Call Me Sugar

by Sage Nyx

  “Back from where?” Jade asks.

  “You’ll see,” I say, taking her hand and helping her into the helicopter. “That’s part of the surprise.”

  After making sure we’re both belted in securely, Trixie climbs into the pilot’s seat.

  “Did you bring anything alcoholic to drink?” I ask her once we’re settled.

  Trixie nods, lifting a bottle of champagne that’s chilling in a bucket sitting squarely between her legs.

  “Do you want to pass that bucket back so I can hold it for you?” I ask. “In case you need room to steer this thing? You seem cramped up there with a picnic basket and the ice bucket.”

  “No, it’s fine,” she replies, waving off my concerns. “I’ve been flying since I was ten years old. You’re in good hands. Don’t worry, I’ve only crashed once. Well…technically twice, but the second time didn’t count because I crash landed a floatplane on a lake in Alaska.”

  “Take it easy on us,” I warn her. “This is Jade’s first time.”

  “You got it,” she replies absentmindedly while typing a text on her cell phone.

  Normally, I don’t pay much attention to Trixie’s bad habits of eating, texting and piloting the chopper at the same time. Today I’m concerned since Jade is a passenger too.

  “If you get nervous or scared, hold on tight to me,” I lean over to say directly into Jade’s ear. “This will be fun.”

  “Believe me, I will,” she says, tightening her grip on my hand.

  Jade

  “Everyone okay back there?” Trixie’s voice comes into my ear loud and clear.

  We’ve put on headsets and a microphone to enable us to talk above the loud roar of the propellers. I grip Sugar’s hand tighter as the helicopter slowly takes off.

  “Hang on!” Trixie says.

  My stomach lurches when she quickly dips the helicopter in a turn before heading off in the other direction.

  Sugar smiles at me. “Are you okay?” he mouths.

  I nod back and gaze out the window in awe at the Las Vegas skyline already coming into view up ahead. This is one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done in my life.

  My family has never had the money to do expensive excursions. Or even travel to anywhere remotely exotic. Our rare summer vacations were always to a Florida beach or to Orlando before we moved there permanently.

  My mom would love this.

  “We’re coming up on the famous Vegas strip,” Trixie says into her mouthpiece. “It’s prettier at night with all the bright lights and the Bellagio fountains. At least we have a clear view today. Get your camera ready, because we’ll be passing by the Stratosphere Tower soon. The tourists at the top of the tower will be taking photos of us while you’re taking photos of them. It’s cool.”

  “If you enjoy this, we can book a night tour before you leave town,” Sugar says, leaning over my shoulder to peek out my window.

  “I’d love that!”

  His hand drops to my knee while he points out the famous Las Vegas landmarks passing below us. “There’s the pyramid of the Luxor, and Treasure Island.” He keeps a running commentary going.

  Minutes later, we’re leaving the Vegas skyline and flying straight out into the desert. In no time, we’re flying over colorful, fiery red peaks and deep valleys.

  “Where are we now?” I ask.

  “Red Rock Canyon,” Sugar says. “It’s part of the Mojave Desert. Six hundred million years ago, this area was an ocean basin. It seems impossible to believe now. Or that dinosaurs roamed here.”

  “Wow, it’s stunning. The rocks look like they’re layered with different colors of sand. They remind me of the handmade gifts Mom gives out at Christmas. She layers chocolate chip cookie ingredients in pretty jars. I would love to hike down there one day.”

  “How about today?”

  “Are you serious? We can go down there?”

  “Sure! Trixie, are we close to a landing spot?”

  “Two minutes away,” she replies. “Before we land, I’ll try to get us closer to the peaks so you can see them better.”

  Trixie brings the helicopter down lower until we’re passing directly above the colorful peaks.

  Then even lower until we’re flying through a narrow crevice with the rock formations on both sides of the helicopter.

  “We’re so close I could almost reach out and touch the rocks,” I say, overwhelmed by the incredible view. “This is the first time I’ve realized how breathtakingly beautiful the desert could be. I always thought a desert was dull colored rocks and sand.”

