*Chapter 18*
Boyfriend Material

"So how was the weekend?” P enquired as we sat on the wall outside Mayschoß bahnhof feeding our faces with pizza.
"Was alright,” I allowed.
"It’s like getting blood from a stone,” Ingrid noted.
"So did you win?” P pressed.
"Might of.”
"Ga-ab,” my friend complained.
I finished my slice of double pepperoni, "Okay, I won, satisfied?”
"You can be infuriating you know, Gab,” Pia supplied.

Says she.

"You both done?” Inge asked swinging the car keys.
"Done here,” I allowed closing the box on the three slices reserved for Dad. Well I could hardly not take him some, it’s his Monday treat as much as mine.
 

"Max,” I hissed into my Handy.
"Gab? why’re you whispering?”

Why indeed? Dad’s down watching the telly and there’s no one else in the house.

"Er no reason,” I admitted.
"You won yesterday?”
"Uh huh,” I admitted.
"Thought you were gonna be back earlier?”
"We were but I fell asleep and then it was cheer.”
"That’s your story,” his voice had a smile to it.
"It’s true, so what’re you doing tomorrow?”
"Going to the kiosk for lunch?”
"Apart from that.”
"Dunno,” he started, "Stables most likely.”
"What about in the evening?”
"Evening? You suggesting we get together?”
"Sort of.”
"Weather forecast is looking dry,” he hinted.
"What's’ that got to,” then it clicked, "Oh right, no not like that.”
He sighed, "What were you thinking then?”
"I've got a waitressing gig at the Stube tomorrow night.”
"Really?”
"Really, anyway with Mand away we’re a bit short handed and I sort of wondered whether, you would like fill in?”
"As a waitress?”
"Duh!” I allowed, "Much as I think you’d look cute in a dirndl I was thinking more your Landeskostüm.”
"What the whole lot?”
"Shirt and trousers would do,”
"Why the kostüm?”
"If I have to wear a dirndl you can wear your smart trousers anyway it’s a coachload of tourists, we’re supposed to be giving a traditional German experience.”
"There’s no yodelling is there?”
"You volunteering?”
"You’re the singer in the family.”
Family? "What’s that supposed to mean?”
"Nothing, just that, well you can actually hold a tune, I'm tone deaf.”
"What?”
"I said...duh!”
"Gotcha!”
"If you say so,” he sighed.
"So you up for it?”
"What’s in it for me?”
"Well it pays like thirty euros?”
"Hmm?”
"And you get to walk me home,” I suggested.
"Well in that case I'm in.”
"Cool! You want gravy tomorrow?”
"Gravy?”
"On your pie, should be steak and kidney.”
"Ah, whatever, if you like,” he paused a moment, "Gonna have to go, Gran’s shouting for me.”
“Bum, give her my love I guess.”
"Will do, what about me?”
"What about you?”
"Don’t I get anything?”

I noisily kissed the side of my hand.

"Now you’re talking!”
"No, Max, that’s kissing.”
"Details, details, have to go, see you tomorrow?”
"Nite, honeybunch,” I purred.
"Night, liebchen, Wiedersehn Freddy!” he finished loudly.

Hmm, hopefully we can catch up on some of the tonsil hockey we’ve missed this weekend.
 

"Here you go,” I told Con as I passed her the Edinburgh Woollen Mills bag.
"Oo, goodies!” she gleefully stated before peeking inside, "I’ll open it later, so, good trip? I'm betting you won?”
"Only two stages.”
"Out of?”
"Three,” I casually allowed, “Josh won the other one.”

She rolled her eyes. I think I've said before she might be my BF but her interest in my sporting activities really does go no further than win or lose, she just switches off if I start describing stuff in more detail. Now if we’re talking boys….

"So I guess P told you about tonight?”
"Yeah,” I agreed, "I've sorted someone to cover for Mand too.”
"You have?”
"Yep,” I confirmed slightly smugly.
"Well who is it then?”
"You’ll find out later,” I smirked.
"Ga-ab,” she groaned.
"So how’s it been here?” I requested to turn the conversation to safer subjects.

