4
Charlotte
I agreed to an Off-road Adventure tour with a stranger.
What the heck was I thinking?
Last night, I walked up to him, which I normally would never do, pretended to buy him a drink, and then agreed to risk my life on some wild open-car ride.
Pain shoots across my temples and I rub them slowly. This goes against all my natural tendencies, but I declared this ‘Opposite Charlotte’ week, so here I am.
What does one wear while risking one’s life?
I prefer to play it safe with trainers and cargo pants, pockets filled with snacks and hair ties. Of course, I didn’t bring cargo pants on this trip.
What would ‘Opposite Charlotte’ wear?
My luggage sits open underneath the television, and I spot a floral red and pink dress. It’s not practical, and has no pockets, but it’s cute and hugs my hips nicely.
Okay. I’ll wear the dress, but I’m wearing the trainers, too.
I choose a push-up bra but practical panties underneath, the kind that look like boy shorts, and instead of securing my hair into a braid, I leave it long and loose over my shoulders.
I place a hair tie on my wrist, just in case. I can’t help it.
My purse hangs in the closet, and I extend the strap to wear it as a cross-body. After ensuring I have some extra cash in my wallet, I shut the door and walk toward the lobby to meet Caleb.
It’s still early, and the resort is peaceful. Some vacationers mill about the buffet for breakfast, while others are already sunbathing by the pool. I’d love to walk along the beach, perhaps I’ll do that tomorrow morning.
Caleb is chatting with a group who looks to be in their twenties. Although I just turned thirty, most of the faces in this group don’t look a day over twenty-one. If I had to guess, I’d say Caleb was a few years older than me. Not quite forty, but maybe closer to thirty-five. His black hair is darker this morning, probably still wet from a shower. He has tanned skin, large, muscled arms that stretch the short-sleeves he’s wearing. Unlike the others in tight T-shirts, Caleb wears a pressed and polished buttoned shirt. He doesn’t quite fit in with the group. Maybe he’s just making conversation with the people he met here.
Our eyes meet as I approach them. Caleb is still talking, but he’s staring at me.
Inexplicably, my heart beats faster and despite the air-conditioned lobby, a bead of sweat forms at my nape. I ball my hands into fists, resisting the urge to throw my hair into a ponytail.
“Morning,” I say when I reach them.
The group turns and they murmur a good morning back. A few of the men nod.
“I’m glad you came,” says Caleb. “Let me introduce you. Charlotte, this is Teo, Brady, Tasha, and Nikki.”
I smile. “Nice to meet you all.”
Caleb holds up a coffee cup in his hand. “Have you eaten or had something to drink?”
“I’m not much of a breakfast person.”
I also don’t want to risk feeling nauseated while on the tour.
A man in khaki shorts and a blue T-shirt walks up to the group gathered in the lobby. “Good morning, friends. My name is Arturo and I’ll be your driver today,” he says in a Caribbean accent. “Please follow me onto the bus. We’ll be on our way shortly.”
“One second,” says Caleb to the group, then approaches the driver. I can’t hear what Caleb asks him, but the driver responds, “No need for another car. I can fit you all on the bus.”
Caleb pats the man on the shoulder and returns to our group. “Are we ready?”
“Yeah, let’s do this!” one guy shouts. Brady, I think, is his name.
We file into the bus, and they choose seats at the back. Before sitting down, Caleb turns to me. “Do you prefer an aisle or window seat?”
“I’d love the window.”
He moves out of the way to let me sit first, and I smile as I stare out the window. It’s been at least ten years since I’ve sat at the window. I’ve happily given it to Charlie whenever we’ve traveled by bus.
Strangely, this small pleasure increases my excitement more than I thought it would. I’m not sure what I expected from this excursion, but maybe taking a chance as ‘Opposite Charlotte’ isn’t as scary as I imagined it would be.
As the bus leaves the resort, Caleb talks to Teo, who’s sitting on the other side of the aisle.
I tune out their conversation, enthralled by the lush green landscape outside my window. We pass a small town with vibrantly colored homes and people chatting outside their doors. There’s a bar or restaurant with multicolored beads hanging from the door frame. Green rolling hills emerge from behind the town, and I grab my phone to take a picture of the beautiful landscape.
About twenty minutes later, the bus reaches the top of a hill, surrounded by trees .
“Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve arrived at the next leg of our excursion,” says Arturo. “We’ll pick up the off-road vehicles from here.”
We gather outside of the bus and two more guides join us. They wear yellow shirts instead of blue ones with their khaki shorts. They smile brightly while Arturo separates us into smaller groups. “You three, please go with Maria. Joseph will take the three of you, and the rest can come with me.”
