She was still trying to make up her mind what to do when she and David flew to Frankfurt in November to have a series of meetings with Gerhard and other top German bank officials.
When the business of the day was over, Gerhard showed them Frankfurt's night life.
They were staying in a grand hotel of the type David most enjoyed. Each evening,Gerhard arrived in a chauffeur driven Limousine to take them out to dinner and dance. David tired early and would suggest that Sharon should stay on till later but she wouldn't hear of it. 'I have to get up early too', she would protest and go back to the hotel when he went.
For David, the best night was the one when Gerhard took them to the City Opera at the arts complex. David managed to stay awake for that but in their last night in Frankfurt, he went to bed early and didn't come out at all.
Gerhard took Sharon to the latest disco to open in Frankfurt. They shouted at each other and danced in a darkness split every second by a revolving flash of coloured neon light, the heavy beat of the music raving around them.
Gerhard kissed her on the car on the way back to her hotel and murmured thickly, 'Can I come in tonight?'
She had been expecting the question ever since they arrived. When he had visited them in London and they had gone out for Lunch with David, she had noticed that his interest in her ran deep but she had not given him any opportunity to say what he had in mind because she knew that she was not interested in him that way and did not want to hurt his feelings by encouraging him and then refusing him. She was not a tease afterall.
And this had also been the reason she had always avoided being alone with him after David went to bed.
She stiffened in his arms,very flushed.'I...I'm sorry, Gerhard...no'.
He looked down at her intently. 'Do you mean not tonight?Or never Sharon?'
'I like you Gerhard, you know that. I find you very attractive and charming. You've really been a wonderful host and I've enjoyed my stay here....'
'But...?' he said dryly.
She couldn't meet his eyes.
'There's someone else?' he asked and she hesitated, then nodded. 'I think I can guess', Gerhard said.
Her green eyes lifted in shock.
Gerhard smiled crookedly at her. Bryan Ferdinand, isn't it? I picked up vibes between the two of you in Rome'. She flinched. Had it been so obvious?
'It was like being caught in an electric storm. I almost ducked one or twice', Gerhard drawled. 'But I wasn't sure if you hated him or loved him, so I thought...', he shrugged with wry sophistication. 'What do you say in England... Nothing venture, nothing gain. You are beautiful and clever. I rarely meet girls who I find as attractive as I find you'.
She blushed and said shyly. 'Thank you Gerhard', I like you too very much,you know'.
'That's nice. I'll try and feel comforted by the thought', he said wryly. ' Well, no hard feelings Sharon. I have really enjoyed showing you and David around Frankfurt. I hope you come back soon. I'll certainly be around London sometime in the new year. And who knows, if you and Bryan never get it together, there might be a happy ending for me?'
Sharon was shake. 'Gerhard, I don't know what to say'. She had been expecting him to make a pass but she hadn't thought for a second that he might be serious about her. Was he saying that he was?
He gave her one of his charming dry smiles. 'Don't look at me like a wounded fawn, Sharon. My heart isn't broken. I'll live'.
They arrived at her hotel and Gerhard kissed her hand lingeringly. 'It had been a magical interlude, thank you very much Sharon'.
For some stupid reason, tears filled her eyes.
'You're too kind, Gerhard, you've made our trip here so wonderful'. She hugged him, gave a husky sob and ran into the hotel.
She lay awake half the night thinking that if she hadn't met Bryan, she might have fallen in love with Gerhard and been very happy with him. It was another reason why she hated Bryan. He had blighted her life in so many ways.
If she had not been pregnant, she might also have considered giving Gerhard a chance though she did not know how that would have been possible when she was always consumed by thoughts, mostly erotic thoughts of Bryan.
She and David left for the airport, early the next morning. Sharon was pale and strained.She had headache and felt queasy in the airport bus. She was afraid at a time that she was going to throw up. David d kept looking at her anxiously as they waited in the check in queue.
'Are you sure you're not coming down with something? You look terrible' Sharon'.
'Too many late nights', she said lightly.
The queue seemed to be crawling along. They had been standing there for ten minutes. She wished she could sit down. She felt very strange.
'Sharon....' she heard David say from afar and that was when she realised that she was going to faint.
She crumpled up without a sound, her auburn hair tumbling round her white face.
They called the airport doctor and Sharon was taken protesting into a quiet room where the doctor examined her, asking her questions which David interpreted for her and the interpreted her replies.
After a few minutes, David said, 'He wants to know if there has been any other symptoms?'
Sharon hesitated biting her lips.
Her hesitation did not escape the doctor who asked David something sharply.
David gave her a quick startled look then said, 'He says..
could you be pregnant?'
Sharon didn't meet his eyes. She nodded.
David d didn't have to translate that. The doctor smiled, said, 'Ah!' and added a flow of quick German which David did not know translate.
'He says that is the probable explanation for the faint then', David quietly said.'If you have further problems, you should see your own doctor when you get home.
They left the doctor and walked through the busy echoing traffic without speaking, bought some news papers and magazines which they read while they waited to board the plane.
On the flight, Sharon avoided meeting David's eyes, and he was grimly silent, his face absorbed.