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by Stacy Borel

  I was relentlessly clicking my pen when my cell on my desk buzzed. I sighed. Whoever was calling was going to get the not so pleasant side to me. I was not in the mood to shoot the shit or talk. Picking it up, I looked at the screen and stopped in my tracks. It was her. Jesus, she was the last person I was expecting to hear from.

  “Hello, Annabelle.”

  “Hi,” she responded.

  “You must’ve got my message?”

  “I did,” she stated matter of fact.

  I twisted back and forth. “Good. I apologize for not getting back to you sooner. I tried calling a while ago, but timing didn’t work out to well.”

  “Apology accepted. Everything okay up there?”

  “Yeah, just busier than normal. Kids are busting their asses at football practice and coming in left and right with injuries. Regardless, I have a day off on Friday. You working?”

  “I’m pretty sure I’m off, let me check.”

  She was rustling through some papers, when she finally came back on the line and said, “I’m free.”

  I smiled. “Okay, I was thinking we could do something a little more active this time. You down?”

  “Turner,” she said with a tone that dared me to not push her limits again. Too bad, Princess, it’s happening.

  “No race cars or tracks this time, I promise. Just light walking, and fresh air.”

  She stayed quiet for longer than I’d hoped. I was about to ask her if she was still there when she responded, “No race cars?”

  Annabelle’s sweet voice caused things to stir under my scrubs. “Cross my heart.”

  “Alright. When will you be by to get me?”

  I thought about it. “I’ll be by around eight in the morning. And again, dress casual.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “See you soon, Annabelle.” My voice was deeper than before.

  Her breathing was a little heavier. “Bye, Turner.”

  “Bye.”

  I hit “End” on my phone and set it on my desk. It was most definitely wrong that I led her to believe that this was going to be a docile outing. But I didn’t care. On this date, she was going to have plenty of time to talk to me and tell me more about herself. I also didn’t mention that she wasn’t going to be able to get too far away from me either if conversation got to be too much for her. Come to think of it, she may hate me by the end of Friday, but at least I will have spent the time with her that I was in need of. Now, it was time to make a couple of calls and get this shit set up.

  TURNER HAD PICKED ME UP almost an hour ago and we’d been driving west for quite some time. I had no clue where he was taking me, but we were definitely headed into the mountains. I did my very best to hide my discomfort with the twists and turns and being this high up. Turner didn’t know that my parents had died on a windy mountain road, and I didn’t plan on telling him either. He made a turn into a national forest preserve and drove back a couple of miles. When he parked, I looked around. All my eyes could see were pine trees, and a creek that ran next to a paved trail. There were no signs indicating what he had planned for us. I started to wonder if it really was going to be a low key date and maybe he knew of a spot that we would walk too and sit and talk. Oh God, talking. Just as scary as riding in a race car.

  “You ready?”

  “Mhmm.” I stated, “I have never been here before.”

  He smiled a dazzling grin at me. “I haven’t either. Let’s go.”

  He hadn’t been here before? Then how in the world did he know where he was taking me? I’d assumed he was taking me on a hike or walk. Maybe a friend or one of his brothers told him about this place and he was going to see if we could find it together. I didn’t wait for him to help me out of his Jeep. Yes, this time he picked me up in a two-door, Jeep Wrangler. It was lifted and had massive tires on it. He helped me up into it when he picked me up. Getting out of it, there was nothing graceful about it. You simply fell out. When he got to my side, he chuckled.

  “You alright there?”

  I stood straight. “I’m good.”

  He took my hand with no hesitation and led me to the trail. Turner had a back pack with him and I wondered what was in it.

  “You have some sort of weapons in there you plan on massacring my body with and burying me out in these woods?”

  He burst out with a full bellied laugh. “No, but that was creative, I’ll give you that one.”

  I slowed to give a small bow.

  “I have some snacks and a couple water bottles in case we get hungry,” he answered seriously.

  “Gotcha.”

  “So any clue where we are going?”

  “Not a single one.”

  “Perfect.”

  He wanted me in the dark. This trail we were walking on was beautiful. Wild flowers lined the edges of the path and the water running through the creek bed was so serene it made me want to sit and stick my feet in it. We walked around a corner and a wooden sign was off to the left with a couple arrows pointing in different directions. Up ahead, the pavement split in different ways. As we approached the split, we took the path that made my stomach drop. It was titled, “The Gulch Zip Line.”

  What. The. Fuck.

  “Turner, what are you having us do?”

  He was kind of pulling me along now. “It’ll be fun. Trust me.”

  Trust. That was a huge word that, frankly, was tossed around and definitely not given freely by me. You had to earn it. There was a building that looked like a forest ranger cabin a few yards in front of us. You’d never even know this place was here unless you knew where to look. Literally, our whole drive, not one sign mentioned zip lining. The log building was small and square, but when we went inside, there were a couple televisions that lined the walls with images of groups wearing safety gear, posing for the cameras and having fun. Turner released my hand and went to the counter.

  “Hi, we’re here for a private guide,” he told the person sitting behind the counter.

