Someone Borrowed, Someone Blue Ch. 03

Tish drew to a stop as our path ended at a junction with a wider, equally beaten down strip that ran both toward and away from the edge. A gander toward the quarry showed a well-worn wooden platform right at the lip. Given the surroundings it looked remarkably well-constructed, emblazoned with a faded red arrow that pointed into the quarry, which was a bit of unexpected cheekiness. "You get a running start, you hit the wood, you leap out, you fall. Then a big splash, and you surface with your adrenaline racing and secure in the knowledge that you have just acquired another piece of the 'Best Weekend Ever' puzzle."

"Wait, now it's a puzzle?"

She waved a hand. "Poor choice of words. It's an accomplishment. It's, uhm, an appetizer, part of the big meal."

"It's not the entree?"

"I would hope not. Long way to drive just to jump off a cliff. And on that note..." She released my elbow and headed away from the quarry on the runway. "I assume you want me to go first?"

"Ah." I realized I was wringing my hands and tried to stop, but not before she noticed it.

"You don't have to do this, Bear. I think you'll love it but I would never force you to do anything."

I managed a nervous laugh. "I guess I brought the ball gag for nothing, then. I... think I can do it."

"Okay. Do you want to do it together? Hand in hand, like Thelma and Louise? Well, without the car or cops or dying."

"Uhm." That sounded like a good idea, for unknown reasons. "Is the runway wide enough for that?"

"Sure! I mean, I think it is." She shrugged. "If not, I can just toss you over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that." I joined her at the far end of the path and looked back down its length. While it wasn't all packed dirt the vegetation along the edges was sparse at best and wouldn't hinder us at all. "I think it'll work."

She gave it the once over before nodding. "I agree. We should be fine. Remember, when you hit the wooden platform that's when you leap out as far as you can. And make sure you go feet first!"

I gave her a weak grin. "You said that already."

"Let's see if you listened either time. Pointing your toes is also a good idea" She held up a hand, waggled her fingers. "Ready?"

I grabbed it and gave her a squeeze, which she returned with vigor. "Let's do this."

She flashed me a savage grin before nodding toward the edge and starting to move. We didn't have the forty meters of approach before a traditional Olympic long jump but we also didn't need to jump twenty-five feet out from the edge. Linked hands pistoning between us, we were moving at a pretty good clip by the time the planks of the platform thunked beneath our feet and we launched ourselves into the great abyss, or whatever else you want to refer to a flooded quarry in Pennsylvania as.

I would not be surprised if I screamed the entire way down. I know I yelled as we gave ourselves over to gravity and began plummeting, but it felt like as soon as I opened my mouth we hit the water that had been rushing up at us, adrenaline surging through my body even as I dimly registered the sharp shock of the surface slapping against the soles of my feet. My grip on Tish's hand tightened as we exited the brightly-lit afternoon to be embraced by both chill and darkness. I'm not exaggerating - the water a few feet below the surface was almost bone-achingly cold and as black as midnight in a desert, and bubbles streamed from my mouth as the breath leapt from my body. Even as the myriad of sensations threatened to overwhelm me the descent slowed and I began aware of a pressure on my arm, tugging me upward - Tish. Looking up, I could see the brightness of the non-submerged world beckoning us with the promise of sweet, sweet air. Still holding hands, the two of us surged upward, propelled by our scissoring legs. Moments later we broke the surface, our gasps simultaneous. Blood still thundering with excitement and slowly receding terror, I let go of Tish's hand and immediately enfolded her in as much of an embrace as I could manage, given that we were both treading water. Her upper body mashed against mine as she hugged me back.

"Look! You didn't die or anything! Well done!"

I slacked my grip enough to be able to pull my head back. Her eyes were dancing, her grin almost feral as a single braid of her hair hung down past her right cheek, and it occurred to me that if I were writing this scene for a book this is when the protagonists would share their first kiss. For a few seconds we stayed frozen in that moment, faces inches apart, a war raging within me, demanding I do it, that I lean in, press my lips against hers...

I snapped out of my crisis of indecision as one of Tish's feet banged against my shin, the contact enough to allow my common sense to reassert itself. An awkward advance was a great way to lose your best friend, and I kept my remorse to myself as I let her go. As we drifted apart my feet reminded me that they were displeased with some of my recent life decisions and it turned out rubbing the bottom of one against my legs was not an optimal solution.

