*Chapter 21*
Rad Tour Fahrten

 
"Max!” I moaned as I writhed under his touch, his lips gliding from place to place across my breasts, his fingers tracing an intricate pattern in other more delicate areas. I arched my back in reply to his delicate touch, anything to continue the intensity of the moment.
 

My eyes snapped open, I was disorientated for a moment but after wiping some of the sleep from my eyes I recognised my eyrie, sunlight, if not exactly streaming in, at least amply lighting things. I laid my head back against the pillow, outside workmen called to each other, it sounds like something big is being delivered for the building site. Must’ve been something out there woke me, damn, just when the dream was getting interesting too.

Last night was, well embarrassing, I ate humble pie over hot chocolate in the Schloß kitchen, Max sat listening impassively as I tried to explain myself.

"Am I forgiven?”
"You were always forgiven, Liebchen, I was just waiting for you to calm down,” he cracked a grin.
"Why you,” I slapped ineffectually at him, a move he easily dodged and which threw me off balance. "You let me say all that?”
He shrugged awkwardly having caught me, "You seemed to want to say it all.”
"Oooo!”
"Come here.”
"What about your rents?”
"I don’t want to kiss them.”
"You know what I mean,” I stated moving closer and lacing my fingers behind his neck.
"They’re cool, probably plying your Dad with Châteaux Sebenschuh by now.”

We kissed for a bit, just held each other for a bit and – well that was it really.

A stupidly loud crash outside brought me back to the here and now, why do they have to start with the noise so early? Hang on, I sat up and looked at the alarm clock – sugar, slept through again.

"Sleep well?” Dad enquired.
"Er yeah,” I allowed through a mouthful of hair grips as I attempted to put my hair up.
"No drama today, eh?”
"I'll try not, any tea in the pot?”

Yeah, today feels like a tea sort of day.

"Well you look happier this morning,” Con noted as we waited for her Dad to drive us up to Altenahr. "I take it things on the Max front are back to normal?”
"Might be.”
"Might be?”
"Well okay, they are, we got things sorted out."
"Thank the heavens, another day with you bitching about everything is not on my to do list.”
"Yeah, about that, look I'm sorry, Con.”
"Best apologise to Kristen, you really had a go at her, she was quite upset after you left."
"Really,” I winced.
"Really. If it was anyone else I'd say they were on but you’re on the pill.”
"Erm, I'm due a cycle so not this month,” I advised.
"No wonder you’ve been a moody cow.”
"Sorry.”
"Come here, you daft bint,” my BF pulled me into a hug, I could get used to all this hugging stuff.

"One more,” Hen stated as he added yet another box to those already stacked in our store room.
"So they get a bag in exchange for their token?” Con confirmed.

She had to wait for an answer as Hen was dragging the last box out of his car’s boot.

"Er yeah, one bag per rider.”
"So they’ll be getting back from, what half ten?” I suggested.
"There might be a few a bit earlier, I'll get the guys at the feed to give you a bell when the first riders get there. Anything else? The beer and water’ll be dropped off in the morning”
"Okay, Eva’s bringing the crepe stall up tonight so we should be all set and ready for you,” I advised, "We’ll be ready for coffee from seven.”
"Thanks for doing this, girls, you pretty much saved the event.”
"Just putting something back in.”
"Well it’s much appreciated, look I'll have to get on, I'm supposed to be picking Uwe up to do the signing in ten minutes.”
"We’ll see you in the morning,” I supplied.
"Tschuss!”
"Bye.”

"I can’t believe I agreed to be here before seven,” Con groaned.
"I told you, me and Nen can cope first thing and my Dad‘ll be here.”
"You’re not getting me like that, Gaby Bond.”
"What?”
“Dad’s doing a double order for us,” she went on.
"Hope we get rid then.”
"Can always feed the pigeons.”

"So I was wondering,” I started as I force fed Max another Frite, "Could you like come and give us a hand tomorrow?”
"Give over,” he managed before swallowing the potato already in his mouth, “doing what?”
"This and that.”
"You don’t want me in Kostüm?”
"Now there’s an idea,” I grinned, "Nah, although you’ve given me an idea.”
"You and your ideas,” he mentioned as he dipped his würst into the mustard on his plate.
"So?”
"Tomorrow, guess so, what time?”
"We’ll be here from about seven, there’ll be free crepes,” I promised.
"You don’t have to sell it, I said yes.”
"Cool!” I bounced up and kissed him on the nose.