  “Yes, sir. We were expecting you.” She pulled a couple papers from a plastic organizer in front of her. “I just need you both to fill out these forms and sign the waiver on the back. We can get you all set up after that.”

  Turner shifted to look at me. I stepped up beside him and looked at the stuff I was supposed to fill out. Most of it was standard information. The one that made me pause, was the paper that basically said they assumed no responsibility if death or injury occurs while on the course. So, was I supposed to just sign my life away?

  “Uh, ma’am?” I asked.

  “Yes?” She smiled like nothing about these things was odd.

  I tapped the paper with my pen. “This one right here. Umm, can I ask how often, if something does happen, does one get hurt while doing this?”

  She shook her head. “Oh, it’s just a basic form. But I can tell you, in the two years that I’ve worked here, we’ve only had one accident, and that wasn’t even because the person was on the course. They hadn’t taken their meds and went into diabetic shock from low sugar levels.”

  Did she not realize this was still not reassuring to me?

  “Okay, but what kind of things could happen while doing this?”

  Her head tilted to the side, and she was totally perplexed by my question. “Well, I suppose anything. Accidents do happen, but I assure you, the whole course is safe. One of our guides goes through it first thing in the morning checking the lines and making sure that everything is tightly bolted to the trees. It really is very safe. Just try to relax and have some fun. Almost everyone that comes through here is nervous in some way, shape, or form. You’ve got this.”

  Her pep talk sucked. I just wanted to clip her onto one of the lines in the trees and fling her down it while I yelled profanities about her crazy ass.

  Turner remained quiet while I had my freak out with the poor worker. I was surprised he didn’t jump in and try to settle my frazzled nerves. Honestly, it was probably for the best. She was a stranger to me and I wouldn
’t lash out at a stranger. If he had tried to speak to me, I would have punched him in the arm. Not that the big guy would even feel it.

  I went ahead and signed the papers, even though I truly wanted nothing more than to take off running back in the direction we’d just came. After I passed them back, we were instructed to go into a side room where helmets, straps, and all sorts of other contraptions were hanging from the walls. A male worker, named Joe, helped fit us into the proper gear. He explained to us what the straps were for, and how we were going to sit in the harnesses when we got to the first platform. I slipped my helmet on my head and I could feel heat creeping up my cheeks. I’m sure I looked ridiculous. But when I glanced at Turner, he winked at me. A couple little flutters went through me and I looked down at the ground. I saw his feet come into my line of vision and a finger tipped my chin up, forcing me to look at him. He stood too close. And why in the hell did he look so good with such a dumb hard hat?

  “I see your thoughts flying across you face. You’re beautiful.”

  The crystal blue of his eyes and the heartfelt tone in his voice, I had no choice but to listen.

  “Thank you. You’re sweet.”

  He leaned in and spoke into my ear, “And you are even sweeter. Seriously, you smell like cotton candy every time I’m near you and I’m beginning to wonder if you taste like it too.”

  He stepped back from me and directed his attention to Joe. Okeydokey, now how was I supposed to respond to that? My heart took a hiatus for a solid ten seconds, while my underwear felt entirely too damp. There I was nervous about this rope course, but the man who stood next to me caused reactions inside me that I’d never felt before. He was more dangerous than I had given him credit for.

  Swallowing hard, I pushed my thoughts aside and followed Joe and Turner out to the path behind the building. There was a white van that I guess we were supposed to get in to. We drove up a mountain side that seemed like a straight shot up from where we’d just come from. I was going over every possible thing that could cause me to fall to my death. And also, who would take care of my poor Chaz if I died? I truly felt like these were legitimate concerns. Once at the top, Turner filed out and I followed behind him. I know he wanted to grab my hand, but was likely picking up on my vibes that I wasn’t really in the mood to be touched. I needed some space so I could breathe through this. I didn’t know what I was going to do when I had to make that first step off to free fall. If that’s what you’d even call it.

  We walked to a wooden platform where a wire cable hung across the top of a forest. Okay that was a seriously long drop. This was crazy. Turner was crazy. This was crazy. I’d rather be in a race car right about now going 140 MPH, not getting ready to fling myself off this platform and expect these wires to hold my happy ass long enough ‘til I’m on the other side.

  “So, let’s go over a couple of things,” Joe said, in a serious tone. “The other guide is already here, and she is down on the other end waiting to meet you both after your first jump. I want you to hold the wire in the back, never in the front. You hold it up front, you could lose a finger. At the end down there, you’ll see a block. It will help slow you down so you don’t go speeding into poor Serenity.” He chuckled at his own joke. “She’s sturdy, but I think she’d move before she lets y’all run her over.”

  I wasn’t laughing, but Turner found it humorous. I glared at him. When he caught my expression, he wiped his smirk away. He mouthed the word “sorry.” I just shook my head at him. He winked like it was going to get him out of hot water with me.

  “Okay, who’s going first?”

  “I think Annabelle needs to go.”

  “I think you’re on crack, Dr. Turner,” I snapped.

