18 - Melissa

18

Melissa

I wasn’t sure what I had expected from my date with Noah. As a bare minimum, it was an opportunity to get back out there and practice dating now that I was single again. Like hitting the batting cage before the real game. The stakes were low, which made it feel like the upside was also low.

Boy, was I wrong!

Once I was back at the cabin, I allowed myself to debrief on the past day. The date with Noah went amazing, and that was before I went home with him. Obviously, the sex was incredible. And then rather than it ending the next morning, the date was extended with a kayak trip. He took me upriver until we reached a secluded little beach, where he surprised me with a picnic from his cooler—sandwiches, lemonade, and homemade brownies that he claimed he baked himself, but were so good I was certain he’d bought them from a bakery in town. It was all so fun and refreshing that falling in the water at the very end couldn’t ruin my mood.

And the kiss he gave me when he dropped me off at my cabin? It made me wish we could extend the date even longer.

Too bad he was going to be in Ouray for the next two days.

The only part that was bumming me out? I was going to leave town within the next week. I probably wouldn’t see him again after that. Our fun little tryst had an expiration date.

Maybe that’s what made last night—and today—so much fun, though. The fact that neither of us were worried about where it would go, or what we both wanted long-term.

I was determined not to allow myself to overthink this, though. Noah was great, our date was great, and it was going to still be great when he got back from Ouray.

Now I just needed to figure out what to do with myself until he returned.

I took a shower, then hopped on Ash’s bike to go into town for an afternoon coffee. I didn’t see Jack by the office or around camp, which was kind of a relief. I still felt weird about him knowing I’d been on a date with Noah. I pictured him asking how it went, and maybe even grilling me about the details. Although now that I thought about it, he was usually sitting on the porch drinking late at night. He would have noticed that I didn’t come home last night.

Whatever. It didn’t matter. Despite giving me a free place to stay, Jack hadn’t been particularly friendly to me. I didn’t have to care about what he thought. My love life was my business.

I got a latte at one of the coffee shops I hadn’t visited yet, then sat inside since it was a little windy outside. It was a grungy place, hip and different, and I loved the vibe. There was a bulletin board on the wall covered with fliers for bands that were playing in town, none of which I recognized. One of them was next weekend; maybe I would check it out if my ankle wasn’t healed by then.

There was another flier that caught my eye:

VIA FERRATA - $49.99

217 MAIN STREET

CALL FOR INFORMATION

I wasn’t sure what via ferrata meant, but a quick Google search showed that it had to do with rock climbing. But not like the kind of rock climbing I knew about in Toledo, Ohio. This was climbing up an actual mountain.

I gulped down the rest of my latte and walked two blocks to the climbing office. A college-aged girl behind the counter brightened at my appearance.

“You’re just in time—we stop bookings for the day at three. Looking to do some climbing today?”

“Yes!” I said excitedly. “I’ve never done this before, though. Can you tell me how it works?”

She gave me a quick run-down. Via ferrata involved climbing up a mountain face using iron rungs that were drilled into the rock, like a ladder. Climbers wore a harness, and were always clipped into a safety line.

“That’s all I need to hear,” I said, slapping down my credit card. “I’m in.”

“We have three guides on retainer today,” she replied. “I’ll call them and see if they’re available to go this afternoon.”

I read the information on the wall while she made her phone calls. “You’re in luck!” she finally said. “The third guide I called is available. We’ll just have to watch a short informational video on safety while he prepares.”

Suddenly, I remembered something very important. “My ankle,” I said, sticking my leg out where she could see. “I sprained it a few days ago. It hurts to hike, but I’ve been able to hike and do other activities.”

She frowned down at my wrapped ankle. “Hmm. It shouldn’t be a problem. You won’t be able to do any of the freeform climbing, but via ferrata is exclusively on iron rungs. And if it ends up being too much, you can quit at any time.”

She took me to a back room and played a video for me to watch. It was all basic stuff: be careful, don’t go if you’re afraid of heights, always ensure your safety line is clipped in before you move. I wasn’t afraid of heights—on the contrary, I loved them. I’d been skydiving twice before, and had always wanted to go bungee jumping or ziplining, but had never had the chance. This was exactly the kind of thrill I was looking for, the kind I would never find back in Toledo.

The cost was higher than I was prepared to pay for a single activity, but I did have some money saved up for supplies and whatnot for the remainder of my hike. This was money well spent, though. If it meant I had to eat only peanut butter sandwiches for the next four weeks, then it was worth it.

When the safety video was done, the girl escorted me back to the front of the building. “Your guide just pulled up. His name is Ash. Don’t let his appearance intimidate you—he’s one of our best climbers.”

“Ash?” I repeated.

The door behind me opened.