Toronto Collection Volume 3 (Toronto Series #10-13)

by Heather Wardell

  "Ready to go, Angela?"

  "Define ready."

  John laughed. "Not you too! We'll be fine. I can't wait to do this."

  When I'd gone home and invited him to join me atop the Tower, I'd expected another money-related refusal. He had paused for a bit before answering my text, but then he'd said, "Count it as my Christmas and birthday present for the next ten years and I'm in."

  It hadn't even cost two hundred bucks each, so his time frame was a bit exaggerated, but I hadn't wanted to go alone so I'd accepted it. I'd been a little afraid I'd have to invite Lacey too, which I didn't want to do, but she'd gone to see her parents in Florida and had told John she wouldn't dream of 'doing something so stupid' even if she were around. When John had told me that I'd rolled my eyes along with him but now I wondered if Lacey had been on to something.

  John checked his watch. "Time for us to go check in. Check in to our doom. Coming, guys?"

  Tiff gave a shudder I wasn't sure was mock. "I don't even know if I can watch the video from the ground."

  "I can. Let's go."

  We followed Zack to the start area for the Edgewalk, and John and I were soon filling out a truly awe-inspiring liability waiver form. About the only possible risk not included, John pointed out with what had to be called a giggle, was Godzilla ripping us from the Tower.

  Once we'd finished signing our lives away, the employee said, "Go ahead in there and get your flight suits on."

  Tiff smiled bravely. "Have fun. Glad it's you and not me."

  Zack lurched forward and hugged John hard. "You're not going to die, are you?" I heard him mutter.

  John squeezed him tight then set him back. "No chance, monster. I wouldn't be able to stand hearing your mom say she was right for all eternity."

  Zack gave a choked laugh and let go of his dad, as Tiff shook her head but smiled at John, then Zack surprised me by hugging me too. "Be careful up there," he said into my shoulder. "It's scary."

  I hugged him back. "I'll be fine. And tonight I'll beat you up in-game."

  He laughed and released me. "Not gonna happen." His eyes widened. "You'll be fine. I meant the other part. The game part."

  We all laughed, and it made it easier for me to join John in walking into the glassed-in room where four other people were already awkwardly climbing into bright red flight suits with yellow straps.

  They, and the two employees, looked up when we arrived.

  "Welcome," an employee said. "Come over here for the test."

  The web site had said we'd need to pass a breathalyzer test to prove we hadn't been drinking, but I hadn't really thought they'd actually do it. Fortunately neither of us had grabbed a drink for courage so we were fine.

  "Show me your shoes?"

  In accordance with the rules, we both sported running shoes that couldn't fall off.

  "Jewelry?"

  We both shook our heads. I had considered wearing one of my relaxation rings for a little peace of mind but the web site's statement against jewelry had made me decide to leave it at home.

  "Good stuff. Okay, put these on," he said, passing us each a red flight suit. "And you are?"

  We gave our names, and he said, "Awesome. First time?"

  "Yup."

  "Good. All newbies this time. You're more fun to scare."

  We all laughed, and as he checked the buckles on everyone's flight suit another man in a flight suit walked in and smiled around at us all. "Hey, guys. I'm your guide Stephen. Names, please. I'll try to remember them."

  John and I introduced ourselves, then the other four named themselves as Alexa, Jake, Rosanna, and Lana. Jake's eyes narrowed and his expression went thoughtful when he looked at me, and I tensed, afraid he'd recognized me. I'd pulled my long hair back in a ponytail so it wouldn't blow around on the Tower, and I looked more like my old self, more like the picture that the news sites had posted right after the win, than usual. After a second, though, he gave me a casual smile and looked away, so he probably didn't know me.

  Alexa turned to him. "Do I look as stupid in this suit as I think I do? Is this the worst I've ever looked? Am I going to die looking ridiculous?"

  She was joking but I could tell she was scared, and Jake put his arm around her. "You're not gonna die here. I won't allow it. And I thought your Halloween costume was pretty stupid-looking, and you looked way worse when you had the flu and after you pulled that all-nighter to get Mike's second book done and--"

  She raised a hand, laughing. "I get it. Thanks so much."