  “I hope this is a first of many,” Sugar says, leaning down to place a soft kiss on the back of my neck.

  A delicious shiver runs down my spine.

  I turn to smile at him.

  “So do I.”

  Sugar

  Thank God the helicopter ride is a hit. The surprise venture is turning out better than I’d hoped.

  Jade’s face is lit up with excitement as we fly over the beautiful sandstone formations of the canyon. It makes me happy to see her relaxing and having fun.

  Leaning over, I put my head close to hers. I try to appear interested in the view out her window while my right hand silently unzips a pocket on her backpack. Before we took off, I’d placed it directly behind her seat. Reaching my hand inside, I dig around for a wallet that might hold her driver’s license.

  I’d paid careful attention to her cell phone case when she’d pulled it out. I didn’t see any cards tucked into the folds. The information about her real identity is in her backpack or pants pockets.

  “Check out those colors!” she says, pointing to a rocky cliff glowing orange and red in the bright sunlight.

  “The canyon is even more gorgeous to see around sunset,” I say, deftly moving on to the next pocket when I come up empty-handed. “I think we should definitely make plans to do this trip again one evening. How about it?”

  “Absolutely!”

  My fingers close around a small wallet, no bigger than a business card holder.

  Jade has her face pressed up close to the window and doesn’t have a clue what my hands are doing.

  I settle back slightly so I can peek at the contents while still appearing to be interested in the view. The first item I slide out is her college student identification card.

  The photo isn’t great. She’s staring into the camera with a stern, unsmiling expression. Closer to a mugshot than a college ID.

  Her name is printed in big bold letters underneath the photo.

  Judy Miller.

  Jade Stone is Judy Miller.

  The truth hits me hard in the gut.

  I knew she was lying about her name, but to see it proven is hard to swallow. Something inside me was hoping she was being honest.

  I’m falling hard for a girl who hasn’t told me her real name.

  Quickly I tuck the card back and pull out another, hoping to find her home address in Orlando. Since she’s graduated from college, learning her dorm address in Boston won’t do me a damn bit of good.

  I’m determined to find out more about her.

  Carefully, I slide out one card after the other, hoping to find something useful. The last card I pull out is her Florida driver’s license with a home address in Orlando.

  Success at last.

  Quickly, I memorize the street address and place the wallet back. At least she was telling the truth about one part of her story.

  Guilt washes over me when I turn back to her and see the genuine excitement sparkling in her eyes. Prowling through a girl’s personal things isn’t my style. For my own protection, I need to find out what she’s hiding. I can’t afford to get tangled up in something that might destroy my career.

  “Up ahead on the right, is a wide, flat space on the cliff,” Trixie says into the microphone. “We’ll be landing there soon. It’s windy, so hang on tight. The landing might be bumpy.”

  Jade’s eyes grow big and she points to a narrow ledge. “We’re landing there
? That’s insane! I can’t believe a helicopter can land on top of a rock.”

  Two minutes later, Trixie sets the helicopter down smoothly on top of the rocky cliff. She cuts the engine and takes off her headset.

  “How was the flight?” she asks, turning around in her seat. “What did you think, Jade? Cool, right?”

  “It was fantastic! What an amazing thrill!”

  Trixie climbs out of the helicopter and opens the door for us to step out. Reaching back inside, she pulls out a picnic basket and the bottle of chilled champagne from the ice bucket.

  “Here you go,” she says, handing them both to me. “You two kids have fun. I’ll see you later.” She moves to climb back into the helicopter.

  “Wait!” Jade yells. “Later? What do you mean later? Where are you going? You’re leaving us here on the top of a rock?” She glances back and forth in a panic between me and Trixie.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll return in a few hours,” Trixie tells her with a reassuring smile. “I won’t forget about you.”

  “Please, don’t,” Jade says.

