What cant be bought part.., p.22
What Can't Be Bought: Part 1, page 22
They arrived at the launching site for their three day expedition a few minutes before 9:00 A.M. the following morning. They were the first ones to arrive. After checking in, they were shown to their guides who were organizing the gear for their guests by the river.
“Hi, I’m Austin,” one of the guides introduced himself. He looked mid-to-late forties with short brown hair under a boonie hat and tan skin from working outdoors all summer. He gestured to his partner, a young black man, who was crouching down and inspecting the canoes. “This is James.”
When James heard his name he turned around and smiled. He then stood to join them, allowing Viktor and Amanda to appreciate how extraordinarily tall he was.
“Very nice to have you with us,” he greeted them with a very heavy Jamaican accent.
“You’re from Jamaica?” Amanda asked as she shook his hand.
“Yes ma’am,” he said proudly.
“You stay here through the winter?” she then asked, wondering how he coped with the cold.
“I do,” he answered with a huge smile. “Is that strange?”
“I don’t even want to stay here through the winter and I’m not from a tropical island!” she laughed. “You’re tougher than me, that’s for sure.”
He chuckled. “Well it took a few years to get used to but I like it here. It’s quiet and peaceful.”
“Yes. It is,” she agreed. “Very nice to meet you, James.”
“Likewise.” He returned to fulfilling his guide duties before they set off.
Amanda looked at Viktor and grinned. “This is going to be so much fun!”
“I’m super excited,” he agreed. “I’ve never been camping before.”
Feeling a little shocked by that revelation, she gave him a look. “You’ve never been camping?”
“Always wanted to.”
Amanda suddenly felt unsure of the wisdom of what they were about to do.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, noting she suddenly looked troubled.
“I’m going camping with a millionaire who’s never been camping before, what could possibly go wrong?” she quietly replied.
“Oh stop. It’s going to be fine.”
Two more guests arrived. They were twin sisters from South Carolina named Emily and Julia. They were in their early twenties with blonde hair and blue eyes. Viktor and Amanda both concluded they would never be able to distinguish who was who.
The next guests to arrive were a couple from New York, Peter and Tiffany. Everything they wore and carried looked like it had just come off the rack and not a single hair appeared to be out of place. The wife was done up with manicured nails, perfect hair and makeup. She was quiet and almost seemed disinterested to be there but the husband was quite excited and boisterous.
“Isn’t it great to be in nature!” he exclaimed as he stood overlooking the river.
“Oh boy,” Amanda muttered to Viktor.
“I’ll bet you a million dollars all he’s going to do over the next few days is talk about his money,” Viktor predicted.
“Oh, you think?” Amanda replied somewhat sarcastically since she got the same feeling. “What do I get if you’re right?”
“A million dollars,” he half-joked.
She just looked at him. “Why do I think you mean that?”
He put his arm around her back and kissed her cheek. “Love you.”
“Love you too, trouble.”
They heard arguing behind them just then and turned to see what was happening. There was another couple that was walking towards them. They looked to be late forties or early fifties. The wife was short with dyed black hair, grey eyes and tan skin. The husband was a little taller but stocky. He was nearly completely bald with fair skin and brown eyes.
“Henry, why are you carrying it like that?” the wife asked. “If you just set it down, you could adjust it so it’s easier to carry.”
“It’s fine Evelyn,” the husband replied with frustration in his voice. “I’m just carrying it over there.” He gestured to where they were standing.
“I don’t understand why you won’t listen to me,” the wife responded.
“Because by the time I adjust it, we could be there already!”
“It would just take a second!”
“This doesn’t bode well,” Viktor chuckled.
“I hope they don’t argue like this the whole time,” Amanda replied, wide-eyed.
They continued arguing about how Henry should carry the backpack until they reached the canoes where everyone else was already gathered.
“Hi,” Henry greeted everyone with a smile. “Sorry we’re late.”
“We wouldn’t have been if you had just listened to me,” Evelyn muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.
Henry didn’t react, choosing to ignore the remark rather than get angry over it.
“Your timing is perfect,” Austin said. “We’re just about ready to set off.”
Austin and James began by giving them instructions on how to load the canoe with their equipment so that the boat remained balanced. They outlined a few safety rules and what to do in an emergency. They then invited everyone to begin loading their canoes with the gear that had been laid out for them.
Each couple was issued a tent, 2 cots, sleeping bags, pillows and chairs. Everyone began quietly loading the items into their canoes, everyone except Henry and Evelyn that is.
“Evelyn, it doesn’t go like that,” Henry insisted.
“This is the only way it can go,” Evelyn objected.
“No, it can fit just like this.”
“Okay but then where are we going to put the tent?” she challenged him.
“The tent can go right here ...”
Amanda exchanged glances with Viktor. “I can’t decide if this is going to be entertaining or horrifying,” she remarked.
“Both,” Viktor concluded.
She laughed. “What have I done?”
