Chapter Seventeen
Tasha
The 340-foot rollercoaster loomed before us, making my heart throb fast with anticipation. I was almost blinded by the sunlight when I looked up, if not for my sunglasses.
“No way,” Stryder said from beside me, shaking his head in disbelief. I could see his eyes following the loops, plunges, and sudden turns of the coaster’s tracks.
As if on cue, a train of cars on the tracks zoomed past, the screams of the passengers echoing across the open area, their voices making him shudder. I was absolutely thrilled.
“Coaster City rocks!” I said excitedly, dragging Stryder to the queue. “You’re not a coward, are you?”
He knew I was challenging him, but he still put out his chest and pretended to be all brave and manly. I laughed at the exaggerated poses. “You look silly!” I said.
“That’s the whole point,” he argued, laughing.
The line was moving quite fast. I was holding hands with him, so I sensed it when his hands suddenly turned cold and clammy. “Aren’t you the nervous one!” I teased.
“Shut up,” he said with a grin.
“You know, I really can’t understand how a big football star like you can be so afraid of rollercoasters!” I laughed. “Or of any extreme adventure, for that matter.”
“Well, not everyone was born a daredevil like you,” Stryder pointed out. “You’re insane!”
“And you—”I retorted, pointing at his nose, “—are insanely in love with me!”
“You got that right!” he agreed, laughing. “Just as you are with me!”
I wrinkled my nose, but laughed out loud. “Okay, fair enough,” I said.
Finally, it was our turn to ride the rollercoaster. We held hands as we climbed into one of the “cars.” We took off our sunglasses and placed them inside the zipped containers attached to the front wall of our “car.”
“Ready?” I whispered with a grin, my hair blowing in the wind as the train lurched forward and began to climb up slowly but steadily.
Stryder shook his head, his face turning a little bit white. “I’m not fuckin’ ready to die yet!” he said out loud, making me laugh.
“Hey, take it easy,” I told him as the train climbed higher and higher. I peeked down and saw the people on the ground who now looked like ants. I wasn’t the least bit worried, though. Roller coasters like this made my blood rush and my heart pump with pure excitement and thrill.
Quickly, I gave Stryder a quick peck on the cheek, and then squeezed his hand. “Just remember, you’ve already gone skydiving at night and even jumped off a waterfall! This is just like riding the carousel for kids!”
He nodded, a funny expression on his face. “Yeah, you’re right,” he gulped, trying to grin. “It’s just like eating ice cream!”
I laughed as the train brought us to the first peak. We both held our breaths as something seemed to snap, releasing the train down the tall, steep opposite side. Our screams got carried away by the wind, mixing with the screams of the other passengers.
I felt Stryder’s knees shaking beside mine as he yelled his head off. I was laughing and hooting as the train plunged downward and then took a sharp turn left, climbed up again and then brought us to a series of loops. There was no time to even anticipate fear in the speedy roll of the ride.
When the train finally stopped, I could feel the hoarseness in my throat. Nevertheless, it was totally exhilarating.
We climbed down together, Stryder shaking his head in disbelief but looking satisfied and proud of himself. “Oh, the things you make me do!” he told me jokingly, placing an arm around my shoulders as we made our way out.
We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring Coaster City. With every daredevil ride we went on, Stryder showed greater confidence. In the end, he found himself doing it for fun already and not just because I was urging him to go with me.
“Hey, you know what, I’m starting to get the hang of it!” he exclaimed. We’d almost finished all the rides.
“I told you so!” I said with a laugh. This was by far one of the best dates I’ve ever been on. I could feel our bond strengthening, our relationship deepening.
We were having so much fun that we weren’t aware of the clock ticking until way past sundown. When Stryder dropped me off at home, he was already in a hurry to drive away. He looked a little bit worried, and I suspected it’s because he received a message earlier from his dad. He hadn’t wanted to share the details with me, though.
“Good night, Tasha,” he’d said curtly, giving me a kiss on the lips. “I really had fun. But I have to go ‘coz football practice starts early tomorrow.”
“Yes, of course,” I said with understanding. “Good night, Stryder. Thank you for a wonderful night.”
When I went inside my apartment, I knew a silly smile was still plastered on my face. Despite the fact that he couldn’t stay, I was still very much elated. The past weeks had been more than glorious for both of us, and I could sense him opening up a whole lot more than before.
I had just leaned back on the sofa to rest, relishing the beautiful day, when I heard pounding on my door. “What the—” I muttered in surprise, my eyes lighting up. He must have changed his mind.
I excitedly threw the door open, eager to rush into my boyfriend’s arms. But a different face greeted me—that of my friend and co-stuntman Corky.
“Corky! What a surprise!” I exclaimed.