  He kissed her temple. "You're so welcome."

  The conversation seemed to relax her, but I wondered why he hadn't lied and said she looked cute or something. It would have been easier, and probably calmed her more, and it wasn't that significant of a lie. I didn't approve of lying, but that one couldn't have hurt her.

  Stephen walked us through the safety procedures, checked our suit buckles and straps yet again, then said, "Okay, ready? I haven't lost anyone yet today and it's getting late. I'd hate to spoil my perfect record of at least one demise a day."

  We gave the panicked laughter he'd no doubt been expecting and followed him to the elevator. Zack and Tiff stood watching us go, and as the elevator door closed behind us Zack shouted, "Spit off the edge, Dad!"

  We all burst out laughing again and Stephen said, "Don't, Dad. Or I throw you over too."

  On the way up he talked about when the Edgewalk had been set up and how long it had been running, but I wasn't listening. I was watching the city open up before me as the elevator raced to the top.

  "You don't know how high 365 metres is until you're looking down on it," John said, his voice full of awe.

  Stephen laughed. "Not to burst your bubble, but we aren't there yet."

  The elevator jolted to a stop and six of its occupants gasped at once. The seventh, Stephen, chuckled. "Now we're there."

  He herded us, John and I leading and the rest trailing behind, out of the elevator into a hallway and then into a small room with a thick metal rail running along the ceiling and out an open door that led to... blue sky. Cold wintry blue sky.

  I took deep breaths, trying to relax myself, as Stephen and another guide who'd been waiting for us at the top connected the ropes dangling from the rail to the clips on the front and back of each flight suit.

  "The ropes can hold fourteen hundred pounds," Stephen said when he'd attached his own and the other employee had checked them. "The weight of a baby elephant."

  "But how much does the carabiner clip hold?" Jake said, looking down at his stomach where the rope had been attached to the clip.

  "A thousand pounds. And you look a wee bit lighter than that to me."

  We all laughed and Stephen said, "Ready? John, move 'em out."

  John and I exchanged a brief "what are we doing?" look, then he began walking forward. I followed when the guide instructed, and in moments I was outside in the crisp cold air, taking tiny shuffling steps along an open metal grating and staring out in shocked fascination at the city spread out before and below me. Lake Ontario seemed almost small from our height, and the buildings that I knew were huge looked like an ant wouldn't fit inside.

  Once our whole group was outside, Stephen had us turn around and wave at the group before us which was just finishing its trip around the Tower. Those people were all walking normally, and I wondered how many times they'd done this before to be so comfortable.

  John and I and the others shuffled along, looking out and down and all around, while Stephen walked right on the edge of the platform and leaned out as if he were an inch off the ground, showing no fear at all. I supposed having the guide look terrified was bad for business.

  I had been feeling terrified, but it faded fast. We were insanely high up, but we were securely anchored and wouldn't even be able to fall if we wanted to, and the view was so gorgeous, as the sun began to set over Lake Ontario, that my excitement overtook my fear.

  John didn't seem to have any fear to overtake, and I'd never s
een him so happy and excited. Stephen stopped us three times in our walking to lean out over the city, and John went first every time and grinned so widely that his face must have hurt.

  I was only a little less comfortable than him in putting my feet right to the edge so that my toes were off the platform and later in leaning back so I was sitting on thin air over the city, but I couldn't match his relaxation in what Stephen called the 'Titanic pose'. John leaned forward and stretched his arms out, standing with no support but the ropes, and laughed from pure delight. I did get out there but I couldn't make myself let go of the ropes despite Stephen's kind encouragement until John said, "Zack'll mock you." Knowing he was right, I took a deep breath and let my arms spread wide. It was terrifying, but still a wonderful feeling.

  The whole thing was wonderful. As we neared the end, Stephen pulled a camera from his zippered pocket and took pictures of us. John and I leaned out to sit together, and Stephen said, "Get closer!" We did, and John slipped his arm around my waist so I did the same to him, and I realized as Stephen snapped the picture that this was the closest John and I had ever come to hugging.

