Read Online A Boat Made of Bone (The Chthonic Saga) by Nicole Grotepas - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Nicole Grotepas
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Audra.
Kate puzzled over it, pulling her knees to her chest, wishing she could forget that she’d ever had even a smidgeon of hope about him. The only answer for it was that Audra must have been imagining all those sultry looks Ty had supposedly been flashing Kate at Salt and Sugar. Kate cleared her throat quietly, went to the drinking fountain for a sip of water, and ended up finding a spot on her own, close to the entrance where the wall was the least steep for her warm up. She concentrated on getting more comfortable with the tiny crimper holds that she could barely pinch her fingers onto. She did a few really easy routes at first to warm-up. Soon Malcolm came over and casually began conversing with her.
“I’ve seen you around here,” he mentioned nonchalantly.
“I come when it’s two for one, usually,” she told him, shaking out her arms to loosen up her knotting muscles. She rolled her shoulder and still felt a small, dull ache from her fall a few days ago—but it wasn’t bad enough to stop her from training. “Usually I go up the canyon with my friend rather than pay.” She remembered that he owned the place, and peered at him, flushing. “Sorry. No offense. I’m just poor.”
“Right on,” Malcolm says. “No problem. I get it, I get it.”
Kate caught Ty’s eyes flicking toward her before darting away again. Audra was climbing with him. Kate hid it well, but she felt that she was better than Audra on the rock. Of course it seemed that Audra felt otherwise, even if she made jokes to the contrary. Every route her friend did, Kate noticed that a bunch of guys gathered around under her, spotting her, and cheering her on. She’d taken her shirt off and was just wearing her sports bra, which was a big hit with the guys.
“Your friend is popular,” Malcolm observed with a glance at the bevy of guys flocking to watch Audra. He looked back at Kate and grinned.
“She’s pretty awesome. I’m not surprised,” Kate answered, not even considering taking her own shirt off. She crouched down to begin a route, and placed her toe on a foothold at the bottom of the wall. Once she fixed the tips of her fingers to a tiny ledge, she balanced all her weight on the toe already on the wall long enough to slip her other toe on and begin her route.
“She’s not the only impressive chick climber in the room,” Malcolm said, from behind Kate. He’d begun to spot her.
Kate laughed awkwardly and blushed as she scaled the artificial wall. She didn’t follow a route, just moved to the next hardest hold she could see, breathing slowly, in a meditative manner.
Malcolm was good-looking. But with a quick glance around the gym, Kate realized spotting an ugly one would have been like finding sand in the desert. The gym was one of the places the beautiful people spent their downtime and it made her feel like an outsider. Instead of being flattered or even intimidated by Malcolm, she found herself buying into the idea that she had nothing to lose. He wasn’t interested in her that way, she decided. Most likely he was using her to get to Audra—his eyes had stuck to her until he’d noticed the chalk mark on his nose.
Kate got to the top of the wall after a slow, deliberate climb that pushed her muscles and forced her form into sharpness. Sweat broke out on her brow, her forearms screamed, and her calves knotted. She began a quick descent down the easiest holds possible—ledges, arches, and scoops—and then jumped onto the crash pad when she was about two-thirds of the way down.
Malcolm was waiting for her with his arm over his head to give her a high five. She laughed and blushed, but gave him the slap he was waiting for.
From the corner of her eye, Kate saw Ty spot the exchange and make his way over to them.
“Nice finish,” he said.
“Thanks,” Kate said gratefully.
“We should go up the canyon sometime.” It was out of nowhere and Kate blinked a few times, wondering if she heard him right. Oh that’s
Kate puzzled over it, pulling her knees to her chest, wishing she could forget that she’d ever had even a smidgeon of hope about him. The only answer for it was that Audra must have been imagining all those sultry looks Ty had supposedly been flashing Kate at Salt and Sugar. Kate cleared her throat quietly, went to the drinking fountain for a sip of water, and ended up finding a spot on her own, close to the entrance where the wall was the least steep for her warm up. She concentrated on getting more comfortable with the tiny crimper holds that she could barely pinch her fingers onto. She did a few really easy routes at first to warm-up. Soon Malcolm came over and casually began conversing with her.
“I’ve seen you around here,” he mentioned nonchalantly.
“I come when it’s two for one, usually,” she told him, shaking out her arms to loosen up her knotting muscles. She rolled her shoulder and still felt a small, dull ache from her fall a few days ago—but it wasn’t bad enough to stop her from training. “Usually I go up the canyon with my friend rather than pay.” She remembered that he owned the place, and peered at him, flushing. “Sorry. No offense. I’m just poor.”
“Right on,” Malcolm says. “No problem. I get it, I get it.”
Kate caught Ty’s eyes flicking toward her before darting away again. Audra was climbing with him. Kate hid it well, but she felt that she was better than Audra on the rock. Of course it seemed that Audra felt otherwise, even if she made jokes to the contrary. Every route her friend did, Kate noticed that a bunch of guys gathered around under her, spotting her, and cheering her on. She’d taken her shirt off and was just wearing her sports bra, which was a big hit with the guys.
“Your friend is popular,” Malcolm observed with a glance at the bevy of guys flocking to watch Audra. He looked back at Kate and grinned.
“She’s pretty awesome. I’m not surprised,” Kate answered, not even considering taking her own shirt off. She crouched down to begin a route, and placed her toe on a foothold at the bottom of the wall. Once she fixed the tips of her fingers to a tiny ledge, she balanced all her weight on the toe already on the wall long enough to slip her other toe on and begin her route.
“She’s not the only impressive chick climber in the room,” Malcolm said, from behind Kate. He’d begun to spot her.
Kate laughed awkwardly and blushed as she scaled the artificial wall. She didn’t follow a route, just moved to the next hardest hold she could see, breathing slowly, in a meditative manner.
Malcolm was good-looking. But with a quick glance around the gym, Kate realized spotting an ugly one would have been like finding sand in the desert. The gym was one of the places the beautiful people spent their downtime and it made her feel like an outsider. Instead of being flattered or even intimidated by Malcolm, she found herself buying into the idea that she had nothing to lose. He wasn’t interested in her that way, she decided. Most likely he was using her to get to Audra—his eyes had stuck to her until he’d noticed the chalk mark on his nose.
Kate got to the top of the wall after a slow, deliberate climb that pushed her muscles and forced her form into sharpness. Sweat broke out on her brow, her forearms screamed, and her calves knotted. She began a quick descent down the easiest holds possible—ledges, arches, and scoops—and then jumped onto the crash pad when she was about two-thirds of the way down.
Malcolm was waiting for her with his arm over his head to give her a high five. She laughed and blushed, but gave him the slap he was waiting for.
From the corner of her eye, Kate saw Ty spot the exchange and make his way over to them.
“Nice finish,” he said.
“Thanks,” Kate said gratefully.
“We should go up the canyon sometime.” It was out of nowhere and Kate blinked a few times, wondering if she heard him right. Oh that’s
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