"Gabeee!”
"Soph,” I allowed as we exchanged air kisses.
"See you brought Maximilian,” she noted as we parted.

Other way round really.

"Hi, Sophia.” Max offered.
"Like your frock, girlfriend,”
"Er thanks,"You did give it to me Soph, "Yours is er, interesting.”

Well I suppose less interesting than revealing, having more splits than the famed yellow fruit dessert.

"You like?”
"You want a drink, Gab?” Max asked.
"Lemonade?”
"Lemonade?, geez Gab, live a little,” Soph declared loudly, "Get her some wine Maxxie.”

I exchanged looks with the lummox who then took off in search of liquid refreshment.
 
When I did finally spot Sara she was with a gangling youth wearing glasses and a dose of acne along with a middle aged couple who were clearly outside of their comfort zone. Given the ‘shotgun’ nature of the wedding I was almost disappointed that she wasn’t noticeably ‘with child’. I know that sounds a bit mean, I don’t mean to be but it’s like being told that pudding is chocolate cake and it not being brown if that makes sense.

"Sara looks well.”
"Stupid moo, I told her to use protection.”
"Guess these things happen.”
Soph shrugged, "She didn’t have to keep it.”

Well that was a bit of a conversation killer and now is hardly the time for such discussion although I'm sure most in the room know the circumstances surrounding these particular nuptials.

"So who’s the sprog in pink?” I asked Soph while we waited for von Strechau to return.
"Where?”
"Behind the woman in blue over there.”
She craned her neck to look, "With the dark hair? Oh Saskia, right little brat.”
"Doesn’t look like one.”
"Take it from me, don’t you remember her at Munich, threw a right strop.”
"Don’t think so,” well to be honest what I do remember is quite limited and intense.

Ding, ding, ding!

Aha, food time.
 
Of course Sophia was top table with her family and the outlaws to be, whatever logic was given to the rest of the seating placed Max and I on a table with the apparent brat Saskia and her parents.

“Max,” the father allowed as we found our seats.
"Christian, Joanne, er this is Gabrielle.”
"Er hi.”
"Hello, the shy one here is Saskia,” Joanne allowed.
"Hello, Saskia,“I offered, "That’s a pretty dress.”

Said child tried to hide behind her mother.

"She’s a bit shy,” Christian mentioned.
"So when do you two do all this?” Joanne asked as we were served the starter.
"We’re not.” "We aren’t.” we both stated over one another

Saskia gave a nervous chuckle.

"Oh sorry, I just assumed,” Joanne apologized, “it’s just you’ve got the amber on, Gaby.”

What’s that supposed to mean?

We managed to get through the rest of the food on safer topics, Saskia even managing to answer a question or two. The food was okay but more artistic than filling, I could’ve eaten twice as much, reckon I'll need to hit my Haribo® supply later. Tonight wasn’t for speeches or anything – that’s tomorrow so once the food was finished the band started up.
 
"This is dire,” Max noted.

I had to agree, I might have quite wide musical taste but Oma music isn’t amongst them – clearly Sara hadn’t had any input in tonight’s music choice, I hope it’s better tomorrow.

Soph swept up to join us, "Come on!”
"Where?”
"You’ll see,” she grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the restaurant, Max in pursuit.
"Where we going, Soph?” I asked again stumbling a bit in my heels.
“Quick, up here.”

I let her lead me up a set of stairs, one, two, three flights before ducking under one of those rope barrier things.

"We aren’t supposed to be up here,” Max stated the fairly obvious.
"Oh live a bit, Max, come on, let’s explore.”

Sheesh, you’d think she was about six! We walked somewhat slower up the sloping floor emerging into what is clearly part of the museum display, a room full of racing cars.

"Neat,” Max allowed now leading the way.

Of course the main lighting wasn’t on but there was enough from the emergency stuff and what was coming in from outside, to see by. We slowly made our way past the exhibits then headed up the next ramp, I got the feeling I was being watched but we were the only ones here right? I stopped to take my heels off, the floors carpeted here at least and well, heels and hills, not a great combination.
 
The next display was apparently experimental stuff which wasn’t quite so interesting so we moved further up.

"Let’s look down here,” I suggested when we came to junction, it looked much brighter down the slope.
"Whatever,” Max allowed changing direction.
“I'll catch up, just put my shoes back on.”

