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By the time he pulled into the parking lot near his favorite mountain biking trail, he was ready to get out of his head and into the zone, where there was nothing but adrenaline and power. He’d had Claire on his mind all night and morning, and he needed to get his brain under control. The kiss had thrown him off, and he could give himself a little grace for temporarily focusing on it. He was a straight man, and she was an attractive woman, and their mouths had fit together surprisingly well.
Good thing adventure called today. His Cannondale paired with some fresh mountain air would be the perfect way to get his mind back on track.
His buddy Chris was already there, talking to another guy Graham didn’t recognize. Graham parked next to them and got out, slapping his palm against Chris’s in a handshake.
“Hey, man. This is Tyler. He came into the store last night and is new to the area, but not new to mountain biking. I told him he could come along and we’d show him the best trails.”
“Awesome.” Graham offered his hand to the new guy. “I’m Graham. I first met Chris at his store, too. Worked there all through college. Best outdoor gear in the state.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Where are you from?” Graham asked.
“Arkansas. Moved here for a job a few weeks ago and they put me to work right away. With that and unpacking, I’ve been suffocating and dying to get outside.”
“Between us and our buddies Hugh and Noah, you’ll find someone in the mountains every weekend,” Chris said. “Do you climb?”
“A little. It’s not as popular where I’m from, but I’d love to learn.”
“I’m headed to Eldorado Canyon next weekend,” Graham said. “You’re welcome to come and I’ll show you around.”
“That would be awesome. Thanks.”
Tyler turned and worked the clamps to pull his bike from his roof rack and Graham did the same. Graham left the door open while he slipped on tall socks and his bike shoes.
“Are you a local like Chris?” Tyler asked, taking a swig from his water bottle.
Graham shook his head. “Moved here for college. I’m from Santa Fe.”
“Never been. What’s the outdoor scene like there?”
“Pretty awesome. Skiing in Taos and Angel Fire, obviously, but skiing has never been my favorite. Santa Fe National Forest is right outside the city and has great camping and hiking, and Valles Caldera has some of the best fly-fishing in the state. After my first camping trip with my dad as a kid I was hooked. It got even worse after my first climb in Pecos River Canyon. I was thirteen and had more confidence than sense, but I had a patient guide and somehow made it to the top. The second I looked down and saw what I’d scaled with my bare hands and a pair of rubber shoes, I never looked back. It was inevitable I’d end up somewhere like Colorado.”
“I get that. I jumped at the chance for a job opportunity up here. Arkansas has some hidden gems, but I wanted more.”
Chris clipped on his helmet and looked at Tyler. “So what’s your standard level of difficulty? Would give us a good idea of where to start. This area is pretty versatile and has a little of everything.”
“I stick to blues, mostly. The occasional green or single black depending on who I’m with and how I’m feeling.”
Chris nodded. “Let’s start with a blue and see how it goes. There’s a nice three-mile out-and-back we can do, but at the top it branches out into a black if we want to go that way.”
“Sounds great,” Tyler said.
Graham hopped up and rolled forward, clipping in as he headed for the trail Chris had referenced. “Let’s do it.”
They set off between the trees, and with each pump of his legs, Graham focused on the challenge before him and left everything else behind.
“Who needs another round?”
The club was crowded and the music ridiculously loud, drowning out Graham’s question. He leaned across the table and reached out with both hands, nudging Reagan and Claire, who had their heads together, deep in conversation. When they looked up at him, he held up his empty glass and raised an eyebrow.
Claire nodded and Reagan shook her head. Graham shouldered his way to the bar to wait, wondering why Claire had chosen this place. It felt more like a meat market than the casual hipster bars they usually went to. He hadn’t seen one guy who seemed anywhere near Claire’s age, or worth her time.
And the women sending him seductive gazes had to have been at least ten years younger than him, if not more. To each their own, but he didn’t usually go for women that far from his age group. He’d done his share of dating when he was in his early twenties, and at best it could be described as a complete shit show.
He could tell a thirty-five-year-old woman he wasn’t in the market for a commitment, and she’d usually take him at his word. The last time he’d tried that with a twenty-five-year-old she’d cried when he’d said he had no intention of attending her family Christmas as her boyfriend.
Seeing how (1) he’d never broached the subject of precollege life with any woman and (2) the only one he’d (accidentally) introduced to his parents had left him the next day, serious events like holidays with his or anyone else’s family were firmly off the table.
