Page 55 of The Boyfriend Boycott
We round the corner, and I pull the car into the lot next to the baseball diamond. It was the largest open space in town, and the only place that Carl agreed to meet. The moment I park the car and turn towards Spencer is the moment I realize that the risk ofwaking the sleeping bear was worth it. The look on her face when she realizes what we’re out here to do …
“A hot air balloon?” She beams at me, jaw nearly in her lap. “You got me a hot air balloon? Are we going up in it?”
“No, we’re just here to watch it from the ground,” I deadpan. “Of course we’re going up in it.”
Spencer just about spills the carafe of coffee as she flings the door open, squealing with delight at the surprise. I realized yesterday that if Spencer is going to be convinced to stay in Heartwood, it’s going to take somethingbig.It’s going to take something that can compete with all the exciting adventures she’s been on around the world. If she loved looking at the hot air balloons in Turkey, then I’m willing to bet that going up in one over the Rocky Mountains at sunrise would be a close competition.
Spencer is halfway across the field, approaching the bright rainbow balloon. By the time I’ve reached her, she’s craning her neck to look up at it in awe.
“Howdy,” Carl says, climbing out of the basket and landing on the ground in front of us. “Ready for your flight?” He makes it sound like we’re getting ready to board an airplane, but the reality of it makes my stomach feel watery. This is no airplane. Up close this thing is … terrifying. The basket looks as though it could barely hold two of us let alone three, and the sides seem … a lot lower than I would have thought for something that is supposed to keep us thousands of feet above the ground.
I’m second-guessing my decision to do this when Spencer pipes up.
“Yes!” she squeals “I have dreamt about doing this for years!” She claps her hands like a kid waiting to open presents on Christmas, and it almost makes it worth the fact that I’m about to shit my pants. I thought public speaking was terrifying, but this …
Carl waves us over and starts to go through a brief explanation of the basket, the balloon, and what we can expect throughout the ride.
“What kind of safety equipment is there?” I ask. My voice comes out shakier than I expect it to. Carl looks back at me and blinks slowly. Once, twice. It’s not the first time he’s been asked this question, right?Was that a stupid question?
“I’ve got three parachutes on board, and a fire extinguisher.”
“Parachutes?” I say, aghast.
“Yup. Not much you can do once this thing decides to go down but jump ship. I’ve never had to use them though. The chance of a ballooning accident is rare.”
“But not impossible,” I add, the words squeaking out of my throat that is getting tighter by the second.
“No. Hence, the parachutes.” He winks, but I’m not amused.
“Come on, Grady. You like a little danger, right?”
“Alittledanger.” I emphasize the wordlittle. Like not wearing a helmet on my bike when I ride it a block or two home. Not like plummeting to my death. Suddenly, Carl and his Costco jeans and New Balance sneakers don’t seem like someone I should be entrusting my life to in a virtual picnic basket three thousand feet in the air.
Yet here we are, and Spencer is taking his hand as he helps her up the step into the death trap. I follow close behind, but I don’t take Carl’s hand even though he’s extended it to me.
Why did I think this was a good idea again?
Spencer is practically buzzing with excitement as I climb into the basket after her. Right. That’s why. If this is what it takes to get Spencer to see what she can have here, I would do it ten times over. Hell, I would bungee jump off this thing if that’s what I had to do.
Carl is the last to join us, and he closes the gate, latching it behind him.
No turning back now. I decide that my only option now is to trust Carl. After all, he came highly recommended by Eleanor when I called her last night. Though now I wonder if that had more to do with him being the only hot air balloon tour offered in Heartwood. The fact that he just happened to have an opening the very next morning could also be interpreted as a red flag, but it’s no longer a helpful thought as he releases the ropes around the outside of the basket holding us down. My stomach lurches as the basket lifts off the ground.
Spencer twines her hand through mine. It’s soft and warm and it settles my nerves. Heat radiates from the flame keeping the balloon aloft overhead, heating us against the cool spring morning. If this is my last day on earth, I decide, this is how I want to go.
We rise higher and higher into the clear sky, coming to meet the height of the mountains around us. As we do, the sun comes into view over the horizon, casting a warm glow on our faces. I glance down towards Spencer. She’s closing her eyes, leaning her face against my arm. A tear trickles down her cheek.
“Talk to me, Rebel. Are you okay?” I ask her, my heart dropping at the sight. Maybe this wasn’t the right thing to do. Maybe this hot air balloon has made her realize that she misses the wide-open world. Maybe this has worked against me.
“This is perfect, Grady. Absolutely perfect.” My panic eases as she stretches up onto her tip toes to place a soft kiss on my cheek. “Thank you for doing this.”
We float up here, weightless, for another hour or so before Carl brings us back down to earth. As magical as the whole experience was, I can’t help but let out an audible sigh when I get out of the basket and feel solid ground beneath my feet. I can feel the colour returning to my face.
“That bad, huh?” Spencer asks with a smirk, noticing the way my shoulders visibly relaxed when my feet hit the grass.
“I don’t love heights,” I admit.
“Grady!” she shrieks, playfully shoving my shoulder. “You didn’t tell me you were petrified the whole time!”
