High Impact (15 page)

The gang chatted happily, laughing so much no one seemed inclined to leave soon. As the evening wore on, Pasha became increasingly impatient to speak to Emery privately. If everyone was still there at nine thirty—just a couple of minutes away now—she’d create an excuse to get Emery alone. Much later than that, Emery would likely decline.

Pasha waited for the first lull in the conversation to pull out her wallet. “I’m heading out, ladies. Need to stop by the office before I turn in.” She dropped enough bills to cover her share of the check. “If you want to walk with me, Emery, I can give you some material on things you might want to do between trips.”

“That’d be great. I’ll just run upstairs and get my jacket.” Emery slid out of the booth. “Thank you all for another wonderful evening, ladies. I had a great time.” The others said good night or good-bye as she headed toward the stairs.

Pasha felt a keen sense of loss when Emery left. After only a couple of minutes, the sensation shifted and swelled to her now-familiar anticipation and joy as Emery returned. Very tidal-like, she mused.

“Ready when you are.” Emery extended a hand signaling Pasha to lead the way, so she headed for the door. Once they were outside, Emery asked, “No more dizzy episodes today, I take it?”

“No. All good.”

“It was…worrying,” Emery said softly.

“No need. I’m sure it won’t happen again.”

“That’s comforting.”

Pasha froze the images in her memory: Emery’s glossy dark hair, tossed by the breeze, bangs obscuring her face; the faint smell of wood smoke; the crunch of their boots over the loose gravel. They fell into step together at a slow, easy pace, as though neither wanted to rush this opportunity. Walking beside Emery felt so
right.

“Tell me about this initiation thing you’re putting me through tomorrow night,” Emery said.

“Honestly, we’re playing it by ear. We only named the group a few days ago, and you’re our first recruit. We voted to play Probing Questions, but that’s about as far as we’ve gotten.”

“How personal do these questions get?”

“Every game varies, because the participants make up the questions. When we play it on trips, they tend to be mild, unless the clients all know each other. Or are all lesbians,” she said with a laugh. Emery didn’t smile at the comment, and Pasha immediately regretted the levity. “Not that you have to answer anything you don’t want to.”

She stopped walking. Emery pulled up short, too, and faced her.

“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable with a couple of my questions at dinner,” Pasha said. “I’m just…very interested in getting to know you.”

Emery’s dark brown eyes softened. “I didn’t mind them, coming from you. But I don’t usually volunteer some things about myself.”

The
coming from you
warmed Pasha. “If I step over the line, just tell me.”

“I’ll say the same, since I hope to get to know you better, too.”

“Deal. Come on, then.” Pasha let them in the office and led Emery to the back lounge. “Have a seat. I can make decaf, if you’d like some.”

“Sure.”

“How do you take it?”

“Black, please.”

As Pasha scooped grounds into a filter, Emery asked, “What brought you to Alaska? You’re not from here, are you?”

“No. I’ve been here less than two years. I saw an ad for this job and it caught my eye.” She hit the Brew button and the carafe began to fill. “I like it a lot. The work’s fun, the people eclectic, but really down-to-earth. They care about each other. And, of course, you can’t beat the view.”

“I always dreamed about visiting Alaska,” Emery said. “You?”

“No, not really. I mean, I remember seeing movies shot here and thinking about the spectacular scenery.” She poured two mugs full. “But I never dreamed I’d be living here.”

“Have you always been a guide?” Emery asked as they settled into two of the cushy chairs with their mugs.

Pasha had opted to turn on the lamp beside the microwave instead of the overhead fluorescents, the resulting ambience thankfully more living-room-like than hospital-sterile. “To be absolutely honest, our photography trip will be my first as a guide. I’ve been training for more than a year.”

“I can’t wait to get out there. Just think, forty-eight hours from now, we’ll be chatting like this beside a campfire.”

“Yup. And the spot’s breathtaking. I flew supplies to it last year.”

