reflected, nodding and appearing matter-of-fact.

"This is all well and good, only the prospect of victory will be rather slim!" doubted Lamas.

"But we have to do something ... it can't be that everyone takes money and the one who is in need ... goes away empty-handed! No, it's completely absurd!", Aydan said, drawing his eyebrows together.

"There's something else we can do!"

"What?" asked Aydan immediately, looking at his business partner.

"Customize the product!"

"And how?"

"Well ... the customer can solve an insurance with us, which covers the difference and for something more a compensation extension. Let's say ... to three years ... thus, during this period of loss of earnings, the customer receives the full benefit of his wages!", Lamas explained with a smile.

"You're good ... really ... could have come straight from me!" and Aydan laughed as well.

"I know!"

"Really good!"

"But your idea may not be bad either!", Lamas smiled ambiguously.

"And which of the many do you mean?"

"That of an attorney of one's own!"

"Told you so!" laughed Aydan more exuberantly than ever.

"So, let's start looking for someone ... who will take care of our needs," Lamas thought, and the very next day he placed an ad. No one answered for a long time, and so the time went by.

Exactly three weeks after the conversation, the two sat together again in her office, and Lamas asked:

"Have you advertised our new product yet?"

"Yes! From tomorrow!"

"And where?"

"Nationwide!" was Aydan's response.

"That means, as usual, Switzerland, France and Germany?"

"Yes! Correct!"

"Good! If this continues ... we will soon have to provide branches ... in Germany and France!" smiled Lamas.

"Do you really believe that?", Aydan asked in amazement.

"No, for now we can still manage everything from here ... but if our products continue to flourish like this ... I'm afraid ... we'll have no choice!"

"Good! Because I think it's still a bit early to expand!" worried Aydan.

"Watch out! The day will come ... when we will no longer be able to master our business from here!" knew Lamas nodding.

"I'm sure it will be ... a few more days until then! I hope so!", Aydan said.

"Sure! I guess there are a few left!"

"By the way, in the meantime, have you found a lawyer who is suitable for us?" asked Aydan matter-of-factly.

"No!"

"No?" marveled the beau.

"Wait! Let me finish! I have ... shortlisted three! Two women and a man our age who just graduated from college!", Lamas answered right away.

"Women?" outraged Aydan immediately.

"Yes. Why not?"

"Tell me, was there only one man among all the applications?", Aydan wanted to know very seriously.

"No! But these three appealed to me the most!", Lamas defended himself.

"You're not going to hire a woman? Are you?"

"Why not? What's wrong with that?" Lamas wondered, seeing the horrified look on his business partner's face.

"I want as few women as possible on this team!" followed his short but firm answer.

Lamas looked at his friend and business partner for a long time, more than puzzled, and after a little moment asked with a serious undertone:

"Why don't you like women?" Aydan looked at him strangely and affirmed:

"You can't say that!" and vehemently rejected this accusation.

"But how?"

"Well, as I said! I want as few women around me as possible!" Lamas' face showed even more astonishment, and he said somewhat hesitantly:

"Don't say you are!"

"What?" asked Aydan, looking at him tensely.

"Gay?!", more than shocked Aydan stared at him, and Lamas noticed how hurt his friend seemed at that moment after all. That's why he quickly added:

"I don't want to sound you out and make it very clear that I have nothing against such people."

"I'm not like that!" defended Aydan, deeply offended, and his expression fell to the ground.

"I didn't mean to offend you!"

"It's okay!", Aydan remained miffed.

Lamas, however, realized that he had just said something that he should never have said.

Since that day, however, Lamas could no longer shake off the suspicion that his best friend, business partner and roommate was into men.

Chapter 3: Women ...

Just one month later, Fabien Aebersold, a Swiss boy, tall, blond, pretty in the face, slightly prone to overweight, started representing the company's legal interests. He was fresh out of university and wanted to gain his first experience as a lawyer in this insurance company. Fabien integrated himself quickly and well into the team and got along splendidly with Aydan. Almost frighteningly well, which of course caught Lamas' attention. The young man brought many suggestions to this company, which were mainly to protect Lamas and Aydan legally. But not only this, but also the constant arguing for more social thinking with official bodies, unions and the like. The new product for possible loss of income due to unemployment and illness was the drawing card for the insurance company and ultimately the egg of Columbus, as was soon to become apparent. Aydan kept bringing new ideas to the company. For example, he created a product that allowed a car owner to have as many cars as he or she wanted redeemed on the same policy. This meant that there was no need to take out a separate insurance policy for each additional vehicle, but they were added to the existing fleet. This product was very popular mainly among classic cars, car collectors and enthusiasts. From the very beginning, this insurance company always paid a lot of attention to social aspects. Thus, they tried to cater even more intensively to the little man, most recently by creating products that were geared to the common worker and his wishes. Products that promoted the social classes.

