Effie, desperate to get out of the limelight, sped for the exit. After removing her stupid heels, she weaved through the unruly crowd, pushing and shoving her way toward the front door. Along the way, she knocked over a tray of glasses a waiter balanced in one hand.
The glasses landed with an explosive clatter, shattering into jagged shards.
“Oh, shit,” the waiter said.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Effie said, still in flight. Spying the cat-eyed staff person who took her coat, she called, “Miss. Miss. I need my jacket.”
The cat-eyed woman nodded. She turned to look behind her and said something to the pimple-faced teen who had presumably hung the wrap.
The teen returned and handed the coat to the cat-eyed woman.
The cat-eyed woman handed the coat to Effie. “Here you go.”
Effie took it and bolted out the front door.
The night air wafted around her, cool and fragrant, scented with night-blooming flowers. She had no idea where she was headed. Bits of gravel stabbed her stockinged feet. She made her way onto a cushy, damp lawn and kept going. She didn’t know where the car had been parked. She only wanted to escape.
“Effie! Wait! Where are you going?” Zander called from behind her.
Her pace increased.
He swiftly caught up to her, seizing her upper arm.
“Go away. I can’t be here. I don’t belong. You should be with Trisha,” Effie blurted, dropping her shoes, then pressing her palms to her face. The dream of being in a real relationship with Zander King fell to the ground like shattered glass.
“What? Why would I want to be with that bitch?” He gripped her upper arms.
“Because you love her.” Tears began falling down her cheeks.
“Effie, stop. Look at me.”
Blinking back tears, she lifted her gaze to meet his. “It’s obvious you have deep feelings for her.”
He scoffed. “What, like rage and hatred? I’m sorry I ever met her.”
“What do you mean? There was so much feeling on your face when you looked at her. And she’s still not over you. The way she looks at you…” Effie shuddered. “Maybe you still sleep with her. It’s none of my business, but….”
“Effie,” he said. He spoke through gritted teeth, his breathing fast and shallow. “The last thing on the planet I ever want to do is sleep with Trisha Banks. Why would you think that?”
Effie shook her head. I found her lingerie in your pantry…under your bed. The memory sent ice picks of pain shooting through her veins. She grabbed Zander’s wrists for support. “I’m an idiot. Tonight…it felt like a fantasy. It felt like we were a couple…like we were together. But we both know the terms of the contract. At the end of the summer, I’m to disappear. No contact. And you’ll end up with someone of your caliber…your income level. And that woman won’t be me.” A horrible ache split her insides, as if something was being ripped from her heart.
Zander threw up his hands, fingers splayed. He paced in a tight circle before coming to a stop before her. “Effie, stop…I’m not looking for a wealthy woman. Before I went to that party, I wasn’t looking for anyone. I still have scars from Trisha Banks.”
Veins throbbed in Zander’s neck as he studied her. “But then I met you.” His brown eyes softened, beckoning her to fall into them.
Her body leaned forward of its own accord, as if she might just dive back into the fantasy of being with him.
“There’s a good reason I worded the contract the way I did,” he said. His gaze became impenetrable, causing her to jerk away.
“I’m sure there is,” she said, dully, her heart solidifying into a wall of ice.
“It’s not you. It’s me. You’ll thank me one day.”
“How can you say that? Are you some depraved individual? A serial killer?” A short laugh burst from her throat.
A sheen of sweat covered his brow.
Effie blinked. “You’re scaring me, Zander. What aren’t you telling me?” She took a step back.
He drew in a long breath. “I’m trying to protect you,” he said. “You can’t go through with this competition.” He rubbed the back of his neck.
“What?” She scoffed. “Trying to protect me from being shown up by an experienced climber? News alert. I already know I’m going to fail.”
“Good God, Effie, that’s not what I’m thinking. You’re a good climber. And Trisha only thinks about her appearance. I doubt if she’s as good as she says she is. Frankly, I’m stunned to hear she climbs.”
“So, back there…what she said about you being too busy to show her how to climb…was that true? You seemed hurt when she said that.” Effie cast her gaze away from him. “Like it was true, and you’d been busted.”
He answered in a voice so strained and tight she barely recognized it.
“We had a fucked-up relationship.” Zander grimaced. “It was partly true that I brushed her off the one time she asked for my help. I had a competition the next day, so it wouldn’t have been a good time to show her anything. But, she stormed away before I could say ‘let’s make a date to climb’ or anything like that. And, to be honest, I never longed for her to be a climbing partner. I had loads of proficient friends for that.