  I hand Jade the champagne bottle. “Carry this and I’ll take the picnic basket. See you later, Trixie. Thanks for a great trip over.”

  Taking Jade’s free hand, I pull her away from the helicopter. When we’re a safe distance from the propellers, Trixie starts the engine back up and slowly lifts off.

  In a flash, she’s gone, leaving us all alone on the top of a cliff with no way down. Jade watches the helicopter until it’s a small dot on the horizon.

  “When is she coming back?” she asks, the worry clear in her voice.

  “Soon enough. Don’t freak out. I have two performances this evening. She’ll get us back to Vegas safe and sound with plenty of time to spare.”

  “Why do I have a suspicion you intentionally brought me to an isolated location?”

  “Because it’s true,” I say. “Do you want to hear why?”

  “Tell me.”

  “I wanted to be alone with you with no distractions. Remember when we were sitting in the limo with the crazy girls banging on the windows?”

  “How could I forget?” She grins at the memory. “I can still picture the naked boobs pressed against the window.”

  “When that was happening, I kept thinking how I’d love to sit and talk with you,” I say. “And try to be a normal person for a change.”

  “You call having a date on the top of a cliff in the middle of nowhere normal?” She slowly turns around to gaze at the deep canyon spread out for miles. “This reminds of something you’d see on a reality television show. Any moment now, I’m expecting men with cameras to pop out from behind a rock and ask me about my feelings. Or for you to dump me before flying away and leaving me here alone.” She holds up the bottle of champagne. “At least I have this to drown my sorrows with if you do, and hopefully there’s food in the basket.”

  “You’re right,” I say with a chuckle. “Sometimes I need to resort to extreme measures. Also, I wanted to take you someplace where you couldn’t run away when I turned my back. Unless you can fly, you can’t escape from me here. You’re trapped.”

  “What makes you think I’d want to escape?”

  “You’ve run out on me before. Why wouldn’t you do it again?”

  “Even if I wanted to, there’s nowhere to run.”

  “Exactly, that’s the whole point,” I say. “Are you ready for that hike you mentioned?”

  “To where? I’m not a mountain goat. I can’t climb up and down the side of steep cliffs. We’re standing on a massive rock.”

  “Well…the first thing we need to do is hunt for a shady spot to spread out the picnic blanket. It might be chilly now, but it will be scorching hot in another half-hour when the sun rises over the ridge. Then you’ll be glad for shade. This is the Mojave Desert.”

  “Okay, lead the way on this magical mystery tour,” she says in an agreeable tone. “As long as you promise not to let me trip and fall off the cliff. Don’t get any bright ideas about taking a cool selfie while standing on the edge either. I don’t want to be a tragic news story.”

  “You’re not afraid of heights, are you? Because if you are, I’ve fucked up big time. The elevation here is almost a thousand feet.”

  “No, I’m not,” she says with a good-natured laugh. “Just because I didn’t enjoy being crammed into that damn box doesn’t mean I’m scared of everything. Give me some credit.” She shoulders me out of the way and takes the lead on the trail. “Move aside, Sugar. You’re slowing me down.”

  “That’s the spirit.” I fall into place behind her on the narrow trail. “I don’t mind bringing up the rear. Not when I can watch your sexy ass wiggle in those tight jeans.”

  She lets out an annoyed sigh and I hide a smile.

  We hike for a solid fifteen minutes. At several points, the trail narrows to a tight, single file with barely enough space to step.

  Jade doesn’t complain once, even when she needs me to hold the champagne bottle while she climbs over a large boulder.

  When we reach another pile of rocks, she abruptly stops walking and turns around.

  “Do you have any idea where we’re going?” she asks.

  I shrug. “No clue. I’ve never come up here before.”

  “What? Never? Are we hiking to the ends of the earth? Or are we walking until we fall off the edge?”

  “We’re hunting for shade,” I explain. “And a good place to sit down and gaze at the view.”

