Page 74 of Tough Call

At one point, Roy stopped and rolled down his window. I nearly jumped out of my skin when two monkeys—each about the size of a large housecat—seemed to drop out of the sky onto the hood. Then there was a loud thump on the roof, and a moment later, a monkey’s face appeared hanging upside down over the driver’s open window.

“That’s my good girls,” Roy cooed as he offered them dates and uncooked pasta. “Tell your brothers and sisters to come out, yeah? Treats for all of them.”

“You’re allowed to feed them?” I asked.

He glanced at me and grinned as one of the monkeys swiped a date from his outstretched hand. “They’re fed by the government. We drivers—we know them and we give them little treats.” I took that to mean it wasn’t necessarily allowed, but no one said anything about it.

He explained some more about the history of the monkeys and of the Rock itself. How it had changed hands multiple times and been a strategic military location for centuries. He showed us where pulley systems had been used to haul cannons up high on the Rock to fire at ships down below. It was all interesting as hell; I’d always thought it was just a big rock, but it turned out there was quite a bit of history here.

Might have to pick up a book at a gift shop, I thought as Roy drove us higher. In fact, my dad might like one as a Christmas gift. Two books, then.

One of our first stops was the Pillars of Hercules, and I was amazed by the view. The Pillars themselves weren’t overly exciting—just a small monument that I thought might be bronze, and a placard explaining the mythology. From up here, though, we could see the sparkling Mediterranean, the city of Algeciras, the ships waiting to enter the port, and—in the hazy distance—Morocco.

Gesturing across the water, I asked, “You ever been to Morocco?”

Madars nodded. “It’s beautiful. I love it there.” He frowned, though, and slid an arm around my waist. “I’d love to take you there, but it’s not safe. Not for two men like us.”

My neck prickled. “Oh. Right, it’s not legal there, is it? Two men…?”

He shook his head sadly. “And… I mean, honestly, we both know how to act so no one suspects anything. I went there once with a boyfriend, and I don’t think anyone thought twice about us.”

I tamped down on the jealousy that tried to surge upward. Of course he’d had boyfriends before me. I’d had boyfriends before him. I was just an idiot where Madars was concerned. “But you won’t go with a boyfriend again?”

Sighing, he shook his head again. “We were fine and no one even so much as looked at us. People probably wouldn’t have cared one way or the other. But knowing about the law—it bothered me the whole time. I was so scared someone would see something. That we’d give ourselves away somehow. It was hard to relax.” The arm around my waist tightened and he pressed a kiss to my cheek. “And I’m pretty sure it would be more obvious with you.”

I met his gaze. “What do you mean?”

A small smile tugged at his lips. “I mean I don’t think I’m as subtle with you as I’ve been with other men.” His eyes flicked to my mouth before meeting mine again. “Probably best not to risk it.”

I laughed softly and dipped my chin for a light kiss. “I never knew you had this romantic side. I like it.”

He laughed too as a blush rose in his face. “What can I say? I’m full of surprises.”

Chuckling, I elbowed him. “You always have been.”

He grinned, then kissed my cheek.

“Do you want a photo together?” Roy called out. “With the Pillars?” He gestured at the monument. “And the water?”

“I, uh…” Madars stammered. He looked at me. “Do you?”

I shrugged. “Why not?” I dug my phone out of my pocket. “It can’t be any worse than some of the selfies I’ve taken of us.”

“You said it, not⁠—”

“Shut up.”

I handed the phone to Roy, and he snapped some photos of us with the monument and the Med in the background. They were good shots, too—definitely better than the selfies. And my heart did things it probably shouldn’t because, my God, there we were. Arms around each other’s shoulders. Smiling for the camera. Together. Anyone who looked at the photo would probably just think we were a couple of friends posing for the camera, but I knew better.

As I pocketed my phone again, I knew there’d be some framed prints from this trip in my office within a week of me getting back to Canada.

We rejoined Roy in the van and continued the tour of the Rock. We wandered through Saint Michael’s Cave, and in the gift shop, watched a shopkeeper trying in vain to shoo away monkeys who were interested in snacks. Not long after that, as Roy started driving us up a steep hill, there were some vehicles like ours stopped up ahead, and people were milling around outside. A monkey darted across the street. A pair chased each other over the roof of one of the vans.

“When we stop at the monkeys,” Roy told us, “leave your sunglasses in the car, or they’ll be gone.”

I glanced at Madars, who pulled off his sunglasses. I did the same.

Roy stopped behind the other vans, and we got out. There was a small enclosure where fruits and vegetables had been scattered around, and at least two dozen monkeys were eating, playing, and wandering between people.