“We never did anything outdoors except pose for pictures. She hated my outdoor world…the fact I had other friends…activities I adored that had nothing to do with her. She criticized me all the time. We fought, and fought, and fought.” He bit out the words. “She was jealous of the time I spent doing something I enjoy. And, she usually griped about the dirt, her nails, and how the sun would dry out her hair if we even stepped foot outside. I’m surprised to hear she’s trained with Bryant.”
He let out a heavy sigh. “And you said I looked stunned. More like betrayed. First, to accuse me of not being there for her in front of all those people…” He shook his head. “And, then to find out she’s done The Ascent with Bryant, of all people. There’s got to be an angle to her training.”
The angle is you, Effie worried the belt of her coat, fumbling with it.
“I’m sorry I accused you of wanting to be with her. I…” She shook away thoughts of I want to be with you, and I want you to want me.
Zander reached out and placed his hands on her upper arms.
The contact felt tentative…light…like he might disappear into the bank of summer fog descending from the hills.
“Effie. I don’t want to be with Trisha Banks. You were the only person I could see tonight. The only one.” He leaned down and brushed her lips with his.
Zander pulled out of the kiss. His gaze bore into hers, penetrating and deep. “But the contract…” He hesitated, appearing to search for words. “I don’t trust myself to be with anyone. Not after what I went through with her.”
His words drew longing from her. Give me a chance, she wanted to scream. I’m not her.
The murmurs of the crowd filled the air.
He glanced at them and turned back to her. “These people want a show, you know. You’re not going to do it. The Ascent is hard.” His dark gaze bore into her.
“I know it is, but I want to try,” she whispered.
“No. It’s too great a risk.” He wrapped her in his arms and held her close against his warm, solid torso.
She wished she could melt into him and disappear. But she knew she had to step up to the plate. “You said you had to come to this party tonight to not show weakness. I probably won’t win the competition but think how it will look if I don’t at least try. You’ll be there to belay me, right?”
“Of course, but…”
She gently pushed away. “But, nothing. I have to do this. Tonight you’ve been able to reconnect with your past. Let me give you this, too. You matter, Zander. You matter to me.”
“You don’t know what she’s capable of.” His chest heaved a ragged breath. “I can’t let you compete against her.”
Determination solidified like forged iron in her belly. “Zander, there will be people everywhere. If she’s as worried about her image as you say she is, I doubt if she’ll pull something in front of them. I’m doing this. For me, as much as for you. You can’t stop me. I’m doing this,” she said again.
Zander’s shoulders fell away from his ears. “Effie, I…I don’t know what to say.”
“Say you’ll get the car and take us to Rock Nirvana.” She fixed a steely gaze on his dark eyes.
“Hey, King, are you in or have you and your plaything bailed?” Bryant yelled from somewhere near the house.
Effie stepped away from Zander. She cupped her hands around her mouth and said, “We’re in, asshole. We’ll meet you there.”
When they arrived at Rock Nirvana, the well-lit parking lot was packed with Mercedes, BMWs, Teslas, antique roadsters, and more.
Effie gulped, staring at all the people pouring from their vehicles.
“You sure about this?” Zander said, putting the car in park.
“Absolutely. I’ve never been more certain.” She flashed a fierce glance at Zander. “Let’s go.” She pushed open the door and swung her legs out of the vehicle.
“My money’s on you, babe,” a skinny guy with a bow tie said to her as she slid from the Lexus.
“Thanks,” she said.
“Especially if you climb naked.” He grinned.
Effie cringed. Oh. That guy.
“Not happening,” Zander said, rounding the car to stand beside her. “Now, move along and be a good little spectator.” He waved his hand at the bow-tie guy, then turned back to Effie. “Let’s get your gear and climbing clothes. I’ll grab my workout clothes.”
She smirked, tugging on his lapels. “You might look good belaying me in such a sharp suit.”
He scoffed. “And I might not be able to do my job properly in this too-well-fitting-to-move-properly outfit.”
They retrieved their gear out of the trunk and strode toward the front door, pushing through the crowd.
Logan stood at the entrance, a ring full of keys in his hand. He fiddled with the keys to find the right one. Then, he turned to Effie.
“You’ve got this, girl. Smooth and steady. The overhang’s a bitch but not so bad if you approach it from the left side,” he said, in a low voice.
“He’s right,” Zander said, putting his warm hand on the small of her back. “Approach from the left. There’s a hard to find handhold just over the rise. It’s not obvious. Most people search for the obvious. Use your fingertips to sense it with a delicate touch. You’ll know when you find it. It practically vibrates with excitement at being discovered.”
“Oh, yeah,” Logan said, fitting the key in the lock. He twisted it open. “I know that one. You’re right, Zander.” He opened the door, turned, and yelled, “I need to get the room set up, lights on and all that. Hold tight for a minute.”
