Will You Be My Escort

by Meg Harding

  Aaron looks at Tristan. He’s looking kind of pale.

  He himself doesn’t feel all that up to the task. He shared a bed with Jackson the night before, and his sleep was… fitful. Every time Jackson touched him (which was quite a lot; the man was a veritable fish in bed for all the wiggling he did), he woke up. Jackson, on the other hand, slept like the dead. He started on the far side of the bed, and by the morning he was damn near on top of Aaron. He had to slide from the bed before Jackson could wake and freak out about the intimate position. There was a little bit of drool on his shoulder. It probably shouldn’t have made him feel so fond.

  “It’s important we get off to a good lead. Don’t try to do anything flashy. Simple and quick, guys. We want a win.”

  Aaron suspects Jackson’s family is a little insane. They take this winning business very seriously. Apparently this is a reunion staple, all of them being separated into teams and doing various activities to win points. The trophy is all but worthless he’s been told (made of cheap plastic, in fact), but it’s the meaning behind it that counts.

  What Aaron has taken from this is the Carlisles as a whole are a crazily competitive lot.

  There are two other families with them, and while some of the members mingle and chat on the bus ride to the base of the mountains, mostly they stick to themselves. Aaron tries to figure out how they’re related.

  “That’s my cousin Millie’s family. Her husband—the one in the white—comes from a big family, so he brings them along, and she gets her own clan rather than staying with her parents. Her kids aren’t old enough to compete with the adults, so they’ll be back at the hotel doing a simpler competition.”

  Aaron interrupts him. “The kids compete?”

  Jackson blinks. “Well, yeah. They have to get in practice for when they’re old enough to join the adults. It’s nothing like this, more like wheelbarrow races and stuff. Shell collecting. Where did you think Laurence’s kids were?”

  With a hotel babysitter? He shakes his head. “All right.”

  Jackson points at the other large group. “That’s Bobby’s family. He’s one of my dad’s brothers. His wife gets her own group, ’cause she’s got a pretty big family she brings along as well.”

  “So it’s technically not all Carlisles.”

  “Pretty much. It’s anyone who is affiliated with us in a familial way. Makes sense, you know? When you marry someone, their family becomes yours and vice versa.” He shrugs.

  “How come Marcy doesn’t bring hers?”

  “She says subjecting them to us on the holidays is enough. Really, I don’t think she wants to deal with her family and ours at the same time.”

  Marcy is a smart woman.

  They lapse into silence for the rest of the journey, Jackson leaning heavily against Aaron’s side as they both stare out the window. The scenery is nothing short of breathtaking. Aaron doesn’t think he’s ever seen something so beautiful in person. The mountains rise up before them, a sea of green with trailing cracks of white and blue. The closer they get, the more details he can work out. There are absurdly bright flowers and trees amongst the green, spots of vibrant color scattered over the mountain. Rocks become visible under the water. He can see the way it’s cascading over them, swirling around.

  And that’s just what’s ahead. Right outside their window, they’re passing plants he’s never seen before. Bright flowers brush the side of the bus as they bump along the one-way dirt road. Palm trees reach for the sky, fruit dangling from their heavy branches. The flowers aren’t the only bright thing, either. There are so many birds flitting from tree limb to tree limb, fluttering around bushes and racing death in front of the bus. He’s never understood why birds do that. Their feathers are colored like the rainbow, reminding him of the parrots he’s seen in zoos.

  Jackson taps his shoulder and points to one branch as they go by. He squints, and a smile breaks out over his face as he spots the iguana. It’s large and green, almost blending into the leaves. The long green-and-brown tail is draped down, the tip curling. It’s munching away at leaves contentedly.

  He wonders if they’ll see more wildlife once they’re in the mountains. He hasn’t brought his camera—they all received a lecture on packing their bags as light as possible from Anna—but he has brought his phone. He’ll have to try to snap some nice pictures.

  They have three guides—cheery and local—one for each group. The one working with them is a very fit woman named Diane, with her dark hair pulled back in a high ponytail. When they pile out of the bus, standing now at the bottom of their destination, she moves them to the side.

