Page 4 of Alluring Adventure

“Oh, you mean the guy who nearly bit my head off for making a joke?” I say, rolling my eyes dramatically. One thing is clear: I'm never going to be an Oscar-worthy actress. I couldn’t have faked disinterest worse if I’d tried.

“Don’t even pretend. I saw you eyeing him. And don’t let his bark put you off, he’s a softy,” she giggles.

“So, asking you how I can book with them is probably not going to convince you that I’m not interested?” I lean against the reception desk and hold out the brochure.

“Paragliding,” she wiggles her eyebrows.

“Actually, canyoning,” I give her a grin. “Editor’s orders.”

“Ah, boring.”

“This is just business,” I declare with as much conviction as I can muster.

“Fine, be like that,” she laughs. Marisa is such an easy person to talk to that our dynamic changed from customer and hotel staff member to something resembling a friendship very quickly.

“Right, they have a slot free tomorrow and the weather looks good. You better use that opportunity, you never know here when the weather will change and for canyoning you want some semi decent weather,” she rambles whilst stabbing away on her keyboard.

“Why does it matter, you get wet anyway?”

“Trust me. You’ll be grateful for the opportunity to warm up in the sun whenever there’s a gap in the rocks or at least when you’ve finished,” she shudders.

“Not a fan of canyoning.”

“No. My hubby convinced me once. Never again.”

“And how do you know if they have a space free?” I try to poke over the reception desk at her screen, but it’s too high, creating an impossible angle.

“Because we have direct access to their booking software. We get commission for everything we sell and it makes it so much easier if we can book people straight into the system.”

“Good for you! Tomorrow sounds great. Do I need to bring anything?”

“Just bring a swimsuit, one piece if you have as you’ll wear it underneath a wetsuit. A towel and underwear to change into and some snacks and water. It’s exhausting. The rest Alluring Adventures will provide.”

Sounds easy enough. I can just grab some nibbly bits from the shop on the way to the meeting point.

“Tada, you’re booked in.” She takes a map from the stack lying on the reception desk and circles something. “Alluring Adventures is here. So just take the bus from the main road. Get off in the centre of Fellside and then it’s a five-minute walk.”

Perfect! That will take me straight past a corner shop.

“The trip leaves at ten so I would take the bus to Fellside at nine. You’ll be early but with the next one, I don’t think you’ll make it.”

Life is slow in Fellside and the local buses run only every thirty or forty minutes; on weekends even less frequently.

Marisa gives me a printout that confirms my booking.

“I’ve charged it to your room,” she explains as I pull out my card.

“Even better,” I grin and thank her. A thrill shoots through me as I study the receipt on the way back to my room. The videos looked amazing, so no wonder I’m excited. But I would be lying if I were to say I wasn’t secretly hoping to see Oliver again, too.

Chapter 3

Oliver

Ipark in thesmall carpark behind the building just as my phone goes off.

Marisa

Better put your best leg forward tomorrow. A certain blogger will be on the canyoning trip at ten.

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