  Alexa and Jake had their picture taken together, then another while they kissed, and then Rosanna and Lana joined them in sitting over Toronto. Once he'd photographed everyone alone and together, Stephen got us moving again. I spotted another group just beginning their walk, taking tiny steps like we had, and realized we were now walking as smoothly as the previous group had been. Amazing how quickly humans get used to crazy situations.

  Stephen and his assistant unhooked us once we were inside the Tower again, and as we took the elevator back down to the ground floor John said into my ear, "I will never forget that. Thank you so much."

  I smiled up at him. "You're so welcome. I'm so glad you-- glad it worked out, I mean," I said, not wanting to emphasize the 'glad you smartened up and took the offer' angle.

  He gave me a wry smile. "Yeah. I'm glad I did too."

  Chapter Twenty-One

  "Is she back inside yet?"

  Dad laughed. "Nope. I'll tell you when you can look."

  Mom covered her eyes more firmly, and the rest of us watched the last few minutes of my Edgewalk video. I'd brought it along for Christmas Day but had left it on the front seat of my car intending to fetch it later on when we were all too full of Mom's great Christmas goodies to do anything but stare at the TV. Everyone had come out to see my new car, though, and Dad had spotted the DVD and insisted we take a look before opening presents.

  "She's inside," Dad said once the video ended, and Mom dropped her hands to her lap and shook her head. "I'm exhausted and I didn't even do it. How did you survive that?"

  I shrugged. "It was a bit scary at first but I knew I was safe. I might go again when John's kid is old enough to do it. If Tiff lets him go."

  After we'd returned to the main floor Tiff had hugged me tight, saying she'd almost cried from fear watching us up there, then she'd hugged John even tighter and they'd held each other close for long enough that I'd started to feel in the way. I did like that they weren't at each other's throats because that would be bad for Zack, but it felt weird seeing that the money John owed was probably the only thing keeping them apart. If he ever allowed me to repay his gambling debt for him, he'd almost certainly get his marriage back.

  As I wondered why that thought made my stomach clench, Mom said, "Well, if you do I won't watch that video either." She smiled at me. "But good for you. I'm glad you're having some fun with your money."

  "Hasn't it all been fun?"

  I turned to Sydney, confused. "Not the parts where people harassed me on the street for it. Or the part where I'm getting sued for a share of it."

  "Oh, I'm sure those weren't fun." She smiled at me. "No, I just meant that I know about the car and the spa and the hair and the clothes, but you haven't mentioned anything you bought that wasn't for you. But I'm sure you have done some things like that, though. Right?"

  Her words on their own were brutal but she said them so sweetly and innocently that I couldn't believe she meant them that way. "I gave a friend the money to do in-vitro fertilization," I said, before realizing I didn't need to justify myself, then added, "And I've done other stuff too."

  "She gave us all ten grand, remember?" Natalie patted the cobalt blue purse sitting beside her on the couch, which she hadn't let out of her sight. She'd even taken it with her to the kitchen when she needed another cup of eggnog though it was hardly at risk of being stolen from the midst of our Christmas celebration. "I never thought I'd be able to afford a Prada, but thanks to you here it is. And I actually have some money in my savings account now too."

  I'd never much cared about the labels on my clothes or purses, so I wouldn't be getting a Prada personally, but I was glad my sister had enjoyed the money I'd given her. Tuesday, of course, had given her check back, and Luke and Justin had both told me they'd put the money into savings while they decided how to use it. Cody had cashed his check but hadn't said anything about how he'd use it. Maybe he wasn't sharing it with Sydney and she was taking that out on me.

  Mom shook her head. "I still think that purse was ridiculously expensive, Nat, but it IS pretty."

  Natalie stroked the leather reverently. "I love it more than chocolate."

  We all laughed and Dad said, "Present time?"

