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“They were super fun,” Gia said as she attempted to unlock the passenger door for Roxi. “Ugh, that sticks sometimes. Sorry. Anyway, I didn’t expect that at all. I mean, the whole thing about not knowing who Chip’s mother was! I was dying. Thanks for coming with me and keeping me honest.”
“I wouldn’tve missed it. It was fun to watch you relax.”
“Yeah.”
“You need to do that more,” Roxi said, reaching over the heat-cracked vinyl top of the center console and placing a hand on Gia’s arm. “Relax. Don’t worry—I’m not putting the moves on. I know where you stand. I just wanted to see if I still had it.”
“Had what?” The hairs on Gia’s arm were at attention as if they’d been instructed to do so by a drill sergeant. She couldn’t hide the truth—Roxi still hadit.
“You knowwhat.” Roxi winked and withdrew her hand. “Let’s go home. I got 24 little passengers expecting a ride in the morning. Gotta get some sleep.”
“Right.”
Roxi may have been headed for slumber, but Gia had eight hours to pack shelves and process reality. Was this just physical attraction rearing its ugly head, or was there something more building? Was she being true to herself by fighting it? Or was that what she needed to keep doing? The see-saw of want versus need was becoming off-kilter, its balance disrupted by wantoverneed.
???
“Yeah, Gia! Get it!” Courtney, the climbing gym’s co-owner, yelled from below. “Two more and you’re there! That’s it! Woo! Great job!”
“Thanks,” Gia breathed—it would be a moment before she got her wind back, but she’d powered up The Dragon in an impressive feat of strength and style. Her newfound arm muscles had made her faster and more confident, and her legs delivered the speed. If Caleb were there, she was sure he’d be impressed. She could hear him now, calling her a badass.
“You sure you’ve only been at this a couple years?”
“Yeah. Just kinda fell into it when I needed a distraction. Turns out I’m part cat.”
“I’d say,” Courtney encouraged. “Wanna come down?”
“Yep! Coming down!”
Gia rappelled back to the ground at a speed chosen by her partner. She wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. It was early morning at the gym, just her and the co-owner and the multi-colored holds on the grey wall. Quiet, save for the Billy Joel playlist Courtney had queued. “The Down’easter Alexa” didn’t get her revved to climb faster, but “Piano Man” felt comfortable on the way down. She’d trained with the team a couple times, its leader much more chill than the gym’s owner. At practice, she felt like “one of the girls.” Here, the magnifying glass was on her and her alone—her first one-on-one with Courtney.
“Okay, so here’s the deal with the team, beyond the training you’re already doing. We compete at four contests in California—two are in the Bay Area, one near Sac, and the other is in San Diego. Some of the girls travel to Nevada, but it’s not required. Have you ever competed?”
“Not yet.” Gia sat on a bench at the edge of the climbing wall and grabbed her water bottle. She’d climbed in her standard issue cut-offs and tank top and felt every bit of her difference as she looked at Courtney. Like her son had been, she was dressed in bright gear that looked brand new with a high-end climbing belt. Her strawberry blonde hair was pulled through a technical cap, and her shoes were a teal color that matched her top. Just like Caleb, Courtney was sun-kissed and modelicious. She could’ve been on the cover of a catalogue. Hell, she probably had been. Gia’d acquired her climbing shoes on Buy Nothing and they were a size too big. “Never even knew it was a thing until Caleb told me.”
“Well, it’s not too late. You have a lot of potential. I’d like to coach you one on one once a week, maybe have you train with Caleb a bit more. You’ll need to commit to lifting weights twice a week—I don’t care where you do that—and cardio twice a week, too. Running is best, but cycling will get you there. Competition days are long and grueling, so you need to be fit.”
Courtney talked fast and didn’t pause. On and on she went with requirements and expectations. Gia climbed for fun. For relaxation. To forget about her worries for a few hours. And she climbed when she could afford to—it wasn’t a regular habit. The more Courtney peppered her, the more she wondered if the question wasn’t if she’d competed, but—did shewant to?
“And we’ll need to get you some proper climbing apparel. We have a team outfit for competition, so that’s covered. Do you have any tights for training? And maybe a sports bra top?”
“I—um—”
“It’s okay. You’re what, about a six? And, eight in shoes?” Courtney looked her up and down, hands on hips, feet spread evenly underneath. She oozed “coach,” and “money.”
“Yeah.” Gia wondered how Courtney sized her up so accurately. She wasn’t “about” either of those sizes—thosewereher sizes.
“Come with me.” Courtney led Gia into the gym’s office. It held two large desks pushed into each other and a wall of shelves packed with trophies. It smelled of dirty socks and stale coffee and was lit by two overhead fluorescent bulbs missing their ballasts. The gym itself was clean and organized, but the office told the real story. Billy was singing about a New York state of mind by then, and Courtney was in a closet at the back of the room. When she re-emerged, it was with an armful of apparel. “Here—try these.”
“Wow, are you sure?” Gia reached for the offering—several Capri tights, sports bras, running shorts, and two pairs of climbing shoes. A T-shirt read, “Climb on!” and depicted a stick figure woman summiting a mountain, and a black ball cap sported the gym’s logo to match the one Courtney was wearing.
“Of course. You’re on my team now, you gotta look the part. Try ‘em on and let me know what fits and doesn’t. I’ve got all kinds of stuff in that closet. It’s like a magician’s trunk.”
“Thank you,” Gia forced a smile and stepped away. Was she ready to take someone’s charity? And was the cost worth the price? Weightlifting? Running? Competing four times a year?
“Questions for me?” Courtney asked, pulling the rolling chair out from behind a desk and sinking into it.
“I don’t—”