Apparently where we had a dry weekend it rained here Saturday which kept the punters away but Sunday turned out well as even if it wasn’t sunny it was dry. I felt a little guilty at not having been around but on the other hand, well racing is still more important to me. Oh I've got a muggle career sort of mapped out but what I really want to do is race bikes, I might not have the Grand Tours to aim for but that doesn’t mean I can’t be the best.
 

"Hmm, nice pie,” Max allowed as he finished his lunch.

I used a napkin to catch a drip of gravy on his chin, well I could hardly lick it off out here, in public, could I?

"Herr Thesing seems to have them cracked now, some of his new fillings don’t work so well.”
"Yeah, that sausage and Sauerkraut was a bit, er, edgy,” he agreed.
"Here,” I slipped a slim package across the table out of sight of my wardens.
"What’s this?”
“Prezzie from Angleterre.”
"You didn’t have to get me anything.”
"I wanted to, go on open it.”

He slit through the tape with his lunch knife then withdrew the small box.

"It’s a money clip,” I advised him, "You know for notes, that's the Yorkshire Rose.”
"Er thanks.”
"You don’t like it,” I suggested, slightly miffed by his reaction.
"I do,” he placated, "It’s, a, um, unusual. And I wasn’t expecting anything.”
"I'll give you your main prezzie later.”
"Hmm, I'll look forward to it.”
"So six o’clock, right.”
"Six,” he confirmed.
"See you later,” I leant across the table and gave him a peck on the nose before gathering the dirty crockery and returning to the kiosk.

 
I could probably have got away without training today but it didn’t feel right even contemplating that so I set off towards Ahrbrück and the climb up through Kesseling, past Mart’s place. I don’t feel bad enough to do a long session so it’s only over to Ramersbach and home via Ahrweiler, it’s still about fifty K so a couple of hours steady riding but I wasn’t going that steady.

After a couple of days riding on the wrong side of the road it felt a little weird riding on the er right again. Not weird weird, I'm sure Dad and Dieter had more issues in Yorkshire being sat on the blind side of our vehicles but nevertheless it was odd pulling up at junctions and stuff. Anyhow I gave the climb some welly, it’s longer than any of the English climbs at the weekend, maybe being based here does have some race merit?

 
"You ready yet?” Con called up the stairs.
"Yeah, yeah, just coming.”

I clomped down the stairs, grabbed my baseball boots before sitting on the stairs to become shod.

"We’re gonna be late,” Con fretted.
"Not by much.”
She sighed theatrically, “Bye, Herr Bond.”
"See you later, girls,” Dad called back.

I grabbed my bag and found myself pretty much dragged out of the door.

 
"Thanks for the scarf,” Con told me as we walked up to the Sebenschuh kingdom.
"Wasn’t sure what to get you, they really do have some tat in the tourist shops.”
"Well it’s very nice,” she pulled me into a half hug and then we were there.

It really isn’t far up to Rech, about a kilometre and a half from Schloss Bond to the Stube, so about fifteen minutes determined walk along Zaungartenstraße. We were late, not a lot, Pia was already setting out cutlery and Max was being instructed on operation of the order pad thingy by Inge when we arrived.

"Ah good,” Herr Sebenschuh greeted us, "Max will help me with the drinks, you girls know what you are doing at table. It’s a different menu but nothing difficult to serve, okay? Coats off, they’ll be arriving at half past, can you do coats please, Gaby?”
"Er sure,” I agreed. Dang I won’t get much chance to talk to Max.

 
"That was sneaky, Gaby Bond,” Con huffed.
"What?”
"Getting Max to work tonight,” she extrapolated.
"Well he works table at the Schloss and he has Kostüm,” I mentioned.
"And he’s your boyfriend,” Pia chuckled as we set about completing the table setting business.
I shrugged, "He was available.”
"As a waiter or boyfriend?” P smirked.
“Both?” I coyly suggested.
 

Maddy Bell © 11.05.17