“Bryson showed me the landing site. She said the area has an abundance of wildlife.” Emery sipped her coffee and looked thoughtfully at Pasha. “Tell me about yourself.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Well, you have an advantage. At least you have my questionnaire.” Emery nodded toward the pile of client files on the coffee table. “I don’t even have your basics.”

“Okay. Let’s see.” Pasha flipped open the nearest folder and scanned the vital statistics required of clients. “To even things up, I was thirty-five on February 13th. Blond hair, green eyes—”

“Wheat-blond. And pale-green eyes, to be precise. The color of limes before they’re fully ripe. Very unusual.”

Pasha looked up from the file, pleased Emery had noted their precise color. Her cheeks warmed as their eyes met. Ordinarily, she didn’t make the first move, but her instinct screamed, “Go for it.” Glancing at the paper, she said, “I’m five-five, weigh one-twenty, no health issues, not on any medication, I live in the apartment right above us…”

Prompted by the final blank spaces on the client questionnaire, she jotted down some numbers on a Post-it note, closed the file with a flourish, and handed Emery the note. Pasha couldn’t help grinning like an idiot. “Here’s my phone number. And I’m single.”

Emery laughed and carefully tucked the yellow slip into the thin wallet she’d stuffed into her back pocket.

“Now we’re even, so to give
you
the advantage, I’ll add that I’m left-handed,” Pasha said, “and a bit of an organization freak. I love ethnic food, and I’m not seeing anyone right now.” Pasha wasn’t nearly ready to divulge anything about the power and its revelations about Emery. She’d learned long ago that many people viewed the idea of premonitions as preposterous or flaky. Some, even when confronted with evidence, remained skeptical. But she would at least let Emery know, if she didn’t already, that she was definitely interested.

“Well, as you may know, I plan to see Geneva,” Emery said. “It’s not serious. We’ve barely spent any time together, and I don’t know where it’s going.”

“Geneva’s a good friend, and I don’t want to create an awkward situation. But if it’s not serious yet, I just wanted you to know I’d like to go out with you, too.”

Emery smiled. “I’d like that very much. And I appreciate how straightforward you’re being. I can’t tell you how much I value the art of speaking frankly. So many women I’ve met like games and drama.” She sipped her coffee and studied Pasha’s face, her expression difficult to read.

Pasha tensed. Was she being duplicitous by not telling Emery about her premonitions? Her gift, a lifelong, integral part of her, was a much more important and vital statistic than her address or phone number, and clearly responsible for her determination to date Emery. Was she doing the right thing by not immediately volunteering it?

“You probably know Geneva better than I do. How do you think she’d react to me dating both of you?”

“I’m not sure, to be honest.” Pasha had never known Geneva to be spiteful or bitter over a match that didn’t last. Bryson said Gen had been incredibly supportive of her relationship with Karla, though she still carried a torch for her. “She might be fine with it, since she and I are friends and because you two haven’t gone out long. But…well, Geneva wears her heart on her sleeve. She can fall pretty fast for someone and take a long time to get over them.”

Emery cradled her mug in both hands and looked earnestly at Pasha. “I told her right up front, like I tell every woman I may become intimate with, I’m only interested in fun. No strings, and no emotional involvement. I don’t do relationships.”

Pasha managed to say only, “I see.” The unexpected pronouncement made her fight not to let her disappointment show. How could her gift lead her to an emotionally unavailable woman?

“Are you all right with those terms? Still want to go out?”

“Yup.” Pasha didn’t hesitate, though her instinct for self-preservation told her to proceed cautiously. The power pulling them together insisted on seeing where this led.

Emery smiled and relaxed against the seat, seeming visibly relieved, like she wasn’t sure Pasha would agree to a brief affair. “Geneva needs to know I’m seeing both of you. How should I tell her?”

“I can talk to her, or you. I doubt it matters.”

“I will, then,” Emery said. “I’ll catch her after her shift tonight.”

