Zip Lining

The sun felt great as she stretched out on one of the many lounge chairs on the beach. Not that she was on the beach, per se. She'd drug the chair as far from the water as she could while still barely remaining on the sand then laid back and let the warm sun tan her very-white skin.

Not wanting to get a sunburn, Fallon only stayed for about 30 minutes then headed back to her room where she laid down and took a nap.

When she woke up, she was startled when she realized she had now idea what time it was. She checked the room clock and saw it was 1 o'clock, so she headed back downstairs to get something more substantial to eat than a couple of bites of grapefruit. To her surprise, Than and Tabitha were sitting there and saw her walk in.

"Fallon!" Tabitha called out as she waved. "Please come join us!"

As she sat down Than asked her how things went, and she smiled and told him she'd just lost about 190 pounds without adding that she might have also lost her job.

"Um...okay?" he replied as Tabitha shrugged her shoulders when he turned to her for help.

"Let's just say I cleared something up I should have taken care of weeks ago."

"Well...that helped," Than said, still just as lost.

"I believe she means she just let someone know they were business associates and nothing more," Tabitha informed her brother. When Fallon smiled, she knew she'd gotten it right.

"Oh. Gee. I don't feel stupid," Than said.

"You're not stupid, Than. A little naive, maybe, but no one would ever call you stupid," Tabitha said in a playfully patronizing tone of voice.

"You, see! That's what I never had growing up," Fallon said, as she sat there enjoying the lively interplay.

"Yeah, I have to say I'd be devastated if something happened to this little twit, too," Than grudgingly admitted, echoing his sister's sentiments from that morning.

"Gee, don't get carried away with the brotherly love over there," Tabitha told him.

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen, Tabs," he told her, causing Fallon to have to try not to laugh.

"Ha, ha! And for your information, I think I'm going to go hit the beach and get some sun before I have to leave this place," his sister informed him.

She looked at Fallon and said she'd love to have some company.

"Oh, gee. I had no idea. I kind of already laid more than my pasty-white skin can handle," Fallon admitted apologetically.

"That's okay," Tabitha told her. "I just can't go to the beach back home except maybe during August for a couple of weeks, so I take advantage anytime I get the chance."

Than put his hand over the side of his mouth facing Tabitha then told Fallon, "Up in...God's Country."

Fallon laughed then stood up to say goodbye, and Tabitha surprised her when she gave her a hug.

"You really should take my brother up on his offer. They have different zip lines, and you can start out small and work your way up. And who knows? You might find out you're an adrenalin junky like this guy."

Than smiled sheepishly and waved a tiny 'yeah, that's me' kind of wave at Fallon which caused her to laugh again. Tabitha noticed and commented.

"See? I told you his humor was an acquired taste."

"Enjoy the beach, and have a safe flight, Tabitha."

"Thanks. And it really was a pleasure meeting you, Fallon," Tabitha said before hugging her one more time.

Once she was gone Fallon said, "Your sister is wonderful."

"Don't tell her I said this, but yes she is," Than readily agreed. "She's been the one person who's always been there for me no matter what."

"May I ask why you moved away from her?"

"If you'll go zip lining with me, I'll tell you," Than replied with a smile.

"Is there any water anywhere around?" Fallon asked even as she wondered why she'd said that.

"No. None at all. Why?"

"Just wondering," she said as the thought of doing something new suddenly seemed interesting. "In that case, I suppose I could at least go see what it's all about."

"You'll love it. I promise," Than told her.

"You sound pretty sure of yourself."

"I am. About...many things."

The way he smiled at her made her very uncomfortable, but not in any negative sense. She smiled back but it was more out of a sense of not knowing what else to say.

"So what time do you want to leave?" she asked, already fully recovered.

"How about right after lunch? That'll give your food a chance to digest while we drive out to the site."

As he looked at her Fallon understood why she'd said 'yes'. But that realization caused even more confusion as the handsome younger man smiled at her until she had to look away.

By the time they were in Than's rental vehicle, a Jeep Wrangler, and headed out to go zip lining, Fallon's sense of adventure began to wane.

"So do you have a zip line equivalent of the bunny tow for skiers?" she asked.

"As a matter of fact we do. It's for children, but I know the owner, and if that's where you need to start to feel safe, it won't be a problem."

"Ah, so does that mean you might be the owner?" she asked with a smile.

