"Hockenheim - Part II"
Josie handed out our security passes.
'Each of you will now have full access to all the main areas and if people are interested later then I can arrange for a tour of the track.'
It was a wonderful gesture and I for one hoped I could take her up on the offer.
Vickie Wark had arrived. She had been on one of the earlier flights and was in the pit lane talking to some of the drivers.
'I've found out that there will be a lot of sponsors here this weekend,' said Josie to Max in particular, 'and so I've told Vickie to stay sharp and see if she can't turn a few heads in our direction.'
Josie shrugged.
'Who knows. We may even get lucky.'
I hoped so. For their sake. Thursday was the first day of any Grand Prix weekend and cars needed to be set up after transit. It was always a quiet time by and large and probably the best opportunity Max would get to do any networking.
Somewhere in the distance an engine was reviving. It sounded so different from what I had experienced on the Tv. The noise seemed louder, the pitch a little higher to what I remembered. I took in a deep breath taking it down through my nostrils. I wanted to get a real sense of authenticity to what I was experiencing and as I closed my eyes I could detect that distinctive smell of exhaust fumes.
Max was right.
Just being here was an experience I would never forget and as hard as I tried to stay calm my pulse was racing.
The sun was perched high in the sky. It had a commanding view of the circuit. The temperature was already in the late twenties. Almost everyone I saw was walking around in sunglasses.
A mechanic passed by wheeling a set of tyres, dressed all in red with a yellow motif across the top of his shoulders there really was no point in guessing to which cars they were bound for. Up close the tyres looked huge and as we ventured away from a few of the nearby buildings I finally saw it, the track itself.
It was only a section, a corner but it was the closest I had ever been to the the real thing and I deliberately slowed down to take it all in. A car approached. It was blue and white in colour, almost certainly a Williams car. I wanted to see more but I was suddenly pulled away.
'Come on macho man. We've business to attend to and don't worry; where we're going you're going to get a far better view.'
And by that she meant the start and finish line.
The actual hospitality room was small by corporate standards but beautifully decorated in elegance and refinery able to seat around twelve people most of whom looked as if they were already here. Stewards were on hand to offer beverages and I was immediately given a glass of champagne. One entire wall was made up of glass windows and it was no wonder people paid a huge fortune to dine here because the view was nothing short of spectacular. There was even a narrow veranda should people wish to venture outside.
Max was eager to introduce me to everyone leaving the most important name for last and after I heard his name I knew why.
'Sumo this is Captain Kirk Attwood and Kirk, this is Mr Sumo Takuyama.'
She flashed me a grin.
So this was our main investor.
The man was young. I put him at no more than twenty five. He was impeccably dressed in a dark blue suit and his face was solid and unblemished. His hair was swept back with a gel.
I smiled and received a handshake that was as commanding as his dark brown eyes.
I now knew why Max had brought me here and I was determined to set a good example waiting patiently until everyone had been seated. I took a quick sip of water before speaking.
'Mr Takiyoma,' I started. 'May I say sir on behalf of Stamford Enterprises that it is an immense honour to meet you. As the first Captain to be appointed to your new fleet of ships I want to say how proud I am sir to be here and I just wanted to say that having been on board the Jupiter these past few days, she is a very fine ship. You should be very proud of her.'
Rather surprisingly a stony silence fell on the room.
I knew it had been a risk talking about the ship in its current state but I wanted Max to know that I had her back and that I too could rise up to her level and sensing an unease I added quickly.
'You should come out and see her one day. When you are not too busy that is.'
I saw only confused faces. I didn't understand.
Max smiled at me from across the table and explained.
'Kirk. This is Sumo Takuyama of Honshu and as much as information technology may try and bridge the gap of understanding, I don't think he has any idea what you are talking about nor is he, I imagine, in any way related to our Mr Urisaki Takiyoma from Haikado!'
She then launched into fluent Japanese that ended in raucous laughter around the room and to add pain to my injury the guest of honour then offered me his own piece of wisdom.
'Captain Attwood. My father has a saying,' he said looking directly at me and offering a sympathetic smile. "It is not the noise of the donkey that counts. It is the size of his feet."
This was met with an even louder volume of laughter and all I could do was shrug apologetically.
I felt such a fool.
Lucky for me Max had put me next to Josie and over the next two and a half hours I was given another opportunity to understand more about the firm and at the same time gain a better understanding about the woman who had invited me here.
