by Ashlee Price
She glances at her belly.
"But a lousy date?" I shake my head again. "No."
Marian purses her lips to hold back a smile.
I scratch my chin. "Wait a second. I take it back. You're a lousy date."
Her eyes grow wide. "What?"
"Well, you said I wasn't supposed to pay you compliments and I think I just did. I broke the rules, so I take it back. You can pretend you never heard it."
She snorts. "It's fine. You insulted me first, anyway."
"Right." I nod. "I did, didn't I?"
She nods. "Mm-hmm."
"In that case, I should give you a bigger compliment." I look into her eyes. "You're the best date ever."
Marian looks away as her cheeks turn red. "Like I'd believe that."
"But it's true," I tell her. "In fact, it's so true I'm prepared to toast to it."
I grab one of the wine bottles from the nearest table and pour two glasses. I hand her one of them.
I lift mine. "To the best date ever."
She says nothing as I let my glass touch hers. Then she frowns.
"You're not trying to get me drunk, are you?"
"No."
I've learned that women are more fun when they're sober.
She doesn't look convinced, but she takes a sip anyway. Afterwards, she nods.
"This tastes good."
"Better than Shirley Temple?" I tease.
Her frown returns.
"What's with the no-drinking policy anyway?" I ask her curiously.
"Just learning from my mistakes," she answers.
"Let me guess." I touch my chin. "You drank too much and you ended up spending all your money on a pair of shoes you didn't need?"
Marian makes a face. "No. And no, not all of us women are obsessed with shoes."
I glance at her sneakers. I should have guessed she wasn't one of them.
"You drank so much that you slept with your best friend's boyfriend and he made a video of it which she happened to see?"
Her frown deepens. "No."
I tap my chin. "You drank so much that you fell asleep in the middle of a surgery and you accidentally killed the patient?"
"No!" Marian shakes her head. "You are crazy."
"So you didn't do any of that but you still think you made a mistake so grave that you've sworn off drinking altogether?"
"I haven't sworn off drinking altogether. See." She takes another sip of wine to prove her point. "I'm just being careful."
"Well, I can guarantee you won't get drunk from just one glass of wine." I swallow another mouthful. "Especially not from this cellar. The wines here are more on the sweet, fruity side and are generally low on alcohol."
Marian nods. "Did you read that in a brochure or do you own this winery and this..." She glances around. "...entire property?"
"I'm friends with the owner," I say.
She gives another nod. "You have a lot of friends."
"I do," I admit.
"Well-off friends," she elaborates before cocking her head to one side. "What is it exactly that you do?"
"I build things," I answer vaguely before taking another sip. "I used to, at least."
"You mean you work in construction? Are you a carpenter?"
"I don't work with wood. More metal and chips and wires."
"You build computers?"
I bite down on my lower lip. "Not exactly."
Marian chuckles.
I throw her a puzzled look. "What?"
"I'm a doctor, you know. I can't exactly judge you for being a geek, and I won't."
"I didn't say I was."
"Anyway..." She lets out a deep breath. "Why did you quit?"
I finish my wine. "I didn't quit, exactly. I'm just taking a break."
"I see."
I change the subject. "How about you? Have you always wanted to be a doctor?"
"Not always," Marian answers as she gives the burgundy liquid in her glass a swirl. "I think there was a time I wanted to be a nurse like my mother."
I raise my eyebrows. "Your mother was a nurse?"
"There was also a time that I wanted to be a kindergarten teacher and a wedding planner."
"A wedding planner?" My eyes grow even wider.
"Yeah." She nods. "You know, the one who helps the bride pick the flowers and the cake and all so that she doesn't turn into bridezilla."
"You like weddings?"
"I used to. I even used to plan my own. Silly, right?"
"Not at all," I disagree as I pour myself another glass of wine. "After all, we're all entitled to our own dreams. So what kind of wedding did you have planned?"
She shakes her head as she purses her lips.
"Come on," I urge her.
She sighs. "Well, I don't really remember all the details, but I remember something about a white dress with purple ribbons and lots of flowers - roses - and butterflies. And Celine Dion singing at my wedding. Silly, right?"
"No."
"But it is, because now I know that none of that matters. If I do get married, I don't want a grand white wedding. I just want my groom and me to write our own vows and have all my friends be there."
I say nothing.
"But then, I'm not even sure if I'll ever get married."
I almost choke on my wine.
"Anyway..." She clears her throat. "I didn't become a wedding planner. I became a doctor."
"Yes, you did." I lift my glass. "A fine doctor."
She frowns. "You just paid me another compliment."
I shrug. "So, why a doctor? Why a surgeon?"
She shrugs as well. "Because I'm crazy?"
I chuckle.
She takes a long sip of wine, then hands me her empty glass.
"One more?" I ask her.
Marian's gaze narrows. "I thought you weren't trying to get me drunk."
"I'm not." I put her glass down and finish mine. "On second thought, that's enough drinking. We still have one more thing to do."
"Really?"
I nod and give her a grin. "It's the biggest surprise of all."
~
"A plane?" Marian sports another look of mixed surprise and confusion when we get to the airstrip.
