“See ya later!”

It felt a bit off leaving Bern at home but lets face it, the alternative was to hang around Thesing's watching me and Con working.

“I thought Bernie would come with you.” Con noted as I arrived.

“She'll probably come round later.”

“Well its good that you're early, Dad picked up the new uniforms yesterday.”

New uniforms. ‘Like some sort of idealised waitress cum maid except its blue with lots of frilly bits. ‘ He hasn't has he?

“New uniform?”

“Come on Gab's, get with it, I told you last week.”

“I might have been a bit distracted?”

“Whatever, just try it on, yours is in the dining room.”

Well it wouldn't cost to try it on I suppose, I can quit later.

It's a bit weird really; on Sundays I get treated like one of the family here, heck I've even stayed over. But during the week – well lets just say I wouldn't dream of going upstairs without an invite. I found the box on the dining table and headed into the bathroom to change.

Well okay it's a dress but it's not the frilly confection I had feared. In fact it seemed quite practical even if I prefer to not show as much leg. It really does look more professional than what we normally wear, the Thesing's logo was a nice touch, but ‘Gaby' underneath was not quite so cool. What the heck am I saying? Its not cool at all, it's a flippin' dress! And I'm expected to wear it.

I restrained myself from having a hissy fit, it really isn't Herr Thesing's fault, he and his wife think I am Gaby, Wine Queen, member of Con's posse. And it has to be said that situation isn't gonna change anytime soon, if I don't want to be exposed I've got two choices, go with it or quit. The money really is quite useful and after Easter I won't be working so much due to my race commitments. I suppose I can put up with a few days in a dress.

“Very nice.” Con stated when I emerged downstairs, “not sure the trainers quite go though.”

“It's a bit erm fitted.” I complained.

In truth it was very fitted like if anyone was in doubt of the wearers sex it screamed ‘FEMALE!' it might not be the flouncy confection that we wore the other week but it more than made up for that in the cut. The top accentuated my um, endowments whilst the tailored waist and flared skirt did nothing to offset things. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't tight, I managed to reach the back zipper okay, but it wasn't loose either.

The bad news for me of course is that I'm wearing it and I'm not, female that is. On the other hand maybe I am, if the Doc is right I've got some extra bits no boy should have – apart from breasts that is.

“Anyone in? Hello?”

“Eh?”

“Geez you are such a dream sometimes.”

“Sorry, I was just thinking about something.”

“You keeping that on or changing?”

“Changing.”

“Ah Bernie, you missed the fashion show.” Con crowed.

“Fashion show?”

“Yeah, Gab was trying on the new uniform.”

“Con!” I moaned.

“Its true.”

“I know but you don't have to make a big deal about it. You want coffee Bern?”

“Tea please, coffee isn't good for junior.”

“Right.” I knew that.

“So this is what you pair do every Sunday?”

“Pretty much.” I agreed filling the teapot with hot water.

“Don't you get bored?”

“It's usually busier than this, it might pick up later.”

It wasn't one o'clock yet, the church kicks out then and we get quite a few customers afterwards.

“So what are you doing today Bernie?” Con enquired.

“I dunno, I came out coz I was bored, the telly is all double Dutch,“

“German.” I sniggered.

“…And its not like I've got a lot of friends to do stuff with.”

“You can hang here if you want.” Con offered.

“There's usually a few from our year at school come in.” I added.

“Well if you insist!”

Well it wasn't quite like that but it was pretty obvious she needed some company that wasn't dressed in black or old enough to be her father.

“Can I help with anything?” Bern enquired.

“Nah you're okay, we've got a routine so it doesn't take long to clear up.” Con mentioned.

“Okay I'll wait for you here then Drew.” She mentioned taking a seat.

Bum. Double bum!

“Um, I er usually hang with Con afterwards.” This was awkward, I guess I ought to go home with her but it's the second part of a two parter on Tatort!

“You girls not finished yet?” Frau Thesing mentioned from the apartment door.

“Nearly.” Con told her.

“Oh hi Bernie.”

“Hello Mrs Thesing, I guess I'd best be going.” Bern's shoulders slumped.

I wasn't exactly being a good host here was I?

“I'll be with you in a minute Bern.”

“You're not eating Gaby? It's Falscher Hase mit Pommes.” She tempted.

“I've got to take Bern home.”

“Well she can stay too, there's plenty to go round.”

“Bern?”

“Drew?”

“You want to stay for dinner?”

“Won't your Dad be expecting us?”

“Like I said, I usually hang here Sunday evenings, I can ring Dad so he knows where you are?”

“I don't want to be in the way.”

Con was finishing the clean up and Frau Thesing gave her a hand.

“What do you think we do? We have dinner, Frau Thesing is a better cook than Dad any day, then we watch telly.”

“Come on you two, I want to lock the shop.” Frau Thesing encouraged.

“What's this?” Bern prodded her Falscher Hase nervously.

“Its called Falscher Hase, I guess its sort of like meat loaf.”

Conversation was necessarily more stilted than usual, Bern's German isn't great and the senior Thesing's English is about the same so Con and I were running a simultaneous translation service.

“So Gaby, you tried on your uniform?” Herr Thesing enquired as we cleared the table.

“Er yeah.”

“It fits okay?”

“Maybe a bit too well?”

My irony, even in German, passed him by.

“You will wear it from next week please.”

“Sure.” I sighed.

So okay, I like the money!

“You watch that every week?”

“Yeah.”

“That is just so cheesy Drew, I mean anyone could tell what was gonna happen, its pretty lame, hardly The Bill.”

“I don't like The Bill, and what's wrong with being cheesy?”

“Nothing if you are the cheese meister.”

“Kase.”

“What?”

“Cheese in German is Kase so it's Kasemeisterin, so I guess I'm the Über Kasemeisterin!” I chortled.

Did Drew realise he'd used the feminine form there Bern mused, she might not be great at the language but even she knew that!

“What are you two giggling about?” Jules enquired.

“Nothing much, where's Dad?”

“Office.”

I left Bern to Goth Girls tender mercies and went to find my parent.

“Good you're back.” Dad mentioned.

“Yeah, you want a drink?”

“I could murder a beer but I'd best not.”

“Cocoa?”

“It'll have to do I guess.”

Hey! How come I get to be tea boy? I guess I did sort of volunteer.

Bern and Jules were engrossed in a conversation that, if the bits I heard were anything to go by, was denigrating my viewing choice. Discretion is sometimes the better part of valour apparently so I left them to it and took the Old Man his cocoa.

“What're you doing?”

“Trying to book some accommodation for the Harzer Rundfahrt.”

“Where's that?”

“Braunlage, the other side of Kassel.”

I'm starting to get the hang of the German map so I've got a fair idea where he means.

“So what's the problem?”

“Well on our budget it looks like we'll be camping!”

“Camping?”

“I'm not serious but we might have to stay a bit further from the start.”

“Okay.”

“You looking forward to starting racing proper again?”

“Yeah, course I am.”

“We've got a full programme this year you know.”

“Kewl.”

“BC has invited us to ride the junior Ronde Anglia.”

“Really?”

“I need to see if we can get funding for it though, our budget pretty much only covers domestic events so I need to talk to George.”

“Maybe we could get some ringers in?” I half jested.

“Hmm, you've given me an idea there.”

“I'm not just a pretty face you know.”

Maddy Bell 26.01.09 © 2009

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