However, it was with Germany and the legislation that prevailed there that the three young men had the most problems.

"I have never seen such an antisocial country as this one! 60 years ago, this country stood there without anything, and today they have the feeling to determine what should happen in Europe! Should Germany not soon put people and their needs in the foreground again ... the downfall is preprogrammed!", were the stern speeches of Aydan. Quickly they all had to realize that the social and employment offices were rather against the unemployed and they recognized them as the enemy, not as people in need. All those affected who simply could not find a job often had their lives made more difficult by new requirements for no reason. So, the three boys tried to adapt their products again and again to the given circumstances. More and more customers were looking for security in this small insurance company.

In August 2007, almost 50 employees were already working in the company, and it was to grow further.

But another message, or rather two, were to reach Aydan one morning in the middle of summer. However, exactly these messages did not want to please him in any way.

The two friends sat in the office as usual, and Lamas suddenly spoke into the middle of the silence:

"Aydan, I have something else unpleasant to tell you!" and looked at him in the same way.

"Yes? And this would be?" the person addressed immediately asked, looking up with wide eyes.

"I'm going to leave the flat share!" he said hastily, as if these words had to get out as quickly as possible.

"You're not serious?" replied Aydan immediately shocked, if not far more.

"Yes, my full one!"

"And when?"

"By the end of the month!"

"Already?"

"Yes! That's the truth!" confessed Lamas somewhat hesitantly.

"And why?"

"You must have noticed! I have met someone there!", he gave very hesitantly from himself.

"And who is that supposed to be?", Aydan of course immediately wanted to know, and Lamas could clearly see that this news did not suit him at all.

On the contrary, Aydan was in itself firmly of the opinion that women were the decay of every great man. As he often said:

"Kennedy failed because of Monroe, Clinton failed because of Monica Lewinsky. Napoleon to Maria Valeska. Mark Antony to Cleopatra!", and in just a few minutes these very words were to burn hotly on his tongue anew.

"Now you're exaggerating!", Lamas looked at him rather stunned than understanding his behavior.

"And who moves you to this disdainful betrayal?"

"You remember the sister of our flat mate Xavier! Amanda!"

"Yes, for sure! She is also very often with us!"

"Well...what can I say...she captured my heart!" he confessed ashamedly, trying not to look at his best friend.

"Yes, and?" demanded Aydan, not yet taking the matter too seriously. Rather the opposite.

"We decided to move in together!" confessed Lamas hesitantly.

"You can't be serious! Napoleon, after all!" he exclaimed, his eyes wide.

"So come on, don't be so difficult!" moaned Lamas.

"I'm not difficult!"

"What else do you call it?"

"Maybe a little peculiar!" and smiled.

"Oh! Well said!"

"But that doesn't change the fact!" realized Aydan bitterly.

"Which one?", Lamas could not follow him.

"You hardly know the woman! How can you know that this will last? Your affair!", Aydan said rather disparagingly.

"What do you mean ... I barely know her!"

"Yes! Exactly!", Aydan said rather mockingly.

"We've been together in this flat share for four years now! I guarantee I've known her that long!"

"And how long has your love affair been going on?", Aydan wanted to know exactly.

Somewhat hesitantly, Lamas answered, as if he were in court for an interrogation:

"Two years!"

"What, that long? You can't be serious!" cried Aydan, horrified.

"But ... why not?" he looked at him questioningly.

"But you knew how to hide that!", Aydan reproached him.

"Why? We didn't make a big secret of it ... many knew about it!", Lamas astonishment persisted.

"Not me!" declared Aydan emphatically.

"Come! If you had opened your eyes a little!"

"And now you just want to leave me alone with the other two?" the next complaint immediately sounded.

"Not quite!" objected Lamas.

"And what do you mean, not quite ... have you found a replacement for yourself yet?" and Aydan's eyes got even bigger.

"No!"

"Don't! But what?" he probed with growing unease.

"Xavier wants to leave the WG as well!"

"You can't be serious!" he groaned in horror.

"Yes, again my full!", and nodded affirmatively to that.

