‘Yes.’
He laughs. ‘Come on! Face your fears! You’ve done ziplining, this will be a walk in the park.’
‘I’d rather walk in the park.’
‘You only live once, right?’
‘This is exactly my point!’ I remind him, just as Kelly and Steven start to descend, legs swinging and dangling as they approach. I’ll admit that part doesn’t look so bad. Plus, they appear to have survived, which is always a bonus.
They’re almost back on the boat when Ellis leans in. ‘I’ll be right beside you,’ he says. ‘You know, if you change your mind and sayyes. . .’
‘Stop using that against me,’ I reply. ‘I swear, I am so done with this. When I get home, the word “no” will be making a rapid comeback.’
Kelly and Steven unclip, fresh-faced and laughing. Laughing! How they’re not crying and thanking God is a mystery to me. Part of me is annoyed that Ellis put me in this position and another part is slowly beginning to wonder if now that I’m in this position, and probably never will be again, should I just go for it?
‘That was incredible,’ Steven proclaims, shaking himself off. ‘Just incredible. You both going up together or individually?’
Ellis looks hopefully at me, and I take a deep breath. ‘Together,’ I say. ‘Fuck it.’
Just like the zipline, I’m strapped in, only it’s far more complex. Turns out these life jackets are elaborate for a reason. I’m harnessed into the swing seat, the parasail and the boat, thankful that it’s not the anchor. Ellis seems completely unfazed by any of this. As we sit on the platform the boat starts to speed up and I feel the pull of the parasail. I barely have time to curse before we start rising into the air.
‘Oh God, oh God,’ I yell, as we soar higher and higher until the boat is almost a speck on the water. I want to keep shouting but I find myself feeling less horrified than I thought I’d be. Yes, I’m hanging over the sea by a rope but it’s slow. It’s smooth. It’s peaceful. It’s also far less noisy than I thought it would be. It’s a light noise rather than the wind tunnel roar I expected.
‘Not so bad, huh?’ Ellis asks.
‘Shut up.’
‘I’m just saying that sometimes the anticipation is scarier.’
‘That’s beside the point,’ I reply. ‘You tricked me.’
‘I did,’ he admits, ‘but only to get you on the boat. You chose to come up and I’m glad you did. Where else would you experience a view like this? The sea, the beach the—’
‘Are those sharks?’ I exclaim. ‘If these ropes snap, we’re going to bellyflop right into their mouths.’
‘Hmm, no. I think they’re dolphins. They usually swim in groups. Sharks are loners.’
It makes sense. I don’t remember Jaws having friends. I watch in delight as they glide through the water. Magnificent.
‘We should have borrowed that GoPro,’ I say to Ellis. ‘Describing this won’t do it justice.’
As we begin to descend, I’m almost sad. Ellis was right. I would have said no. I would never have agreed to even step foot on the boat had I known what was planned. I would have missed this whole experience.
We’re dropped off and the next set of passengers get on board. ‘I can’t believe I did that,’ I say.
‘Kind of amazing, huh?’ Ellis replies. ‘You’re fearless, Sophie Smalls.’
‘I do not approve of your tactics,’ I tell him. ‘But thank you.’
I hug him. I’m not sure why but it feels like the right thing to do. Thankfully he hugs me back. Would have been embarrassing otherwise.
We pull away and stroll back towards the ship.
‘You should have dinner at our table tonight,’ I tell him. ‘Last night and all. They’re a good crowd.’
‘Sure,’ he replies. ‘That could be cool. What time?’
‘Six thirty. Main dining room.’