“I promised you some information on things to do around here.” Pasha went to the file cabinet to retrieve some stuff they’d put together for clients. “Birch Hill Lake is about a three-mile walk from here. The trail starts in Evansville, behind the medical clinic.” She handed several Xeroxed pages to Emery, including a topographic map with the trail clearly marked. “Definitely worth a day hike. Great views, lots of wildflowers. Pretty easy terrain, but boggy in spots, so make sure you have the right footwear.”

Emery glanced at her polished leather boots. “No worries. I’ve got others.”

“If you go alone, make sure you take plenty of water and pack a lunch. And…” Pasha returned to the file cabinet and dug through the bottom drawer. “Pepper spray, and a PLB.”

“PLB?”

“Personal locator beacon.” She gave Emery the cell-phone-sized device, along with a small metal cylinder in a leather case. “We make sure we have at least one every trip. Needless to say, don’t activate it unless you need to. Search-and-rescue here provides them.”

“I’ve got a GPS, as well.” Emery stuffed the two items into her jacket pockets. “You think I might run into a bear?” She showed no fear at the prospect, unlike many clients. Some, freaked out, asked about the possibility when they called to inquire about wilderness trips.

“It’s always a possibility. Though I haven’t heard of any problems around Birch Hill Lake, you’ll see some large berry patches up there. Do you know how to act if you encounter a grizzly and he sees you?”

Emery nodded. “Stay calm. Don’t run or make eye contact. Speak normally and wave your arms so he can identify you as human. Back up slowly. Climbing a tree may help—if you can get high enough fast enough. Worst case—if he charges, stand your ground and use the spray once he’s within twenty feet or so. Ball into a fetal position on your side if that doesn’t work, protect your stomach and head. Play dead. That about cover it?”

“You’ve done your homework.” Emery had certainly prepared well. “Also good to make yourself look big when you first see him. Spread your jacket out. Stand tall. And watch out for two situations in particular. Moms with cubs—this is the right time of year for that—and bears protecting their kill sites. If you see a lot of scavenger birds—ravens and such—congregating in an area, for example, get out of there as quickly as possible.”

“Got it.”

“And make noise while you walk and when you stop. Sing, hum, whatever. The village store sells bear bells you can hang on your belt or pack. Bears don’t like surprises and usually will give you a wide berth if they know you’re there.” Pasha refilled their mugs before she settled back in her chair next to Emery. “Those sheets I gave you contain all that information and discuss some ways to react around black bears. We have them, too, but you’re even less likely to meet one. Oh, and you’ll find photos identifying some of the local wildflowers and birds.”

“Sounds like you’ll be a great guide.”

“I hope so. I’ve had incredible teachers, particularly Lars Rasmussen, Karla’s brother-in-law. He’s guided here for a couple of decades and really knows his stuff. He’s also an incredibly sweet guy.”

“I look forward to meeting him.” Emery paused for another sip. “Will he guide one of my trips?”

“At least one, the fishing excursion, because he knows all the best spots. Maybe others—Dita’s still rearranging things a bit to add a few more trips.”

“Is she? That, and the fact you’ve been working your tail off since she left, must mean business is good.”

“Yup. Way more people seem to be taking vacations up here this year than the last couple of seasons. Splurging to reward themselves, I think, now that the economy’s improving.”

“Of course I’m happy for all of you, but I’m hoping you won’t be so busy you won’t have time for me between trips.” Emery set down her mug and looked at Pasha expectantly.

“We’ll have part-time help soon, and Dita rarely goes out in the field, except the first trip of the season, so I should have regular hours and weekends off.”

“Great. I’m really looking forward to spending time with you on the trip.”

“Me, too, Emery.”

“Well, knowing I’ll be doing that in just a couple days, and since you have to get up early, I’ll reluctantly say good night.” Emery got to her feet, carefully folding the papers Pasha had given her in half. “I appreciate the info about Birch Hill Lake. I’ll head out after breakfast, so I’ll be back in plenty of time for the initiation.”