  “We’re going to take this at a steady pace,” she says. “This is an all-day excursion, and it’s supposed to be fun. We’re going to make several stops as we go. There’s a lot to see here, and we want to give you time to explore. We’re in Akaka Falls State Park, and the zip lines will be spaced out, so you’ll do them throughout the day. The final zip line is a little over 3,000 feet long and takes place over the tallest waterfall. Safety is important, so I ask that you not wander from the group and that you follow my instructions. Before we get going, I want to make sure you’re all prepared. Did you bring snacks and water for this trip? If not, there’s a cabin to your left where you can purchase some. There won’t be any cafés where we’re going.”

  This keeps sounding better and better.

  Bastien’s cursing in a stream of French at James, who’s staring at him in bafflement. He looks like he maybe understands one in every ten words. Bastien seems to have less of a problem with heights than he does being dropped into the middle of a competition without any notice. Aaron should tell him the argument would be a lot more effective if he switched to English.

  He turns to Jackson—or he more accurately turns to where Jackson was when he last looked—but he’s gone. It takes a minute, but he finally sees him half in the woods on the left, crouched down. Aaron saw him pack his camera, despite his mother’s fierce words, and he’s guessing Jackson’s taking a picture of something.

  When Jackson wanders back, Aaron nudges his shoulder. He’s staring down at his camera screen. “Can I see?”

  Jackson tilts the camera. It’s so sunny that Aaron has to put his hand up to block the glare. He sees an image of a stick insect crawling over a fallen leaf. He can see every detail of its tiny body, every vein in the leaf. “How did you even spot it?” he asks. He’d have looked right over the insect.

  Jackson taps the corner of his eye. “I’m good with detail. Comes with the job.”

  “You’re very good,” he says and watches as Jackson’s cheeks become a flattering darker shade of pink, his blush layering over his slight sunburn, which reminds him. “Did you bring sunscreen today?”

  “No,” says Jackson. “But you did, and I put some on before I left.”

  Diane calls for their attention then, and they begin the hike. If Aaron falls to his death from a zip line, he’s coming back and haunting Georgina.

  THEY’RE AT the bottom of a smaller waterfall they’ll soon be hiking to the top of to continue on. For now, they’ve got twenty minutes to rest. The first zip line will be coming up very shortly.

  Jackson should be using this time to sit down with everyone else and give the burning in his legs a bit of a break. But Aaron keeps looking through his pictures, and he smiles so wide when he sees something he particularly likes, and he keeps complimenting him. He wants to find something truly spectacular, an image that will be perfect to frame and give to Aaron.

  “Aww, so cute,” says Dorian.

  Jackson ignores him as he hunches over a plant and tries to get a detailed shot of the hummingbird that’s fluttering around it, sucking up nectar.

  “You’re trying to impress him.”

  He snaps several shots before the bird flies off.

  He hears footsteps behind him. He straightens and turns. Denver has joined Dorian. They’re both smiling their indulgent, creepy twin smiles. Jackson sighs. “I’m not trying
to impress him. He’s being paid for this. How would I even know if it’s real? I told him I’d take some that he could put on his wall like the ones in my house. I’m trying to give him a good selection to choose from.”

  Both of them roll their blue eyes.

  “You’re so stupid.” Denver shakes his head. “If you don’t rest, and you get so fatigued that you can’t run fast—”

  “Then Mom’s going to kill you,” finishes Dorian.

  He ignores the first part, but they’ve got a point about his mom. He walks away from them and takes a seat beside Aaron, who’s got his shoes and socks off and his feet in the water.

  “Does it feel nice?” he asks.

  Aaron smiles at him. His dark eyes crinkle at the corners. Jackson wants to reach out and trace the lines. “Why don’t you find out?”

  Jackson unties his hiking boots—that he had to get up super early to go buy, along with a pair of socks (guess he should have brought something other than flip-flops and loafers)—and sets everything to the side. The water feels like ice, and he yelps as he sticks his feet in, drawing several laughs from the people around them. All three groups are in the clearing, and they’re mingling a little more now that they’re more awake.