  “All I’ve seen are scraggly scrub bushes. Trees can’t grow in this altitude. How do you propose we find shade? In case you haven’t noticed, the sun is up over the ridge now and the temperature is rising fast. Are there any water bottles in the picnic basket?”

  I reach into the basket and hand her a chilled water bottle. She uncaps it and guzzles several chugs.

  “If you get too hot, you can always take off your shirt,” I suggest, giving her a wink.

  “Believe me, if it gets any hotter, I might. You didn’t answer my question. Where is this elusive shade we’re searching for?”

  She wipes her damp forehead with the back of her hand. Unfortunately, she’s right, the temperature is quickly rising.

  “I warned you earlier about how I’m not a mountain man. You said they’re not your type.”

  “I lied,” she says. “That was before we landed in the desert. At this moment, a mountain man is exactly my type. Preferably one who knows how to find shade in the desert.”

  “Challenge accepted.” I pull my heavy sweater off over my head and toss it to her. “Hold this for me while I transition into mountain man mode.”

  “Stripping off your clothes isn’t helping the situation,” she says with a teasing smile. “It might cool you off but will only make me hotter.”

  “That’ll work too. I’ll go find the shade and then I’ll come back for you. Sit here and wait.”

  “As if there’s another option?” She rolls her eyes at me. “In the meantime, I’ll try not to melt into a puddle.”

  “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back. Why am I always saying that to you? Only this time I know you’ll be here, because there’s no place else to go.”

  I scramble over the rocks blocking our path and hurry down the trail in search of shade. Sitting out in the hot sun until we’re dehydrated isn’t anyone’s idea of a dream date.

  It only takes me a few minutes to locate a small alcove underneath overhanging rocks where we can sit. I turn around and sprint back up the trail.

  Jade smiles when she sees me.

  “Any luck?” she asks. “Did you find a big, leafy shade tree? How about a lemonade stand?”

  “Come on, we’re almost there.” I lean down to take her hand and pull her up. “I found a cave we can hide out in.”

  “Sure, you did,” she says with a touch of sarcasm. “I’ll play along. Lead the way.”

  When we reach the overhang, I motion for her to duck her head and step inside the small opening in
the rocks. She nods back at me while checking it out.

  “This isn’t technically what I would call a cave,” she says. “Closer to a hole in the rocks. It’ll work though, and it’s at least ten degrees cooler in here than in the sun. What’s in the picnic basket?”

  “I’m not sure. Trixie packed it for us.” I open the basket and we go through the contents together. “A blanket, sandwiches, chips, bottled water, chocolate chip cookies and two plastic champagne glasses.”

  “That’s all we need to get us through the next two hours. I’m sure we’ll survive.” She shakes the blanket before spreading it out carefully under the shade of the overhang. “We won’t starve to death. If Trixie doesn’t make it back, we still have our cell phones in case of emergency.”

  “Not exactly,” I say. “There isn’t any reception out here. You can’t get a signal.”

  “Are you serious? Our phones don’t work?”

  “That’s right. We’re cut off from the world for the next few hours.”

  “Wow,” she says, shaking her head. “I honestly can’t remember the last time I was alone without internet or cell phone service.”

  “You’re not alone,” I point out. “Your mountain man is here to protect you. I will guard you from mountain lions.”

  “And I’ll guard you from cougars when we get back to Vegas. The over-forty, female kind.”

  “Ha! So, you do have a sense of humor.”

  She plops down on the blanket and pats a spot beside her. “Sit with me and take in the sights.” She waves a hand at the canyon surrounding us. “This view is spectacular. How high up did you say we are?”

  I move to sit down close beside her. “Almost a thousand feet.”

  “Do you know how to rappel off a cliff? The knowledge might come in handy for a mountain man stuck on a rock.”

  “Why? Are you thinking of ways to escape again? Yes, I know how. We don’t have the equipment, so you’re stuck up here. Don’t get any bright ideas.”

  “I’m not surprised,” she says. “I can see you as an extreme sports kind of guy. What else do you enjoy doing?”