Than laughed, then without answering her directly said, "We have four different lines at this location. You probably won't be riding my favorite, but we'll start out small and see where things go, okay?"

"Small is good," Fallon told him, relieved to know there was a line for her. The line for children.

"Is it too personal to ask how many sites you have?" she asked after a few moments passed in silence.

"Well, this is the first in Costa Rica, but we have over 20 sites across the US and in Central America, as well as one in Brazil."

Than looked over at her then said, "But there's water under that one."

He watched Fallon shudder then said, "A lot of water."

"I don't know why I'm so afraid, but I can't get even get near it without getting queasy."

"Phobias aren't hard to overcome," Than told her so matter of factly it surprised her.

"Says the guy who doesn't have any phobias," she quickly retorted.

"Until just recently, I was...commitment phobic. Does that count?" Than asked, smiling at her in a way that made her tummy flip flop.

"In all seriousness, no, but I kind of understand," she replied before explaining why she was single. "So trust is a huge issue for me."

"I get that," Than said. "I'll make sure to do everything I can to make sure you know I'm someone you can trust."

He'd stopped smiling, and again, the look on his face or perhaps just the way he was looking at her caused her to experience the same thing again.

There was another short period of silence before Than asked, "So...do you date at all?"

"Oh. Um...gosh. No. Not really. Well, occasionally but that's about it."

"And not with Joe?"

Fallon tilted her head down, gave Than a 'you've got to be kidding look' then said, "No," so firmly it almost made him laugh.

"It's gonna get a little bumpy once we turn off the highway," he warned, pointing up ahead to a sign that was written in Spanish.

The first road wasn't too bad, but it was worse than anything Fallon could ever remember riding on. The second road taught her that things could get a lot worse, and the jostling got so bad she started laughing after bouncing up and down several times in a row.

"It's worth the ride," Than promised.

"How do average people get up here?" she asked.

"We take groups in a big rig made to handle this kind of thing," he said before telling here they were almost there.

'Almost' turned out to be another half mile of bouncing and lurching, but the road smoothed out and up ahead she saw the zip line she assumed was Than's favorite. What she could see stretched between a mountain and another lower hill that looked like it was a very long distance away.

"Please tell me that's not the bunny tow," Fallon said as she pointed to it.

Than laughed and assured her it wasn't.

"No. That's called The Cookie Monster," he told her before explaining that Sesame Street was just now catching on here in Costa Rica.

"We'll be going on The Bert and Ernie."

"So The Cookie Monster is the highest?" she asked, assuming it was.

"Not quite," Than told her as he parked the Jeep. "That honor is received for Oscar the Grouch."

"Oh, my Lord! What have I gotten myself into?" she asked rhetorically, causing Than to laugh again.

"No worries. You're gonna have a blast. I promise."

"We'll see about that," Fallon replied in a way that made him laugh yet again.

As they walked up to the ticket booth, a young Costa Rican man about Than's age smiled and said, "Than! You come back again, jefe?"

"Hey, Miguel. Yes, I have someone who wants to learn how to zip line."

Fallon shot him another look, and Miguel waited for his boss to laugh before laughing, too.

"The señorita has fear, no?" he asked. In Spanish, being afraid was expressed as 'I have fear' so it sounded right to Miguel, who'd learned English in just the last year and had a long way to go.

"Un pocito," Than said as he held his index finger close to his thumb to indicate a little.

"Is no problem. We start on the Bert and the Ernie!" Miguel said with a smile.

"Is Paco over there?"

"Si. Por supuesto," Miguel said. "Yes. Of course."

"Okay. Then that's where we'll be," Than told him.

As they walked away, Miguel said, "La señorita es muy bonita, señor Than!"

"Si. Es la verdad!" Than called back.

Fallon knew just a few words of Spanish, but between señorita and bonita she knew she'd just been called pretty so she turned around and called back, "Muchas gracias, Miguel!"

The young man smiled and waved then said, "De nada!"

"He's very nice," Fallon said.

"He's also very honest," Than told her. He waited for her to look at him as they walked along, and when she did, he smiled at her again. "You are very pretty, Fallon."

That flutter happened again just as the 'bunny tow' came into view.

As soon as she saw it, she stuck her hand out and kind of grabbed Than's forearm before letting go.

"Oh, my goodness. That's the bunny tow?" she asked.