  “You suck,” he mutters, but he doesn’t withdraw his feet. In a minute they’ll go numb, and it won’t feel so cold. He can see tiny fishes swimming in the clearer water near the shallows. “Would you want to try taking pictures?” He leans back to drag his bag close and pull out the camera he just put away. “Here.” He holds it out. Aaron takes it, and Jackson instructs him on how to use it, pointing out little tricks to get a clearer picture, how to work with the wind and the movement of the water so things won’t come out blurry. It isn’t till Aaron’s handing the camera back to him that Jackson realizes he’s practically sitting in Aaron’s lap, he’s so close to him. He barely refrains from saying sorry. It’s a kneejerk reaction, but Aaron doesn’t seem to mind the invasion of space.

  Speaking of invasion of space…. “I didn’t crowd you last night, did I?” he asks, chewing on his bottom lip nervously. He’s been told by just about everyone who has ever shared a bed with him that it’s awful. He moves too much, and he snores and occasionally talks to himself. He hogs the blankets. It’s a pretty long list.

  “You’re fine,” says Aaron. “Just cuddly. I really don’t mind.”

  “I don’t move too much?”

  “You do until you end up where you want to be.”

  Jackson has no clue what that’s supposed to mean, and before he can ask, Diane is gathering them up and urging them on. They’re going uphill, and talking becomes difficult as all his air goes into the climb.

  The pace Diane has set is steady, so while he has time to notice the lush and beautiful scenery, he has only enough to think, “Oh that’s nice,” and keep on moving. He makes a mental note to come back on his own and do a solo hike through these rainforests.

  They quickly reach the first zip line, which hangs over a fifty-foot drop into a tree-filled valley. Jackson cautiously peers over the edge. He can’t see the ground the tree coverage is so thick.

  “It looks like heads of broccoli,” he says to himself.

  Aaron, who came to stand beside him and also take a look, laughs. “It really does,” he says.

  Millie’s family is the first to cross the line, and then Jackson’s will be going. He sits down to watch the proceedings, conserving his strength. “Are you okay with this?” he asks Aaron.

  “My answer hasn’t changed since yesterday, and if it had, it would be a little late now.” Aaron bumps their shoulders together. “When we get back to the resort, I’m going to do something for you. We’re going to have a relaxing and worry-free time.”

  He wonders what Aaron has planned for him. He’s so busy thinking about it, he doesn’t realize it’s his turn to take a running leap until his mom is tapping his shoulder. “You go, and then Aaron,” she says. Other than her, Georgina and Tristan are the only ones left of their group.

  Diane buckles him into the harness, and he holds tightly to the little handles. Deep breath in, exhale slow. He squeezes his eyes shut and runs. He doesn’t reopen them till he’s dangling over open air, body sailing along the line. His eyes stream from the wind. He staggers when he hits land, the jolt shuddering up through his legs painfully. That wasn’t so hard.

  “Good jump,” says James. “Very Tarzan-esque.”

  “Fuck off,” mutters Jackson good-naturedly. “I was the picture of elegance as I twirled through the air.”

  He smiles as everyone laughs.

  Dorian bumps into him. “Aaron’s coming next. You’re going to miss it.”

  Aaron’s running leap is nothing but graceful, and his body maintains a straight line as he rockets toward them. The wind makes his hair stand straight up. His clothes cling to him. Jackson’s breath gets stuck in his throat. He fumbles out his camera, but he’s too late, and he misses the photo opportunity. He scowls. He’ll have to be ready at the next one.

  Tristan goes next, and by the time he gets to them, he’s pale and shaking, face clammy with sweat. He has to sit down, and Aaron takes a seat beside him, chattering quietly in his ear. Jackson doesn’t know what the low tug in his stomach is, but it’s painful, and he doesn’t like it. He has to look away.

  They all chill out while the final group makes their way across, and Jackson hisses in sympathy when one of his cousins gets stuck in the middle of the line. The guide has to go and propel them forward with his own momentum. It’s good for their time, though. His mom looks over the moon.

  The following three zip lines are similar, not all that high and go over the top of small valleys and bubbling streams. Tristan looks a little less sick after each one. The fourth one, though… it’s got a good hundred-foot drop and extends over a waterfall. The line is pretty long too. He can’t see where it ends.