"And why?", Aydan couldn't understand and showed his expression like that too.

"He found a language residency in the States, so he will stay there for a year!" expressed Lamas matter-of-factly.

"A whole year?" and Aydan was blindsided.

"Yes, and there it is logical that he wants to dissolve his abode here!" assured Lamas seriously.

"And what should happen now?" asked Aydan, overwhelmed.

"I would say ... as harsh as this may sound ... we're all going to get our own digs!", Lamas became clear.

"One of your own?"

"Yes! I have to too, if I want to move in with Amanda! So, we'll all have to find a place to live ... in the next few weeks!" remarked Lamas, almost frighteningly serious.

Aydan looked at him silently for a long, very long time. So, the lamas after he noticed this look:

"What is it?", very questioningly.

"Nothing!" his counterpart answered curtly, but it was more than clear to him what he was thinking, and so Lamas said:

"Just speak up!"

"What do you want to hear?" retorted Aydan, annoyed.

"The truth ... as always!"

"Wouldn't change anything either!" he resigned.

"Maybe ... but come on, tell me ... what's bothering you?", Lamas didn't let up.

"Leave it! Better that way!" and Aydan appeared miffed.

"I already know what's on your tongue!"

"And what?" promptly replied Aydan sternly.

"Well, that in the end our Shared apartment failed as much as all of them!" remarked Lamas.

"Yes! You are right ... these were my thoughts! Like Cleopatra and Napoleon!", Aydan remained convinced.

"Just say it ... because of a woman!" clarified Lamas and a critical look reached him.

"Exactly! Since you already know the truth, it doesn't make sense for me to mention it," Aydan replied.

"Good! So, we've settled that too!"

"And what ... my dear ... did you want to tell me second? What other bad news do you have?" asked Aydan, and his gaze was no less critical.

"Fabien quit!"

"No! Not that too!" he groaned.

"Yes, he did! Just now ... he announced this to me!"

"And why is that?"

"Yes, if I tell you the reason ... you will give me the same answer as before!", Lamas answered perforce.

"Ah! In that case ... because of a woman!" and shook his head.

"That's right!"

"And why quit right away?" cried Aydan, stunned.

"He met a fiery Brazilian girl there and he wants to go with her!" and Lamas paused for a bit, leaving just enough room for Aydan:

"Elopement?", could gruffly interrupt him.

"No! To contest his life!"

"Yes? And what does all this have to do with leaving here?"

"Well! He wants to open his own law firm with her," Lamas explained.

"Does he?"

"Yes!"

"He's out of his mind!" indignant Aydan shook her head again.

"He met this woman at a lawyers' conference and fell in love with her right away," Lamas reported, continuing to appear matter-of-fact.

"A right douche! Aha! So, she's also a lawyer in that case?", Aydan naturally wanted to know exactly.

"No!"

"But?"

"Office assistant and secretary ... she went instead of her boss at the time!"

"Great!" scoffed Aydan.

"Together with her, he wants to open something of his own!" repeated Lamas.

"Yes! Women have already brought down the greatest men in this world!" said Aydan again, laughing far more than mockingly.

"Stop! I know your attitude!"

"Which one do you mean?" remarked Aydan hypocritically.

"As mentioned earlier, Napoleon's and Maria Valeska's! Bill Clinton! Monica!"

"Don't forget the apple!" he admonished.

"Which one?", Lamas could not follow him.

"Which Eve once plucked!"

"Hahaha! But you are particularly funny again today!", Lamas remarked, rolling his eyes.

"At every decay always gave women an all-important reason!" affirmed Aydan, looking at him promptly.

"Aren't you making it a little easy on yourself?"

"The history of the world shows many examples!", Aydan clarified much too seriously, so that Lamas did not know whether he meant these words seriously or not.

"Yes! If you look at it that way ... we failed at the same as the great ones ... I would say a good criticism!", Lamas tried not to get involved in any discussion. After all, he knew Aydan's attitude towards women, and it was, according to him, far more than hostile!

"And what are you going to do now?" asked Aydan, visibly disappointed.

"Like I said, move in with her!"

"No! I mean because of Fabien!"

"Yes, get me a lawyer as soon as possible!" nodded Lamas, showing some concern.