"Hey." The look of concern on Tish's face meant she'd likely caught my grimace. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Soles of my feet hurt."

"That'll pass quickly. Nobody remembers to point their toes the first time." She hooked a thumb under her wayward braid and moved it off her face. "Race you to the platform?"

"Uhm, sure, but - hey, what's that?" I pointed behind her and when she turned her head to look I took off toward the slab of rock, doing my best crawl.

It wasn't even close. Tish blew past me like she had an outboard motor hidden in her bathing suit. By the time I drew near the finish line she was already perched on the edge, watching my approach with the smuggest of grins.

"How dare you resort to trickery, Bear?"

I covered the last few yards between us, resting my arms on the slab next to her thigh. "Given that you clobbered me anyway I think the question is why didn't I resort to *more* trickery, as the level I used was clearly insufficient." I blew out a breath. "I mean, if I'd known we were going to be here I could have brought an offering for the creature that undoubtedly lives in the flooded mine shafts but that's going to go in the books as a missed opportunity, I suppose."

She reached down to ruffle my hair as she laughed. "You ain't right, Bear, but you're my kind of wrong."

Without thinking about it I closed my eyes and let my head lean to the left, where it rested against Tish's knee. The warmth on my shoulders provided the perfect counter against the chill of the water, and a sense of contentment flowed over me as I quietly exhaled and did my best to enjoy the moment. We weren't lovers and she'd be more or less exiting my life in the all-too-near future anyway, but for right now we were sharing this, and it was enough.

How long we stayed like that, I'm not too sure. A minute? Five? The real world intruded via a shout and a splash from another brave cliffjumper, jostling me back to conscious thoughts with a start. Shaking my head, I looked up to see Tish watching me with a curious, contemplative expression. I cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

She stuck out her lower lip. "Nothing. You looked... peaceful. Serene."

"Nirvana achieved via plunging four stories into a lake no doubt containing primeval monsters is indeed the path of enlightenment." The cold around my legs had moved from refreshing to uncomfortable so I hoisted myself out of the water, plopping down next to Tish. "It's the feel-good story of the year."

"All part of the 'Best Weekend Ever,' package, Bear. Come for the reception hor d'oeuvres, stay for the zen. Wait until you see the wedding cake, it's ying and yang."

"Mmm. That I doubt." I ran a hand through my hair, wicking away water. "Not a lot of oomph behind that 'Best Weekend Ever,' Tish. Not doubting the outcome, are you?"

"No, that's money in the bank." Quirking her mouth, she looked away from me. "Thinking about what lies ahead for the rest of the day has me a little preoccupied, I guess. In some ways I'm looking forward to it but others, ugh. Fucking nightmare fuel." She put her hands behind her and leaned back while I did my best not to blatantly stare at the expanse of cleavage jutting skyward. "I could stroll through the whole thing like the returning, conquering hero. Or it could all go sideways, I could make a fool of myself, and rue the decision to both show up and drag you here."

"Ha! Having me along is never a decision to rue."

That drew out a smile, albeit a fragile one. "True enough. I expect you to be dazzling, charming, and the epitome of elegance and grace."

"Better check the contract, you only paid enough for one of those. You do get to choose which one, though." I nudged her shoulder with mine. "You're going to be fine. You - I mean we - we are going to kick ass."

"Hope you're right," she said, lifting her foot out of the water and flicking drops over her shoulder. "Either way, I'm both glad and grateful you're here."

I snorted. "I don't remember having much choice on the matter." Before she could object I added, "I wouldn't have missed it for the world. I mean, where does one put the world anyway? Not going to fit in any of my closets, that's for sure."

Tish rolled her eyes at my babbling. "That's why you need a place with a walk-in closet, Bear." With disturbing swiftness she pivoted on her hip and gathered me into a hug. "I don't know why what these people think of me matters but it does. It shouldn't, but it does." I felt her shudder against me. "I haven't seen them in years and probably won't again after tonight so why does it matter? Why?"

My arms had reflexively gone around her and I gave her a squeeze. "It doesn't have to make sense, Tish. It's important to you and we're going to slay this beast together."

