Page 31 of Next in Line
We pull up to three eighty-foot silos that are iced to perfection with huge curtains of ice gleaming in the sunlight. A couple of climbers are already on one, aggressively swinging their ice axes and slowly moving their way up to ring the bell at the top.
I slide out of my truck and walk to the back, pulling the tailgate open to grab my bag.
Maggie joins me, her eyes wide as I open a bag that probably looks like it’s full of murder weapons to her. “I don’t have any of that stuff,” she says, looking nervously at my gear and then up at the ice climbers. “I didn’t know I needed it.”
I half smile and shake my head at her. “No worries, they have everything here.”
“Maggie!” a voice calls out, and I turn to see a guy with a ponytail running toward us. He’s literally running as if getting to her five seconds faster will be worth it. “You actually came.”
“Hi…” Maggie falters, clearly searching for his name.
“Ezekiel, remember?” He reaches out and pulls her into a hug, which seems overly friendly for someone whose name she didn’t even remember. “And you are?”
He looks at me, and I reflexively puff my chest out. “Sam.”
“Ezekiel,” Maggie stammers, “this is my friend, Sam. He’s apparently an avid climber and has offered to assist me today. Sam, Ezekiel was staying at the same bed and breakfast as I was and is one of the guys from the magazine who recommended I try this out.”
“You’re an avid climber?” Ezekiel asks, his eyes falling down my body like he doesn’t believe it.
“I used to be,” I reply through clenched teeth because I can already smell this guy’s fucking testosterone, and I don’t like it. “I haven’t climbed in a couple of years.”
“If you don’t use it, you lose it, man.”
I roll my eyes and sling my bag over my shoulder. “I’m not worried.”
“This ain’t no waterfall climb,” Ezekiel states with narrowed eyes.
I lift my brows and have to hold back my laughter. “No, it certainly is not. But my buddy and I did a lot of bouldering and redpointing…so I think I’m going to be just fine.”
Ezekiel’s Adam’s apple bobs, and I can feel Maggie looking nervously at the two of us as we stare each other down for a beat. This is why Maggie can’t just go gallivanting around Boulder looking for adventure. There are way too many potheads around here who think they’re God’s gift to the world and to women. Maggie doesn’t need to be dealing with that bullshit on her own.
We head over to the empty silo, and the guides on staff at the farm get to work setting Maggie up with their rental gear while I strap into my own. Maggie’s eyes look wide and wary as she takes in a brief climbing lesson from the female guide named Sherry.
When I finish tightening my harness, a voice sounds off from behind me. “Care to do a little wager?”
I look over and see Ezekiel with his helmet on, looking ready for action. “What are the stakes?”
“Winner gets to be her belayer.” His eyes are on Maggie who is only half-listening to her instructor because she’s watching us instead.
“No,” I reply instantly. “I’m here with Maggie. I’m her belayer.”
“C’mon, old man…you scared?” Ezekiel goads me with an annoying tip to his chin that makes me want to punch him. His buddies come walking over with big smiles that I also want to smack right off their faces.
“I’m not fucking scared,” I state, feeling adrenaline surge through my veins at their challenge. “Or that old,” I mumble to myself mostly.
“Then do it!” one of the guys shouts and then goes quiet when I glare at him.
“What are you worried about?” Ezekiel asks. “If I win, you’ll know I’m an experienced climber, so it’s not like she’ll be in novice hands. My hands are very good at belaying beautiful women.”
Damndo I want to punch this cocky fucker. And I want to beat him. Punch him and beat him and shove his face in this snow. All of the above would feel really good right about now.
“Do it,” Maggie chimes in, and the instructor Sherry seems to be equally interested in our conversation.
“Why are you all ganging up on me right now?” I ask, looking around at everyone gathering closer, instructors and climbers alike. “I’m just here to belay my friend.”
“We have a tradition here that’s pretty cool,” Sherry states with a big smile. “If you let us film you guys racing live for our social media page, the winning racer gets a free weekend stay at our ski chalet up in the mountains next weekend. It has a private natural hot spring that is life changing, not to mention some pretty awesome snowboarding slopes.”
“Yes,” Ezekiel cheers with a fist up in the air. “We’re doing this.”
