We departed the D & G ‘boutique’, me toting a posh carrier with the aforesaid stylised logo emblazoned on each side.
“I can’t believe you did that,” I mumbled as we headed further along the street.
“No one in their right mind pays the ticket in those places.”
“But that was a right lot of cock and bull.”
“True enough,” Mum agreed, “but its all true,” she pointed out.
“But that was shameless name dropping.”
She stopped walking and turned to me, “sometimes kiddo you have to stretch the truth a little to get what you want, you even do it when you race. Fact, you are going out with the son of Baron von Strechau, fact, we spent New Year with the Taxis, fact, you were a guest at the Habsburg wedding last year. I might’ve given it some extra spin but its expected, stop moaning, we got the bag at a good discount, the help will get her commission and you do an afternoons free advertising for them – its a win win situation.”
“Free advertising?”
“The carrier bag,” she pointed out.

I’d never thought of that, I guess its the same thing for like supermarkets and even like the Thesings bakery.

“Well I’m ready for lunch, where are you taking me?” Mum prompted.

It is a very nice clutch, matches my dress of course, talk about an indulgence, its not like I’m likely to be wearing the dress again anytime soon.
 

We ended up with an outside table at one of the many eateries in the centre.

“Put your bags on the table,” Mum directed as I started to sit down.
“Why?”
“Just watch.”

Whatever, I put my mini rucksack and the D & G carrier on the table and sat myself down.

“Bonjour Madam, Madameselle.”

Flippin ‘eck, that was quick.

“Bonjour, le carte sil vous plait,” Mum replied.
“Oui Madam.”

Look, i’ve been to a fair few restaurants and even when you’ve got a reservation the staff are never that quick. In moments we had menus and a jug of water, Mum ordered a carafe of some wine and less than five minutes after arriving we were surveying the gastronomic possibilities.

“What just happened?” I enquired.
“The power of labels.”
“Eh?”
“What’s on the carrier?”
“D & G,” I supplied.
“You know that, I know that, the Maitre d’ knows that and we all know its a prestige brand right?”
“I guess.”
“The fact you have a D & G bag suggests to the staff that you, we shop there and therefore are well heeled. Which in turn gets us served quickly and attentively, that couple we followed in are only just now being greeted.”
“Maybe I should try it when I’m out with the girls next time.”
“Only works if there's a store nearby,” Mum pointed out.
“Damn.”
“So what’re we eating?”

I looked at the menu again, its not the cheapest place but I guess I am a designer handbag up, not that I’m sure why I needed it. And I do have a fair bit of silly money burning a hole in my purse.

“Whatever you want.”
“Ooo, Filet Mignon!”

We actually both had salad in the end although we topped off the calories with a wedge of Black Forest gateaux each afterwards. It was close on two by the time we returned to the day’s primary activity, shopping.
 

Not having any actual purchasing agenda was sort of liberating, we spent time in stores i’d normally walk straight past. As a result we both made purchases of posher underwear from La Senza®, I bought some fancy chocolates for the girls next week and Mum found Jules a nice dress ring for her forthcoming eighteenth birthday.

“I thought you preferred that little stud in your nose?” Mum suddenly asked.
“I lost the stone, must’ve come unstuck,” I returned suddenly conscious of what I think of as Max’s ring in my nostril.
“We should get you a replacement then,” she suggested.
“I didn’t think you liked it?”
“I’m not the greatest fan of all these holes you girls sport these days, but that's just me and a tiny hole in your nose is better than that thing in Jules’ tongue.”

It’s not that Mum isn’t pierced, she has her ears done – once, I’ve got a couple in each ear and my nose, the extra one at the top of my ear has sort of closed up. Some of the piercings I’ve seen at the gigs just seem a bit, well weird and painful and there was a girl at the festival last week with like loads of tattoos and like these big plug things in her ears, urgh! Jules has got more holes than me in her ears but she usually just wears small hoops in them.

“I can probably get one in Claires® or something.”
“If you’re wearing one its going to be decent quality,” she declared.
“Its only a nose stud.”
“Don’t argue with your Mother.”
“No Mum,” I sighed.
 