Eventually everyone was loaded and the arguing ceased. They pushed off and began gently gliding across the lake toward the first campsite. The foliage was spectacular and they got many good photos. They stopped briefly along the way to eat lunch but eventually, an hour before dusk they arrived at the site.
The campsite was fairly large considering how isolated it was. There was no visible road that led to it and the only facilities were a couple of outhouses. There were other groups that were already there with fires going. Some were cooking food while others were still setting up tents. The guides directed them to a section right next to the river that was designated for their group.
“This is perfect!” Amanda exclaimed, excited to be so close to the water.
“You want to set up the tent so that it faces the river?” Viktor asked.
“Yes,” she readily answered.
As they began laying out their tent, the arguing between Henry and Evelyn began again.
“How is it possible to argue about everything?” Amanda asked in amazement.
“I don’t know, why don’t you ask them?” Viktor suggested.
She slapped his arm. “Don’t be cheeky.”
He laughed. “I don’t even know what that means.”
“Disrespectful but in a humorous way.”
“Oh. Well … I will try my best.”
She rolled her eyes while grinning. “Yeah, right.”
Everyone had their tents up except for Henry and Evelyn, who couldn’t agree on which pole to raise first. James eventually came and offered his assistance to help them get set up while Austin confirmed everyone’s dinner order. They had a choice of fish, steak or sausage with sides of roasted peppers, a baked potato, and baked beans with dinner rolls.
Viktor and Amanda brought their chairs over to the fire and sat next to Emily and Julia who were quietly enjoying the warm flames. A few moments later Peter and Tiffany joined them. With Henry and Evelyn’s tent finally up, James returned and offered everyone something to drink. Viktor, Amanda and the twins just asked for water while Peter and Tiffany grilled him about their beverage options or lack of, as they considered it.
“Why would you only have a couple options for all these people?” Tiffany complained loudly.
“Because they only have so much room in their canoes,” Viktor boldly answered.
His response seemed to deflate some of her indignation.
“Well if I was running this,” Peter chimed in, “I would have the food and drinks airdropped. Give people some selection.”
“Wouldn’t that kind of detract from the whole point of being out here?” Viktor asked. “Not to mention, triple the cost.”
Thinking Viktor was getting a little too confrontational, Amanda took his hand and squeezed it very tightly while maintaining a smile.
“If you could afford the cost, you would pay it,” Peter reasoned.
Amanda squeezed his hand even harder, hoping Viktor would let it drop and not continue the conversation.
Viktor shrugged and conceded, “Maybe some would.” He then turned to Amanda who smiled with her lips but scolded with her eyes. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. “You tired?”
“Hungry.”
“Mmm,” he grunted in agreement. “How much longer for dinner, Austin?” Viktor asked.
“Almost ready,” he assured them.
“It smells amazing,” one of the twins added.
Amanda ordered steak for Viktor and fish for herself for the first night when she booked the trip. She figured Viktor would be happy with one of those options or they could share, which is what they ended up doing.
Henry and Evelyn took a break from bickering while they ate, much to everyone’s relief. However, Peter decided to regale everyone with a story of a fish he caught on his yacht off the coast of Florida. He made sure to tell everyone how big his yacht was and how much it cost.
“What did I tell you?” Viktor whispered to her.
“Behave,” Amanda whispered back, afraid someone would overhear him.
“Should I tell him about my jet?” Viktor then asked.
She chuckled. “Stop it.”
During their time around the campfire they learned that Henry and Evelyn had been married for almost 30 years, which surprised everyone though they tried not to show it. They had one grown child, a son, who Amanda thought was likely in therapy.
Emily and Julia had just graduated college and were taking some time off to relax before the drudgery of life closed in on them. They seemed like really good kids and were very polite and personable.
Peter was a defense lawyer in New York City which convinced Viktor he was likely a sociopath. His wife didn’t seem to have much say in their life. It was clear that Peter controlled the money and by extension, his wife.
Amanda disclosed that she worked for an IT firm in Boston but Viktor remained silent on his occupation. When it got dark, everyone slowly retired to their tents. Amanda and Viktor made a pit stop at the outhouses before going to their site.
“That was disgusting,” Amanda remarked as she met up again with Viktor.
“I thought you loved camping?”
“Camping, yes. Outhouses, no.”
“Duly noted.”
As they walked past Henry & Evelyn’s tent, Evelyn’s voice pierced the air. “I don’t want my cot that close to the door!”
“There’s nowhere else to put it!” Henry shot back.
“Why can’t I move it over there, next to yours?”
“Because then you’ll be trapped on your cot and unable to get out unless you crawl over me or I move!”
“But I’ll be sleeping, I won’t need to move.”
“You get up 3 times a night!”
“Well, I can just get out over there,” Evelyn countered.
“You’ll be falling into the side of the tent, Evelyn. There’s not enough room.”
Amanda and Viktor exchanged glances.
“They’re unbelievable,” Amanda remarked. “I’ve never seen two people argue so much.”
“Makes you wonder why they even got married,” Viktor added.
“Maybe they didn’t start out like that,” Amanda reasoned.