She tightened around me for a moment before disengaging, wiping at her eyes. "I don't think we're allowed to kill Theresa, but I should check the local statutes just to make sure. Town might have wised up over the past decade or so."

"Dare to dream."

"You scoff because you don't know how awful she truly is yet." Tish awkwardly clambered to her feet, taking care to avoid putting too much weight on her bad knee. "Now I want to make sure I have enough time to get ready. You okay with going? I realize we weren't here very long. If you want we could probably get one more jump in."

"I mean that's tempting and all but I'm good. We can move on to the next life-endangering escapade." I stood up and brushed at the back of my suit. "Uhm, is the wedding going to be life-endangering? Is there concealed carry in Pennsylvania?"

"I think you'll be fine. A holster ruins the lines of a guy's suit and of course nobody's dress will have pockets."

After drying off and saying goodbye to the teenagers (who were doing a terrible job of trying to conceal the joint they were sharing) we hiked back out and drove off. Tish took a bit of a scenic route, pointing out various meaningful locales from her childhood. Was I really interested to know the spot of her first kiss? No, but the guided tour seemed to be calming her nerves a bit and all that was being asked of me was to sit there, which was the least I could do. What should have taken ten minutes took closer to thirty, which undermined her plan of having more time for primping but also ground off some of the rough edges she was sporting. Besides, it didn't matter to me. Ten minutes to get myself ready, max.

Tish pointed out the clock as we walked back into the living room. "Two-thirty now. We should leave at about quarter to four."

I nodded. "Okay. What time does the ceremony start?"

"Four sharp."

"Isn't that cutting things a little bit close?"

She smirked. "Yup. I get to shower first." And with that she headed off into the master bedroom, closing the door behind her.

With time to kill I snagged a beer out of the fridge and made my way out onto the back porch, settling into one of the lounge chairs that faced the lake. A fancy outdoor grille caught my eye and made me wish we had something to cook, a thought inspired by the grumbling of my stomach. Trail mix was only going to be able to hold the fort for so long, I suppose. No choice but to pin my hopes on both the venue having a well-stocked cocktail hour and Tish not blowing shit up before I got food in my tummy. I gave a lazy swat at something that buzzed near my ear, taking a swallow of beer as I allowed my eyes to slip closed. Hell of a rollercoaster this weekend was turning out to be. My mind drifted back to the quarry, to the sight of Tish in a bathing suit, her hand gripping mine as we raced toward the edge of the cliff, to the moment when I didn't kiss her. When I should have. When I shouldn't have. When... ugh. I wiped at my face, positive I'd made the correct choice while also feeling like I hadn't made the right choice at all. In retrospect sure, not trying was the right call. She'd never shown any interest in me and she dated pro athletes, for fuck's sake. All I would have done was make the next few hours even more difficult for her, and that's not why she brought me. I did the right thing.

But...

But at that moment, that particular junction of time and space, in some nameless quarry in the middle of Pennsylvania, damned if it didn't feel like she *wanted* me to kiss her, with the excitement of having jumped off a cliff racing through our veins and our bodies in the closest of proximities. Our lips inches apart, our eyes locked on each other... no. I took a furious chug from the bottle as I did my best to vanquish that fantasy. That way lies madness and the irrevocable sundering of friendships. Best get that shit out of my mind before... before what? Before I didn't hesitate should another opportunity present itself? And I found myself hitching a ride home?

"All done!" I jumped at Tish's call from inside, dropping my bottle with a curse. I scrambled to my feet to clean up the ensuing puddle of beer but evidently I'd finished it, somehow. With a deep sigh I picked up the bottle and headed back inside. Tish was already back behind the closed bedroom door so I grabbed my toiletries and headed to the bathroom, or at least to the only one that seemed to have a shower. Damp and steamy, I could smell lingering coconut and realized it was a scent I associated with her. Great, now I was going to get all mopey everytime I passed someone having a Pina Colada.

The shower had both ample pressure and hot water, and for a few moments I lost myself in the simplicity of soaping up. No need to over analyze what I should or shouldn't have done, or how markedly my quality of life was going to decrease once she moved several thousand miles away, or if she'd provide me with details of Mr. Right over long phone calls like Mari did now, or how I was going to miss the simple joy of playing games with her, or...

