Scene of the Climb by Kate Dyer-Seeley Page B

teeth.
    Alicia wrung the napkin with her hands. “No, I didn’t hear a thing. Contrary to what Lenny might have told you though, I’m actually the fastest. I beat them all to Multnomah. Lenny was lagging behind anyway. Called ahead and told us he had to stop for a minute. Maybe he figured we’d wait for him. No way. I kept sprinting.”
    â€œThat must have been when he fell,” Krissy exclaimed. “I bet he stopped to fix a broken lace and slipped.” She slugged wine and said, “You were there, Meg. What did you see?”
    What did I see? My mind muddled. I tried to replay the events in my head.
    â€œShe doesn’t want to talk about it, Krissy,” Alicia said.
    â€œNo, I’m okay. It’s just hard to piece it all together.” I paused and took a sip of my beer. The smell of hops hit my nose. “I slipped right before I saw him fall. I was distracted, trying to stop myself from sliding over the ledge. I couldn’t really see anything.”
    â€œWhat a way to go.” Alicia shuddered and threw her napkin over her plate. She pushed herself up from her chair and said, “I’m getting another drink.”
    Krissy knocked down the rest of her wine and shot up with her glass in hand, “Wait for me. I’ll join you.”
    I felt a hand on my shoulder.
    â€œThis seat taken?”
    I turned to see Greg standing behind me.
    â€œCute glasses,” he said as he set an amber-colored beer on the table and pulled a chair next to me.
    Why hadn’t I chosen a glass of wine? I was the only girl at the table drinking beer.
    â€œYou okay?”
    â€œI don’t know. This whole production feels weird. Why are we still having a party? Doesn’t it seem strange that Dave isn’t more bothered by Lenny’s death?”
    Greg rested one hand on his temple. “I’m not sure. Everyone reacts differently to stress.” He coughed as Alicia and Krissy approached the table.
    Nodding at Krissy’s wineglass he said, “Perfect Riesling, isn’t it? Grapes are grown south of here. The owner’s one of our top advertisers.”
    He stood, nodded to Alicia, squeezed Krissy’s shoulder, grabbed his beer and sauntered away.
    â€œGod, I want a boss like that,” Krissy said, staring at Greg’s backside.
    From the way Greg squeezed her shoulder I was pretty sure he returned her feelings. In a strange way it made me feel better. He is my boss after all. I needed to stop acting like a lovesick teenager and start acting like the professional journalist he hired.
    â€œWhat’s Dave like as a boss?” I asked.
    Krissy slurped more wine. The girl could drink. Impressive with her tiny frame. The room tilted slightly with a half of a pint of beer for me.
    â€œDave’s a character. It’s the Aussie thing. They play by different rules. Actually they don’t have any rules.”
    She took another swig of wine. This was good. Maybe if she kept drinking she’d answer more questions for me.
    Alicia stirred a thin black straw in her glass. I couldn’t tell what it contained, but it looked like something much higher in alcohol content than my IPA. She appeared bored with our conversation and scanned the room, probably hoping to find another table to join.
    â€œDave knows the biz,” Krissy continued. “You can’t take that from him. And he’s crafty when it comes to funding. He’s found a way to get every single one of his projects off the ground. Trust me; most Hollywood producers can’t claim that kind of success. Unless you’re a Spielberg or something.”
    She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “The thing is I’m the one working the deal with the network this time. Not Dave. This is going to launch my career.”
    Alicia scoffed.
    Krissy polished off her wine. “Oregon reminds me of New Zealand. All this greenery and beer.”
    â€œI didn’t know you