Page 67 of The Big Race
“I found a guidebook while I was waiting for you to finish the slalom. The whole hill is honeycombed with old militaryinstallations. There’s even a proper fort at the summit—Fort du Mont Alban.”
“Is that where we’re heading? The fort?”
I shook my head. “No, I think the panoramic overlook they mentioned is a different spot. There should be a viewing platform somewhere near the top with 360-degree views of the coast.”
As we climbed higher, the path grew steeper. Wooden steps had been embedded into particularly challenging sections, their edges reinforced with metal strips. I gripped the handrail, grateful for the support as my legs began to protest more vehemently.
After what felt like hours but was probably no more than forty minutes, the path opened onto a small clearing. A wooden signpost indicated several directions—Cap de Nice to the east, Fort du Mont Alban to the north, and Observatoire to the west.
“Observatoire,” I said, pointing to the western path. “That must be the overlook.”
The final stretch led us along a ridge with spectacular views on both sides—Nice’s urban sprawl to the west and the glamorous peninsula of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat to the east. The Mediterranean stretched to the horizon, its surface glittering in the late afternoon sun.
Finally, we emerged onto a paved plaza with stone balustrades. A circular viewing platform extended outward, offering the promised panoramic vista. Julie stood at the center with a race official, the Stop’n’Go mat at their feet.
Ray and I, breathing hard but energized by our achievement, joined hands without discussion and stepped onto the mat together.
“Congratulations, Ray and Jeffrey!” Julie exclaimed. “You are the third team to arrive. And how was the climb?”
I looked at Ray, at the sheen of sweat on his face and the light in his eyes that I’d fallen in love with all those years ago. In that moment, I knew with absolute certainty that some journeys were worth every painful step.
“Challenging,” I said, squeezing Ray’s hand. “But the view from the top makes it all worthwhile.”
Adrienne and Fletcher had been the first team to arrive followed by Alex and Ross, the models. Then after us came Blaine and Gemini and Zara and Maddox.
“Oh, crap,” I said, as they checked in. There were only two remaining teams—Tyler and Brandon and Ernie and George. My heart sank when Tyler and Brandon came running into sight.
The afternoon sun began to sink in the west as Ernie and George straggled in. “I’m sorry, you are the last team to arrive,” Julie said. “And you have both been eliminated from The Big Race.” She paused to let that sink in, but it was clear the news was expected.
“What happened?” she asked.
“Our rental car broke down on the way to the beach, and by the time we got a new one we were too far behind to catch up,” Ernie said.
“But we wanted to finish the leg,” George said.
The race organizers had provided a bus to take us to our hotel, and we walked toward it with Ernie and George. When we’d first seen the garbage collectors at the starting line—two burly, beer-loving guys with their team shirts stretched tight across their bellies—I’d made assumptions. Ray had too. We figured they’d be the type to keep their distance from the “gay couple.”
How wrong we’d been.
George saw us waiting for them and burst in a big smile.
“Hey, it’s our favorite power couple!” he called out.
Ernie turned and immediately embraced Ray in another of his bone-crushing bear hugs.
I got my own hug and then asked, “What happened with the car?”
George rolled his eyes. “Engine just died in the middle of nowhere. We tried to flag down other cars, but no one would stop.”
“By the time we got another ride, we knew we were toast.”
“That’s just bad luck,” Ray said, shaking his head. “You guys deserved better.”
“Hey, that’s the race,” George shrugged philosophically. “Sometimes it’s not about who’s strongest or fastest.”
I remembered how they’d helped us in the past. “We’re going to miss you guys,” I said sincerely.
“Same here,” Ernie replied. “You know, when we first saw you at the starting line, we thought you’d be all uptight and fancy.”