There was a seat so I sat down to get re-shod. What was that? Sounded like something rustling – I strained to hear it again but all I could make out was the now distant mumbling from Soph and Max. Must be my imagination, oh well, I set off down this new ramp in pursuit of my companions.
 
"Hey, Gab, come up here,” Soph called over.
"Should you be on there?”
"Who’s gonna see?” she pointed out, "Come on.”

Well it was tempting, I lost my heels again and climbed up into the 1920’s Benz fire engine beside her.

“Max, take a photo?” Soph suggested.
"With what?”
"Here, use my Handy,” I enthused digging it from my bag.
"Go on then,” he sighed.

The phone’s camera isn’t great but it’s better than nothing. Max took a couple of pictures before we climbed down and once again I was left to put my shoes back on. There was definitely a rustle this time, not that I could see anything to cause it – or could I?

I carefully crept around the back of the ambulance, doing my best not to let my heels click on the concrete floor. There was definitely another rustle, I poked my head cautiously around the corner, a ha! I leapt from cover and grabbed the figure.

"Gotcha!”
 

 
There was a loud screech which brought the others running.

"Gab!”

Max did one of those cartoon turns before landing on his bum.

"Look what I've found.”
“I didn’t mean anything!”
"Saski, what are you doing up here?” Soph asked the now shaking child.
"Hey calm down, kiddo,” I told her, “you’re not in trouble.”
"Well no more than us,” Max pointed out rubbing his posterior.
"How long have you been up here?”
“I was bored then I saw you an’ Max an’ Sophia go up the stairs.”
"So you followed us,” Soph stated the obvious.
“I only wanted to see where you went,” Saskia mumbled.
"Bum,” Max mentioned, "Someone’s coming.”

Bum indeed.

"Come on, kiddo,” I grabbed my stalkers hand, "Time to hide.”

I didn’t see which way Max and Soph went, as I was busy opening the side door of the ambulance.

“Quick inside,” I gave her a boost before climbing up myself and carefully pulled it shut behind me. "Shhh!”
 
We sat in the near pitch black for at least ten minutes before voices approached as I guess security checked around the exhibition space. We waited in continued silence for another ten minutes before I risked opening the door to let us back out. I had a moment of panic when it didn’t open straight off but a hard shove did the trick although I nearly flew out with it!

"Come on, let’s get back down to the party,” I suggested to my charge who just nodded in agreement.

I led the way cautiously back to the spiralling slope, there was no sign of either security or my partners in crime so we started to make our way back down to the ground floor. Going down went quicker than the up journey, I hadn’t realised I was holding my breath until we reached the staircase. Made it.

"You’re very pretty.”
"Sorry?” I answered still a bit distracted.
"You’re very pretty,” Saski mentioned, “I like your hair and your dress is nice too.”
"Er thank you, I like yours too, it’s a pretty colour,” I stopped us several steps short of the bottom, "Sas, you can’t tell anyone about going upstairs.”
"Why not?”
"Well we weren’t supposed to go there and we could get into trouble.”
“I never thought of that,” she admitted.
"Look, do you want to know a secret?”
"What sort of secret?”
"One just between us.”
"Okay,” she agreed.
"Well my hair isn’t really blonde.”
"You dye it? That's not much of a secret.”
"No I don’t dye it,” well not often, "But it really is pink like your dress.”
“It’s not, I can see it’s blonde.”
“I'll prove it but you can’t tell anyone, you promise?”
“I promise.”

I quickly pulled out the grips holding the wig in place and whipped it from my head.

“Ugh!” she gaped as my rose tinted tresses flowed free, “It really is pink!”
"Shush, you can’t tell anyone.”

She inspected my locks more closely to confirm it wasn’t a trick.

“I better put this back on,” I suggested waving the wig.
 
I was re-wigged, and I'd acquired drinks for Saskia and myself before the others crept back into the party.

"Where’ve you been?” I asked in low tones.
"We ended up right at the top, someone took a wrong turning,” she looked pointedly at Max.
"Well it all looked the same.”
"We found our way didn’t we, Gaby?”
"Shush, remember it’s a secret.”
 
Maddy Bell © 01.04.17