She gets off her bike.
"So we biked all this way to ride a plane?"
I get off mine. "Yes. Except we're not just riding it."
"We're not?" She looks even more confused.
I turn towards her. "I was going to tell you when we got up in the air, but fine, I'll tell you now. The paintball? The wine tasting? The biking? They're all just warm-ups. This is the real deal."
"Riding the plane?"
"Skydiving," I say.
Just as I expected, Marian takes a step back. "Skydiving?"
I nod. "It's even more fun and pointless than paintball."
She shakes her head. "And crazy. And dangerous."
I sigh. "Have you ever done something that you thought you would die from but then afterwards felt so alive?"
"No," she answers. "But each time I walk into an operating room, I fight the urge to shake in fear."
"And afterwards, if the surgery is successful?"
"I feel great. Like I'd want to do it again. And again."
"That's how surfing feels for me," I say. "And hang gliding. And snowboarding. And rafting. And bungee jumping. And skydiving."
Marian shakes her head again. "You're crazy."
"Maybe," I admit. "You say you're crazy because you chose to be a doctor, but maybe we have to do crazy things just so we can feel alive, so we can say our lives are not in vain."
She falls silent.
"Maybe crazy is just another way to say we're brave enough to do the things that scare us."
I offer her my hand.
"Just do this one crazy thing for me? It's the last thing I'll ask on this date, I promise."
Marian just looks at my hand.
"And I promise you I won't let anything bad happen to you."
"So you
think pushing me off a plane isn't bad?" she asks me.
"I won't push you," I tell her. "I'll jump with you, and I promise you I'll keep you safe."
She looks at my hand again.
I extend my arm. "I'll keep you safe, Marian. We'll be crazy but we'll be safe. And then I promise you you'll feel more alive and amazing than ever."
She meets my gaze. "That's a lot of promises."
"I meant them all."
She looks back at my hand.
"You have nothing to fear," I assure her.
Marian draws a deep breath. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but fine. I'll do it."
She takes my hand. I give her a wide smile as I clasp hers.
"Thanks. You won't regret it."
Chapter Seven
Marian
I'm already regretting it.
As Dustin secures the straps holding us together, my heart hammers in my chest. If I was hooked to a machine right now, it would probably say my BP is 180 over 100. Not good.
I swallow. "Are you sure this is safe, Dustin?"
He glances at me. "You're not having second thoughts, are you?"
"I am," I confess. "I'm not sure this is a good thing to do."
"Well, it's okay to have second thoughts." He adjusts some more straps. "It's okay to be afraid. What's not okay is to let that fear stop you from doing what you want."
"That's the thing," I say. "I'm not sure I want this."
I never did. I only agreed because...
Why did I agree?
"You'll be fine," Dustin assures me. "Just breathe."
Right. Breathe.
I close my eyes, force gulps of air into my lungs and tell myself to calm down.
Calm down, heart. You can do this.
I visualize my heart slowing down. I visualize my blood pressure dropping on the screen.
After a minute, I place two fingers over my carotid and find that my pulse has gone back to normal. Good. Now, I just have to make sure it stays that way.
"You alright?" Dustin asks me.
"No," I answer.
I might have calmed down, but I'm still scared.
He grabs my hand and squeezes it. "Remember, I'm right with you."
I nod and draw another deep breath. "Let's just get this over with."
The sooner I get this done, the sooner I can move on with my life.
Dustin signals to the pilot. They exchange a few words. Then the plane seems to stop. Someone opens the door.
"Ready?" Dustin asks as he pushes me forward.
The cold wind slaps my hair against my cheeks and I freeze. My eyes dart down.
"Don't," Dustin warns in my ear. "Don't you worry about a thing."
Easy for him to say. I'm the one being pushed out of a plane.
Still, I close my eyes and force myself to breathe.
Breathe, Marian. Just breathe.
"Here we go."
My eyes fly open as I feel a push. The next thing I know, I'm falling. Dustin falls with me, the straps holding us together.
Shit.
I purse my lips and resist the urge to scream as the wind blows in my face. I remember Dustin's instructions and raise my head, lifting my arms and legs in some effort to defy gravity. At the same time, I utter a silent prayer.
Please let that chute open.
I repeat the plea as I keep falling, the wind sweeping through my hair.
How much longer, farther do I have to fall?
Suddenly, I hear the sound of a parachute opening. It jerks me back and then everything stops.
I'm no longer falling. I'm floating.
No. I'm flying.
Just like that, fear evaporates from my chest. Tension leaves my muscles. For the first time, I manage to take in the scenery - the azure expanse of the sky and the treetops and lush green fields in the distance.
My lips unfurl, the corners turning up to form a smile.
Then I start falling again, but I don't panic. I just wait.
The wind eventually gets weaker. The ground gets closer. My body straightens.
"Brace yourself," Dustin tells me.
I don't really know what to do. I just put my hands on the straps around my shoulders as we go down the last dozen feet. I hear Dustin's shoes scrape the ground. A cloud of dust billows around us. Then the friction takes hold and Dustin stops. My shoes hit the ground.