“That’s a frightening thought.”
She laughed and hung on his arm. “Oddly, they do seem to love each other, though.”
“They do, don’t they.”
“Hardly seems possible,” she joked.
“I’m just happy we’re not like that,” Viktor remarked.
“Me too,” she agreed.
“Are you changing?” Viktor asked when they arrived at their tent.
“I wasn’t going to bother. You?”
“No. It’s a little chilly. I think I’ll need all my clothes.”
“You’ll be warmer in your sleeping bag,” she assured him.
They stepped inside and removed their shoes. Amanda sat on her cot and watched Viktor as he looked for something in his bag. He finally pulled out a small bottle of hand sanitizer. He put a little in his hand and then offered her some.
She shook her head. “You didn’t use the sanitizer in the outhouse?”
“There was sanitizer in the outhouse?” he asked.
She giggled at him. “Yes.”
“Oh, I didn’t see it.”
“And here, I thought you were observant,” she teased.
“I was trying not to look at anything in there!” he quickly defended himself.
“I know,” she sympathetically agreed. “Seriously, next time I’m going in the woods even though they said not to.”
He laughed, “I won’t stop you.”
They both climbed into their sleeping bags and turned out their headlamps.
“If you have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I want you to wake me,” Viktor’s voice cut through the silence.
Amanda made a groaning noise like she didn’t like his request.
“We’re in the middle of the woods with a bunch of strangers and it’s pitch black. I can’t even see my hands. I don’t want you going out without me,” he insisted.
“What if it’s 3:00 in the morning?”
“I don’t care what time or how groggy I seem. I want you to wake me up.”
“So does that mean you’ll wake me if you have to go?” she then asked.
He didn’t answer.
“Viktor?”
“If that’s what you want,” he blurted.
“It’s only fair.”
He audibly sighed.
“I love you,” she said with a playful, apologetic tone.
“Love you too, trouble.”
“But I’m your trouble.”
“Yes. You’re my trouble,” he agreed.
Chapter 29
Amanda woke to an empty tent. She sat up and rubbed her face. Exiting the tent she quickly spotted Viktor sitting at the campfire chatting with Austin and James. No one else from their group had gotten up yet. Viktor’s back was towards the tent so she walked up to him and rubbed his shoulders.
“Hey sweetie,” he greeted her.
She leaned down and kissed him as she relieved him of the coffee in his hands. She then took the seat next to him and quietly sipped his coffee.
“Did you want a coffee?” he asked with a huge grin, feeling greatly amused by the way she stole his.
“Mmm. No thanks,” she replied as she gazed at the fire. “I have one.”
James held out a replacement coffee. Viktor thanked him as he accepted it and they sat quietly watching the flames. As more guests began to wake Austin and James began preparing to cook breakfast.
“Take a walk with me?” Viktor asked Amanda.
“Do I have to?” she moaned. “My body hurts.”
He chuckled and took her hand as he stood up. “Come on.”
They left their coffee mugs by the fire and walked towards the river.
“It’s so peaceful here,” she remarked as she gazed out over the water.
When they could no longer hear or see the other campers, Viktor stopped and pulled Amanda towards him. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. She kissed him back and they spent the next couple of minutes enjoying nature and each other.
He stroked her hair and looked in her eyes. “This vacation is perfect with one exception.”
“What’s that?” she asked.
“It’s too short. I don’t want to leave you Monday.”
She smiled softly. “I know the feeling.”
“I’m going to move to Boston.”
She took a sharp breath, unable to hide her apprehension.
“Why are you so afraid of me moving close to you?”
“It’s such a big move.” She sighed and tried to gather her thoughts. “We’ve only known each other four months ...”
“Five,” he interrupted.
She gave him a look. “Four and a half.” He rolled his eyes and she continued, “Besides your company is there. How would that work? You’d have to fly there all the time. It’s just not practical right now. And it’s too early for that.”
Viktor took a deep breath, feeling frustrated. “Okay then. How much longer should I wait to move to Boston?”
“How about we talk about it in the spring?” she suggested. “You don’t want to move during winter anyway.”
“Counter offer. I just move here in the spring.”
Despite how anxious she felt about it she finally gave in. “I guess that’s reasonable.”
“And don’t worry about my company. Most meetings I’ll be able to video conference. I won’t need to fly there as much as you think.”
“Okay. That makes me feel a little better.”
He tenderly kissed her lips. “You worry too much.”
She grinned. “I can’t help it. I’m a woman.”
He chuckled. “I hope someday you’ll leave the worrying to me.”
“I’m afraid that’s impossible.”
He shook his head and kissed her again. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Viktor.”
“Ready for breakfast?”
“Definitely,” she agreed.
They walked back to the campsite where Emily and Julia were already eating breakfast. James and Austin handed them each a plate with scrambled eggs, toast and bacon along with fresh cups of coffee. They were joined a few moments later by the rest of their group. Peter and Tiffany didn’t look quite as put together as they did the day before and Tiffany didn’t look entirely thrilled by it.