"What do you think?”
"It’s not a teensy bit over the top?” Con opined.
"They did it at that event I rode over near Berlin.”
"Wasn’t that some huge thing though, I remember you said there were like thousands riding.”
"So? Well I'm gonna wear mine.”
"Just you and me?”
“Uh huh, we’ll hand out the goody bags, make it a bit special.”
"Go on then.”

It’s not ‘my’ event, I'm not riding it but I'm getting a bit giddy over it.

Strangely I enjoyed Garde more than usual, despite the very regimented actions and moves it was somehow quite relaxing, I guess it took my mind off all the rushing about and preparation for the RTF. Sometimes it’s just doing a different activity that lets you switch off from the intensity of something, whatever it is I felt better for it.

It was of course silly o’clock when I got up Saturday morning, I wouldn’t be up at this time if I was taking part in the Ahrtal Eifel RTF! Somehow Dad had got involved with offering pre ride bike checks so as he was taking the camper up I dressed in my denim Capri's and a t shirt, I'll get changed later. As it happens Con had decided on a similar programme, we picked Nena up on the way and found Max sat on his mofa when we arrived.

Dad commandeered Max for ezy up assembly and assistant mechanic, the kiosk doesn’t take too long to get up and running so with the arrival of Kristen we soon had tables out, umbrellas up and the coffee machine primed. Hen and the registration team were over by the Bahnhof and the first riders were already collecting numbers and route maps. I took a guess and made half a dozen takeaway coffees, loaded a tray and headed over.

"Morning, guys, thought you’d like some coffee.”
"Cheers, Gaby,” Hen allowed, "People, this is Gaby Bond from the kiosk.”
"Heya.”
"Morning!”
"Not the Gaby Bond?” a youngish woman enquired.
"Possibly,” I allowed, "I'm certainly this one.”
"Sorry Gaby, yes, Sabine this is that Gaby Bond,” Hen put in.
"Oh my god,” Sabine allowed, "Can I get an autograph?”
"Er sure,” I agreed, my mind running silly again, "Pop over to the kiosk later, don’t want to lose it, eh?”
"Good point,” Hen suggested.
"Well I'd best get back, if you want more coffee just send someone over.”

Hen joined me as I started back.

"Everything okay?” I asked.
"Organiser’s nerves.”
"Well I think we’ve got this end sorted for you.”
"Alright, Hen?” Dad asked when we got to the Hymer.
"You kidding, between you guys you’ve turned an impending disaster into something pretty classy.”
"Well it’d be pretty poor of us to not get involved,” Dad suggested.
"I'd best get back, I'll see you later, yeah?”
"We’ll be here.”

Hen hurried off back to registration.

"Am I okay to keep my son in law here?” Dad queried.
“Da-ad!”
"Well after last night I thought you were ready to beat your sister to the altar.”
"As if!”
"In that case I'll keep him over here out of temptation’s way.”

A few early arrivals drifted over for coffee, the Foch's arrived and started preparing the crepery for action, the water and beer arrived from the Trinktmarkt and the sun broke through the morning mists. By seven thirty riders were already staking their places in the starting pen – crowd barriers currently decorated with sponsors’ banners behind an inflatable start / finish arch. As start time approached a couple of Polizei cars arrived to marshal the start and at five to eight through traffic was stopped.

Dad fetched me over to where Hen was checking his megaphone.

"What’s going on?”
"Hen thought you should start the event.”
“Ut uh,” I supplied and made to depart.

However Dad’s bigger than me and Hen was already addressing the assembled peloton.

“… okay, we’ve got a special guest to start us today, a big cheer guys and gals for one of today's sponsors and current junior World Champion, the Ahrtal’s very own Gaby Bond!”

I was a bit taken aback when there was quite a cheer from the waiting assemblage.

What to say? What do they usually do at races? Hmm, "Good morning everyone, Hen surprised me with this just now so there’s no speech,” as you might expect that raised a few chuckles. "The weather is looking good for you, I hope you all have an enjoyable ride today and don’t forget to come for a coffee afterwards. That’s the shameless plug in, so we’d best get you started.”

Hen was watching the station clock then started the countdown.

“Five, four, three, two, one, go!”

Hen made a long blast on his air horn and the three hundred or so sportive-ists started streaming past and out onto the road.
 

Maddy Bell © 13.05.17