I looked around in confusion, wondering why I was sitting on the floor of the shower with barely-warm water beating down on me, or why my eyes felt red and raw... shit. What the fuck had just happened?

There was a knock on the bathroom door. "I thought *I* took a long shower, Bear. You alright?"

My first attempt to answer failed, my voice too husky. After cleaning my throat I tried again. "Yeah, I'm good. Coming out now."

There was a pause. "You sure?"

Not really, but I needed to get my shit together. This might be one of the last times I got to hang out with Tish and damned if I was going to squander it. I yelped out a "Yep" as I managed to shut the water off as it became positively brisk, shivering a little as I fumbled for my towel. As I dried off I glanced at my phone, which was next to the sink, and noticed with a degree of alarm that it had been almost fifteen minutes since I'd started. I had no recollection of the time passing, of what I'd done, of why I'd ended up on the floor... shit. So now I was having fugue-state blackouts? Awesome. Good thing I'd shaved this morning. I hated to imagine the mess I'd make of my face right now.

I was still shaking a little by the time I got to my bedroom, which I tried to tell myself was due to the cold water I'd been under. I paused to take in long, slow, and deep breaths, basic martial arts stuff but perfect for calming myself down. After three of those I felt well enough to start getting dressed, and the familiarity of routine also helped ease my jangled nerves. I was lucky enough that I didn't have to wear a suit every day but often enough so that putting one on was mindless, second-nature stuff. Dark gray suit with a very light gray shirt, punctuated by a patterned yellow tie. Sharp without being flashy. As I finished up I shot myself fingerguns in the mirror, cracking a sheepish grin. Time to go be charming or whichever option she ended up picking.

I walked to the living room, my dress shoes clacking on the hardwood floor. The clock said 3:45 but Tish's door was still closed. I headed towards the kitchen to get a beer before remembering that I was tonight's designated driver, so instead I had my head in the fridge grabbing a bottle of soda when I heard Tish coming up behind me. Popping the top as I eased out, I managed to get down a swallow of root beery goodness before I turned around and, for the second time in a few hours, had planned words shocked out of my mouth.

Tish stood before me, a study in azure. A dark blue dress embraced her in some sort of mystical and arcane pattern, wrapping around numerous times while leaving one shoulder bare and sporting a slit up the side that flashed a hell of a lot of leg. Her braids had been piled into a bun on top of her head, tips the same color as the dress spilling out like an explosion. Shoes were blue as well but sparkly, matched by her nails, eye shadow, and lipstick. It should have been too much, too over the top, but on Tish it looked perfect, a celebration of all she was and wasn't, sexier than the bathing suit despite showing a fraction of the flesh. She looked like she'd descended from above, as opposed to having walked out of her bedroom.

Tish watched me be gobsmacked for a good fifteen seconds or so before waving a hand in front of my face. "Feels like we've been here before."

"Sorry," I said, doing my best to recover as I set the bottle down on the nearby counter. "You look like why the riot started."

Sparkly lips curled into a grin. "Thanks! That's either super sweet or somewhat deranged. Maybe both." She patted her hips. "I'm not sure I'll be able to get back out of this thing, though. Putting it on was like wrapping an Ace bandage. Now, let's get a look at you. Mmm. Mmm hmm. You clean up pretty well, Bear."

"You should see me when I don't have a web of stitches above my eye."

"Nah, it lends character. Like an eyepatch but you won't have people coming up and saying ARRRRRR all night. Lose the tie, though."

I blinked a few times. "What?"

"I said to lose the tie. It'd be fine, you know, if you were Bartleby from Accounting. But you're not, so we're going to go in a different direction."

"Uhm, okay." I loosed the knot, slipped the tie over my head, and tossed it onto the kitchen counter. "Am I going sans tie?"

From somewhere - I honestly have no idea where she had it hidden - Tish produced a replacement, one that was such a match for her outfit that it might have been cut from the dress itself. "No, you're going with a sans-sational tie, muhahahah." As she held it out for me she conjured another piece of matching fabric as well. "Pocket square too, Bear. Welcome to the world of being dapper AF."

I took the proffered pieces and set to work on the neckwear first. "Won't this make us look like we're going to Prom together?"

"Psssht. If we were ordinary people, that might be an issue. Tonight, however, as we are deities walking among mortals, consider this me marking my territory."