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Chapter Five
Sofia
“I’m really not sure about this,” I say worriedly when I see a hiking backpack come out of Russell’s trunk, “I’m not much of an outdoorswoman.”
“You don’t have to be for this trail,” he assures me, “I promise. But tell you what, if at the end of this, you think I was too rough on you, I promise to give you the absolute best foot massage of your life.”
I’d been more than a little surprised when Russell had proposed a hiking date, and had immediately voiced my concerns. But he keeps saying it’s not a big deal, that it’s basically just a nice walk, but that backpack is telling me otherwise.
But we’re already out here, so it’s not like I really have a choice but to take him at his word. I glance at my phone, and I’m pleased to see that the reception out here doesn’t seem too bad. Just in case.
Yes, it’s probably irrational of me to be worried that he’s taking me out to the woods to kill me, but that doesn’t stop the thought from blaring in my head like a siren. He turns to me, backpack pulled on.
“Does someone know where you are?” he asks me, “My dad always taught me that as the first rule of hiking, even if you’ve got a buddy. Always make sure someone knows where you are and how long you’re planning to be gone.”
I lift my brows in surprise. “Um, no, let me get on that. What should I tell them as far as a timeline?” I ask.
He mulls it over for a minute. “Let’s call it three, maybe four hours max?”
I nod. Three or four hours doesn’t sound like an easy hike, but it also doesn’t sound too terrible, all things considered. Maybe just a couple of miles.
I decide to text Josie, having already told her about my date with Russell today, and give her my whereabouts and the other info, including where we’re parked and a description of Russell’s SUV.
“All set?” he asks me when I tuck my phone into my pocket.
I nod. “You?”
He nods, “Yeah, texted a buddy before I left,” he says.
“Well…lead the way,” I say.
He guides me toward a soft dirt trail. It doesn’t appear to be any kind of official hiking trail or anything, which only makes my nerves worse, but as we walk, I feel myself relaxing a little.
It really is a nice walk, with wildflowers dotting the sides of the path and trees that slowly grow thicker as we progress. And as he’s promised, it’s definitely not challenging. There are a few hilly spots that have me huffing and puffing a touch, but nothing unpleasant.
We don’t talk too much, but the quiet is oddly comfortable. Occasionally Russell will point out an interesting plant or bird or something, but for the most part, we just walk in companionable silence.
Suddenly, he throws out an arm to stop me. “Wait,” he whispers, and I freeze in my tracks, my blood running cold.
“What?” I whisper back, looking around on the ground.
Is there a snake or something, or was I about to fall into a hole?
“Look over there. To your right and up a little bit,” he says, his voice still low.
I follow his directions and to my surprise, I’m not met with some sinister bogeyman, but a grazing doe and her fawn.
My breath catches in my throat at the sight. “Oh, wow…” I whisper.
I pull my phone from my pocket to snap a picture. We’re far enough away that I have to zoom in, and the first shot I get is pretty blurry. But when I take a step closer to try and get a better one, a branch cracks under my foot.
The doe looks up and spots us, and in a flash, she and the little one disappear into the brush.
“Oh, man, I’m sorry,” I frown, “I didn’t mean to spook her.”
“That’s ok, I’m just glad you got to see her,” he says with a smile.
“I thought you were about to stop me from stepping on a snake when you threw your arm across my chest like that,” I laugh, “That’s like the classic ‘Mom seatbelt’ maneuver.”
“Yeah, I kind of just did the first thing I could think of to keep you from taking another step,” he chuckles.
We get back to walking, chatting about animals. I tell him about my cat, Emperor Skittles, and about my betta “sorority” fish tank. He tells me about the dog he’d had before he moved here, a sweet old mutt named Potato who’d lived to the ripe old age of 19, and says he’s been thinking about finally getting another dog.
“So are you strictly a dog person?” I asked.
“Nah, I’d pet a crocodile if it’d let me, I like all animals,” he laughs, “Might get a cat someday, too. I just really love dogs, there’s something so great about coming home to a happy face and a wagging tail.”
“Get the right girlfriend and you don’t need a dog for that,” I quip.
He snorts, then eyes me with a smirk. “You offering?”
I giggle, and I can feel my face heating up. “Touché. But dogs aren’t the only ones who’ll greet you at the door. Skittles is always waiting for me when I get home."
It's true, the chunky ginger beast greets me with happy chirps and winds around my ankles every time I step through the front door. With the way I end up tripping over him, I haven’t completely decided if it’s an affectionate greeting or possibly a covert assassination attempt, but I prefer to view it as the former.
“So are you saying you’re a cat person?” he asks.
“For the most part, but I don’t have anything against dogs. I just kind of prefer a mellow pet, and it’s harder to find that in a dog. Not that there aren’t some batshit crazy cats.”
“No kidding. Those hairless Sphynx ones all seem like they’re on crack or something, they’re always so hyper.”
I laugh. “You know, you’re right, I feel like every single time I’ve seen one, they’re either completely asleep, or they’re wired.”
“Yup. Two settings: ‘Crackhead’ or ‘Off’.”
He keeps guiding me along the path until I notice a new sound. “Is that water I’m hearing?” I ask him after a moment.
He nods. “Yep. We’re almost there, just a little bit further this way.”
“I didn’t realize there was a particular destination for this,” I say, “I thought we were just walking.”
“Not exactly,” he says, “There’s a place out here I want to show you.”
As we continue walking, we soon come upon a small stream that cuts through the path. Russell guides me across it and steers me left, and I can see the spot he’s referring to before we get there.
There’s a grassy clearing spread under a massive fir tree, dotted with a rainbow of random flowers. I half expect to see fairies darting around the clearing, which reminds me suddenly of yesterday and my fairy talk with Marco. I almost mention it, but I stop myself.
Today’s about me and Russell getting to know each other. It might feel weird, but I remind myself that Marco knows exactly what I’m doing and who I’m doing it with today, and that he’ll be doing the same without me tomorrow.
So trying to ignore the weird feelings of guilt, I follow Russell while he leads me to the clearing. “Here we are,” he remarks, then stops and pulls off the backpack.
He unzips the largest of the pouches and pulls out a blanket, which he unfolds and spreads over the grass with a flourish. “Your seat, my lady,” he says with a grin.
I giggle. “Thank you, kind sir,” I reply, settling on the blanket.
