Part 22 (1/2)
”Nope.” He started toward the rocks. ”But there's always a first time.”
”Wait.” She admired his grit, taking on the challenge without having a lick of experience. ”I don't want you to fall down and break your leg. You'd better give me the gla.s.ses.”
”I suppose you're a climbing expert.”
”No need to take that tone with me, just because you're feeling testy.”
”I'm not feeling testy.”
”Oh, yes, you are, mister. You're ready to bite my head off because I might know a little bit more about the outdoors than you do.” Her mood wasn't the greatest, either, come to think of it. The good s.e.x was over and now they had nothing but climbing and signaling and trying to survive on guavas.
”Well, then, take the d.a.m.ned gla.s.ses.” He whipped them off and shoved them at her.
”Thank you, Your p.r.i.c.kness.” She took them, glared at him, and put them on. ”You'd think some people could be a little more grateful, instead of starting a fight with the very person who is about to save their sorry-” She paused as he began to grin, his teeth white against his beard. She frowned at him. ”Now what?”
”It's the gla.s.ses.”
”What about them?”
”They just don't go with that hot little bikini of yours. You look like a cross between Jennifer Aniston and my high school English teacher.”
She thought the Jennifer Aniston part was a nice compliment, but she wasn't sure about the rest. ”Did you like your high school English teacher?”
He didn't answer her, and his grin softened as he continued to gaze at her. His eyes got sort of dreamy, too.
”Jack?”
”Gen, I suppose there's no guarantee about how this will turn out. I don't think we'll be stranded here forever, but. . . the thing is, I just want you to know that I-”
”We most certainly won't be stranded here forever. Not if I have anything to say about it. Come on. I'll show you how we're going to s.h.i.+mmy up these rocks in no time.” She headed off toward the most likely spot for hand- and footholds. If they stayed there another second, Jack was going to say something embarra.s.sing, something he'd never be able to take back.
That would be bad enough. The trouble was, she might say something just as embarra.s.sing in return. They needed to get themselves rescued before she gave in to that temptation. It was only being stranded here together that was making her think that she was falling for Jack. She'd figure that out once she got herself back to Honolulu.
”I need a boost, Jack.”
Jack gazed up at Gen's bikini-dad bottom hanging about two feet above him. He didn't dare look down. The only way he could deal with this climb was to pretend that the sand was exactly the same distance away that it had been twenty minutes ago.
”Hey, you down there!” she called again. ”A little help, please! I can't quite reach the next handhold.”
”Uh, wait a sec.”
”How long of a sec?”
”I'm a.s.sessing the situation.”
”a.s.sess this, boy genius. I'm holding onto a piece of rock no bigger than the hind t.i.t on a sow, and if you don't give me a boost in the next two seconds, I'm liable to lose my grip, fall down on top of you, and send us to the bottom, which is about a hundred feet. How well do you bounce?”
”A hundred feet? We're five stories up?” He saw spots in front of his eyes.
”G.o.d bless America. Are you informing me at this late date that you're afraid of heights?”
”What if I am?”
”You could've opened your trap and told me, is what! Here I am needing a boost, and you're afraid to let go and give me one. A fine kettle offish this is. I should be carrying the suitcase, too.”
”You mean in case I don't make it, you'll have the supplies?” The sweat poured down his back. His hands were sweaty, too, but he didn't want to think about what might happen if they got too slick to hold onto the lava rock.
”No, that is not what I meant. The suitcase is adding to your problems, maybe throwing you offbalance a little. You could probably climb better without it.”
He hadn't really thought of that, but now he started sweating even more. She was right. The suitcase could be the death of him.
”Listen, Jack, if it's you or the suitcase, I want you to take that thing off and drop it.”
”No way.” He hadn't forgotten how much she loved the silly thing. ”I couldn't take it off now, anyway. I'd fall for sure.”
”You're not gonna fall.”
”Right.” He swallowed hard.
”Forget giving me a boost. I'll just stretch a little higher and get that handhold.”
He had a sudden vision of her stretching, missing, and falling on account of him. ”Don't stretch! I'll do it! Give me a couple of seconds to psych myself up, okay?”
”Do you want me to pa.s.s you the gla.s.ses? Would that help?”
”h.e.l.l, no, I don't want the gla.s.ses! The only thing that's saving me is that I can't see what I'm doing.”
”We're almost to the top, Jack. I can see it from here. About two more handholds and I'll be able to pull myself over the edge.”
”And then we'll be six stories up.” Jack thought he might be sick to his stomach.
”Don't think of that. Think of... think of the last condom. What do you say, Jack? When we get to the top, wanna use that last little raincoat?”
As diversionary thinking, the concept was a real winner. His prize was right above him, but he wouldn't get it unless he let go of the rock and boosted her up. But if he let go of the rock, he'd be able to cup his hand around one of her firm little b.u.t.t cheeks.
If he didn't give her a boost, they would both fall five stories and die. It should be an easy decision. ”Are you serious about the last condom?”
”Just get me up there and I'll show you how serious I am.”
Filling his mind so full of s.e.x that he didn't have room for any images of going splat on the sand, he peeled his right hand from the chunk of black lava rock that had been his security, got a handful of Gen, and pushed upward.
”Yee-haw!”
Heart pounding, he latched onto his rock again and stared after her with l.u.s.t in his heart. She scrambled the rest of the way to the top and disappeared over the edge.
He felt instantly desolate. ”Gen?”
Her head popped over the edge. ”Right here, big boy. Come and get me.”