Page 77 of The Score

Pen munches on a fry. "Sure. Let's see. What are you going to offer me this time?"

Twenty minutes ago, I told her we're going to a different town in the morning. We'll make it in time for lunch, then we have time to relax, before we go to a very old aqueduct bridge.

She'll have the dubious pleasure of bungee jumping from it.

I can barely hide the chills it gives me to think of it.

"Rollercoaster." I offer the word like it's a brilliant solution.

As soon as I gave her the news of her next bucket list item, she screamed and hugged me and got a bunch of people in the pub to join her in a 'hip-hip, hooray' chant that made me cringe so hard it made me laugh. Ever since, I've tried to convince her to change her mind.

"Nope," she says. "Good, but not as good. Are there rollercoasters big enough, fast enough to compensate for the change? I don't think so, mister."

"But the bridge you're meant to jump off of— it's made of brick, Pen. Brick and mortar. And they're going to drive some vehicle on top? Before attaching you to elastics screwed into centuries-old cement? Unacceptable."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"The pillars are too close. What if you crash into one of them?"

"They wouldn't do it from this bridge if there was any real risk of it." She chuckles. "Or if it had ever happened before."

"It's jumping off a very high edge and dropping down. Fast. Held by like three bungee straps."

She shrugs. "Places like this should have a policy to add extra cords for larger people. I'm sure you checked."

"I did. I made them promise it would takemyweight. I may have inflated the numbers somewhat, just in case."

She laughs. "Did you pretend you're a real bear about to win the Fat Bear competition before hibernation?"

"Can't confirm or deny."

She's still laughing. "Then they will take care of it. All they need to do is add a couple extra elastics and that will take my weight."

I make a gesture toward the bar to ask for another round of the local beer, until someone nods in acknowledgement.

I shake my head. "'Couple extra elastics', she says, like we're talking rubber bands you find in a messy drawer."

"Don't worry, Papa Bear."

"You are far too relaxed about this, Penélope."

"And you're far too strung up about it."

A server brings us two pints.

"Newlyweds, I take it?" Her weathered face makes her glinting eyes stand out.

"How did you know?" I ask.

If this random person has decided somehow we look in love…

She smiles. "You're leaning close to each other like you're telling each other secrets, but then all I hear is the banter. Yet you can't get enough of each other, yeah? It's a classic sign."

"Right." I smirk. "I thought it might be the rings."

The glint of the stones on Pen's set have winked at me all night. But, no. It seems we give off the same vibes across the pond, too.

Pen blinks innocently at the older woman. "That's what happens when you marry your best friend."