"What?”
"Nothing,” Con stated whilst giving me a weird, puzzled look.
"There’s something, have I got toothpaste in my hair or something?”
"Er no.”
"Well what are you looking at then?” I huffed.
"There’s something different about you today, can’t put a finger on it.”
"It’ll be the second head, just call me Zaphod .”
"Eh? Zafud?”
"Forget it,” I sighed, the reference to one of my favourite books completely lost on the Philistine.
“Kris,” Con called our assistant over, "What’s different with Gab today?”
"Apart from having showered?”
"Why you!” I mock threatened her with the slice.
"Just kidding, Boss Lady!”
"So?” Con pressed.
Kris looked me over, "Nothing ‘cept the nose ring.”
"She’s had it for months,” Con stated.
"Not the ring, looks cute by the way, Gab.”
"Oh yeah, I knew there was something,” Con agreed.
"Jules’ idea,” I sighed, "It’s huge isn’t it?”
"You kidding,” Kris opined, "It’s tiny, you can hardly see it.”
I focused on the curtain ring in my nose, "You sure? it looks huge from here.”
"Dur, it’s like a centimetre from your eye. Look in the mirror.”

I headed to where we’ve got a mirror fixed on the stock room wall and peered at my reflection. I guess it is pretty small, it’s certainly thin, more like a thick hair, a gold one mind, barely clearing my nostril. Okay, Jules, I'll let you off, it’s not huge and it does look, er pretty.

Put, put, put.

“Max alert!” Kris called out.

My heart gave a little flutter, calm down, Gabs.

"Hi, girls,” the Max one greeted.
"Bit early for lunch,” Con suggested.
Max shrugged, "Bottle of Coke®?”
I fetched the bottle and passed it to him, "You’ve not been by.”
"Dad’s had me whitewashing walls.”
"You can do mine anytime,” Kris flirted from my elbow.
“Kris!”
"Just saying.”
"Sorry about her,” I told the lummox.
"So,” he started, "I was wondering if you were doing anything later.”
"What had you got in mind?”
"Er, there’s a band on at the Goldene Rose, BlauHase I think. There’s food and stuff.”
"Wooo,” Con offered.
"Give over, you two,” I admonished.

A date. A band. Food. I'm sure snogging is in there too.

"Okay, what time?”
"Six?” he proposed.
"Half past,” I countered, well I've got to go training and get ready.
He shrugged, “’Kay.”
"Gab’s got a date,” Con crowed.
“Con,” I moaned.
"What sort of band, Max?” Kris queried.

I hadn’t even thought about that.

"Ralf reckons they’re a sort of rock metal crossover.”
“Very romantic,” Kris opined somewhat sarcastically.
"Well I'd best get off, Dad’ll wonder where I've got to.”
"Er later then.”
"Six thirty,” he confirmed before giving me a wink, slipping his cola bottle in a pocket and departing.
"Goldene Rose, eh?” Con mentioned with some eyebrow gymnastics.
"What about it?”
"Well you know what they say?”
"Er no,” I admitted.
"It’s a hotbed,” Kris filled in.
"Hotbed of what?”
"Well you know, stuff,” she added.

I rolled my eyes.

"Jules.”
"Wassup sprog?” she queried while mussing my hair.
"Geroff,” I ducked from her grasp, "Er you ever been to the Goldene Rose?”
"As in the bar up in Mayschoß?”
"Er yeah,” I agreed.
“Couple of times, why?”
"Er just curious what it’s like.”
"I wouldn’t tell Dad you’re going.”
"Who said I'm going?”
"Well duh. Why else would you want to know what it’s like? Date?”
"It’s not a date.”
"So who is it, oh let me guess, six foot, lives in a Schloss?”
“Might be,” I allowed.
"So who’s playing?”
"Blue Hare or something.”
"Hardcore!” my sister exclaimed.
"Is that good?”
"Pretty good music, I saw them with Boris up in Bonn as few weeks ago, just don’t get too near the stage, a bit of bier gets thrown about.”
"Great,” I sighed.
"Look, Sis, it’s a bit rough, drugs an’ that so be careful, eh?”
"Er yeah,” even more doubt creeping in.
"You want to borrow some stuff to go in?” she offered.
"Er sure,” I agreed.
"Ready!” Mand called out as she clattered down the stairs.
"I'll put it in your room,” Jules advised.
"Thanks.”