We follow Arturo to the row of Jeeps lined up next to the trees. “The six of you will be on your way soon. I’m just waiting for a third guide. He should have been here by now.”
The other two groups climb inside the vehicles, and we watch them pull away. Teo is bouncing on his toes, ready to join them.
Arturo checks his watch and phone, then huffs loudly. “He’s not coming.” He rests his hands on his hips and kicks the gravel road. “Perhaps I can take three at a time and come back for the rest.”
I look around. We’re in the middle of nowhere and I have no idea what sort of animals live in this area. “I don’t like the idea of being alone in the woods,” I say.
Caleb nods. “I agree.”
Arturo nods reluctantly, then looks up at the sky, perhaps hoping the third driver would fall from the heavens.
“What if I drive the other vehicle?” asks Caleb. “I drive manual and will follow you the whole way.”
Arturo bites his lip but considers the proposal. I think it’s a liability, but the guide agrees, satisfied with the suggestion. “Okay, I’ll drive slowly. Don’t worry.”
Caleb smiles. “I’ll be fine.”
“Thanks, man,” says Teo, patting Caleb on the shoulder.
I follow Caleb to the Jeep, although a part of me wonders if it would be safer driving with Arturo, who clearly has much more experience on these roads. But, somehow, a sense of loyalty wins over self-preservation.
I consider sitting in the back, but Teo and Nikki have already taken those seats. Double-checking my seat belt, I take two calming breaths as Caleb backs out.
He turns to me, “Relax. Everything will be fine.”
I groan. “Oh no. You’ve jinxed it now by saying that.”
“That’s not how it works.” He chuckles.
“Really?”
“Really. Nothing bad is going to happen.”
I bite my lip, stopping myself from shouting, ‘now you’ve double jinxed it’. But I’m trying not to be ‘Responsible Charlotte’ or ‘Negative Charlotte’ on this vacation.
“Your knuckles are white,” Caleb says as we hit a large rock on the road.
“What? ”
He nods toward my hand that’s grasping the leather seat beneath me.
He laughs, but there’s nothing funny about the bumps ahead.
“I thought there would be a path.”
“It’s called off-roading,” Nikki shouts over the wind from the backseat.
Caleb presses on the gas to keep up with Arturo ahead, and I wish the tour guide would keep his promise to drive slowly.
My hair whips across my face and I praise Jesus for having remembered an elastic. Gathering the wild strands, I secure them with the hair tie into a bun.
But with my hands in my hair, I lose my balance when the Jeep hits another rock. “Whoa!” I say as I grab the dashboard in front of me.
Spreading my legs, I press down on the floor to keep myself steady.
A wave of nausea washes over me and I throw a hand over my mouth. Oh God, don’t let me throw up.
Caleb slows down and Teo groans. I close my eyes, thankful for the respite.
The break doesn’t last long because Arturo drives into the bush. There’s no road, no path, nothing to ease the way. Instead, tree branches smash against the front window and I move closer to Caleb, avoiding any scratches on my arm.
“Whoo hoo!” shouts Teo, pleased with the rough terrain.
I lose Arturo in front of us because of all the trees and shrubs, but Caleb’s face is serene and calm. There’s a small smile playing on his lips. Damn, he’s actually enjoying himself. I inhale deeply again, regaining my inner strength. This could be fun, if I relax a bit more. I could enjoy the wind in my hair rather than curse the loose strands over my eyes.
Caleb shifts gears and the Jeep lurches forward. My back presses against the seat and a quick glance at Caleb confirms he’s indeed enjoying this. His confidence seeps through my fear and my fingers loosen on the leather. My feet still press against the floor, but I smile when the road opens, and we hit a clearing near the top of the next hill.
Arturo stops his vehicle, and Caleb pulls up next to him. Teo and Nikki hop out before Caleb turns off the car. “That was awesome,” says Teo.
I unbuckle my seat belt and climb out, but my legs feel like jelly, and I stumble. “Are you okay?” asks Caleb. I steady myself with a hand on the hood of the car. “Yeah. Just need a minute to get my sea legs, or Jeep legs.”
He waits with me while the others walk up the hill. Tall trees still surround us, and there’s a huge rock formation ahead, but I hear water nearby. Slowly, we catch up to the others staring at the edge of the hill and the water grows louder until finally I see it—it’s a waterfall.
I’ve been to Niagara Falls, and it’s not as large as that, but despite its smaller size, it’s still mesmerizing to look at. It’s hidden between the trees and rock, and a steady stream falls from seventy-feet, at least. “There’s an entrance through the back. Follow me,” says Arturo.
