Arrhythmia Read Free Page A

the battle with my hair, I was certain that it was in complete disarray. Worse, I was still dressed in my sleep shirt, which advertised Iron Maiden in gigantic lettering. Why I even owned the shirt was a mystery. I did not know a single one of the band’s songs. Judging by the heat I still felt in my cheeks, my face had to be beet red. And to top it all off, I was gaping at a complete stranger.
    I picked up my chin and tried to hasten out of his line of sight. “Sorry, I have to go. Thanks for helping me. Bye!” With this, I left the man standing there and escaped into the shop.
    After I’d slammed the door behind me, I took a moment to lean against it and take a deep breath.
    What on earth had just happened? I really wasn’t the kind of woman who felt insecure about her looks. Perhaps it sounds a little conceited, but I was aware that I generally was considered pretty.
    So why had I just been seriously upset about what kind of impression I was making on some guy on the street?
    “Good morning. May I help you?”
    I squinted and saw that I was standing in front of a counter. Behind it stood a woman with a friendly, if skeptical, expression. I could hardly blame her.
    Eventually, I remembered why I was there in the first place.
    “Morning! I would like two tickets for the Pink concert in Munich,” I said politely and opened my wallet confidently.
    “Oh, I’m sorry, but I just sold the last two.”
    I lost control over my facial expression in a big way. “Pardon me?”
    The clerk anxiously took a step back.
    “They’re all gone. The tickets, I mean,” she answered cautiously.
    “Are you shitting me?” I gasped. “I risked my life several times on the way here.” It was barely an exaggeration.
    “I really am very sorry,” the woman ventured. She raised her hands in a submissive way, trying to mollify me. Her gaze flicked to a spot under the counter where, presumably, a panic button was hidden. “But I did hear that Pink is planning another tour of Germany in two years.”
    Two years? Some consolation! Who knows what could happen in two years? The world might end next year, you moron!
    I managed to keep the outburst to myself and made do with snorting like a bull, but disappointment threatened to get the better of me. I wasn’t far from collapsing into a wailing heap on the floor.
    Once more, the sales clerk attempted to assuage me. “Unfortunately, there’s nothing I can do. If you’d just come in a few minutes sooner . . .”
    A few minutes?
    “Wait a minute. Do you mean that guy with the red shirt bought the last tickets?” My voice quavered. “Tall? With dark hair? Sexy?”
    I could tell the woman was wondering whether it was wise to answer my question. She looked at me, wide eyed. It was only when I began to raise a menacing finger that she quickly nodded.
    I must really have been a scary sight.
    Hissing angrily, I rushed out of the store and looked up and down the street. Where was he? He couldn’t have gotten far.
    When I get my hands on him . . .
    Then what, really? No idea, but in my current state of mind, I could certainly plead temporary insanity.
    I couldn’t spot him anyway. In retrospect, that was probably a blessing. Another encounter might’ve resulted in a restraining order.
    I set out for home with clenched fists, thinking I’d call Vera and bitch her out. This whole mess was her fault.
    Fine, so that wasn’t true. But somebody had to take the blame.

Chapter 3
    The day continued the same wacky way it had begun.
    The sun shone brightly and, as a result, the ER overflowed with overly ambitious people who would be better advised to spend their lives indoors. Bicycle falls, trampoline accidents, unfortunate incidents with circular saws, and so on.
    I should mention that our tranquil hospital was located in the heart of a popular health-resort region, a mecca for vacationers from all over Germany, which in itself could cause difficulties. It was categorically problematic whenever