Slow No Wake (10 page)

EIGHT

Reaching

T
hursday was the day of our Ropes Challenge Course Training. It was the day I had been dreading all week. I would be seeing both Eddie and Daniel together again for the first time since the night I found out they were roommates.

As I got ready for work, I stared at myself in my bathroom mirror. How had I gotten into such a terrible mess? As much as I loved pickles, this was one pickle I wish I had avoided. There wasn’t going to be a way to hide the feelings I had for the two men. Somehow I knew neither one of them were going to hide the feelings they had for me. I knew I was wishing for too much when I hoped the two of them would try to keep things civil and professional since we were at work. Unfortunately, I was giving them both too much credit.

Earlier in the week, Tom emailed the clinical team with some rules and instructions for the day. We were to wear casual athletic wear and comfortable shoes. I decided on some biker shorts and a fitted T-shirt and pulled my hair back into a ponytail. It wasn’t really something I would wear if I was going to work out, but I wanted to display a bit of modesty, since it was still considered the work environment and I would be spending the day with my professional colleagues.

The Ropes Challenge Course was located several hundred yards behind the school. The mental health facility used it for both adult and youth treatment clients, mostly the inpatients, and they also rented it out for companies and other organizations for retreats.

I purposely arrived early so I could get myself together mentally and emotionally before I had to face Daniel and Eddie.

As I walked over to the Course, I was immediately intimidated by some of the course elements. There were wires high in the area that I sensed we would be climbing. Fear gripped me as I thought about
myself high in the air like a tightrope walker. Then I noticed a large freestanding wall, which I assumed at some point we would have to climb. When I stood next to the tall structure, it towered over me. I thought about all of the comedy movies I had seen in which bumbling army or police recruits would try unsuccessfully to maneuver themselves over a similar type of structure. I was no doubt going to look just as ridiculous trying to get over the thing.

I could feel a presence behind me and I immediately froze. I knew it was Eddie even before I turned around. He got so close to me, I could feel his breath on my neck.

“You look exceptionally hot in your tiny shorts and tight tee,” he said. “Every time you look at me today, I want you to know that the only thing I’ll be thinking about is ripping them off and taking you right behind this wall.”

I gulped. How was I ever going to make it through this day? I already felt like I was going to pass out.

Eddie grabbed my elbow and turned me around to face him. His eyes were on fire. A wave of panic surged through my body. He gently ran his index finger from the sensitive spot behind my ear all the way down my neck. “This ponytail makes me want to kiss your delicious neck.”

Shivers ran through me and I tried to back away from him, but I was stopped by the wall behind me.

“Daniel will be here any minute. He’s right over there, doing his internship hours in the inpatient building.” Eddie pointed to a building on the other side of the school. What kind of sadistic jerk would say such a thing and why was I still immensely attracted to him? I was starting to hate myself for allowing Eddie into my life. But trying to get rid of him seemed to turn him on even more.

The last thing I wanted was for Daniel to see me in a compromising position with Eddie. I just couldn’t take hurting him any
more than I already had. He was too nice of a guy for that kind of treatment. He deserved the very best. I just wondered if that was me.

I gathered my courage and looked up at Eddie. “Why are you doing this? Why can’t you just leave me alone?” I tried to move past him, but he put his arms on either side of me and trapped me against the wall.

“I want you, Alexandria. I’ve wanted you from the very first day I saw you moving in and I still want you. Don’t think I’m going to give up without a fight.”

I glared at him. The lust I had felt just seconds ago was now replaced with anger. “I told you that I want to be with Daniel.”

He dropped one arm but kept the other one firmly in place on the other side of me. “This isn’t over, sweetheart.”

I knew he was right. It wasn’t over. But I didn’t know what to do about it. At that moment, though, I knew I had to get as far away from him as I could. I also wanted to make sure I was nowhere near Eddie when Daniel arrived.

Too late.

When I eased away from Eddie, Daniel was practically sprinting toward us.

“What’s going on over here?” Daniel inquired, his tone clipped.

Eddie turned and gave his roommate a pat on the shoulder.
“Hey, Danny-O. I was just giving your girlfriend some pointers on the climbing wall.”

Daniel’s eyes narrowed and he glared at his roommate. “I bet you were.”

The two men stared at each other for a long moment and I could feel tension fill the air between them. It was going to be a very long day.

Daniel then turned his attention toward me. His eyes appeared to be filled with sadness and I was suddenly flooded with guilt. I never wanted to do anything to hurt Daniel and I wanted him to know that, but now was not the time or place to have that conversation. I wanted to do something to reassure him, though. I felt like I had to do something to take his pain away. I stepped close to him and placed a kiss on his cheek.

Daniel quickly put his arm around me and pulled me in close to his chest. I could feel tension drain from his body as he drew me in, then placed a light kiss on the top of my head.

When I snuck a quick glance at Eddie, he was staring at me. I thought he might say some kind of snide comment, but he just shook his head, turned and walked away.

It wasn’t long before we were joined by the twins, Brad and Ricky, and the fun times really began.

“I don’t plan on teaming up with anyone but my sister,” Serenity announced as she looked around nervously. “No offence, but she’s really the only person I trust in situations like this.”

“But there are six of us,” Trinity added. “What if we have to get into two teams of three?”

Serenity’s gaze immediately turned to me. “Then we should take
Lexie. Keep the girls together.”

Eddie walked back over to the group. He looked like nothing strange had happened just a few minutes previously. He was Mister Cool and Charismatic again.