He ushered Effie and Zander in and locked the door behind him.
While Logan scurried about, Zander tugged Effie into the climbing area. They studied the overhang, the same way they studied every climb, mapping out her route.
“As you climb toward the overhand, you’re going to step, steady yourself, then swing your hips against the wall to prepare for the next step. It’s step, swing, step, swing, traversing upward sideways until you get to that red and blue hold. See it?”
She nodded.
“Keep your center of gravity close to the wall so you can put the weight on your feet. Remember your backstep.”
“Backstep, center close to the wall. Got it.” She hugged her arms against her belly, jitters of excitement dancing through her.
“Now, this is important. When you get to that edge up there, it’s important that you hook your heel over the edge, then pull yourself over. Beginning climbers forget their feet once they’re over the lip, relying on arm and finger strength. If you do that, you’ll fail for sure.”
“Heel hooks. Don’t forget my feet.” Effie nodded again.
The din of voices rose, letting her know the crowd had been let in.
Her belly did a couple of flip-flops.
“Your arms are going to be fatigued once you’re over the edge. Give yourself a rest against that big hold. Use a kneebar technique.”
People surged into the room.
“Kneebar. Got it. I’ve got to go get dressed,” Effie said, glancing at the crowd behind her anxiously. She chewed the inside of her cheek.
Zander placed his hands on her upper arms, brushing up and down. He looked intently into her eyes. “You’ve got this.”
“I’ve got this,” she parroted.
“I’ll be right here,” he said.
He looked as nervous as she felt.
“Thank you,” she said, “for believing in me.”
“You’ve got this,” he said, again.
She picked up her bag and scurried into the women’s room. There, she swiftly removed her dress and coat, shoved them into a locker, and donned her climbing leggings and sleeveless top. She sat on one of the benches near the lockers to put on her shoes.
As she tied them, Trisha sashayed through the door, coming to a stop when she spied Effie. Her hair had been combed back into a neat ponytail and she no longer smelled like a distillery. She wore different clothes than at the party like she had showered, dressed, and a team of experts had applied her makeup to perfection.
Effie bolted to her feet. She grabbed her harness, eager to make a hasty exit.
“You’re going down,” Trisha said, in an imperious tone.
“We’ll see,” Effie said, hurrying to push past her.
Trisha grabbed her upper arm, squeezing tight. “You humiliated me at the party. Think I won’t ruin you? Think again.”
Effie pried Trisha’s black and gold painted nails from her arm. Her heart hammered. “You humiliated yourself. Let me go so I can get out there.”
Trisha leaned close to Effie’s face, seizing her shoulders.
Effie arched backward.
“You’ll be nothing by the time I’m done with you. Wait…” She let out a haughty laugh. “You’re already nothing. A bought and paid for piece of ass. You’ll be in the ground when I’m done.”
Effie’s head jerked. “Is that a death threat?”
“It’s whatever you think it is,” Trisha said.
“Trisha,” Bryant called.
Effie looked up to see him exiting the men’s room, still zipping up his fly.
“You’ll smear her on the wall in front of everyone. Don’t waste your breath on her now,” Bryant said.
Effie wriggled away from Trisha and shoved past her. She hurried into the climbing area, beelining toward Zander who sat on one of the gear benches at the far end of the room.
“Are you okay?” he said, once she stood in front of him. He had on shorts, a t-shirt, and his harness, to belay her. He finished tying his running shoes then rose to stand.
“Sort of.” Her voice quavered. “Trisha came into the women’s room as I finished dressing. She’s one arrogant bitch.” Her hands shook as she untangled her harness.
“What did she say?” Zander said, holding out his arm for support.
“She kind of threatened me. Said I’ll be in the ground once she’s done with me.” She stepped into the harness and pulled it around her hips.
“Shit,” Zander said. “Shit, shit and double shit.” He reached back and squeezed his neck. “You can’t do this, Effie. She’s dangerous. Bat-shit crazy.”
Fear shone from Zander’s eyes. His expression became pinched, drawn. Beads of sweat formed on his upper lip.
Effie shivered. What the hell did she do to him?
The crowd kept up a noisy cacophony behind her.
“It’s a little late to back out, don’t you think?” she said in a small voice.
“This is a bad idea, Effie. The Twitter feeds are already blowing up. She hates negative attention.” Zander practically vibrated with tension.
Effie’s brow furrowed. “With what?”
She busied herself with securing the straps around her waist and legs.
Zander plucked his phone out of his climbing bag, scanned the screen, and showed her a picture of Trisha with her wet, beer-soaked hair hanging in her face.
