See You at the Finish Line (Run, Love, Repeat #1)

11. Paige

The Oasis 53.56 mi/ 86.2 km

“Hot,” I whine. “Too hot.”

“It’s refreshing to hear you compliment me, but can you please answer my question?” Adam asks as we try to conserve our energy.

The cliffside we’re currently clinging to may as well be an oven with the way we’re being roasted. With no shelter or protection from the sun’s glare, this is one of the hardest parts of an ultra. The unrelenting elements make every runner second-guess all of their life choices. Including ever getting into running in the first place. One of the many lows that make the highs worth it. I’ve lived here my whole life, and I’m still not used to the heat. Maybe I would do better if I moved somewhere colder ...

I let the thought trail off, not wanting to get my hopes up. My mind has a way of running ahead of itself, making impulsive decisions, and getting way too invested way too quickly. I should have learned my lesson by now, but I haven’t—I’m still a perpetual optimist.

Or I’m delusional, as Leah would say .

“Didn’t you ask me what hell feels like? Because I’m pretty sure that was your answer.”

Adam laughs at my joke and I love the sound, even though I wasn’t entirely joking.

“You should get your hearing checked because what I asked was, ‘What team would you like to work for?’”

“Sounds about the same to me,” I shoot back, enjoying our banter.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t see how you made that jump.”

“It’s the heat,” I say, climbing over rocks. I see the trail in the distance and send a prayer up to my dad, thanking him for the hope of a flat path soon.

“A likely story.”

“Honestly though, what did you ask me?” I ask, tripping over a rock.

Adam’s hand flies out, grabbing onto my hip. His hand slips under my shirt a fraction, allowing his hot, gritty skin to burn the soft flesh of my stomach. Right at that moment I realize how big his hands are. An involuntary shudder runs down my spine at the contact.

You’d think I’d be too gross to be turned on, but you’d be wrong. I flush with the added heat of his touch, and his fingers flex, gripping me as I steady myself.

I do not feel steadied. Not at all.

Adam removes his hand too quickly and shakes his head. “What’s your dream team? ”

“Oh yeah.” I cough, clearing the thoughts seeping into my mind about those strong hands and how capable they would be. “Right now I’m working for our basketball team, but if I had my way, I’d work for the NHL.”

“Hockey?” He sounds genuinely surprised, and I catch the delight flitting across his face. Maybe he loves hockey too.

“Yeah, I don’t know what it is ... Fast-paced, incredible skill and control, women being aggressive and badass. Big sexy men with sticks. What’s not to love?”

I can’t read the look on his face, but I almost trip again and have to focus on where my feet are landing.

“What’s stopping you, then?”

“Since there isn’t a team close to Utah I’d have to relocate. I don’t want to leave my sister and my mom.”

“You know, Vancouver has a pretty amazing hockey team, if I do say so myself.”

“You don’t say?”

“And it just so happens that I know a few people on the staff.”

Of course. He’s perfect. “Do you work for the NHL?”

“No, but I know some people in the industry,” he says, his eyes casting off into the distance. His answer is vague, and his tone does not invite further questions. That’s alright, I have stuff I don’t want to talk about with a complete stranger either.

Although, Adam doesn’t feel like a stranger anymore.

Our conversation dies down as the heat comes to a crest. We can barely move, let alone interrogate each other. But the silence is nice and comfortable. Maybe because he’s seeing the very base version of me, I feel at ease around him, like I don’t have to live up to some high standard. I can just be me.

The hours disappear behind us as we make our way up, down, and around the trail. When we can’t take any more of the climbing heat, the sun as high as it will be today, we vow to stop at the next sheltered spot we can find that isn’t just a shadow under a cactus.

We’re blessed a few minutes later when we come upon a large round boulder providing glorious shade as if it were sent by the race gods themselves. We take the reprieve with utmost grace, flopping down.

Well, Adam is graceful—I trip and stay where I fall on the ground. Oh well, what’s a little more dirt? It feels good to rest, taking a moment to breathe. And to reapply sunscreen. I’m already burned so I’ve been making more of an effort to be diligent about it. My watch alerts me to my high heart rate. I blame both the desert and the man.

I smear the sunscreen across my arms and face, feeling the sting of it mixing with my sweaty pores.

“Is it all rubbed in?” I ask before thinking. Is he going to think I asked him so he would touch me? Is that why I asked him? Maybe.

He scans my face, tracing my features with his eyes before reaching out to brush his fingertips over my jaw. Liquid heat pools in my stomach and spreads lower. I’m so tingly.

