| |
Sadie woke on day three, her body sorer than yesterday. She forced herself to get up and prepare for the day, finding the circles under her eyes more pronounced.
Please let today be the worst I feel.
After she and Zack ate breakfast and were wired up with their microphones, the instructions handed to them sent them on a two-hundred-mile ride to Corpus Christi. Sadie slept most of the way, thanks to Zack offering to drive. In Corpus, they solved their way out of an escape room in less than thirty minutes, and he flew a flight simulator while she cooked a gourmet meal at a five-star restaurant. Tasks completed, they’d arrived at Bob Hall Pier early in the afternoon.
Their hotel hallway was filled with shops. Her eyes caught on a sign at a spa. Complimentary massages to Chasing Sunset participants. She had plenty of time for one before they returned to the pier for the sunset shot of the day.
After a shower, Sadie entered the spa. Vibrant colors danced in this place—hot pink, electric green, highlighter yellow—so much so it hurt her eyes. A young girl at a tiny reception desk by the door pointed to her shirt. “Are you here for a complimentary massage?”
“Yes, please.”
“Certainly. We’re offering fifteen-minute sessions.”
“Perfect.” Sadie signed her name to a waiting list.
“Take a seat and listen for your name.”
“Sadie,” Lowell called from the waiting area. “Come sit by me.”
She sat in the chair beside him.
“When I saw the free massage sign, I stopped before even going to my room. Nanette is here too.” Lowell drank from a glass with clear liquid and a floating cucumber slice as he motioned to another lady searching a magazine rack. “She and Floyd arrived at the hotel and walked in with us. I dragged her here. If I’d known you planned to get one, I would’ve found you instead. She’s cranky.”
Slow as a sloth, Nanette approached them. She looked as sluggish as Sadie felt.
“Lowell,” a woman beckoned from the hallway opening.
“Here.” He eagerly jumped up and followed the woman to the back.
Nanette sat with a sigh, like simply sitting took extreme effort. “I ache everywhere.”
“I can relate,” Sadie said. “Lowell told me he dragged you here.”
“He did. As much as I want a massage, I want to sleep more. The last time I ... Oh, no ... It can’t be. It can’t be. It can’t be,” Nanette chanted. “I’ve felt like this only three other times. When I was pregnant.”
The contract contestants were required to sign made it explicitly clear women contestants couldn’t be pregnant during filming, claiming some challenges might put a fetus at risk.
“I should take a test to know for sure.” Eyes filled with worry, Nanette stood and let out a gasp. “I’ve got no money for one.”
Even though the show provided money for gas, they took up the change when teams crossed the finish line.
“Want me to get a medic?”
Nanette shook her head. “They’ll bring cameras with them. Before I tell anyone, I need to know for sure.”
Half an hour later, Sadie sat in Nanette’s hotel room waiting for the woman to come out of the restroom. They’d asked assistance from the young spa receptionist who was thrilled to help. She loved the show and understood the dangers of someone being a contestant while pregnant. After asking her boss for a break, she left, only to return five minutes later with a small brown bag.
Nanette came out of the bathroom and held up the stick. A plus sign. Positive. “I don’t know how I didn’t realize it before. I must tell Floyd. It’s his, in case you’re wondering.”
“It’s none of my business.” Sadie remembered Nanette and Floyd kissing on the initial day after finding out they’d been paired together.
“We’ve been seeing each other. Our kids don’t know. We didn’t want to raise their hopes.” Nanette sat on the bed. “It’s so odd how things work out. We have three children and always talked about four being the perfect amount. Our youngest is eleven, though, and our oldest is a sophomore in high school. We thought our time for babies had passed.”
Distracted for a moment, Sadie tilted her head and then offered, “Since the phones don’t work, would you like me to get Floyd?”
“Would you?”
She left and returned with Floyd, his black hair mussed like he’d been napping. After a knock on the door, Sadie backed up.
Nanette answered.
“You needed me?” Floyd said, clearly confused.
“I’m pregnant.”
Floyd, still standing in the hall, beamed a radiant smile. “We’ll have to drop out of the race.”
Nanette choked on a cry.
He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. “What is it, Nan?”
Sadie turned to go to her room, still hearing their conversation.
“We aren’t even together right now.”
“We’ve always been together, we merely lost track of each other. We’ve let other things interfere with us. The kids’ busy schedules. You going back to work. Me traveling for my job.”
