Page 39 of Hooked
“You thinking about leaving?”
“Yeah. I may have a job in San Francisco. But don’t worry—if I do go, I’ll give you at least a month’s notice to find someone else.”
“Cool.” Ginger walked toward the door, paused, and turned around. “It’s not a bad place. You know I have my issues with Ox, but most of the people around this neighborhood are good. And honest, which you can’t say for every place. And they give a shit, which is pretty rare these days. Just putting that out there.”
“Thanks, Ginger.” She pointed at her laptop. “I’ll have this done in about half an hour.”
“Cool.” She stepped aside to let a tattoo artist with a red Mohawk through the door. “Nice of you to show up, Lee. What the fuck? You had someone here half an hour ago, and I had to make excuses for you.”
“You didn’t make excuses, you gave them my cell phone number.”
“Because I’m not your damn mother, you little shit!”
Tayla put her headphones on and let the sounds of Halsey take her away.
Cary openedhis laptop and spread a map out on Jeremy’s gaming table. The shop had just closed, and they were taking advantage of the quiet.
“I don’t know, man. I’ve never been up to this spot, but there are two or three well-mapped routes.” Cary tapped his fingers on the map. “We’d probably both need to bring a few extra anchors, but if we got another couple of people, I think it’d be challenging but doable. And the views of Grand Sentinel are supposed to be amazing.”
Jeremy nodded. “Morning climb?”
“From what other people have posted, you want to start early so you reach the crux before it gets hot. And if you make good time, there’s a second, shorter climb just across the ridge.”
“That sounds cool, but if we start too early, the visibility is going to suck. The cliff is west-facing. It’ll be completely shaded.”
“The trail starts here.” Cary pointed to the map. “And it’s a couple of miles to hike in. Not bad. We could start early or we could camp the night before and start in the morning.”
“I like the camping idea. You have any other climbers in mind?”
“Couple I met earlier this year. Husband and wife about our level. No hotheads.” Cary rolled up the map. “I’m too damn old for hotheads.”
Jeremy’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out and read Tayla’s message.
“You’re sure smiling a lot these days.” Cary closed his laptop. “I take it that means good things are happening with your girl.”
“We’ve only been out the one time. Met for drinks the other night with a bunch of people at the Ice House. She told me to reserve Friday night for her.”
And Jeremy was excited. More than excited. He was having trouble keeping a stupid grin off his face anytime he thought about it. The girl who didn’t date, the girl who always played it cool… was planning a date for him.
Cary nodded. “Good deal. You talk to her much on the phone or anything? How’s the conversation? Does she talk to you without arguing?” Cary looked off into the distance. “That would be so nice.”
“You’re showing your age.” Jeremy dodged to avoid Cary’s punch hitting his shoulder. “Texting, man. The girls love texting.”
Funny texting. Dirty texting. By the time Jeremy finally got his hands on Tayla, she was going to be in for a very long night.
“Bullshit. Women like to talk.” Cary slid his laptop into a messenger bag. “Who wants to communicate in little pictures?”
Tayla. Tayla fucking loved to text, and Jeremy wasn’t complaining.
“Listen, old man, I’ll start taking your romantic advice when you aren’t spending every night alone at your mom’s house. How’s Melissa, by the way?”
The corner of Cary’s mouth turned up. “Pissed off at me because I’m not taking her calls right now.”
“Why aren’t you taking her calls?”
“’Cause I need a break from frustration.” Cary growled, pushing his silver-black hair from his eyes. “That woman drives me insane. She doesn’t have enough to do; she wants to micromanage my orchards too. And she wants to share a booth at the farmers’ market this summer which… I don’t even know where to start with that one.”
“That sounds like something I don’t need to know about.”