  Joe was now laughing at my joke, except it wasn’t one. “Okay you two. Annabelle, step up to the plate.”

  I did as he asked. He took hold of my karabiner and hooked me in. He yanked it twice and released me.

  “So quick question,” I said with a slight quiver to my voice. “Can this thing actually hold me? I mean, I haven’t gone jogging in a while, and I haven’t exactly been watching my figure.”

  Turner’s hand brushed mine. He was trying not to laugh.

  “These clips and cables are capable of holding over one thousand pounds. I promise, even if you didn’t hit the treadmill this morning, you’re very much in the clear.”

  “Well, looks like I’m going whether I want to do this or not.”

  “Put your faith in the free fall, Annabelle. You’re going to be fine. Just watch for Serenity’s signals at the bottom. She will let you know when you need to slow yourself down. I’ll meet y’all on the third platform.”

  I nodded. Sitting down, I let all of the equipment hold my weight. I oddly felt very secure. But that could be deceiving. Joe said he was going to count down from three, after that I was supposed to step off.

  “Annabelle,” Turner called my name.

  I twisted, giving him an expectant look. “Hmmm.”

  “Before you go, tell me something about yourself. I don’t care what it is, just tell me something.”

  Slightly taken aback, I thought about what I wanted to say. Something about myself. I never really talked about myself, so thinking of something to share wasn’t the easiest task. Couldn’t he ask me another question? Joe started his count down.

  “Three . . .”

  Seriously, what did he want to know? I felt like everything was too personal.

  “Two . . .”

  We just played the question and answer game in the car. Didn’t we share enough? The man eats cereal for a snack for heaven sakes.

  “One . . .”

  Pressured, I blurted the first thing that came to mind.

  “When I was a kid I always wore dresses so the boys could see my underwear when I hung upside down on the monkey bars.” And with that I jumped.

  I didn’t wait for his response. I wanted to get away. The only option I had was down. I was fully expecting a free fall. The kind where your tummy drops and you feel like there’s no sense of gravity. That wasn’t the sensation at all. It was more like being on a roller coaster without the drop. The wind was in my hair and the tree line below me whizzed by. I briefly glanced back and saw Turner grinning ear to ear. And did he just fist bump the guide? I caught some serious speed and my mind told me it was time to slow down. I watched the bottom of the line where the next platform was in place. There was a woman there, waiting for me. She started giving me hand signals letting me know I needed to reach up and grip the wire. I did. Even though I wore a leather glove, I could still feel the heat through the material burning my hand. My momentum slowed and there was a wooden block that my harness hit making me slow faster than if I tried to do it on my own. Serenity hollered out to me to put my feet down when I got to the platform. It was all a matter of seconds that everything happened. I planted my feet, and stumbled forward, while Serenity grasped the top of my line and made me come to a complete stop.

  Holy adrenaline.

  “How was it?” she asked. Serenity was a tall brunette woman, I would guess to be in her early thirties.

  “I haven’t decided just yet.” My hands were shaking and my heart was palpitating.

  “Just wait ‘til you get to the third line. You’ll have some decisions to make.” She wagged her eye brows like what she said would impress me. All it did was freak me out.

  Did she know I was terrified of this stuff? Surely not or she wouldn’t have said what she just did. I didn’t acknowledge her. Instead, I looked at the top of the hill where I’d just come and watched as Turner began his slide down. How did he make this look so graceful? He had his arms out wide and his head back like he was enjoying every second of the ride. I was slightly envious. What it must feel like to let go like that.

  When he got to where I was, his smile looked like a permanent fixture on his handsome face.

  “God, that felt good.” Serenity unclipped him. “What did you think?”

  Did t
he man realize his harness snuggly fit him and I saw everything he was packing? I did my best not to look, but holy crap I could see where he would be slightly confident in the man whore department. Clearly he had a reason to strut his stuff. Focus Annabelle.

  “Uh, I uh . . . ” Clearing my throat and closing my eyes for a brief moment to gather myself, I opened them and met his crystal blue eyes head on. “It was an interesting feeling.”

  “Interesting good, or interesting bad?”

  “Interesting, and I’ll leave it at that. There are how many more of these things? I’ll let you know when we are done.”

  He chuckled. “Okay, fair enough.”

  I nodded.

  “So you wanted the little boys to see your underwear, huh?”

  Oh God, I was so caught up in everything that I forgot I spit that little bit of knowledge out. My cheeks felt warm, and I bit my lip hard, trying to hold my composure. Why must he talk about embarrassing things when I have no place to escape too? Probably part of his plan, the asshole.

  “I was under pressure. You asked and it was the first thing I could think of. Don’t judge.” I snapped, trying to hold back an embarrassed smirk.

  He held his hands up in surrender. “Hey, I’m not judging. I am just shocked is all. Let me guess, you wore those cute little ‘days of the week’ underwear too.”

  My eyes got wide. “What did I say about judging?”

  Turner burst out laughing. “It was a wild shot in the dark. I had no clue you really did.”

  I slapped at his arm. “Alright, sir, turnabout is fair play. Tell me something about you.”