He nodded. “Yeah, Tina and I split up.”
“No! When?”
“About a year ago,” he said. “It just… wasn’t working anymore.”
“I liked Tina,” I said. On previous trips, the two of us often walked together, making fun of the guys who took themselves so seriously.
“What about you?” he asked. “You with someone?”
I nodded but didn’t say anything.
“That’s too bad,” he said with a slow smile, leaning against me and briefly touching my shoulder before moving off.
I watched him walk over to Mike who was repacking someone’s bag, probably Rhonda’s. I wondered what the conversation with Isaac had been about. Isaac and I had always gotten on well, an easy friendship but at the same time, I was aware of him as a man. He was attractive, gentle and I’d sometimes had the feeling there could have been something between us, but the timing was never right.
“Let’s get going, group!” Mike called out to us. “We are behind schedule!”
He strode over to the van, repacked the packs in the back and all of us got in. Rhonda sat next me.
“My period started last night,” she whispered to me as she sat close to me.
“Oh no,” I winced. “Such bad luck.”
“I know, right? I told Lamar I didn’t want to come but he said Mike would freak. Would he though?”
Rhonda had big brown eyes and a head of wild hair that she wore naturally curly.
“Oh yeah. Mike plans these trips with military precision,” I smiled at her. “Do you need pain meds? I always have loads of those.”
“He wouldn’t even let me bring candy bars!” Rhonda complained in a furious whisper.
“I have a few extra,” I grinned. “I’ll slip you some, but we’ll have to be careful.”
“Jeez, you’d think we’re talking drugs!” Rhonda said.
It turned out that Rhonda was studying law. She was in her last year and looking to work at a top firm. She already had a job offer but it depended on her final grades. She was at Harvard, and the competition amongst students was stiff.
“How did you and Lamar meet?”
“He’s friends with my brother,” she winked at me.
“Most of my brothers’ friends were idiots,” I said, recalling the boys who’d tried their luck with me over the years.
“Oh, Lamar is an idiot too!” Rhonda said and I had to laugh. I liked her.
About two hours later, we’d reached the park entrance. The sun was about to come up and Mike wanted to get started. It was cold out and we rubbed our hands and put on our gear. Mike ran through the trail with us, told us what to watch out for. We would set up camp and summit in the morning.
We set off on the trail, falling into a line with Debbie leading the way with Isaac, followed by Lamar and Rhonda, with Mike at the back. Our walking pace was brisk, but I was fit and didn’t struggle to keep up. I was glad to be out of the city, away from the apartment with all the drama.
We had a break a few hours in and then the trail started climbing. The line became longer. Rhonda and I walked together.
“You okay?” I asked when I spotted Rhonda taking another water break.
She nodded.
Lunch was at a spot Mike had mapped out on a map. We were halfway up the mountain. It was a lovely spot, a clearing in the woods, giving us a wide view of the landscape. Mountains and trees, plenty of foliage that was beginning to change color.
“Lamar says there are bears here?” Rhonda came up to me. Lunch for me consisted of energy bars and an apple. I noticed she and Lamar had brought packed sandwiches.