When they had reached the eighth floor, they finally got to their suite, led by the maid. Nothing could've prepared Eliza for what she saw there, though: Because the suite looked less like a hotel room, and more like a luxurious and large apartment, equipped with all possible amenities. Large thick carpets muffled all of her steps, and from the sprawling living area they entered, several doors led on to other rooms -- she could make out a bedroom, a bathroom, and perhaps even more beyond that -- all of them tastefully and expensively furnished with heavy, satin armchairs, a large open fireplace, finely engraved tables and display cabinets made from dark wood, panelled walls and large, high windows, draped with thick brocade curtains. She felt like a queen.
It took her a moment to notice that the maid talked to Kathleen in a muted voice. "... from there you can get to the president's suite unnoticed, the key is in here," she heard the young woman say solemnly, when she handed a sealed envelope to her boss.
Kathleen nodded as she took it into her possession. "Many thanks, my very esteemed... agent?" she answered hesitantly.
"Please, just call me Imogene," the woman replied. "Officially I don't even have a title."
"Imogene," the author repeated. "Well then, thank you very much. Even though I must say I had expected a... shall we say, more official welcome."
The woman looked bashful. "In high places there's the desire not to create much commotion over this," she explained with a sigh. "Especially since you're a woman, and a foreign one at that. You know how it is."
Kathleen laughed and pulled Eliza to her side in a friendly gesture when she answered. "And moreover, a woman who's with another woman, huh?" she remarked jokingly. "But hey, foreigners we are not, but very officially citizens of these great United States."
Imogene eyed them puzzled. "What do you mean, you're with one another?" she asked.
Eliza blushed and eyed Kathleen surreptitiously, who was obviously amused. Sometimes, the assistant didn't know if her boss meant everything she said in earnest. At times, it seemed as if she just said some things to gauge the reaction of her counterpart. And so, even though the thought of it gave her a warm feeling deep inside, she was careful not to overestimate the affection of the author.
"Girlfriends," Kathleen said unashamedly. "Very good girlfriends, who share home and bed with one another, and many other things as well, and pleasure each other the way only women can." Eliza nodded, even though she wasn't entirely sure what she meant by that. Maybe Kathleen saw more in her than she thought possible? And... didn't she do the same herself, without having the courage to say it out loud?
She expected the American to be shocked or repulsed, but instead, Imogene gave the two of them a thoughtful look, with one finger tipping against her right temple. "Interesting," she remarked. "Is that how you do it in Germany?"