Contrary to what Richard had said; everyone seemed to like Miss Stamford and she was by all accounts a very intelligent woman. There was no long-standing boyfriend but there had been quite a few minor ones along the way.
She was very much the fool, something I could already testify to, and on more than one occasion she had ended up in trouble. She crashed her 'E' type jaguar only last year, writing off well over forty thousand pounds without even a blink of an eye. She was very proactive towards woman's lib and was an active member of the Royal Woman's Institute.
The only sobering piece of information I gained was on learning about her mother's death. I don't know why but I had always assumed both parents were still alive. Max had never mentioned it and I had never enquired. It had been a vicious death by all account. Mrs Stamford had been home alone and there had been a break in. No arrests were made but the police believed that she must have disturbed the intruder because there had been a struggle and Mrs Stamford had been killed from a blow to the head.
It was all very sad leaving me in a reflective mood and as soon as I was able I went straight to Max after the meal.
She turned towards me , her face breaking out into an enormous grin.
'I couldn't resist about earlier,' she cooed. 'It was mean and I'm sorry. I should have told you. Takiyoma and Takuyama are very similar. It's the same as calling someone Smith or Smithson and to someone from outside the language, I guess it must all sound the same.'
She pouted. 'Am I forgiven?'
She knew damn well she would be even before she had asked.
She then took me out onto the veranda into the brilliant sunshine with her arm linked firmly through mine as if it was the most natural thing in the world. We looked out at all the flags flying and gazed at the cars as they raced passed.
I said how sorry I was to hear of her mother's death. I just had to offer my condolences regardless of how long ago it had been.
She simply smiled graciously, nodded her acceptance.
'It still hurts when I think about it,' she said pensively. 'I only met up with her a few days before it happened. Daddy was devastated. We all were but it's true when they say that life goes on. It does especially when you have a multi million pound company to run.'
She then stared out ahead at the race track.
I tried to lift the mood and asked what she hoped to gain from being here this weekend.
She turned and I saw a renewed excitement in her eyes.
'Oh believe me when I say it is all about taking the right opportunities,' she said in a rare display of enthusiasm. 'I have two technicians here working with various racing engineers and I am determined to be as ready as we can be.' She then paused and reflected on their potential. 'Of course we are not going to win our first race, we are not that foolish to believe in miracles but our aim is simply not to come bottom which I think is realistic and attainable.'
I felt an enormous and genuine bond of friendship forming between us and by the end of the afternoon I had been pampered beyond my wildest dreams. Later as we took to our helicopter and soared above the racetrack, I couldn't help but feel a touch of sadness knowing that a day like this would never come again and I turned to Max with a hint of sadness in my eyes when I asked what was next.
'Back to the ship?'
Max grinned and shook her head.
'No silly. Paris.'
'Paris?'
For the second time that day I was left speechless.
Max nodded.
'Yes. Don't think for one moment Captain Attwood that I have forgotten. You still owe me that dance remember.'
I had lived most of my life away from home. I had lived in cabins no bigger than a broom closet. I had spent weeks at sea with nothing more than the stars for company and I had eaten nothing but fish for weeks on end because we had been short of food and now for the first time in my life I had been given a taste of the highlife.
Did I want it to stop?
No, a fool would only say that.
Did I expect it to stop?
Yes of course.
I had a job to go to and a family waiting at home.
But I did I want it to stop right now?
No I didn't and who would blame me.
She watched as I processed everything she had just said. She tilted her head expectantly waiting for my response.
'Ok,' I shouted back. 'You can have that dance. But that Miss Stamford is all you are going to get.'
She laughed throwing her head back against her headrest. It was wonderful to see.
I then glanced down at the countryside below. The fields raced by and the speed of our flight made me wonder about my own life and more importantly to these past few days and I suddenly wondered whether it too was going too fast.
Max had asked for the dance I had run away from earlier. She had brought me to meet a few very important and influential people and she was now asking me to go with her to Paris.
Was I now becoming as much part of her life as she was becoming part of mine?
I had no idea.
Did I want her to be?
Yes why not.
Did I hope she liked me as much as I liked her?
Yes.
Just now I had said yes to the dance and no to anything else.
And that at least was all I was going to say.
+ + + + + + + + + +
Kirk. What are you doing? Have you forgotten you have a wife and three children.
Is he right to want to have a bit of fun?
After all ... What harm will it do?
Thanks again as always.
Take care.
JU x