I'm back on the ground. I've made it.
The thought makes my chest swell with relief. At the same time, though, an unprecedented tinge of disappointment creeps into my heart.
It's... over?
"Are you okay?" Dustin asks me as he takes off the straps.
I nod.
Now I am. And not just okay. I feel... exhilaratingly alive.
"Just take in the moment. Embrace the feeling," Dustin says. "You won't forget it for as long as you live."
I close my eyes and do as he says. I let the joy wash over me. I feel the adrenaline pumping in my veins.
Then the moment is gone. But the feeling remains. And so does the smile on my face.
"Well?" Dustin asks.
I look up at the sky. "I can't believe I just fell through the sky."
"And flew," he says. "Don't forget. You flew, too, even for just a few seconds."
I remember. The mere memory sends a shiver of excitement up my spine.
"See. I kept my promises. All of them."
I look at him and nod. "Thanks."
He nods as well, then lifts his hand for a high five. I raise my hand and my palm slaps against his.
"Congratulations," Dustin says as he clasps my hand in his. His lips curve into a smile.
The pride in his voice and his eyes sends warmth stirring in my cheeks and in my chest. Again, my heart stops.
I part my lips, but not a sound slips past. My hand remains in his as our eyes remain locked. Somehow, I can't bring myself to pull it away.
Why isn't he letting go?
Finally, he does. My heart sinks. My hand suddenly feels empty and I wrap it around my arm.
"Want to go again?" he asks me.
"No," I answer quickly. I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "At least, not right away."
Dustin nods. "I understand."
He falls silent as he fixes the parachute. I just stand there watching him, not knowing what to say next.
Now what?
He finally breaks the silence. "Do you want to go home already? Or do you want to wait a little longer so we can cap the day with a meal around a fire?"
A fire? I wasn't expecting that. Then again, everything about today has been unexpected.
And amazing. As much as I hate to admit it, this day has been great.
This date has been great, and maybe, just maybe, I'm not ready for it to end.
I smile. "A fire sounds nice."
~
I take another sip of wine - my last, I promise - as I stare into the crackling red flames rooted in the pile of glowing wood.
The meal, another scrumptious meal, is finished. The sun has long gone. Still, I can't help but feel like I'm waiting for something.
What am I waiting for?
"You're free," Dustin says suddenly.
I glance at him with creased eyebrows. "What?"
"Your debt has been paid."
I almost ask 'what debt?'. I nearly forgot about it.
"Good," I say.
I can't stand owing someone. That's why I didn't agree to work at Hal's hospital. I already owe him enough. Maybe being a doctor is my way of repaying him.
"What do you think Dr. Hansen will say to you tomorrow?" Dustin asks me.
"I doubt she'll say anything."
Which is better than her yelling at me.
"Yeah. If she says anything about seeing you, she'll be admitting she was there in the garden, and she doesn't want anyone to know that."
I nod.
"Isn't that good? You two share a secret. You're bound together."
I snort.
I shrug. "We'll see."
Though I doubt it.
"So, did you enjoy?" Dustin asks. "I know I forced you and all, but..."
"You didn't force me," I tell him. "I owed you, remember? And yeah, I guess this date wasn't so bad."
His expression reminds me of a puppy that's just been given a treat for obeying a command.
Adorable.
"As good as the other ones you've had?" he asks.
I pause to think. When was the last date I had? I can't remember.
"I'm not telling," I say. "Not unless you tell me about the best and worst dates you've had."
I don't even know why I'm suddenly curious. I just am.
"I can't," he tells me.
I pout.
"Because this is the first date I've had."
My eyes grow wide. "No way."
"I don't usually do dates," he adds.
I fall silent as I tap my glass.
"I thought they'd be boring, but today with you has been really, really fun."
He sends me a smile and my breath catches. I look away.
"So maybe you'll do it again," I say.
His eyebrows furrow. "I thought you said you didn't want to go out with me."
"I said you, not we."
"Oh. So you want me to go out with someone else, play paintball with her and take her skydiving?"
The tinge of jealousy that pricks my chest takes me by surprise.
"Well, it doesn't have to be exactly that."
To my surprise, he chuckles.
I narrow my eyes at him. "What?"
"Nothing." He puts his glass down.
I keep looking at him until he finally turns his head to meet my gaze.
"You're not very honest, you know."
"What?"
Dustin moves his chair closer to me and takes the empty glass from my hand. "I said you're not very honest."
My eyes narrow even more. "Are you calling me a liar, Mr. Montgomery?"
"No." He holds my gaze after putting down the glass. "I'm just saying you don't like to acknowledge your feelings."
"What feelings?"
"See."
I frown. "If you're saying I have feelings for you, Mr. Montgomery, I - "
I don't finish, because his lips press against mine. Once. Twice. After the third time, I find myself kissing him back. My eyes close.
Dustin puts his hand at the back of my head and kisses me harder. My lips part. His tongue brushes against mine and I shudder. Heat travels down to my chest, making it hard for me to breathe, and then to my knees, which tremble. It circles back to stir between my legs and my skin tingles all over.