  The others agreed, and I did too but with less certainty. I hadn't been sure how to handle this. Back in October we'd done our traditional name draw so we'd only have to buy one present, with a maximum cost of sixty bucks, rather than running around hunting down things for everyone. I'd pulled Sydney's name, so ordinarily I'd have bought only for her. This wasn't remotely an ordinary year, though. How could I spend only sixty dollars after I'd won so much?

  But I couldn't spend thousands on her, either, not without making the whole thing awkward for everyone else. After much thought, I'd decided that the best way to handle it was to give Sydney what I'd have given her if I hadn't won and then give everyone, including her, a bonus gift.

  I'd struggled with the amount of those bonus gifts, but had eventually gone with a thousand dollars each. Not much, in some ways, but I'd found it surprisingly hard. I did want to treat my family well but seeing my bank account drop by eleven grand in less than an hour had hurt. A lot.

  We went around the group, each person opening their gifts in turn. Tuesday's husband Murray had picked my name, and he'd bought me a gorgeous teal-lacquered bonsai pot that would hold two trees. I'd seen one like it at my usual shop and I knew it went for around seventy dollars, but he said casually, "I got a good deal at that online bonsai store I told you about," and smiled at me. As I smiled back, he said, "Such a good deal, in fact, that I got you this too," and pulled something from his pocket as Tuesday said, laughing, "Oh, no, you didn't! I told you it was stupid."

  "Now I'm desperate to open it," I said, accepting the small paper packet from Murray, and tore it open as Mom and Dad leaned forward to see. The gift fell into my lap and I burst out laughing, then held up the tiny black rubber circle with a thin rope attached. "It's a tire swing. For in a bonsai." I smiled at Murray as my parents chuckled. "It is kind of stupid, but I love it. Thank you."

  He smiled back and nudged Tuesday. "Told you it was the good kind of stupid."

  She rolled her eyes but smiled back.

  I loved that he'd bought me exactly what he would have had I not won the lottery. Hoping the gift I'd brought got the same good reception as the one I'd received, I said, "Okay, Sydney, you're up," and handed her the small lumpy package. I'd used the wish list she'd sent me to buy the five skeins of a particular soft wool she wanted for a cardigan sweater. It had run me closer to a hundred dollars but I'd figured that was all right given the circumstances, and only buying three of the skeins didn't seem like much of a gift. Here, knit yourself some sleeves?

  She tore open the package and stared down at the contents.

  My heart skipped a beat. "It's not the stuff you wanted?"


  She looked up, eyes wide. "What? No, it's perfect. Sorry, I was just..." She gave a shudder. "Ooh, I've wanted this all year. I'm just so happy!"

  Relief flooded me as she scooped out a skein of the gorgeously variegated royal blue wool and held it against her cheek. "So pretty. I can't wait to knit with it." She offered the skein to Mom. "Soft too."

  Mom gave it a pat. "Definitely. Have fun with it."

  "Oh, I will." She smiled at me, bright and cheerful as always. "I definitely will. I'll start tomorrow!"

  I smiled back, and she passed my dad the gift she'd bought him.

  Once everything had been opened, or at least everything the others knew about, I cleared my throat and said, "I brought something else."

  Sydney said, "Oh, you shouldn't have. This yarn is already a little over budget."

  I blinked. "It's not for you. I mean, not just for you." I reached under the couch, where I'd hidden the bag earlier, and hauled it out. "I just thought I could do a little bit more for you guys this year than I usually can."

  "You don't have to do that."

  Dad put his hand on Mom's arm. "Don't be hasty, Edith. Let's see what the kid's done."

  I found the big travel-agency envelope in the bag and passed it to him. "I did get the cruise arranged but the final paperwork hasn't arrived yet, for it and your flights and all that. Should be soon. But here's the initial stuff. Just to prove I booked it."

  Mom gave an excited shudder. "I can't wait. I really never thought we'd get to go."

  Dad rolled his eyes. "You always told me we'd do it someday."

  She laughed. "But I didn't mean it. But now we will, thanks to Angela." She pulled out the paperwork and flipped through it, then raised her head and frowned at me. "Didn't I say not to spend the extra money for the bigger room with the balcony?"