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The newfound devotion is expressed with an eye roll.
“Oh, there’s Dave!” Asher exclaims, sounding more excited than I’ve heard him sound about anything that didn’t involve women, booze, or cars. Apparently, he was serious when he said he’s come here before.
Dave approaches us, matching Asher’s enthusiasm. If I passed Dave on the street, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to learn he works as a rock-climbing instructor. His dreadlocks are pulled back by a purple bandana and he’s wearing an easygoing smile that would look wildly out of place in a boardroom. “Hey, dude!” Dave greets. “Back already?”
“Yep. Brought some buddies too. We’re celebrating this guy’s wedding.” Asher claps me on the back, and I force a smile I’m sure comes across as more of a grimace.
“No way.” Dave looks like the idea of having a bachelor party here has never occurred to him, and I wish Asher could say the same. “Congrats, man,” he says to me.
“Thanks, Dave.” Not many people havecongratulatedme about my upcoming wedding. They’ve acknowledged it. Nodded knowingly. Told megood workorwell done. Every one of them has known why I’m marrying Scarlett. But I don’t know how to tell Dave I’m a multi-billionaire marrying for money, so I do my best to act genuinely enthused by the prospect. Made easier and harder by my fiancée’s presence a few feet away.
“I’ll go grab you guys some gear,” Dave says. “There’s…four of you?”
“Five,” Asher corrects, nodding toward the front desk where Oliver is standing, talking on the phone. He took a call as soon as we arrived and hasn’t moved since.
“All right. We usually start in pairs.” Dave glances around, then looks at me. “How about you wait for the straggler?” He smiles at Scarlett. “We can work together.”
I don’t wait to see if it’s an arrangement Scarlett will protest. “No. She and I will work together.”
Dave raises his hands in anall goodgesture. “Sorry, man. I get the overprotective brother thing. I’m the same way with my sister.”
Asher snorts a laugh. Jeremy starts coughing. If I looked over at Scarlett, I’m guessing she’s wearing the same expression of horror I am.
Dave looks between me and Scarlett, his dreadlocks bobbing with each confused movement. “Oh. Are you two not siblings?”
“No,” I grit out. “She’s my fiancée.”
“I just assumed…” he trails. “Never heard of a fiancée attending a bachelor party before.”
“We like to do things together.” How I manage to say that sentence with a straight face, I have no idea. I’m equally impressed no one laughs.
But Dave nods, looking completely serious. “I get it. My folks are the same way. They each get one activity to indulge the other one on, since they hate doing things separately. My mom hates football and hasn’t missed a Giants game in twenty years. My father couldn’t draw a stick figure but goes to an oil painting class with her every week.” Dave pauses and smiles. “I bet you guys will be just as happy. Whose activity is this?” His eyes bounce between us again.
“Uh…” I’m slow to speak after that. I’ve never witnessed that sort of relationship in person. I know my father loved my mother. She may have been the only person he’s ever loved. When it comes to me and Oliver, he hands out occasional praise, not affection. However he expressed any sentimentality toward my mother, I was too young to remember any of it.
“Crew.” Scarlett clears her throat. “This was Crew’s idea.”
“Excellent choice, man.” Dave smiles at me before his attention returns to Scarlett. “And what are you going to pick?”
“Uh…” she stalls. For the first time ever, I see Scarlett look unsure. Rather than revel in it, I scramble to come up with some random hobby I can blurt out.Golf?
“It can be anything,” Dave urges. “Anything you’ve always wanted to try?”
“We doing this or not?” Oliver appears, phone in hand. “If not, I’m heading back to the office.”
“You can think it over some more,” Dave tells Scarlett, then turns to the rest of us. “I’ll meet you all by the wall over there.” He points vaguely toward the right before heading to the left. We’re surrounded by nothingbutwalls. Not just the four typical ones, but lots of additional ones covered with colorful, fake rocks meant as continual handholds.
“Do we think he’s qualified to teach people how to scale cliffs?” Jeremy questions.
“Dave’s great,” Asher replies. “Super chill.”
“That’s exactly what I’m worried about,” Jeremy replies. “Super chillisn’t the first qualification I’d consider in an instructor.”
I ignore their bickering and ask Oliver, “What was the call about?”
My brother grimaces. “Powers wants to come back to the table without the marketing division.”
“He’s folding?”
