Chapter 19

Immediately, I started scanning the crowd for my ladies, who had assured me they would be easy to spot in the crowd! After a few frantic moments, I suddenly saw what they meant, and had to laugh out loud! There in the middle of the crowd of fans, or simply random folks who figured that Olympic Road Racing would be an easy ticket to get, about ten rows up from the track surface, I saw five women all holding large cardboard playing cards of the King of Hearts, while jumping and screaming like maniacs! Smiling the biggest smile I think I had ever worn, I waved right back and blew kisses at them as the nice Olympic hosts tried valiantly to get me, and the other medalists, to go backstage to get changed, and, of course, to get tested by the vampires! All medalists were being tested, so I knew that was what was coming up! And for the first time in my life, I didn’t even mind the whole ‘pee in this cup’ and ‘make a fist’ routine! I was, and forever would be, an Olympic medalist!

After about a half-hour of screwing around, and changing into my Team USA uniform, we had the medal ceremony ... I was introduced as the Silver Medalist, and then we all stood on the podium while they played the Spanish National anthem for Samuel Sanchez. Having that medal placed around my neck was another step on the road to helping me heal from the pain and disappointment of the last week ... It didn’t completely resolve it, or my feelings, but, damn ... It sure felt good!

I later found out that George and Christian had both had mechanical issues (a flat and a chain skip) that had essentially relegated them to DNF status for being lapped on the circuit ... In other words, bad luck! And with that, both my Olympic moment and Olympic team duties were now complete. I was once again a free man! Now all I had to do was find my ladies, pack up my stuff and get the hell out of Dodge! Team USA and US Cycling would make sure that my bikes (I had brought my main and backup road bikes, leaving the training bike at home), and the team would make sure that everything was packed up properly and forwarded on to my home. The bikes, team kits and everything else were mine as a member of Team USA!

Once I had worked my way out of the athlete’s village, my ladies were waiting for me at the exit with a waiting cab to whisk us off to their hotel ... The celebration that night was probably heard two or three time zones away! The only thing I wore all night, at the insistence of Jane, Beth, Joy, Melody, and Monica was my silver medal ... Which they pointed out I had actually won for making love Olympic style! All hail the conquering champion! I didn’t get a lot of sleep, and I didn’t really care at all! Each of my ladies made love with me, both individually and as a group of groping, gasping naked flesh on top of a pair of queen beds scooted together to make one final love nest! I woke with sunlight slanting through the blinds while surrounded snugly in bed by the true loves of my life, and I couldn’t have been happier! I was finally whole and happy and so totally in love that my heart was finally healed ... Now on to the next adventure!