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“So regular blown-up bodies, not radioactive bodies,” I said dryly. “Much better.”
“Trust me, you won’t be able to put this book down. It’s my comfort novel. I re-read it every year or two.”
“Okay, I’m in,” I said. “I’m glad you chose that, because I’ve seen the Hunt for Red October movie, and I didn’t think it was great.”
Andrew looked like a kicked puppy. “Aw, really? I love the movie.”
“Sean Connery is a Soviet submarine dude, but he doesn’t even try to use a Russian accent!”
“Yeah! That’s what makes it so good!” Andrew insisted.
“Regardless, I’ll happily read Red Storm Rising if you read A Court of Thorns and Roses. Deal?”
“Deal.” We shook on it. His hand was warm, the fingers lingering in mine for a heartbeat longer than a regular handshake. His smile was also warm, and completely disarming. It was rare that I felt so comfortable around someone, let alone a guy.
I unpaused the show, but kept glancing at Andrew out of the corner of my eye.
23
Melinda
I was drinking an afternoon tea on the terrace when Andrew came running out and said, “Pierce finished the first day!”
He hurried over to me with his laptop in hand. It was open to The Coastal Challenge results page. We hunched over it, squinting at the screen. Out of about a hundred participants, Pierce was the ninth finisher.
“Six hours and forty-nine minutes,” I read off. “Almost thirty miles running.”
“And forty-two hundred feet of elevation gain,” Andrew muttered. “That’s a lot, right?”
“Over that distance? Yes. It’s a buttload.”
“Supposedly, this is the easiest day.” Andrew shook his head in disbelief. “He’s insane.”
“Completely agree.” I glanced at my phone on the chair next to me. “Do you think he has signal?”
“He has signal tonight, and on night five,” Andrew replied. “If you wanted to text him, he should get it.”
I popped up from my chair. “I think I’ll go do that.”
Andrew didn’t ask why I was going inside to text Pierce, for which I was glad. I went into my bedroom, closed the door, and settled into bed with my phone.
Me: How was the first day? Still alive, it appears?
Pierce: Unfortunately. Right now, I WISH a snake would put me out of my misery.
Me: That bad, huh? I saw the results. Thirty miles is no joke, especially considering how hot it was today!
Pierce: It’s even hotter here. Our campsite is inland, where the humidity is terrible. There’s no breeze. Everything is sweltering.
Me: Just remember the best part: you CHOSE to do this! For fun!
Pierce: Let this be a lesson: even billionaires can be complete idiots sometimes.
Me: Only sometimes? ;-)
Pierce: I’m too exhausted to dignify that with a response.
Me: Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
