Taken for a Ride

But he wouldn’t need money for the hotel in Cologne. When David checked in, with Heinrich standing behind him, holding his bag, not showing the desire to leave him yet, David discovered that his bill for the next week had already been covered by the prince in Luxembourg.

“Thank Seigfried for me,” David said, turning to Heinrich. Heinrich gave the musician a lopsided smile and nodded his head. David took that as a suggestion that the chauffer come up to his room with him before returning to Luxembourg. Taking the hint, David said, so those at the reception desk could hear him, “Could you carry my suitcase and violin upstairs for me, Heinrich?”

He could and he did, and he stayed long enough to fuck David again up against the wall next to the door. He hung around for dinner before he left. Neither one of them wanted to part from the other.

The next day, April 1st, was the first day of practice at the cathedral for Gustav Holst’s The Planets. David passed a newspaper kiosk while he was walking to the cathedral. A photo the young man saw there on the cover of an English-language Luxembourg newspaper made him pause, do a double take, smile, and mutter, “Well Shit. April Fools.”