My body rejuvenated, I easily keep up with the group as we weave through the forest and trek down the rocky side of the waterfall. My foot slips at a wet spot, but I hold on to the cool gray stone along the path.
A hand wraps gently along my waist, and I hear Caleb’s voice in my ear. “I’ve got you.”
Goosebumps rise along my arms, but I don’t think it’s from the mist.
Arturo leads us to a rocky, but flat, surface next to the waterfall. We all stand arm to arm, staring at the natural beauty in front of us.
“Can we jump in?” Teo asks.
I fight the urge to roll my eyes because of course not, but then I hear Arturo say, “Of course you can.”
Teo pumps his fist. “Yes!”
Thank God Charlie isn’t with me. I’d be giving him a lecture about why this is a horrible idea. But I’m not Teo’s mother, so I find a dry spot near the edge to sit.
“Are you going in?” asks Caleb, lowering his body next to mine.
“Not a chance.”
He chuckles. “It does look refreshing, but there are a lot of rocks around. I’m not sure if it’s a good idea.”
“It’s a fucking terrible idea,” I say.
He laughs harder. “I’m surprised to hear you say that.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. You seem the adventurous type, traveling alone, and agreeing to come on an off-road tour with a stranger.”
“Ha, you’re right. Except I would normally never do those things.”
He catches my eye, and his dark hair falls across his forehead. “What made you do it, then?”
I want to say, ‘You’, but that wouldn’t be a hundred percent true. Although it was becoming a stronger incentive. Instead, I explain, “I’m trying something new and seeing how it goes.”
He nods and I catch a small smirk before he turns to watch Teo and Nikki jump into the pool of water at the base of the falls.
“Cannon ball!” shouts Brady before jumping in.
I don’t see Arturo, but I imagine he’s setting up the picnic that was promised as part of the excursion.
“Do you travel a lot?” I ask .
Caleb shrugs. “Not really. I travel some for work, but I can’t remember the last time I traveled for fun.”
“Except now.”
He stares at the group below us. “Right.”
I know he’s lying, and his smile tells me he knows, too. I wish I could say I fault him for it, but I admire someone who chases what they want. And why shouldn’t he?
Caleb picks up a small rock next to him and throws it across the water. “What do you do for a living?”
“Me? Oh, I’m a teacher.”
“Ah. That explains it.”
I physically lean back, affronted. “Explains what?”
“Why you’re so responsible all the time? You like rules and you like to follow them.”
I open my mouth to defend myself but realize there’s nothing wrong with what he said. “I do. That’s what makes me a decent member of society.”
“It does. It also makes you edgy when someone breaks them.”
“I won’t disagree with that, either.”
“Have you ever not done what was asked of you?”
I think about it. Sure, I’ve lied to my parents, but I can’t think of anything more serious than that.
“No, I don’t think I have. What about you? ”
“I don’t think I’ve ever done what’s expected of me. I find if someone wants me to do something, I prefer to choose something else.”
I snort. “Well, you either grew up with lots of money and no responsibility or you’re just plain stubborn.”
He blinks and leans back.
Shit. That was rude. I probably shouldn’t have said that. I wait for his ego to argue back, call me a prude or something, but he drops his head and laughs instead.
“Fuck. Probably both.”
I wait, and when I realize he’s genuinely laughing at my comment and perhaps himself, I allow a small smile. “It’s great that you can admit it. It makes you less of an asshole.”
“Well, then it’s worth getting called an asshole if I become less of one in your eyes.”
“Why do you care what I think of you?”
His smile falters, and his gaze drops to my lips. “Because I want to kiss you, Charlotte. And I think you might want to kiss me back.”
Oh boy.
My stomach tightens and my core tingles. My fingers grab at the ground beside me, but the rock is slippery.
Do it, Charlotte. Go for it!
His face moves closer, and I close my eyes, anticipating his soft lips on mine …
“Geronimo!” someone shouts, and my eyes open wide. It sounds like Brady, but when I look down, I spot him in the water, treading alongside Teo.
I glimpse a streak of blue across the cave and realize it is Arturo diving from the cliff. My heart stops and everything moves in slow motion as my brain calculates the angle from which he leaped. I’m no mathematician, but I don’t think there’s enough space for him to hit the water first.
I cover my mouth with my hand. “Oh, my God!”
“Shit,” Caleb says before rushing to his feet, but he can’t possibly stop this from happening. He won’t make it.
Arturo screams before twisting midair and tucks his body into a ball, but the angle is all wrong.
Caleb flies down the steps and I have no idea how he doesn’t slip, while Teo and Brady stare dumbfounded, open-mouthed at the man diving too close to the rocks. They’re all too far away to save him.
Holy shit.
I turn away and cover my face before he hits the ground.