Udo took another casual, small sip of his drink as he grinned at Kai’s comment about the wine. “I certainly agree,” he said calmly, raising his glass, but not taking another swig of the alcohol it contained. It was no surprise that a night like this would have only the best alcohol Germany, or all of Europe for that matter, would have to offer. It would have been disappointing if it had been any other way.<br/><br/>He would have continued on to make such a comment, but then the trio of women suddenly made their appearance. He looked them over, noting how one of them looked vaguely familiar. While Kristof interacted with them, he did well to take in every word the guy spoke, and couldn’t help but be amused by it all. Smooth with the ladies, he thought, charming. At least he knew how to make the best of a good evening. To give credit where it was due, company like that was always a nice find whenever he encountered it. His hopes were suddenly raised a bit higher.<br/><br/>Not only did Kristof seem to be interesting company, he seemed to know interesting company.<br/><br/>“Why, yes, I am,” Udo said to Maria a pleasant grin, extending his hand to her. She looked down at it for a moment and then took in hesitantly; he could see in her eyes that she felt uneasy, which meant his reputation was leaving more of an impact every day. Udo allowed the grin on his expression to linger, keeping a firm yet brief grasp, while they shook hands. Always keeping up appearances like the good soldier he was. “I can’t say that I know Herr Rothstein well, but he is a wonderful man. An honor to meet you, miss. I don't believe he has ever mentioned he had a daughter.”<br/><br/>He thought about Herr Rothstein, recalling all of the times they had worked together. The memories made him grin a little. Herr Rothstein was a man he questioned from time to time. His loyalty was perfect, there wasn’t any other way he could put it, there was just something about him that was missing. It might have been the way he spoke. Or perhaps the way he carried himself. That’s not to say that he had a dislike for the guy, of course. In fact, honestly, he didn’t mind working with him, the man was driven to fight for Germany and he admired that.<br/><br/>But still…<br/><br/>“Thank you,” Maria said with a smile, though she seemed a little timid and fidgety around him. “It’s… an honor to meet you as well, officer. It… it really is a pleasure to be here tonight.”<br/><br/>“I’m very glad you are having a good time. This night is one that should be celebrated in good spirits, do you not agree?”<br/><br/>“Whole-heartedly.”<br/><br/>“Oh really?” Udo chuckled, cutting her off before she had a chance to say more. “Good to know. You truly are a fine woman, though I’d not expect anything less from a man like Herr Rothstein.” He wasn’t sure what to make of that, and questioned whether or not that was the truth. Herr Rothstein was a fairly talkative man who loved his family just like anyone should. He wouldn’t put it past him to tell his family he thought highly of him. Udo on the other hand… wasn’t sure where he stood though couldn’t help but think about Maria.<br/><br/>She was an attractive young woman; not only was she the spitting image of her father, she was almost flawless. She would make a fine wife someday if she wasn’t already married. Women like her were exactly what Germany needed.<br/><br/>Maria smiled once more and lowered her gaze toward the ground. He took that opportunity to turn his attention toward the other two women.<br/><br/>“Where are my manners?” He said, “It’s a pleasure to have the two of you here this evening as well.” He shook the hands of the other two women, taking in their features as well. They didn’t look as stunning as Maria but they were still attractive.<br/><br/>“Have you known Kristof long, Herr Drechsler?” The woman names Annika inquired as she looked from Udo to Kristof and back to Udo again. She seemed to be looking him over. Maybe similar thoughts were running through their heads at that moment.<br/><br/>“No,” Udo answered honestly. Women. They always liked to pry, didn’t they? “We’ve just met tonight.” With that, he looked at Kristof out of the corner of his eye, nodded once, and said, “I must admit, so far he’s been wonderful company.”