The very next morning, he posted a job add saying he needed a suitable employee for his agency. But he was also looking for a suitable apartment, and so the path to adulthood was different for each of the boys. On top of all that, Aydan was having a hard time understanding that their shared apartment, which was going well after all, was going to be over in just a few weeks. A situation that made his search for a suitable place to stay more than difficult. No matter which apartment he looked at, none of them seemed nearly good enough. So, he couldn't get rid of the old one, which had served as a shared apartment for almost four years, and took over the entire five-room apartment. As he walked through the empty rooms, he spoke quietly to himself:

"Alone! My kingdom!", and now wanted to find his home there. Immediately after everyone had moved out, he had the entire apartment renovated. No, it was truly not a pretty sight what four young men had left behind in the course of time.

After the complete renovation, he began to lovingly furnish one room after the other. Aydan created a paradise that many people envied. Everything was just right and perfect. Yes, he knew how to present a room. The pictures on the walls came exclusively from him and showed all his skills, even if he rarely took a camera in his hands.

Besides, he had more than enough to do with the apartment and his work than to produce photos. Unfortunately, Aydan neglected the very thing he loved to do most: expressing himself in pictures. He did not notice how his creativity slowly began to wither. Meanwhile, the insurance agency was getting bigger and bigger. The products became more and more social and charitable. The ordinary citizen demanded more and more securities, like guarantees, and the more Lamas and his team elaborated, the more numerous and powerful their enemies became. Unions filed lawsuits against them. Other insurance companies criticized and ridiculed them, and all those who did not laugh at them copied their products.

Fabien had left the company less than a month when Lamas spoke to Aydan, who was sitting in the shared office, in a grim voice:

"We have a lawsuit on our hands!"

"What? You can't be serious!" he listened.

"I'm afraid so! A bailiff has just delivered this envelope here!", he said visibly ugly.

"Have you opened it yet? And do you know its contents?", Aydan asked and looked at Lamas, who was as angry as he had never seen him in all these years.

Chapter 4: Two Questions ...

Aydan took the court document, pulled the contents out of the already open envelope, unfolded the paper and began to read.

"We are being sued by the Federal Employment Agency in Germany that we should henceforth pay 100 percent for the loss of earnings of our clients.

How so?" Aydan exclaimed in amazement after a few seconds and was not yet to understand.

"Well! It has been decided that all customers who have purchased loss of earnings insurance from us are to be compensated 100 percent by us!", Lamas explained with a worried expression.

"I don't understand a word!", Aydan shook his head and looked at his partner accordingly.

"Even if such compulsory unemployment insurance has been paid by the client, no benefits will be paid by the Labor Office!"

"How, I still don't get it!"

"Isn't that an impertinence?" indignant Lamas.

"What the fuck?"

"I don't know ... now Fabien could be of use to us!" he realized, and his eyebrows drew together in concern.

"You have to take care of a lawyer as soon as possible who will protect our interests and get us out of this farce!" urged Aydan with a prompting look.

"Yes! I let the whole thing slide a bit ... I admit that!" admitted Lamas bitterly to himself.

"And what do you intend to do now?" a questioning look from Aydan reached Lamas, who showed an expression as if for an execution.

"Fabien, as you already know, has opened his own law firm!" reflected Lamas.

"Yes! Yes ... I know that!" he nodded thoughtfully.

"I will entrust him with this case sometime ... besides, he knows our company and our products very well."

"Yes! It's certainly not a bad idea ... but that doesn't absolve us ... from looking for our own advocate as soon as possible!" sternly reminded Aydan.

"I ... will have another ad placed!" promised Lamas after he calmed down a bit.

"Good! Didn't anyone respond to the last ad?"

"Yes, I do, but as I said earlier ... the matter is somewhat forgotten to me!", Lamas replied and sat down at his place.

"But among the applications you received, surely there are a few that are usable? Or am I mistaken?" asked Aydan, raising his eyebrows.

"I always just threw the dossiers on the pile without looking at them much!" he admitted angrily.

"Yes! Then we should catch up on this and as soon as possible!" demanded Aydan, nodding slightly in concern.

"Good! I'll take care of it right away!" promised Lamas. He then frantically searched for all the application documents lying around on his cluttered desk and said with conviction:

"Well, I think it's better if we hand the whole matter over to Fabien anyway! Because by the time the new lawyer has familiarized himself with everything here ... these wretched people will have long since dragged us into court!" Lamas knew only too well.

"Yes! I think so too!" the beautiful face of Aydan became worried.

"By the way, what I've been meaning to ask you!"

"Yes! Say!" and Aydan looked up.

"Have you settled in by now ... in your big apartment? Alone?", and a sarcastic smile came across Lama's face.