I, on the other hand, was a nervous wreck. And when I glanced over at Daniel, I could see his entire body go tense and his jaw clench at the site of his roommate. Oh, to be a fly on the wall in their apartment. I did have a glass I could put up to the wall. I pocketed that plan for later.

“Tom was very specific about the groups he wanted assigned,” Eddie said. “It isn’t a choice.”

The twins went wide-eyed and they both stared at Brad. I finally noticed he was wearing basketball shorts and a tight-fitting tee shirt that showed off a more muscular physique than I would have thought. He actually looked more normal than I ever imagined he could, and a bit attractive.

It was interesting how different my perception of my colleagues could be when they were outside of their work clothes and the traditional office setting. Except for the twins, who hadn’t seemed to change a
bit. Trinity was still in all black, even though she was wearing shorts and a T-shirt. She was even wearing her black boots, which on anyone else might have seemed weird, but somehow suited her. Serenity was wearing white knee-length shorts with a flowing flowery blouse. Not exactly the outfit conducive to the day’s activities, but certainly something I would have expected her to wear.

When I glanced at Ricky, he gave me a half smile. He was wearing what could have been a jogging outfit. Maybe he did jog because I noticed how muscular his legs were. Not that his top half wasn’t just as muscular. He was definitely an attractive guy and I could understand why Daniel said he got the girls.

When I glanced at Daniel, I noticed how fine he looked in his khaki shorts and tight white polo shirt. There was something about tanned men in polo shirts that really turned me on. I guess Daniel could sense I was staring at him because he glanced over at me and gave me a sly grin. I gave him one back and the sparks between us began to ignite.

Eddie interrupted our eye flirting.
“If I could have everyone’s attention.” Eddie glared at me. “I’m going to assign the groups. Group One, if you could stand to my right. Trinity, Serenity and Brad. And Group Two, if you could stand to my left; Daniel, Ricky and Lexie.”

I could see Trinity and Serenity both give Brad a death stare when he stood next to them. Daniel stood about as close as he could to me and Ricky stood next to him.

Eddie’s eyes moved back and forth between Daniel and me and his eyes narrowed. I got the feeling he didn’t like seeing the two of us together. Something he would have to get used to, I thought.

“The first exercise is one for trust building,” Eddie said. “It’s called the Trust Fall. This will involve all six of you.
If you’ll follow me.”

We all followed Eddie over to the trust fall platform. “Each of you will have an opportunity to stand here.” He motioned toward the platform. “You’ll stand with your back toward the other members of the group, cross your hands across your chest and fall backward, allowing the other five members of your group to catch you.”

Every one of us looked at the other members of our group. If everyone else was thinking what I was thinking, it was that there was no way in Hell I was going to trust my co-workers to catch me.

“Which brave soul would like go first?” Eddie asked and looked directly at me. I averted his glance and looked down at the ground.

When I looked back up, I saw a hand slowly rise. To my surprise, it was Brad. “I guess I’ll give it a try,” he said. My opinion of him rose a few notches.

Brad hopped up on the trust fall platform, turned his back toward us and crossed his arms over his chest.

Eddie asked the twins to stand next to each other with their arms out, parallel to the ground. Ricky and I did the same thing, but stood opposite of the twins. Eddie asked Daniel to get to the head of the pack. With all of our arms outstretched, it was almost like a cradle for Brad to fall into.

“Brad, are you ready to fall? Do you trust that your teammates will catch you?”

“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” Brad responded.

“Whenever you’re ready, go ahead and fall,” Eddie instructed.

I could see Brad take a deep breath and then he fell backward into our open arms. To my surprise, we all caught him; even the twins didn’t let him drop to the ground.

We all propped Brad back up on his feet,
then he turned to us and gave us a big grin. It was the first time I had ever seen him smile. His face actually lit up.

“Great job, everyone,” Eddie said. “Who’s next?”

Daniel leaned close to me and whispered, “I don’t think you should do it.”

I frowned.
“Why not?” I whispered back.

“I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I don’t think I have a choice.”

“You always have a choice.”

When I glanced at Eddie, he was glaring at me. “Is there something you want to share with the group, Alexandria?”

Everyone turned their gaze toward Eddie, no doubt because he just called me Alexandria.

“I thought your name was Lexie?” Brad asked as he looked over at me.

“My name is Alexandria, but everyone calls me
Lexie.” I purposely glared at Eddie.

“No secrets, Alexandria, and no whispering to your teammates.” Now Eddie was glaring at Daniel.

“Why don’t you call her Lexie like everyone else?” Daniel shot back. “That’s what she likes to be called.”

“And you think you know everything she likes?” Eddie taunted.

“I know what she doesn’t like,” Daniel snapped back.

“Her name is Alexandria,” Eddie insisted.

“Call her Lexie,” Daniel demanded.

The two men were now toe to toe glaring at each other. The already heavy air grew thicker with the tension between them. When I glanced over at the twins, they were both wide-eyed, mouths agape. Ricky was smirking and Brad was shaking his head in disbelief. It looked like I was the only one who would, or could, do anything about the debacle taking place in front of us.

“Enough,” I said as I marched up to the two guys. “Why are you both talking about me like I’m not even here?” Both of them turned to face me. “My name is Alexandria, but everyone calls me Lexie. Got it?”

Both of the men nodded. Daniel bit is lower lip when he looked at me, his expression like a scolded child. Eddie glared at me with a flash of anger in his eyes.

“Now I’m going to get on that trust fall platform like everyone else and my teammates are going to catch me. Is that clear to everyone?” When I looked at everyone else in our group, they all nodded at me. I think they could tell I was in take-no-shit mode.