Page 66 of Why Not Both?

“Nope. I am happy enough right now, not even you can ruin it. Vic could tell me you’re moving in, and even that couldn’t spoil my mood today.”

Vic smiles up at me. “Going to see Lis?”

“I convinced her to hike the Grouse Grind with me.” My phone buzzes. It’s exactly nine o’clock. “In fact, that’s probably her now.”

“Have fun.”

I hurry downstairs and we drive out to Grouse Mountain. What’s usually a two-hour bus ride is only a thirty-minute drive and we’re there in no time. The weather has turned again, foreboding clouds rolling in overhead. Though it hasn’t started raining yet. I pay for parking—since the hike was my idea—and we walk to the trailhead, stopping by the signs at the fence.

“No downhill travel for safety reasons,” Lis reads. “So once we start, there’s no turning back.”

“Adventures beware: Do not begin unless you intend to finish.”

Lis turns to me, an eyebrow raised. “There better not be any Jumanji-esqe adventures on this trail. Climbing a mountain is bad enough.” She warms up with some high knees. “I just want to start this by saying I hate you. And if it starts to rain on us, I might have to kill you.”

I grin. “It’ll all be worth it in the end. Just think of the view at the top.”

She scowls. “If I’m in it for the view, I could just take the gondola up.”

Now I’m laughing. “Where’s the fun in that? Come on. I’ll race you.”

“Absolutely not. No racing. Let’s just get this over with.”

I scan my timer card—only people who regularly climb the Grouse Grind get them—and we start. The beginning of the hike isn’t too bad. The trail is wide enough for us to walk side-by-side and not so steep that we talk while we walk. We discuss favourite movies and Lis staunchly refuses to choose one.

“There are so many. How can I just pick one? And maybe one night I’m feeling more like a romance and maybe the next I’m feeling like a fantasy. Or an action movie. You can’t make me choose.”

“Okay, how about this? Top five right now, off the top of your head. They don’t have to be your favourites. Just the first ones you can think of.”

She looks at me through her eyelashes, an eyebrow raised. “Fine. The Mummy, Princess Bride, The Fifth Element, Penelope, and Stardust.”

“I don’t think I’ve seen the last two.”

“Oh my god, you have to. They’re both excellent movies.”

“They must be if they’re on your list. Do you want to watch one today?”

“Nah. Next time. We’ll watch Evil Dead tonight. So what’s your list?”

I love the casual way she says we’ll watch more movies together. Since the first hike, we’ve not hung out after our hikes. We’d maybe pushed the line of “friends” a little further than we should have that day. Lis had pulled back a bit. What was different now?

The memory of the kiss at the rehearsal floats through my mind, followed by the supercharged moment at Nessa and Carter’s wedding. I shake the thoughts off and I answer her question.

“Well, Evil Dead, of course. Though if I can only choose one, it would probably be the last one.”

“Army of Darkness, right?”

“Yes. Then probably, Alien, Princess Bride, Star Wars—but if I have to choose one, Empire Strikes Back—and Commando.”

“What’s Commando?”

“Are you kidding me? Arnold Schwarzenegger as John Matrix trying to rescue his daughter. Classic.”

She gives me a bemused smile and shakes her head. “Never seen it.”

“You have to. We’ll have to start a list.” I pull out my phone and find the notes app, typing in the three movies.

“Spencer,” Lis says, bringing my attention back to her. “What does that sign say?”

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