"What was that about?” Mand asked as we headed up to Esch.
"What?”
"Jules.”
"She’s lending me some stuff to wear tonight.”
"Tonight?”

Now who’s the parrot.

"I'm er going out to er see a band.”
"You coulda said, I'd have come.”
"Not alone, with Max.”
"Oh,” she sagged a bit.
"We can go another time, girls’ night out, eh?” I suggested.
"I guess, so where is wonder lips taking you?”

"Soz, training took a bit longer than I expected.”
"It’s okay, the band’s not on till half seven.”
"We’re off, Dad,” I called out.
"Don’t be too late.”
"We won’t, tschuss!”

I ushered my date out of the door and took a deep breath. As far as Dad knows we’re going to a party at one of Max’s friends and he hasn’t seen how I'm dressed. Just as well, it’s a bit, er, edgy.

"You look nice,” Max offered as we headed for his Mofa, parked a bit up the road.
"If you say so.”
"You do,” he insisted.

Let’s just say at this point that it’s not what I’d’ve picked. Torn whale net tights, pleated mini skirt with some net thing underneath, several oversize vest things, leather jacket, Doc Martens – all in black and more black make-up than I own. For his part, Max was in skinny jeans and t shirt.

The Mofa complained vociferously on the ride up to Mayschoß, it’s a good job it’s almost flat or we’d have never got there. And let me tell you, it’s not comfortable riding side saddle on the luggage rack – even with your boyfriend’s jumper under your bum. We parked a street over and headed towards the venue.

The Goldene Rose, despite its idyllic sounding name, is actually more like the old miners welfare places back around Warsop. A low brick building in the middle of a dirt car park, a couple of brewery signs on the wall and a backlit name board over the door. A few older hatchbacks in various states of modification and maybe a dozen motorbikes suggested we were by no means the first to arrive.

I felt less awkward when ahead of us a group of other gig goers arrived in a battered old VW Sharan, the girls – well I think they were all girls, dressed in variants of my own outfit.

“Come on,” I urged Max.
"What?”

We caught up to them at the door and followed them inside, into the noisy and smoky bar. A big, leather clad, heavily tattooed individual seemed to be acting as doorman cum bouncer, cover charges were paid, hands stamp, I tried to act nonchalant when Max led the way to the bar.

"What do you want to drink?”
A quick assessment concluded that a dry white wouldn’t be a good choice, "Alco free bier?”
"Okay.”
"I'll get a table.”

"Not seen you before, here for the band?” a very pierced, tattooed and partially shaven headed woman stood over me.
"Er yeah,” I agreed, “my sister recommended them.”
"Good taste your sister, on your own?”
"Boyfriend,” I pointed to the bar.
She nodded, "Stay tight,” she did that sort of wink and click thing before moving off.
"Who was that?”
"Er no idea.”

He passed me a bottle of bier, no niceties like glasses here. I took a sip, eurgh!

"Alright?”
"Er yeah,” well I could hardly say otherwise could I?
"I'm just gonna use the facilities.”
"Er okay.”

I felt less than comfortable sat there on my own.

"Gab?”
"Yeah?”
"Thought it was you, the hair, the makeup threw me a bit, he brought you then?” Ralf pointlessly asked, plonking his own beer on the table before seating himself.

I might not be his biggest fan but for once I was glad to see him.

"We’re here,” I pointed out.

Maddy Bell © 08.04.17