[Edley Rondinone]

At the Tri-County lunch this Saturday, with about 22 Cobras in attendance, I asked anyone if they wanted to cruise south thru Malibu, and see the sights that can be seen on a California beach in the summertime. Alas, seemed everyone had other plans, and no one else wanted to go on a Malibu cruise......................
EXCEPT for this young 18 yr old female exchange student from Belgium! When I posed my cruise idea to the group, I had seen this girl perk up, and she went over to her host parents, and asked them if it was OK for her to go on a cruise. I introduced myself to the host parents, we had a short conversation about who-what-where-and what time to expect her return, and off we went!
After the obligatory speech from me about avoiding "snake bites" from the sidepipes, I opened the passenger door, she wriggled into the seat, got the five-point harness on her, and we headed south, Malibu-bound!
Turnd out she had known about Cobras for a few years, and was (hopefully!) looking to buy a Cobra when she got back to Belgium this summer. Her host parents were driving by the parking lot when she saw all the Cobras there, and she asked them to stop for a look-see, and they obliged her. (to the husband's happiness, and the wife's consternation!)
Anyhoo, she told me her name, (Adelle), and I asked her if she wanted to go fast or slow, and she immediately said "FAST!!". So, once the Cobra got to operating temperature, I got on it a little, on those farm roads leading south to the beaches.
We had a two hour window before she had to be back home, so we just cruised down the coast, almost to Sunset Boulevard, then turned around and headed northward, with a drink stop at "Neptune's Net", a biker hangout on PCH, just north of the LA county line. I snapped a couple of pics with my 35mm of her leaning on the Cobra, sitting in the Cobra, standing behind the Cobra, etc etc, and took a couple pics with the Polaroid, so she could have them right then and there.
By now it was getting to the end of her time window, so I took her home, but not without a few more "open-throttle" runs thru the gears on those deserted farm roads.
She was smiling the whole time. I asked her if she had had a fun time, and of course she said "YES!"
She probably burned up the intercontinental phone lines to her friends back in Belgium that night, regaling the friends of her "wonderful time" (her words); It was a great day.