He grinned at me with his arms wide open. “Come here, Tasha,” he said. I went to give him a quick hug, careful not to let him linger. “God, I’ve missed you,” he whispered openly, taking a whiff of my hair. His hand casually dropped down the side of my bare shoulder, his fingers fleeting across my skin.
Although I was used to his stolen touches and open flirtatious gestures and words, this time I stepped back uncomfortably. After all, I was already committed to someone else. It was different because I was now exclusively dating again.
He slightly frowned. “What’s the matter?” he asked.
I smiled, ushering him inside. “Nothing,” I said in a friendly way. “But tell me… What brings you here?” He actually looked damn excited. The last time I had seen that look on his face was when we were asked to do an intimate scene together while hanging from a helicopter.
We sat down on the couch. He seemed to be holding his breath, which made me laugh a bit. It was a good thing his focus had shifted to his “good news” so he wasn’t making a move to snuggle closer to me.
“Well?” I asked, waiting for him to spill the beans.
He took a deep breath before opening his mouth to speak. “Tash, you won’t believe it! Earlier I got a call from Willow Productions…” He actually paused to let that sink in. We both knew how huge that production house was, known for creating world-class movies.
“And?” I probed. His excitement was contagious. The suspense was killing me.
“It’s a dream come true for stunt people like us!” he said in a rush. “They’re getting me to do the next Superman movie!”
My mouth dropped open. “Oh, my God! You’re kidding!”
“Nope, it’s real. It isn’t a dream. I’d already slapped my face and punched myself several times! It’s real!”
I laughed at what he said, but felt totally thrilled for him. “That’s amazing, Corky! When will the shoot start?”
“Next week,” he said, his eyes shining brightly. “But get this… It’ll be in different parts of Europe! They’re going to pay for everything, of course. And the talent fee?! Oh, man!”
“What?!” I demanded.
“I can live like a millionaire and I won’t need to work for a whole year!” he almost shouted, his whole face lighting up. Of course, it was probably an exaggeration, but I could tell the offer’s really, really big. After all, he was going to stand in for Superman himself! And the movie will probably take about a year or so to finish.
“Wow,” I breathed, “I’m totally happy for you, Corky. You deserve it.”
“But here’s the much better news, Tasha…” he continued.
“You mean there’s more???” I exclaimed in surprise.
He nodded excitedly, moving in closer as if he was about to let me in on a huge secret. “It’s not just a Superman movie. He’s going to be joined by Wonder Woman and other Justice League big characters!”
My mind began whirring, my heart pounding in anticipation.
“Do you realize what that means?!” he added.
With eyes wide, I nodded slowly. “They’re going to need other stunt people for the big roles.”
“That’s right,” he said, grinning. “And guess who I recommended to stand in for Wonder Woman?”
“Holy shit! No way!” I screamed.
“Yes way!” he said, nodding. We both shouted in delight, laughing as we jumped up and down like crazy little kids.
Then I suddenly stopped, feeling like the whole world was crashing down on me. “Wait a minute,” I said. “So does this mean we’ll have to be on the Europe tour for a whole year?!”
“Not really,” he said. “Actually, I’m not sure. But most likely, almost a year, yes.”
I found myself hesitating then, my excitement dwindling. My first thought was of Stryder. The two of us were just beginning to enjoy our newfound relationship, and I certainly didn’t want to leave all of a sudden and destroy what we’d built so far. Besides, he was only starting to explore being in a real serious relationship. Getting thrown apart could endanger that. Even I wasn’t amiable to long distance relationships, as I had experienced with Brad for a while.
“What’s wrong?” Corky asked.
My face fell. “I don’t think I can be away for that long.”
“It’s your boyfriend, isn’t it?” he asked, frowning. “But I’m sure he’ll understand. If he really loves you, he won’t let you miss this once-in-a-lifetime chance, will he?”
“He won’t,” I said with great confidence. “But you don’t understand… We’re just starting our relationship and getting off to a good start… Long distance is a no-no.”
“Oh, come on, Tasha,” he urged. “I recommended you first instead of Lia or the others.”
“Yes, and I really appreciate that, Corky,” I told him honestly. “But just… Just give me time to think this through.”
He breathed deeply. “Okay, but you’ll have to decide fast. They need the answer in a few days, or they’ll call on someone else. You know, some of our other friends are going to be there, too. It’ll be so fun!”
“Yeah…” I said wistfully, not sure how to feel about all the confusing news. Various emotions were churning inside me. “Anyway, let me think about it, Corky. I’ll also talk to Stryder first.”
“Sure thing,” he said, standing up. “Anyway, call me soon.”
“I will,” I promised as I walked him to the door and we said goodbye.