Page 79 of One Night in Vegas

“Yep,” I said. “One of those places that does bootcamp training for people looking for a challenge. They brought some of their pieces down here.”

She shook her head. “I suppose people jump when you call.”

“Not always,” I said.

“You should probably get yourself a drink,” she said. “I would hate to have you get dehydrated on the course. I do plan on kicking your ass. We’re going to win this thing. We’ll be heading off to Vegas tomorrow.”

“Sounds like a challenge,” I teased.

“It’s a promise,” she replied. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

She walked away and joined her team, who quickly embraced her. I watched as they all started talking and plotting the way they were going to take my team down. I was going to enjoy the challenge. It was a lot of fun just being there with her.

The light lunch was served, giving everyone a chance to refuel in preparation for the obstacle course I knew was going to be tough. After lunch, there was another twenty minutes for everyone to let their food digest. Then it was off to the races—almost literally.

“Alright, everyone!” I said into the mic. “This is where the winner will be determined. We’re tied, one to one. The obstacle course is going to push you. It’s going to challenge you. It’s going to make you cry and yell with frustration. Just remember, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Lots of bright lights! Vegas, baby! Let’s get out there and get dirty!”

Cheers shot up into the sky. I loved that everyone was so enthused. We had done plenty of activities similar to this, but there was an obvious difference today. The excitement was palpable. Even the people that usually sat and watched from the sidelines looked excited to be a part of the games. I couldn’t give Macy all the credit, but she was pumping people up. She was certainly pumping me up.

I led the staff down the beach to where the obstacle course had been set up. It looked intimidating. I had asked for easy, given that some of my staff were pushing sixty and not everyone was in the best of shape. I heard the whispers as we walked to the starting line. There was more excitement but plenty of nerves as well.

Macy looked over at me. “You haven’t seen this?”

I shook my head. “Nope. I’m just as surprised as all of you.”

“If I find out you’ve been training for this in your secret lair, you’ll be drinking water for the next week. No coffee. No pastries. And definitely no candy bars.”

“I swear, I have not seen this,” I said. “Cross my heart.”

31

MACY

We all listened as the team who set up the course explained what we were supposed to do. They had one person demonstrate while they talked. I listened intently while keeping an eye on Jon. He did seem to be paying attention, which likely meant all of this was just as new to him.

“That’s it!” The man who had been explaining the course clapped his hands together. “Everyone, get ready!”

We broke into our teams and had a few minutes to strategize. We all had to go through it, which was just a little terrifying. I glanced over at the tires we had to run through. I hoped like hell I didn’t fall on my face. With our order established, we lined up behind the starting line. I looked over at the opposing team to see who I was going to be running against. Of course, it was him.

Jon smirked. “Hope you’re ready to get dirty.”

“Very funny. I plan on running right through that mud pit. I’m not going down.”

“We’ll see about that,” he said.

The guys running the race announced the start with what sounded like a gunshot. My heart jumped. I loved the fun of competition. I wasn’t one of those people that got too crazy, but I did have a competitive streak in me that could make me just a little intense. At least that was what my brother said.

We all watched the first person from each team enter the course. I studied their moves and was already coming up with what I was and wasn’t going to do. I looked over and saw Jon watching just as intently. Given his size and obvious athleticism, I was very, very worried I wasn’t going to be able to beat him. My only hope was my team got us enough of a lead to give me a chance.

I cringed when one of the HR guys faceplanted in the mud. I wasn’t prissy but wearing mud from tip to top did not appeal to me. It looked like my team was pulling ahead. Not by much, but every second counted.

One after another went in front of me. Both Jon and I were hunched over, ready to take off through the obstacle course. My heart was pounding, and I was doing nothing but standing at the starting line. Everyone was screaming and cheering on the two people pushing through the course. My teammate finished about two seconds before Jon’s teammate.

I took off like a shot, dragging myself over the wall before dropping to my knees and crawling through the long tube. The moment my head popped out like a turtle emerging from its shell, I glanced over and saw Jon get to his feet and take off toward the tires. I had already decided to take my time through the tires. I didn’t want to fall and get tangled up.

Jon was several seconds ahead of me. He was going to win. I gave it my all. It had nothing to do with going to Vegas. It was all about pulling out the win for my team. And maybe a little about beating him.

There was still some weird thing we had going between us. I didn’t want to fall to him. I had to kick ass. I had to do something to prove I was just a tiny bit better at something.