“I love my work and helping people.” Nanette sniffed. “I’d lost my identity while raising the kids. I fear I’ll lose it again.”
“No worries. You don’t have to quit. I’ll work from home. During the summer the kids will help with the baby, and while school is in I’ll hire a nanny for the days I have meetings.”
The door beeped as Sadie inserted her key card to her room.
“Sadie,” Nanette called.
She looked back at the couple still in an embrace.
“Thank you.”
“We’ll miss you the rest of the competition.”
“We’ll be at the finish line,” Floyd replied.
~
On the fourth day, Sadie, looking somewhat improved yet definitely not herself, said she wanted to drive. Encouraged she felt good enough to offer, Zack didn’t argue. He detected a slight shaking of her hands on the steering wheel, although nothing as bad as the first couple of days. She drove 180 miles to South Padre Island.
For the first challenge, they prepared two-hundred boxes of non-perishable food at the food bank. Then they traveled to the bayside. When Zack and Sadie arrived, Ruben and Tamara were discussing who should ski and who should weave baskets.
“Do you guys water ski?” Ruben asked.
Zack nodded.
“Neither of us has. Do you know which of us would do better?”
This was the first time someone requested their opinion during a challenge. Sometimes alliances were made between competitors, and they helped each other with tasks. On one hand, it usually slowed a team down to help another. On the other hand, it didn’t hurt for your competitors to feel like they owed you a favor.
“Which of you is more athletic?” Zack questioned.
“I am,” Ruben said as Tamara pointed at him.
“Then you should probably do it.”
“Wait,” Sadie interjected. “I think Tamara’s size will be an advantage over Ruben’s strength. Remember my cousin Tiger was too muscular to get up easily.”
Zack nodded. “She’s right.”
~
“Come on.” Sadie waved for Tamara to join her as she jogged down the dirt path where the signs led. Zack and Ruben headed in the other direction. “When you’re in the water waiting for the boat to take off, make sure your skis are aimed at the sky and tuck your knees as much as possible until you’re lifted out of the water and onto the skis. You’re so tiny, you’ll pop right up.”
“I hope so.” Tamara kept in step with her.
They ran to a long wooden pier where boats were lined up waiting. An engine roared as a boat slowed to the spot where two crew members pulled Uri out of the water. Blood gushed down his face. A crew member handed him a white towel.
The engine died as the boat continued to slowly coast toward the dock. A camera worker called from the boat, “You okay?”
“Yeah. Fine.” Uri wiped his wet, bloody face, then pressed the towel to the top of his head.”
Sadie hurried up and crouched close to him. “What happened?”
“When they threw the rope, I tried to catch the handle with my head.”
She chuckled. “Next time you might want to use your hand.”
“Good tip.”
“Want me to take a look?”
“If you would.” He pulled the now blood-soaked towel away.
“There’s so much blood,” Tamara uttered.
“Now look what you’ve done, Uri.” Sadie used the edge of the towel and found the open wound. It wasn’t deep, but anytime someone bled from the head, you’d think they were losing all their blood. “Tamara was already apprehensive, now she’s terrified.”
Sadie slightly pressed on the wound. She glanced up when she felt vibrations from the pier. Medics trotted their way.
Her gaze focused on Tamara. “Looks horrible, but it’s an easy fix.”
“Will I be able to ski?” Uri asked.
“You’ll have to ask them.” She motioned to the medics. “A butterfly closure should do it.”
The pressure she’d applied stopped the bleeding by the time she let go of the wound. “Good luck, Uri.”
“I appreciate your help, Sadie.”
She went directly to Tamara, who still had a horrified expression on her face.
“That didn’t happen because he skied. That happened because the handle hit him. Just don’t let the handle hit your head, and you’ll be fine. Remember...” She whipped off her clothes and threw them into one of the boats, gesturing for Tamara to do the same. “Keep your knees tucked and the skis straight until you’re out of the water.”
After Tamara tossed her clothes into the next boat, they entered the boathouse. She helped the other woman choose a lifejacket and pick out a pair of skis as she did the same.
Two hours later, she and Zack ended the race day at a lighthouse and were the first to finish.
She wanted to believe they’d made up for day two but didn’t dare relax.
~
That night, Sadie waited for the elevator while Doreen, the gorgeous brunette contestant with a body for swimsuit magazine covers, joined her.
The woman smiled. “Are you going down for dinner?”
