I wake early in the morning. I reach for Parker for a morning snuggle but the bed next to me is empty. She doesn't often leave without telling me though she often just smiles when I ask her where she's going. "Thief stuff" is usually her answer. She didn't say anything this time and I'm wondering why.
I lay in bed, dozing for another hour before I drag myself out of bed and stumble to the shower. Back in the bedroom, I'm looking for something comfy to wear when I glance out the window at the balcony. Something looks wrong thought I can't really see clearly without my glasses. I go to the door, squinting hard. Something is hanging over the rail. As I get closer, I realize I'm looking at the bare soles of someone's feet.
Out on the balcony, I walk carefully to the edge. Unlike Parker, I'm not a big fan of heights. I peer over the side to see her hanging upside down, knees on the railing, eyes closed. "Parker! What the Hell?" She opens her eyes. "Hi Alex." "Were you sleeping? Are you insane? " "Some people thinks so" she says with a smile. "Well, you scared the crap out of me. Get up here before you fall." "I won't fall" she says. "Being upside down makes me feel better. I couldn't sleep." "So you slept hanging off the edge of a skyscraper? Parker, that's crazy." "I know" she says with a smile.
She reaches up with her hands and flips her legs over so she's hanging by her hands on the rail then climbs back up over the railing. Watching her makes me sick to my stomach and I have to step back so I can't see her hanging. She comes to me and I pull her into a tight hug. "God Parker. Don't do that to me. You're going to give me a heart attack." She holds me tight. "No promises" she says with another smile. I groan and she gives me a kiss. "Go" I tell her "take a shower and I'll make you breakfast. Anything you want?" She thinks for a minute. "Stir fry!" I groan again. "No. Not again. Not for breakfast." She gives me one of her best pouty looks. She knows that always makes me laugh. And she knows that I frequently will give in. "Egg burritos? Pancakes?" She thinks for a few seconds. "Grilled cheese?" she asks. I laugh. "Sure Parker. Grilled cheese for breakfast." She gives me a big smile. "Bacon too?" "Sure." "Goody "she says as she leans in for another kiss. She almost didn't' get her breakfast.
We're sitting in the book room, Parker is leaning back against the arm with her legs across my lap, eyes closed, thinking thief things while I read. "Alex?" I look up. "Yeah?" "Are really afraid of heights?" "Mmm hmmm. Well, not really afraid per se but I'm not fond of them either. And seeing you there like that scares the beejeebies out of me." "Would it make you feel better if I wore a harness when I do that?" "Yeah. That would make me feel a lot better. Thank you." She smiles. "Anything for you Alex. I love you. I don't want you to worry so much." "C'mere" I tell her. She gives me a grin and swings herself around so now her head is lying on my chest. I give her a passionate kiss and when she kisses me back I groan. "Fuck Parker" I whisper. She responds with my favorite word in the entire English language. "OK."
We're cuddling together on the sofa when I ask Parker, "So what exactly are thief things?" "What? I don't know. Just stuff." "Seriously Parker, I want to know what you do." She peers at me. "Really?" "Well yeah. I mean I want to know everything about you." She looks dubious. "You want to be a thief?" "No. Not a real thief. I just want to know what the world's best thief does." She smiles at the compliment. "Well, ok. I guess I can teach you some things. How 'bout I teach you to jump off the building?" "What? No! Hell no! I mean…what? You're kidding right?" I search her face for a sign that she's messing with me but she looks dead serious. Dead. Yeah. That's the right word. Along with crazy and a few other choice adjectives.
I crawl on my hands and knees towards the end of the roof and try to look over. Just looking down at the street makes me dizzy and I have to close my eyes. That freaks me out too and I back away. "Stop being such a big baby" Parker says. I look up at her expecting to see the smirk that tells me she's teasing me but she looks dead serious. I sit back and give her a look. She goes back to fiddling with the harness she's been playing with. She's standing on the low cement wall that rims the roof. "Parker, could you please step away from the edge? You're scaring the shit out of me standing there." She starts to say something then her features soften and she steps down. "I won't fall" she says. "I do this all the time." "I know" I tell her. "Still, it makes my stomach hurt to see you up there." She smiles. "I know. I'm sorry."
She holds out the harness she's been playing with. "It's done. Are you ready?" "No Parker. I'm not. I'm not doing this! You're crazy and you're even crazier to think that I'm going to jump off this roof!" "You said you wanted to know more about what I do." She says. "I do Parker. I just don't think I'm ready for this. I was thinking more like planning a heist or how to break into a museum." She gives me another look, this time with her eyebrow cocked. "A heist?" "Too hokey?" She smiles. "Yeah. Don't believe everything you see on TV. I just call it a job." "OK" I tell her. "Can't we just plan a job?" She thinks. "Most jobs I do require jumping off something. Besides its fun." I shake my head. "You're seriously going to make me do this?" "I'm not going to make you do anything Alex. And besides, we're not going to do anything until you are ready." "You mean you're going with me?" "Of course" she says, "you don't think I'm going to let you do this on your own." That makes me feel a little bit better. If I'm going to die then at least my lover is going to die with me. "Ok" I say. She smiles again. "Goody!"
Parker holds out the harness she's been messing with and I take it. "You sure this thing is going to work?" "Alex!" "Ok ok." I watch Parker step into her harness and I do the same. "C'mere" she says with a smirk as she grabs the front of my harness and pulls me close to her. We're standing breast to breast and she leans a bit forward to kiss me. While I'm distracted she grabs the loose webbing in the back of my rig and pulls it tight. I feel like the straps are cutting into my legs but I'm not going to complain, as if I could anyway. I hear the click of the D ring as she clips her harness into mine.
"Are you ready Alex?" she whispers in my ear. "Yes. Wait… is the rope strong enough to hold both of us?" "Alex!" I stop. "Don't worry. I got you." I can't explain it but her words make me feel better. "Let's do this Parker. Before I change my mind." "Ok" she says. "Just put your arms around me and hold tight." As if I wasn't going to do that already. "Ready? One…two…" Before I can change my mind, and before she reaches the number three I feel her body coil like a spring. The next thing I know we are falling through the air. I have my eyes squeezed shut. My screams mix with her 'yahoos' and the rush of air in my ears. Then, suddenly, it's over. We're on the sidewalk.
My legs feel like Jello and Parker is holding me up. We're still tied nose to nose by our harnesses. I slowly open my eyes to see Parker grinning at me. "Wasn't that amazing?" she asks. "I haven't decided yet" I tell her though every part of me wants to scream "NEVER AGAIN!" "Let's go do it again!" she says with excitement in her voice. I groan. "Not now Parker. Let me get over this one first." "Oh come on you big baby" she says but this time there's humor in her voice. "This building isn't even that tall." I roll my eyes and she laughs. "Let me recover from this one first OK? You showed me what you do. Let me show you what I can do." I say with a wink. I give her a kiss. I can hear her unclip the ring from our harnesses. "OK Alex. That's fun too."