little peeks; a toddler being coquettish.
“Okay, we’re ready to climb,” Chris said, calling the group into action. “Sandy, will you get the camera? Andre climbs first.”
“Andre?” Gemma asked. “Are you insane? That looks awfully dangerous.”
Andre winked. “I should be okay.”
“Should?”
Andre took off his shirt and tossed it on the sand. Her face went slack. Like the rock he was about to climb, he was made of stone. An absolute perfect structure.
“Andre, what happened to your chest and shoulder? Are those burns?” Dina asked.
“These things? Nah. They’re my beauty marks.” He eyed Gemma.
Andre and Chris were adjusting their gear when Linda tugged on Andre’s elbow.
“Should you be doing this?” she asked, concern etched on her face. “Why don’t you climb the other side instead?”
He frowned. “What’s on your mind?”
“Your contract. What if you get hurt? You know you have a no extreme sport clause. Should you be doing anything to jeopardize the contract? After all this time, is this worth it?”
“Don’t worry. This is a simple climb. I’m not free-climbing it. I’ll be strapped in.”
A beat. “Please be careful,” she said, then stepped away. Andre considered Linda’s advice as Chris cross-checked Andre’s gear. She was right, of course. Even if only an infinitesimal chance of injury existed, climbing was not smart. What if someone from the office saw him?
“You’re good to go,” Chris said.
Andre placed his hands on the cliff’s face, feeling the cool surface. A damp rock was riskier. He’d need to use more chalk. He was being bull-headed about this. He didn’t need to climb.
“You okay, bro?” Chris asked.
Why did he have to second-guess every aspect of his life? M&T controlled everything–even his latest vacation was on the verge of being cancelled. It was time to live the life he wanted. He’d climb if he wanted to climb.
“Yeah, I’m great,” Andre said.
But a knot at the base of his neck tightened. The morning headache was back.
The waves crashed against the jagged rocks. The electrifying dissonant sounds of the waves and the howling wind replaced all others. Gemma sat on a boulder and watched Andre.
“He’ll be fine,” Dan said. “He’s harnessed in. If he loses a hold, the worst will be a five-foot slip. He may get bruised, but not much more. The difficult part is that point up there.” He waved his hand toward a protrusion of rock near the top. “When he gets underneath that lip, he’ll have to leap to catch it before he can summit.”
“That does not sound safe,” she said.
“That part can get a bit ugly. If he doesn’t catch the lip, he’ll swing in an arc and hit the rock face. I’m sure he’ll protect his vitals.”
“Dear Lord, I’m going to vomit.”
“Nah, he’ll be fine,” Dan said as he took a hesitant step away, but stopped. “By the way, I hope you don’t mind me saying, but your match against Sonia was some of the best tennis I’ve seen in years. I’m looking forward to Wimbledon.”
“Thanks… I appreciate that. But who were you cheering for?”
He smiled. “I’ve always been partial to southpaws.”
They do know me
. Yet, they were comfortable with it, not star-struck at all. She was not used to this, but she could get used to it very quickly.
Her mobile rang. It was Tish. What now? She considered answering it, then pressed
Ignore
.
She trained her attention on Andre as he carefully placed his hands on the flat wall. Like a human spider, he grabbed the face of the rock and without hesitation, climbed. Fast. He practically leaped from one hold to the other. She’d seen rock climbers on TV, but what he was doing was different, as if on fast-forward.
“He’s a natural speed climber,” Linda said.
“Speed climber?”
“When these guys climb, their goal is speed. Beyond physical strength, he’s like a chess player planning multiple moves ahead. As Andre climbs, he’s planning
“Okay, we’re ready to climb,” Chris said, calling the group into action. “Sandy, will you get the camera? Andre climbs first.”
“Andre?” Gemma asked. “Are you insane? That looks awfully dangerous.”
Andre winked. “I should be okay.”
“Should?”
Andre took off his shirt and tossed it on the sand. Her face went slack. Like the rock he was about to climb, he was made of stone. An absolute perfect structure.
“Andre, what happened to your chest and shoulder? Are those burns?” Dina asked.
“These things? Nah. They’re my beauty marks.” He eyed Gemma.
Andre and Chris were adjusting their gear when Linda tugged on Andre’s elbow.
“Should you be doing this?” she asked, concern etched on her face. “Why don’t you climb the other side instead?”
He frowned. “What’s on your mind?”
“Your contract. What if you get hurt? You know you have a no extreme sport clause. Should you be doing anything to jeopardize the contract? After all this time, is this worth it?”
“Don’t worry. This is a simple climb. I’m not free-climbing it. I’ll be strapped in.”
A beat. “Please be careful,” she said, then stepped away. Andre considered Linda’s advice as Chris cross-checked Andre’s gear. She was right, of course. Even if only an infinitesimal chance of injury existed, climbing was not smart. What if someone from the office saw him?
“You’re good to go,” Chris said.
Andre placed his hands on the cliff’s face, feeling the cool surface. A damp rock was riskier. He’d need to use more chalk. He was being bull-headed about this. He didn’t need to climb.
“You okay, bro?” Chris asked.
Why did he have to second-guess every aspect of his life? M&T controlled everything–even his latest vacation was on the verge of being cancelled. It was time to live the life he wanted. He’d climb if he wanted to climb.
“Yeah, I’m great,” Andre said.
But a knot at the base of his neck tightened. The morning headache was back.
The waves crashed against the jagged rocks. The electrifying dissonant sounds of the waves and the howling wind replaced all others. Gemma sat on a boulder and watched Andre.
“He’ll be fine,” Dan said. “He’s harnessed in. If he loses a hold, the worst will be a five-foot slip. He may get bruised, but not much more. The difficult part is that point up there.” He waved his hand toward a protrusion of rock near the top. “When he gets underneath that lip, he’ll have to leap to catch it before he can summit.”
“That does not sound safe,” she said.
“That part can get a bit ugly. If he doesn’t catch the lip, he’ll swing in an arc and hit the rock face. I’m sure he’ll protect his vitals.”
“Dear Lord, I’m going to vomit.”
“Nah, he’ll be fine,” Dan said as he took a hesitant step away, but stopped. “By the way, I hope you don’t mind me saying, but your match against Sonia was some of the best tennis I’ve seen in years. I’m looking forward to Wimbledon.”
“Thanks… I appreciate that. But who were you cheering for?”
He smiled. “I’ve always been partial to southpaws.”
They do know me
. Yet, they were comfortable with it, not star-struck at all. She was not used to this, but she could get used to it very quickly.
Her mobile rang. It was Tish. What now? She considered answering it, then pressed
Ignore
.
She trained her attention on Andre as he carefully placed his hands on the flat wall. Like a human spider, he grabbed the face of the rock and without hesitation, climbed. Fast. He practically leaped from one hold to the other. She’d seen rock climbers on TV, but what he was doing was different, as if on fast-forward.
“He’s a natural speed climber,” Linda said.
“Speed climber?”
“When these guys climb, their goal is speed. Beyond physical strength, he’s like a chess player planning multiple moves ahead. As Andre climbs, he’s planning
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