“I am.” She hadn’t been ready when Zack came for her earlier and told him she’d meet him at the restaurant downstairs where dinner was being served.
“I’ll ride down with you.”
The elevator opened and Uri and Lowell exited, arguing. They’d obviously just gotten finished with their day. Uri held up a hand to his partner and addressed Sadie, “Thanks again for your help today.”
She stepped onto the elevator after Doreen and put a hand out so the doors wouldn’t close. “Were you able to ski?”
“Yeah, like you said, a butterfly took care of it.” He bowed his head so she could see the injured spot. “Didn’t even need a bandage over it.”
“See you at dinner.” Sadie took her hand away, and the doors closed. Chimes pinged as they descended from the tenth floor. Once past five, the elevator jerked to a stop.
“Well, damn.” Doreen opened the emergency panel and picked up the phone. “We’re stuck ... Okay.” She hung the phone back on its hook. “They’d already been alerted.”
Accustomed to getting stuck on elevators since the doctors she worked for occupied the ninth floor of a medical building, Sadie leaned against the gold wall, different from the usual chrome. That was one thing about this adventure, she couldn’t argue with their accommodations each night.
Doreen sat on the white and gold marble floor. “I know you and Zack aren’t talking about why you’re separated, but if you’re here, that must mean your marriage didn’t turn out exactly like you wanted.”
Sadie kept her mouth shut.
“I never thought anything would come between me and Ted.”
Wasn’t that the reason people married in the first place?
Sadie! She reprimanded herself. Her snarky comeback was so not like the normal her. Or at least hadn’t been. She didn’t say her thought out loud.
“I won’t pry, only to say, I hope Zack supports your dreams.”
“He’s always supported me.” There was no harm in sharing that part of their lives. “I believed I wanted to participate in bio-research and earned a degree in Biology. Before I graduated, I realized I wanted a more hands-on approach. He suggested I go to med school. I chose to be a physician assistant instead, which still involved three more years of college and a lot of money.”
“Was it worth it? Do you like being a PA?”
“Yes.” She decided not to mention that she hadn’t worked in months and honestly wasn’t sure how she’d feel if she ever went back to her job after what happened.
“I’ve tried lots of jobs. Truth be told, my favorite was waiting tables while getting my associate degree in marketing.” Doreen frowned. “Or maybe I’m romanticizing that season of my life. It’s when I met Ted. He came in for dinner with a date and asked me out.”
Sadie frowned. “In front of his date?”
“No, he made some excuse and came back into the restaurant. I refused. He returned every night during the week and nagged me to let him take me to dinner and a movie. The fifth night I finally gave up and agreed.”
“So you’ve tried jobs in marketing?”
“Among many others. Ted has been extremely patient while I’ve jumped from one thing to the next. I don’t have to work. His rare book business supports us. It’s just, I want something for me.” She looked up at Sadie. “This will sound nuts, but I want to cut hair.”
“Doesn’t sound nuts to me.” It sounded tiring standing on your feet all day.
“Whenever I brought up the subject, Ted rolled his eyes. So I started attending barber school without him knowing. When he found out, he became angry. That’s when I left.”
“Have you two talked about it during the race?”
“Twice. It ended in an argument both times. I should’ve told him I decided to do it. I simply didn’t want to watch him roll his eyes again. Since I’ve tried different occupations over the years and never stuck with them longer than a few months, I think he fears I’ll lose interest in this as well.” She shrugged. “Thing is, I can’t be certain I won’t.”
“When do you start on real people?”
“I’ve been cutting men’s hair for three weeks, and I love it.”
“Why barber’s school and not cosmetology?”
“Because most women are freaks about their hair.”
Sadie grinned. “That’s true.”
“I wish Ted could see how much I enjoy it.”
A day Zack stopped by Sadie’s office with a surprise lunch popped into her mind. While they were eating in her office, someone knocked on her door. She’d juggled three nurses and two doctors in a short span of time. When one walked away, another waited behind them. When she finished and closed the door, Zack smirked.
“What?” she asked.
He got up and walked over to plant a kiss on her lips. “This place would be lost without you.”
She wondered how the office was holding up during her leave of absence.
Would she ever want to go back?
Her future too much to think about, she simply enjoyed the memory of the tender moment they’d shared that day as the elevator jolted to life and descended.
“You are far too smart to be the only thing standing in your way.” ~ Jennifer J. Freeman