Page 33 of It's Now or Never

‘You want to do it again?’

My feet were fixed firmly on the ground although my legs felt completely wobbly beneath me. I’d made it to the other side, hallelujah, alive and in one piece. I could do anything I wanted to. Alex was looking at me expectantly, waiting for an answer.

‘Absolutely not. It was amazing, thrilling, exhilarating, but now I’ve found my adventurous gene, I’m putting it firmly back in its box. When it comes to adventure you can definitely have too much of a good thing!’

16

‘Do you know, Jen, you surprised me today. For a moment there I honestly thought you would back out and refuse to do it.’

After our afternoon tea with clotted cream scones, which to my way of thinking was the absolute highlight of our trip, we started on the long drive home. Thankfully Alex decided to take the return journey at a much more leisurely pace and I felt much more inclined to sit back in my seat, look out of the window and watch the world go by, and truly relax for the first time that day.

‘Excuse me! If I remember correctly, I did refuse to do it, but you completely ignored me,’ I said, accusingly. ‘You made me do it!’

He chuckled. ‘I didn’t make you do it. I just persuaded you that it might be a good idea and you finally came round to my way of thinking. Most people do in the end.’

‘You virtually pushed me off the edge,’ I said, looking across at him with half a smile.

‘But can you imagine how you would feel right now if you hadn’t done it? You must have an enormous sense of achievement.’

‘I guess so,’ I admitted reluctantly. ‘But that’s not to say I’d want to do anything like that ever again.’

‘Some people would have walked away from that today, but you didn’t. Mind you, I guess anyone brave enough to sport a tomato outfit and parade themselves in public has to be brave enough to go down a zip wire.’

If he hadn’t been driving, I would have thrown something at him.

‘Oh God, would you stop it.’ I buried my head in my hands, my face burning red at the memory. ‘I really don’t want to be reminded of that day. It was awful. And then bumping into you like that. It couldn’t have been more humiliating.’

‘I think you fell at my feet actually, but you know, that’s perfectly understandable. A lot of women do. Tomatoes too, it seems.’

I gave him a withering look. Observing him in profile as he drove, it was easy to see why women would throw themselves at him. His jawline was strong and his shoulders broad, his powerful physicality filling the car. Dark brown wavy hair framed his face. His mouth, wide and full, curled at the edges giving the impression he was permanently amused and his eyes with their multitude of hues, drew you in with their magnetic qualities.

‘Seriously though, Jen,’ he said, turning to give me the benefit of that gaze, ‘I think it’s great that you’re making these changes in your life. You said you wanted to do it and now you’re doing it. It must be a good feeling.’

‘It is, I’m feeling confident about the future, now that Gramps is home from hospital. I’m excited to get started on all my different plans. I know there will be a lot of trial and error involved, but I’m eager to get stuck in.’

Finally I felt a sense of control over my life, steering it in a new direction of my own making. I’d spent far too long standingstill. All I needed was a small push, not unlike the one Alex had given me up on that hillside today.

I’d received several small pushes in recent months, from all different directions: Angie getting married; Gramps moving on with Marcia; re-reading Mum’s letter after all these years; and even Alex coming into my life had ignited my desire to grab hold of every opportunity that came my way and do something with it. I was trying not to over-think things or look too far ahead. Despite what Alex might say, no one could know what the future might hold.

‘Do you fancy a nightcap?’ Alex asked when we’d arrived back in Casterton.

‘I’d love one,’ I said. I’d been wanting a drink ever since I’d landed with a bump after my inaugural and final trip down that cable line. I think I deserved one after I’d escaped the clutches of death. And if it meant spending more time with Alex then it was all to the good.

We went to the Rose and Crown, a popular pub in town which was heaving with the Saturday night crowd. We managed to find a couple of stools at the very end of the bar. My body was aching with tiredness but my mood was heady and light.

‘Here’s to new beginnings,’ said Alex, raising his glass to mine.

‘New beginnings,’ I said, feeling a flutter of excitement in my stomach.

‘You know, if there’s anything you think I might be able to help with then you only need to ask. Obviously I don’t know anything about your particular line of work, but I do have quite a few contacts locally I can put you in touch with if you’re interested; there’s a great accountant I use and the editor of the local newspaper is a friend of mine, so I can always put a good word in for you if you wanted to pitch him some ideas.’

‘Thanks, Alex,’ I said, touched by his offer. He was looking at me with a genuine warmth and sincerity in his eyes. He’d seen me at my best, on the day of Angie’s wedding, and at my worst, when I was dressed as a tomato, and he seemed to like me in both guises, treating me with kindness and respect. Before he’d picked me up this morning I wondered if there might be any awkwardness between us or if we would run out of things to say to each other, but twelve hours later and the excitement and anticipation I felt was as if I was seeing him for the first time again.

‘I’ve really enjoyed myself today, Alex, and I’ve done something that I wouldn’t have done if it hadn’t been for you.’

‘Well, I’m really glad you came. It’s been great. Definitely worth the wait,’ he said, giving me a barely perceptible wink that spoke straight to my insides. His hand reached out for mine on my lap and our eyes met, his touch sending a jolt of electricity reverberating down my spine. He moved his stool closer to mine so that our knees were touching, his hand slipped onto my waist and it was as if all the noise and hubbub of the bar drifted away into the background and it was only me and Alex alone in the bar. My body went into free fall as his lips landed on mine and my mouth opened involuntarily, ready to taste the sweetness of his kisses on my tongue.

I was loving more, laughing more, and I hadn’t given a second thought to the cream scones, cucumber sandwiches and fruit cake I’d polished off with gusto this afternoon. Mum would definitely have approved. What did it matter if it was only for the moment? Here was exactly where I wanted to be right now.

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