"Uh-huh. Why?"

Fallon saw that the starting tower was at least 20 feet off the ground while the other end was maybe 50 yards away.

"I was expecting something...lower. To the ground," she said before they continued walking.

"You'll be fine. I promise," he said again.

"Uh-huh. Sure," Fallon replied as the tower looked higher with each step she took.

Her thoughts were interrupted by another cheerful voice saying, "Señor Thompson!"

"Paco! Hola, amigo!"

Paco was much younger than Miguel, and Fallon watched the two men shake hands before Than introduced her to his friend.

"She is friend or...girlfriend?" Paco asked, a huge smile on his face.

"Friend," Fallon said before Than could answer.

"So she is going on the lee-til wire?" Paco then asked.

"Yes. And she's a little..."

Than looked at his 'friend' then said to Paco, "Intimidated."

"In...what?" Paco asked, never having heard the word before.

"I'm afraid," Fallon interjected.

"Oh. Okay. No worry, okay, señorita? Everything is really cool!"

"Yes. It's so cool I'm shivering," she said too quietly to be heard.

"Come on. Paco will hook you up. Literally," Than said, a big smile also on his face.

"A very handsome face," Fallon thought as she tried to take comfort in his assurance.

There was a rigging area on the ground, and Than explained everything Paco was doing as he got her rigged up.

"This material can hold a man twice my weight without any problem," he told her. "It's all brand new and fully tested."

"Si. All tested," Paco said. "And ready for the opening grande tomorrow!"

Neither Than nor Fallon told him the word was 'grand' without the 'e', but Fallon seemed surprised.

"You didn't tell me this place was brand new."

"This was the business Tabitha was referring to. Costa Rica is very business friendly, but it still requires attorneys to get involved. Sorry for not mentioning it, but I didn't see the need."

He also didn't mention he now had nearly 50 places where people could go bungee jumping around the world, either. And there was no way he was going to share just how profitable playing for a living had become in the last couple of years.

"You ready?" Than asked once Paco nodded to him.

"Am I going alone?" she asked.

"Um, well, yes. Unless that's a problem. Would you feel better if I went with you?"

Fallon made a little wincing gesture and said,"Yes?"

He grabbed another harness and strapped himself in within seconds, threw on a helmet, then said, "Let's do this!"

He offered Fallon his arm, and after looking at it then looking at him like he was crazy, she put her arm in his and let him lead her over to the tower thinking she was the crazy one.

By the time they got up to the top of the tower, Fallon was shaking.

"I can't believe this is the beginner's line," she said as she looked down.

"I can hook us together so we can ride in tandem," Than told her. "Would that help?"

"Tandem? Like a parachute jump?" she asked.

"Not exactly. But we'd have a line hooked to each other's vest, and we'd be less than two feet apart."

"That's a lot," Fallon told him.

"I can get closer than that. I...I can even hold your hand or...hold you...if you'd like."

"You're sure I won't fall?"

"Yes. I'm sure," Than told her as they stood together about three feet from the edge.

"You promise?" Fallon asked.

"Cross my heart," Than said.

"In fact, let me hook up first, then Paco will hook you up, and I'll hold your hand as you step off."

"I...I'm not sure I can step off," she told him.

"You won't actually be 'stepping off' as in feeling yourself fall. You'll be hooked to the metal wire above you. And I'll be right there."

Fallon looked at Than then at the wire then at the ground below. She knew she was afraid of the water, but she had no idea she was so afraid of heights.

"You go ahead and I'll watch," she finally said.

Than hooked himself up then showed Fallon how the O-ring attached to the zip line was holding him. After that, he picked up his feet and dangled in the air before putting his feet back down.

"See? All safe and sound."

"You try now, señorita?" Paco asked, an encouraging smile on his face.

Fallon somehow found the courage to say, "Okay," and with that, Paco hooked her metal O-ring to the sliding assembly above her head.

"Nice!" Than said. "Now just hang there like I did."

He was now about two feet away from the tower with the ground below him, and Fallon felt another surge of fear as she gingerly raised one foot and then the other. Once she felt how securely the wire was holding her, she was slightly less afraid.

"Okay. Now just inch your way over here then do that again and I'll grab ahold of you," Than told her.

Fallon's heart was beating wildly as she moved an inch at a time. She stopped at the edge then looked at Than.

