After lunch, Annie and Pax had led them on a hike up a red sand path near Snow Canyon. Zee hadn’t been sufficiently prepared for what Annie and Pax wanted them to do. He held his breath as he watched Paxton scale up the side of the red mountain.

Zee was all about adventure; adventure that had to do with water and jungle, not desert and mountains that had a very real possibility of falling to a crunchy death.

Tori didn’t appear as nervous as Zee as she helped Annie adjust the straps on Rambo’s doggy sling. How was it that Tori didn’t give Paxton’s climb an ounce of consideration.

Annie scrunched up her face, as only Annie could do. “This little guy makes me miss my doggy so much.”

Tori carefully placed Rambo into his sling. “Why didn’t you bring him? He’s not much bigger than Rambo. And he’s easy to travel with, right?”

“Yes. But he and Charlie, Paxton’s German Shepard, are best buds. I can’t separate them.”

Tori kissed Rambo on the nose. “I find animal bonding interesting.”

Zee held his tongue. He could go for some one-on-one animal bonding with his own species. He found his situation ironic and frustrating. He learned from his conversation with Kathy that he needed to practice expressing his affection. But, the only person he cared to express his affection to didn’t want to hear it, or wasn’t ready to hear it.

He had been sincere when he told Tori that he wanted to build intimate relationships based on friendship. But he couldn’t deny his desire for her. And what’s more, she told him to check out her legs. She was the one that kept staring at him, smelling him, and even telling him he was hot. What was a guy expected to do with that information?

Maybe scaling the mountain would produce enough sweat to quench his appetite for Tori. “We ready to do this, Pax?”

“Almost,” Pax yelled down from his precarious spot on the rock. face. “I’m minutes away. Bolts are close to being set.”

The red sand flowed into Zee’s running shoes as he rocked back and forth. “I’m ready.” Good thing sand didn’t bother him, or the microscopic granules rubbing between his toes would have driven him mad.

Paxton bounced down the side of the mountain like Tigger jumping on his tail, only he did it sideways, connected to ropes and bolts.

“All set,” Paxton said, checking Zee’s harness. “You’re ready to go.”

“Wait.” Annie scrambled through her bag. “I want to record this.”

Zee glanced over at Tori, who appeared to be assisting Annie with her digital camera.

“What lies within!” Zee yelled as he found his first foot and hand holds before beginning his climb up the rock face. “This lion needs to go back to sleep for a while.”

Pax’s voice echoed from below. “Hey, lion, do you want some pointers before…”

Paxton’s words diminished as they ricocheted off the walls of the red alcove. Zee did not, or could not, make the sounds out. He was half-way up and not slowing. All the muscles in his legs shook with intensity, but he pushed on, not stopping to examine the rock for the best holds. He got into the rhythm of rubbing his hands up against the slick rock until he found a hold, while simultaneously ascending with his feet.

When he reached the last bolt, he pushed off the rock until his body was perpendicular to its face, as he had witnessed Pax do. He traipsed down backwards, while staring up at the milky, overcast sky.

By the time he reached the soft sand, his leg muscles had transformed into gelatin. He removed his harness and sat, gasping. The three shadows above him stood motionless until he raised his face to them.

“I’ve never seen anything like that!” Paxton shouted. “Ever. And, you’re great in the water. If the BUDS trainers were here right now, they’d be shipping you to the Middle East today, no questions asked.”

Tori held out a bottle of water as she wiggled up next to him. “You looked like one of those rubber, slinky guys who walks down the walls, but you were scaling up a mountain.”

Zee’s ego soared. He hadn’t been trying to impress Tori with his endurance or strength, but he’d be an idiot to let this opportunity pass. He took a long swig of water. “Didn’t seem too difficult to me. Not a big deal. I’m sure anyone could do it.”

Tori grabbed Zee by the shoulder. “Zee, you looked like Spiderman up there.”

Zee would’ve yelled a self-congratulation and done a fist bump if he could. Instead, he hung his head momentarily to show his humility, then eyed Annie.

Annie followed his cue and lifted her sunglasses to catch Tori’s attention. “One lucky lady.” She winked.

Paxton unclipped the harness. “Tori, you ready?”

“Absolutely, just don’t expect me to do what Zee just did. I’m not sure that I believe him when he says that he’s never rock climbed before.”

“I’ve a newfound respect for you, Zee.” Paxton wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. “What gave you the willpower to do that?”

Zee couldn’t yet fully catch his breath. “I’ll defer that question to Annie.”

Annie stood, and, with her fist raised high in the air, shouted, “It came from a power that aches for moral transcendence. A power that lies in wait to demonstrate to all nations and peoples that we are capable of conquering the most daunting challenges. Zee has shown this world what lies within!”

Paxton turned to Tori, “Do you ever feel like you’re not getting the inside joke between them?”

“Oh, she gets it,” Annie said with a flirtatious smile. “Let’s hurry, or we’ll miss the show.”

Zee’s longing for Tori had subsided at last. He didn’t have the energy to stand, so he brought his knees into his chest as he watched Tori climb the rock. As she slowly stretched her elegant arms, and then her long legs, he willed himself to look away, but found himself back at ground zero. Why hadn’t he kept his head down?

“Zee.” Paxton motioned for Zee to join him as he held the end of Tori’s rope.

Zee’s legs trembled as he rose to his feet, but he wasn’t about to let on how impotent he’d become.

“I’m serious, dude.” Paxton looked Zee square in the face. “I’m impressed. And the Iron Man race is happening right here in a few days. You want to do it with me?”

“Pax?”

“Yeah?”

“Is it normal, after rock climbing, to not have feeling in your arms or legs?”