  “Oh hell no,” says Tristan. If he doesn’t break up with Georgina after all this, it’s going to be a miracle.

  One of the guides goes first, so they can keep time on the other side, while the remaining two brief them. Their running start is more important than ever now. The line disappears into a copse of trees.

  Denver’s scowling at it. “I feel like this is going to be more George of the Jungle than Tarzan.”

  Every last one of them says, as if on cue, “Watch out for that tree.”

  Denver was obsessed with the movie as a child for some reason, and they’ve all seen it at least a hundred times. It’s imprinted on their memory, never to be forgotten. Jackson thinks it probably had a lot to do with a shirtless Brendan Fraser.

  He goes first, wanting to get it over with. “The longer I stare at it, the more I’m going to psych myself out.”

  He has to clench his teeth to keep from screaming initially, but once he gets a little over halfway across, he doesn’t feel so terrified. He’s moving really fast, the line at a somewhat drastic slant. He can see the landing area now, an arch amongst leafy green trees and bushes with budding red flowers. He tucks his legs up when he’s closer. He’s learned his lesson about trying to land on his feet right away.

  He rocks wildly back and forth as he comes to a halt, feeling like the line is going to snap. It makes his stomach roll sickly. “Good time,” says the guide, helping him down. “You’re a natural.”

  His legs feel like rubber beneath him. He slumps against the trunk of a large tree, slowly sliding down till his butt is on the ground, cradled by a web of protruding roots. He’s going to forgo taking pictures of this jump. His hands are shaking. There’s a chance he’s not a huge adrenaline junkie.

  Millie is the next to arrive, and she’s smiling like she’s having the time of her life. She plops down beside him while the guide notes her time. “Where did you meet that hunk of man you’re flaunting around?” she asks, green eyes wide and curious.

  He resists the urge to roll his eyes. “In a coffee shop,” he says. He faces her and flutters his lashes
obnoxiously. “It was love at first sight.”

  She snorts and swats his arm. “Good for you. One by one you’re falling like dominos and becoming adults. Now the twins just need to grow up.”

  He’s always liked Millie just fine, but this is the one thing about her that makes his head hurt. In her world, a relationship means you’re an adult. It means you’re doing something right. That’s not how it works, but it explains why she got married at twenty-two. He doesn’t argue with her.

  To his surprise, the next person to come flying in is Tristan. He’s not expecting Tristan to glare daggers at him. “‘Go right away,’ he said. ‘Don’t psych yourself out,’ he said.” Jackson starts to laugh. Tristan collapses next to him. “This is not a vacation.”

  Millie starts to giggle. Tristan sighs. “It’s the accent, isn’t it?”

  “It’s delightful,” says Millie. Ten minutes later when Georgina lands, she’s making him repeat phrases and words so she can hear them with the accent.

  “He’s not a toy,” she tells her, sitting down in Tristan’s lap. “Don’t be rude.”

  Aaron—who came over a few people ago—chuckles quietly under his breath.

  There are two zip lines left, each with a fair amount of walking between, and they’re given a few breaks. Jackson takes advantage of them to wander around, and he drags Aaron with him. There’s a wonder in his expression that Jackson finds endearing, that he isn’t used to. When he spots a tiny bird, with bright blue-and-green feathers, he pulls on Aaron’s hand. Aaron starts to ask a question, and Jackson puts a finger to Aaron’s lips. They’re dry and slightly cracked from being in the heat all day. He resists the urge to trace his lips and instead takes his hand back. He points.

  Aaron’s smile makes his knees weak, and it’s not even aimed at him.

  His knees go weak for an entirely different reason when they come to the final zip line of the tour. Diane warned them, but hearing how high and how long it is really is not the same as seeing it. Seeing it is terrifying. The waterfall is beautiful, the entire place looking like the kind of thing that should be on a postcard. The rush of water is so loud he can’t hear anything else, and foam from the crashing waves flicks sporadically at them. If he looks down, he can see where the water pools and flows into a rushing stream. He can also see the giant rocks standing out like beacons amongst the frothing water.