Mystery Of You (Pub 5)

28 - Climb

Life in IT had settled down, and the help desk was following the new schedule. Ian received a few compliments but no complaints. The software systems were up and running. The security consultants were scheduled to do an audit, but Ian would let them do their thing and stayed out of their way.

The best news was he had his last physical therapy appointment and was told he could start climbing, cautiously. He brought his gear to work the next day and told Ainsley, he would be home late.

"Have fun and be careful."

She never clung too hard. Never had he dated a girl like her. He wanted more of her because she took less of him. How screwed up was that? But he never complained about her evenings with Lilli. Maybe they should coordinate their busy nights.

When Henry showed up at lunchtime, his friend fist pumped when he heard Ian got the green light.

"I have to go slow, but I might take my cousin over the weekend if I feel okay."

He wanted to bring Ainsley, but had an uncomfortable feeling it wouldn't be a good idea. Henry had been complaining about his nemesis, and it coincided with Ainsley feeling stressed at work. Henry complained she met with HR about a promotion right after the help desk thing. He wanted to smile, because he could see Ainsley aggravating Henry.

The clock moved backwards as he waited for it to be five. He felt like a kid at Christmas, until he stood in his workout clothes, a knee sleeve for extra support, and climbing shoes looking up at a medium wall. Maybe he should try an easier wall to make sure. In front of him was his proverbial horse and he was afraid to climb back on it.

Reaching up, he gripped a hand hold above his head and pulled himself up and stepped on a grip with each foot. His muscle memory took over the rhythm of the climb. He reached the top of the wall Brooke climbed and felt a surge of achievement. He climbed down the short wall rather than rappelling down. Next he moved on to an intermediate wall. It was the one he wanted Brooke to try. It was a wall he should race up, but he didn't trust his knee. As he repelled down, he felt relief it still felt good.

Henry appeared looking sweaty. "Is this where you are?"

"I said I was going slow."

"Do you want to grab a drink?"

"Not tonight." He turned when he heard his name. "Val. How are you?"

"I'm great. We've missed you."

Val worked for the gym. She had hair redder than his and she gave off a vibe like she would agree if he asked her out. Besides her hair being more red than his own, she was also older and definitely taller in heels. That was too many -ers to ever interest him.

She leaned close and asked about his surgery and recovery. He stepped back a little but didn't want to be rude. Before his accident, her scent and heat would have affected him. He wasn't blind, so he might have looked past her age and height for a consensual fling. Instead, he wondered how to end the conversation so he could go home to Ainsley. Henry winked at him as he walked past the door. Ainsley, they were both fooling themselves because they were way beyond a fling. The thing that bothered him most was that it didn't bother him in the least.

He pulled sweatpants on over his shorts to go out in the cold and head home. In his building, he went straight to Ainsley's door. She answered after a light rap. Her smile filled the open doorway.

He pushed her in and greeted her with his mouth. She giggled. "How was it?"

"Great. My knee was okay. I missed you."

She pushed on his shoulder. "You did? You smell like perfume."

He lifted his arm and turned his head to smell his shoulder. Wrinkling his nose, he said, "A gym employee wanted to talk about my knee. I just wanted to come home."