“Just this one spot,” he says, his voice low as his fingers smooth over my skin. I’m grateful for my sunglasses so he can’t see how my eyes track his face, so I can stare at him without making him uncomfortable. Hopefully, he assumes I’m not watching every tick of his jaw. Which I definitely am. When his fingers linger right below my ear for a moment too short, I feel that touch everywhere. My body is alight with need, and I watch his Adam’s apple (ha!) move down and then back up as he swallows.

“How about me?” he asks. Damn it if I don’t want to touch him right now, but I foolishly tell the truth.

“You’re good,” I blurt out after I look around for any sign of sunscreen. I should have lied. Maybe he sees that on my face because he laughs.

“I am good,” he says.

I shove him away, laughing to hide the fact that I have to clench my thighs together. How long has it been since I’ve had sex? Too long. I’m pretty sure I’ve worn out the batteries in my vibrator.

This is an ultramarathon—not the place for drooling over a man.

Each minute after the sun reaches its peak, we breathe a little easier with the dropping temperature and pick up our pace. It really is beautiful here. The warm colours and sparse vegetation, the high cliffs. It all comes together to make this breathtaking landscape.

“How’s your water supply?” Adam asks me.

“I’m trying to conserve it.” Disproving my point, I suck down a huge gulp of water from my CamelBak. He laughs at me and begins another round of twenty (or a thousand) questions.

“What’s your favourite colour?”

“Blue,” I answer automatically.

“That makes sense.” He gestures to my shoes and my shorts.

“What’s yours?”

“Nope, we’re still on you. ”

I stick my tongue out at him. Leah was right, I’m immature. He laughs, but his gaze lingers on my mouth. Am I evil for dragging my tongue slowly back into my mouth and biting my lip? Probably. I do it anyway, smirking when he stumbles.

Point for Paige.

“If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?”

“Did you search ‘questions to ask the person you’ve been stalking’?”

He barks out a laugh. “Hey now, it’s a good question, even if it’s a little cliche.”

“Fine, it is a good question. If I could go anywhere, I would go to Turkey. I’ve always wanted to go on a hot air balloon ride at sunrise.”

“That sounds amazing.”

My impulsive brain would love to invite him to come with me. But firstly, my mom would kill me because she wants to come with me, and secondly, I have to keep reminding myself that I’ve known this man for twenty-four hours.

We settle into an easy pace as we trade turns asking each other questions. I spent one of my turns asking him about how and why he came back to get me. When he tells me about his friend’s objections, I feel a little uneasy.

Now that the sun has almost completely set, I feel the energy sizzle between us. I’ve never felt this way before, but the race elements are starting to wear on me .

We’re close to the next aid station, and I can almost taste the fresh water in my mouth. We’ve been taking it fairly easy because of the heat, but now we’re ready to get some fuel.

“I see it!” I call, pulling ahead of Adam. He groans as he picks up his pace to match mine.

“Paige, 145,” I call to the aid station as I cross into Oasis. They mark mine and Adam’s numbers down.

“What can I get for you, Paige?” one of the volunteers asks.

“I need to catch up, I’m behind on my hydration,” I tell him as I chug a bottle of water.

“Do you need some electrolytes?” he asks, and I nod vigorously.

Adam asks for the same and we gratefully take our fuel.

The night turns dark as we rest, catch our breath, and fuel up for the next leg. We ate two huge cheese quesadillas each, took a twenty-minute nap, separate cots, and now that I’m rested, I’m feeling excited for an evening run.

Ideally, I’d like to make up some of the time we lost thanks to taking it slow today and falling behind after the thunderstorm. Before the race, I told myself the goal was just to cross that finish line but in reality, I want to make it in a good time.

I stand up and Adam groans, half a cheeseburger still in his hand.

“Are we leaving already?” he asks, getting slowly to his feet.

“You don’t have to. I’m sure you’ll catch up to me tomorrow if you need to stay longer.” It’s the right thing to offer, but I’m secretly hoping he turns it down.

“Nah, I can’t let you get a head start. Caleb would never let me live it down. ”

I frown at the mention of his friend. Something about him sets me on edge, and I’m wary of how upset he got when Adam told him he was going back for me. But the feeling doesn’t linger as relief floods through me. We’re going to stick together for the whole race.

“Alright then, let’s head out.”

“Adam, 128, checking out,” Adam calls as he leaves the aid station.

“Paige, 145, checking out,” I chime in.

“Enjoy your moonlight hike, guys!” the volunteer says with a wave.

“He makes it sound so romantic,” I say, trying not to get excited.

“Don’t go getting ideas about hitting on me, Paige. I’m saving my love for Q,” he jokes, and I throw my head back to laugh.

Am I in love?