“With pictures like this one.” He read from the display. “Hashtag BitchBanks in hashtag catfight with hashtag mysterygirl. Hashtag clawsonfire hashtag revengeisimminent.” He dropped the phone back in his bag. “Shit like that. She’s not known for her kindness, I can assure you. I’m sure she’s livid. It’s not your fault, it’s hers. She started it. But, she’s going to want revenge.” He glanced around nervously.
What’s he so worried about? Effie glanced at him while fidgeting with her harness. “I hate this kind of attention. I prefer to live in my own little cave.”
Trisha and Bryant sauntered up next to them.
Trisha looked five-foot-ten supermodel fabulous in some designer climbing attire.
Effie rolled her eyes, feeling five-foot-two small and insignificant.
“You lay one hand on her…” Zander growled to Trisha.
“And you’ll what?” Trisha laughed. “We have an agreement.”
Zander leaned in close to Trisha and spoke in a low snarl. “We do have an agreement. Which means, once this shit show is over, you’ll stay the fuck away from me and my girl.”
Effie blinked. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.
“Let’s get this show on the road and make some money,” Bryant said. He clapped Zander on the back. “What do you say, sport?”
“I say I’m not your sport,” Zander said, shaking off the touch. He looked at Effie. “Ready?”
“Once we get the belay rope in place, then I’ll be ready.” She strode away from him, heading toward The Ascent and the two dangling ropes waiting for her and Trisha.
Trisha strutted toward them, Bryant by her side, looking like a prizefighter and her manager. She pumped her arm up and down, fist raised high.
A few cheers sounded from the onlookers.
Bryant bellowed to the crowd, “Who’s ready for The Ascent?”
He twirled his fist in the air.
“We are,” the crowd roared.
“Your contenders are…” He began, but then leaned toward Effie. “What’s your name again, darlin’?”
Zander glowered, while he fitted the rope into the belay device.
“Effie D’Archangel,” she said, affixing her chalk bag to her waist.
He raised his voice back to the crowd. “Your contenders tonight are Effie D’Archangel.”
He seized Effie’s wrist, yanking it over her head.
The crowd rejoiced.
She picked out Dante’s voice from the others, shouting, “Go, Effie!”
Then, another voice—a woman who sounded like Kennedy—whooped.
Effie wrenched herself out of Bryant’s awful grip. She tied a figure-eight in her end of the rope, then threaded the end through her harness. With deft, sure fingers, she looped the free-end through the figure-eight, matching the knot exactly until she was securely attached.
“And, the beautiful supermodel, gracing more covers than anyone, Trisha Banks,” Bryant roared.
The audience erupted in cheers and boos.
Trisha put her hands on her hips and walked a few steps, as if on a runway.
Effie studied the wall while Trisha worked the crowd.
Zander stood before her, murmuring suggestions in her ear. “Remember, look for the less obvious hold above the overhang.”
“Right,” she said. “And keep my center of gravity against the wall. Remember my backstep. Step, swing, step, swing.”
“You’ve got this,” he said, squeezing her shoulders. “And stay the fuck away from Trisha. Don’t let her near you.” He backed away from her.
Effie reached for a hand hold, her knuckles growing white.
“Let’s make the bitch eat dust,” she said, not believing her words for one second. She glanced over her shoulder.
Zander clutched the other end of her climbing rope, his face grim. He nodded to her.
When Trisha had secured herself to her ropes, Bryant stood at the ready.
“Quiet, everyone. Let’s give these gals the attention they need to climb this difficult run,” he said.
The crowd lowered to a murmur, then hushed.
Effie mapped her first few steps, rehearsing in her mind.
Trisha stood a couple of yards next to her. She turned and said, “You’re never going to make it.”
Effie ignored her.
“Okay. Who’s timing this?” Bryant said. “Where’s my timer?”
“I am, sir,” said the pimple-faced teen who’d taken Effie’s coat. He held up two stopwatches.
“Climbers, are you ready?” Bryant said.
“Ready!” Trisha called.
“Ready,” Effie squeaked. She looked up. Can I do this? Her success rode on her own abilities. Her life, literally, lay in Zander’s hand. Sure, the gym had padded floors, but a fall from the top of the fifty-foot wall could be deadly, were Zander not securing her from below as her belay buddy. He seems so nervous. What if his grip fails?
“I’ve got you,” Zander said.
She glanced over her shoulder and nodded. Butterflies swirled in her tummy. Her nerves were stretched taut. She took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself.
“On your call, climbers,” Bryant bellowed.
“Climbing,” Trisha said in a clear, confident voice.
“Climbing,” Effie said in a quiet voice.
“Climb on,” Zander and Bryant said at the same time.
With every nerve in her body firing, Effie began her ascent.