This story is a work of fiction. A figment of the author's imagination. Thus, all characters are fictitious. At the same time, they are all over 18...
Definitely need to read the first nine parts before this one, to get the background.
***
Wee hours or not, dark or not, I was awake now, and I had a route to plan, and hotels to book. I got out the laptop and started with a grim determination, and it WAS a little grim. It meant I would have to forego the later part of my tour, and the places that had been floating, nebulously, in my imagination; Venice, the Italian lakes, Milan, Zermatt and the Matterhorn, the Riechenbach Falls of Sherlock Holmes fame... All would have to wait for a future trip, or trips.
I knew this was going to be a terrible night's sleep, so the first day would need to be relatively easy, and then two more solid days would take me to Calais and the Channel Tunnel, which I would use, just for its speed. After that, it would be 300 miles of dull old England to get home.
I envisaged arriving home sometime on Friday afternoon or evening, giving me a clear day before Kim's party.
By 6 am it was done. Route planned, hotels and chunnel train booked. It was brilliant being able to do all this online at any time of day or night. Just a few years ago I don't think it would have been possible.
I put my head back on the pillows and stared at the ceiling. I had very mixed emotions, but they didn't stop me from drifting off again. I was very, very tired.
'Ohh FUCK OFF!' I roared at the alarm as it chirped me awake at eight o'clock with its infuriating tones. I've tried many different alarm tones, but they are all just as fucking annoying. I think it's because they are alarm tones...
I got up, wearily, and started putting on my bike togs, I was resolved to set off immediately after breakfast to give myself plenty of time, and an easy day. The weather looked sunny, so that was a bonus and, despite my mixed feelings, I was looking forward to being on the road again. I mean, properly on the road again.
I remembered to reply to Kim, but I kept it simple. 'Hi Kim, I'm a long way away, but I'm heading back. I hope to be there on Saturday.'
Her reply was almost immediate, like she'd been anxiously waiting...'Yay! Awesome. Thanks Becky,' followed by a whole row of smiling faces. I chuckled to myself. I did like the fact I'd made her happy.
Before breakfast, I went down to the street and attached Storm's tank bag, then returned to meet Angie. I almost collided with her coming out of the door with a suitcase and rucksack. 'Morning Becky,' she grinned, 'Just dumping these in the car... be with you in a sec.'
'Morning... OK.'
I sat down in the dining room and she joined me moments later. She was looking very cool, in red jeans and trainers, with a black, square-neck long-sleeve top which just left a sliver of bare stomach on show.
She was surprised to see me togged up; 'Are you riding into Venice? I thought you'd take a bus or a taxi.'
'No, I'm not going to Venice. I'm setting off home.'
'Are you? What's brought that on? Was it something I said?'
I chuckled. 'No, it's not you...' I told her about the message from Kim, but she knew there must be more to it than just an invitation from a friend so, over breakfast, I told her the full background.
'Phew, there's a lot going on there, isn't there?' she said.
'Yes, I suppose there is. I still don't really know how I feel...'
'Want my two penn'orth?'
'Please,' I said, sipping my coffee.
'You're putting too much pressure on yourself, Becky. You don't need to make complete sense of everything immediately. Sometimes things take time to become clear. There's obviously something drawing you back home, but you can play it by ear. Just go with an open mind. Keep all your options open.'
'I nodded. She was right. There were lots of things drawing me home; seeing Jola and Carly, Mum and Dad, enjoying my flat, which I hadn't really spent much time in yet, sleeping -- and other things -- in my own bed every night, getting to know the other women in the Lez Ride club... I had lots to look forward to.
'Thanks, Angie. You've cheered me up there.' She grinned her toothy grin.
'Ready to go?'
'Yep.'
We paid up at reception and emerged onto the pavement. Her little yellow Nissan was parked a little further up the street, so we stopped by Storm and embraced. 'It was great to meet you -- and sleep with you - Becky.'
'You too... And to think, I nearly brushed you off. Madness.'
She beamed. 'You know, you'll still be giving me orgasms for the next several nights, don't you?'
'If that's a compliment, I'll take it... And I dare say that pussy of yours will appear in my dreams for a while... Gnarly indeed...' I shook my head.
She laughed. 'Bye Becky. Good luck with your homecoming.'
'Bye Angie. Enjoy the rest of your trip.
She walked off up the street and I stood and admired her neat little bum in those red jeans. I had just put my helmet on, when I remembered: Phone numbers!
I ran after her, as best I could in full 'bike clobber, and the little yellow car was just pulling out from the kerb when I got there. I only just managed to bang on the back window before she was gone forever, and she stopped. She lowered her window and I said, a little breathlessly, 'Phone numbers, Angie.'
'Oh crap. We forgot!' She stared at me, intensely. 'Hey, your eyes look great with your helmet on, Becky. Makes them stand out. Beautiful.'
'Oo, er...thank you.' I wanted to take my helmet off and kiss her, but I didn't. We hurriedly exchanged numbers, and blew each other kisses.
'See you, Becky.'
'See you, Angie.'
Then, she drove off, and I walked back to Storm. I patted her tank. 'Are you ready girl? Were going home.' I swung my leg over her, fired up her motor, and roared off up the street.
Our routes out of town diverged almost immediately, but I kept catching glimpses of Yellow Beryl on her route, as the two roads ran almost parallel only a field apart for I while. I smiled to myself. It was like sharing a final kilometer with each other. Then, my route swung west, and she was gone.
My destination was Bellinzona, in Switzerland, and my route took me past Verona (Romeo and Juliet!) along the southern edge of the Italian lakes, and to the north of Milan, but with no time to visit any of them, apart from a brief swoop along the shore of Lake Lugano.
It would have been an pleasant and uneventful ride, but for a heart-stopping incident that happened as I approached my journey's end. I had, perhaps unwisely, treated myself to a slap up lunch in Como -- comfort food -- and the combination of a full tummy, a very warm afternoon sun, and my general tiredness, made me very drowsy.
It was somewhere near Lugano where I dozed off and rode off the road.
I had come off the main road onto a smaller one because of the drowsiness, reasoning that the smaller road would demand more concentration and would therefore keep me awake. It didn't work.
I was extremely fortunate that, at the place where it happened, there was a broad, but rough, grass verge. Anywhere else and I would definitely have been seriously hurt. As it was, the first I knew of it was when the 'bike hit a big bump on the verge and almost threw me over the handlebars. I was instantly wrestling with the 'bike on pure reflex and instinct. Somehow, I managed to bring her to a stop inches before I crashed headlong into a road sign.
I collapsed onto the handlebars and burst into tears, with a combination of shock and relief. But Storm hadn't let me down. Henk, the Dutchman from that B&B in Monster, had told her to look after me, and she had.
Two biker's coming the other way, had seen my near miss and turned around to see if I was OK. They were two bearded Swiss guys on Harleys, dressed head to toe in black leather. They were intimidating to look at, but two of the kindest guys you could meet.
When I tearfully explained what had happened, they insisted on taking me to a nearby cafe on the back of one of their 'bikes. They sat me down with a strong coffee, then returned, two-up, to retrieve Storm.
It may seem too trusting and naive of me to allow them to do this, but I was in a daze, and they just seemed genuinely concerned. They sat with me, while I drank two coffees, and even offered to escort me to my hotel, which was about 20km in the opposite direction from where they were heading, but I said no, I'd be okay now. I was wide awake!