Half an hour later we were headed back to the car park and I couldn’t help but keep looking at my nose where a tiny diamond chip had replaced the ring in my nostril.

“Look where you’re going.”
“I am but its distracting, the sun keeps catching it.”
“We could take it back?”
“I’m looking, I’m looking!”
 

“You want to stop at Daun for dinner?” Mum suggested as we headed back into Germany.
“Could do, that salad was alright but I’m getting hungry now.”
“Me too. So you have a good time today?”
“I guess, I still don’t know why you bought me that bag.”
“You want to look nice at the show.”
“I guess, but how’s the clutch fit with that?”
“What does it match?”
“The white dress.”
“Which you’ll wear to the show, you’ve already got shoes and some of your posh Wolford hose, bling in your nose, we’ll sort your hair out, viola!”
“Really?”
“Really. No daughter of mine is going somewhere like that looking less than a million dollars.”
“If you say so, we need to go off here.”
“I know,” we shot across two lanes to make the turn off, at this rate I won’t survive until tonight!
 

It was nearly six thirty by the time we were parked behind the restaurant in Daun, I didn’t recognise the place at first, last time I was here I arrived on two wheels after that scary close pass.

Memory of that ride switched something in my head, “I wonder how they got on today?”
“I’m sure we’ll find out later.”
“Yeah,” I agreed.
“That's the first time you’ve mentioned bikes today.”
“Is it?”
It wasn’t the first time I’d thought about the others racing today. Oh, the shopping has been a distraction sure enough, but every time I’ve seen a bike its been a reminder of how come I was shopping not racing today.

“It will be alright won’t it Mum?” I asked after we ordered.
“Course it will luv.”
“What will I do if its not, i’ve always raced.”
“You haven’t done anything wrong, the system isn’t infallible, this is just one of those glitches, it’ll be sorted before you know.”
“Before Spain?”
“I can’t guarantee that Gab, you know that.”
“But in theory?” I pushed.
She paused before replying, “I’m not going to lie to you Gab, yes, in theory it could be sorted but it often takes months.”
“Months? So like I’ll miss Canada too?”
“Its possible kiddo.”
“But that's so unfair, I’m the National champion!”
“Lets not get ahead of ourselves eh, hopefully it won’t come to any of this.”

I’d like to say the steak dinner lifted my spirits and I forgot about my personal Elephant but I’d be lying. There was nothing wrong with the food, far from it, it was excellent but it did next to nothing towards lifting my now depressed mood. The remaining drive back across the Eifel to Dernau was done mostly in silence, I didn’t even react to most of Mum’s dodgy driving.

“Ooo, someones been splashing out,” Mand opined as she flopped onto the sofa.
“Eh?” I allowed, thankful to be distracted from the terrible game show on RTL.
“Oh my god, your nose!”
I tried peering at my schnozzle without finding anything amiss, “what about my nose?”
“You’ve got a new stud.”
“How’d you know?”
“The other one was like more yellowy?”
“Was it?”
“Yeah, lets see?” she requested leaning over.
“Whatever,” I allowed.
“That’s not from Claires,” she stated.
“Nope, we got it in some fancy jewellers.”
“We?”
“Mum bought it for me,” I told her.
“Classy, so what’s in the D & G bag?”
I passed it over from the side table, “have a look.”

Mand took the bag and after peering inside, reached in and withdrew the carefully wrapped clutch.

“Can I?”
“Be my guest.”

She unwrapped the tissue paper to reveal the glittery white clutch.

“Whoa!”
“You like?”
“This must’ve cost like hundreds, are these real crystal?” she asked fingering the sparkles.
“Swarovski to match my dress,” I allowed.
“So you’re stud is Swarovski too?”
“Ut uh.”
“You mean its...”
“Yup, its an actual diamond.”
“That must’ve cost a bomb.”
“Not really, its only a tiny chip after all, nah it was only sixty euros?”
“Maybe I should get mine done so I can wear a diamond.”
“You’re weird sometimes.”
“Only sometimes?”
“So how did the race go?”
 

Maddy Bell © 15.01.2018