"You're doing great," he told her.

"I don't feel so great," she replied.

Than smiled then said, "Do you trust me?"

"Yes," she heard herself say.

He reached out his hand then said, "Then take my hand and don't look down. Just keep your eyes on mine the whole time, okay?"

Fallon bit her lip then said, "Okay," as she reached for her hand.

"Now let me pull you my way, okay?" Than asked.

Fallon nodded her head then closed her eyes.

"Uh-uh. Look at me."

She opened them then looked at him and gave him her hand. She screamed when her feet lost the tower floor, but Than never laughed.

"Good job!" he told her as they dangled there together. "You ready?"

"Yes. No! Maybe. I...I don't..."

When Than pulled her to him they began sliding and Fallon screamed again, but she never took her eyes off of Than's who was smiling at her as they rode the zip line together.

"Oh, my gosh! I'm doing it!" she screamed so loudly there was a slight echo.

"You are and you're doing great!" Than told her.

Fallon had pulled herself right up next to him and they were just inches apart as they sailed through the air together.

"Isn't this great?" Than called out.

Fallon finally got up the nerve to look around and suddenly they didn't seem so high up.

Just as she shouted back, "I love this!" they were at the other end.

"That's it?" she asked, unable to believe it was over that fast.

"This is the 'bunny tow', remember?" Than told her as he unhooked them once their feet were on the ground.

"Can we do it again?" Fallon asked excitedly.

"As many times as you like," he told her.

She rode it once more then said, "What's the next one like?"

"Well, follow me and I'll show you," Than told her as Fallon smiled at him in a way he hadn't seen before.

As they walked, she took his arm without asking and said, "This is the most fun I've had in years."

"Yeah? I'm glad. I'm enjoying it, too."

"This has to be boring for you, though. I mean, it's baby stuff to you."

"No. It isn't what I'm doing. It's who I'm doing it with," Than told her as he looked at her in a way she hadn't yet seen. And when he did, her heart raced again but for a very different reason.

After another run on Bert and Ernie, Fallon couldn't wait to try The Cookie Monster.

"You sure?" Than asked.

"Will you ride it with me?" she asked, the look on her face and the sound of her voice like that of a girl 30 years younger.

"Done deal," Than told her.

"You're liking this, aren't you?" he asked as they made their way to the next challenge.

"I think maybe I am," Fallon told him.

She looked over at him then said, "I'm kind of enjoying the company, too."

"Ah. Good to know!" Than replied, as his smile was met and returned by one from the beautiful older woman he found incredibly enchanting.

This second tower was twice as high as the first, but the worst part of it was how the terrain dropped off. The ground was a little over 50 feet below them when they first hooked up, but within 100 feet, it dropped off into a small valley that was closer to a hundred feet down. The ride was nearly five times as long, and as afraid as Fallon still was, seeing Than hooked up and holding his hand out to her was all the encouragement she needed.

The difference in speed was the thing that really made the difference. They were truly zipping along the heavy wire cable as Than faced Fallon while holding her hand. At some point, she screamed out in pure pleasure like a teenage girl might on a rollercoaster ride.

"This is the most amazing thing EVER!" she hollered even though Than was maybe two feet away.

Than laughed loudly then said, "I'm having the time of my life just watching you have fun!"

"Well I am!" Fallon called back.

The adrenaline rush was incredible, and even after they were on solid ground, Fallon was still totally 'jazzed'. The moment Than unhooked her, she threw her arms around him, catching him completely by surprise. But before he could put his around her, she let go and told him she wanted to go again. And then again. And then one more time.

"You ready to ride Oscar?" he asked.

"I'm ready to look at it," she told him, the smile on her face seemingly glued there since their first run on the baby wire.

"It's a monster, so just be forewarned, okay?"

Than wasn't kidding. Fallon couldn't even see the other end of the ride, even from the tower. And they were a good hundred feet off the ground at the start with a massive terrain feature called a saddle between two mountains below.

"This will get your heart pumping," Than told her as they looked out over the thick jungle below.

Fallon didn't say anything else for several seconds. Then, without warning, she said, "Let's go!"

Than didn't bother asking if she was sure. He just snapped the O-rings into place then asked if Fallon was ready.

"I want to go first this time," she said excitedly.

"Okay. No problem."

Than switched places with her then told her, "Lead on!"