Page 48 of Good Enough

In the meantime, Enigma had backed up for a running start, and with Jumper’s help, he flew up to the top and over. Jumper backed up, then took a running leap for Lazarus’ and Brick’s forearms. Once atop the wall, all three men slid down the opposite side, and no sooner did their feet touch the ground, they were all off and running.

They never said a word during the process other than Dawg’s order to the women. No instructions. No encouragement. They had used situational awareness and worked together as if they’d choreographed the maneuver and practiced it a million times.

Well, fuck me running.

Waters took off after them, not sure he’d actually seen what he’d just seen. He couldn’t help but be impressed. They were looking like a team and a damn competent one at that. He knew they were miserable, frozen, and tired. But not a single one of them asked about quitting, even as a joke. They were all in, just like Kubrick had said they would be.

Then he saw Vixen stumble, and it looked like she turned her ankle. Kubrick didn’t miss a beat. She helped Vixen up, put an arm around the injured girl’s waist, and kept her moving.

My golden girl. Never leaves anyone behind.

And there was the tension. He was starting to think of her as all sorts of things with “my” in front of them. He couldn’t help it. The attraction was too strong. He liked her. He damn sure wanted her. But pursuing anything would likely cause one or both of them to be hurt when he left, and he didn’t want it to be her. So, he did his best to ignore what his body wanted.

He began to increase his own speed, but the guys had already seen what had happened and pushed their limits to get to the women. Enigma got there first and swept Vixen off her feet, passing her onto him piggyback style to get to the finish line. The rest of the team formed a circle of protection around them.

Well, double fuck me running.

He caught up to the group at the lean-to that sat at the start/finish line of the obstacle course. Enigma had Vixen on the bench, shoe and sock off, examining her already swelling ankle. “Way to go, woman. You know there are easier ways to get us out of running in the rain, Vix,” Dawg teased.

“Shove off, Dawg. I didn’t do it on purpose.”

“All right, ladies, break it up,” Waters barked. “Chafes me to say it, but this rain is getting too heavy. Head inside today. Make sure to stretch out. Take a long, hot shower. Get some rest.”

What are you doing? There’s other training you all could do.

Enigma stood and presented his back to Vixen. “C’mon, Flash. Let’s go get that ankle looked at.”

He began to walk off, happening to catch Waters’ eye. Waters gave him a miniscule nod; Enigma’s chin lift was just as small, and then he took off with Vixen at a jog.

“Dammit, I’d have carried her,” Dawg grumbled. “He’s so getting laid this afternoon.”

Jumper smacked the back of his head. “Aww, it’s okay Dawg. You’re getting laid, too. Just by your right hand.”

“Maybe it’ll be a ménage,” Brick piped in. “I hear Dawg is ambidextrous.”

Dawg clenched his jaw and then grumbled. “You’re just jealous I get some variety to my strokin’.” The guys continued to jab at each other as they took off for the house. Lazarus and Waters stood watching the three goofballs as Brick smacked Dawg’s ass, stole Jumper’s hat, and tore off down the trail.

Lazarus grinned and shook his head. He looked at Waters. “I’m guessing she didn’t tell you that you’d be babysitting late-twenties grown men going on five?”

“Nope. That wasn’t quite how the job was described,” he admitted.

Lazarus’ eyes wandered over to Kubrick, who was collecting her jacket and glasses, and Waters’ molars began grinding. He could see the heat in Lazarus’ eyes.

“You know,” Lazarus began quietly, his eyes drifting back to the three amigos who were now just specks in the distance, “she’s special. I envy you.”

Waters went still.

“Kubrick,” Lazarus continued as if they both didn’t know whom he was talking about. “She’s special.”

Fuck, fuck, fuck. I knew it. They have a thing.

Lazarus carried on. “I thought about approaching her once, but I took a film project and was gone for four months. When I came back, she was on location for two months, and our schedules just never seemed to match up after that. The next time I see her is in February for this shoot, but… her heart is already engaged elsewhere. I thought maybe she’d met someone in Egypt, but it turns out the guy was much closer to home.”

Brain whirling on which guy Kubrick seemed to be focusing on more than the others, he forced that to the back and let his mouth ask the more pressing question. “Kubrick was in Egypt? When?”

Lazarus thought back. “Middle of November, she went to Europe, so maybe in the middle of December? Something like that. I know she met with a director friend to research and scout somewhere on another possible project. That was just before Thanksgiving, and she came home by New Year’s.” He glanced behind him. “Anyway… don’t screw up like I did.” And with that, Lazarus flipped up the hood of his short-sleeved running shirt and took off in the rain for the house.

Can’t screw up what doesn’t happen.

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