“We’re standing in a building which is built into the mountain so we’re on a solid base. We may be very high but it’s like we’re still standing on the ground. I don’t feel it moving at all unlike the walkway over the gorge or the cable car.” She shuddered and closed her eyes.
When she reopened her eyes they were a little troubled. “How am I going to get back down?”
“We don’t have to think about that now. Let’s just enjoy the view while we are here. Do you find the air a little thin?” Ben asked as he found himself taking deeper and deeper breaths.
“Yes, it is,” she smiled as she caught him distracting her again. They joined Catherine and her sisters on one of the upper terraces. Rachel was fidgeting and staring at her older sister so the two of them casually broke away to check out a different view. Megan went in a different direction leaving Ben with Catherine.
“Thank you, Ben. I was really worried she was going to have a panic attack,” Cat said to him quietly.
“Has she always had a fear of falling?” he asked.
“Since she was a little girl. She and Rachel were climbing the trees behind the house and she fell. The wind picked up and the tree started to sway and she lost her grip. She broke her arm and the fall scared her terribly. It’s been years since we’ve been in a situations where she’s been exposed to those feelings of uncontrolled movement. Except for flying but she takes tranquilizers to keep her calm. She doesn’t have any on her. Are you ok with distracting her on the way back down if the need arises?” Catherine asked with a coy smile.
“It’s a little public to be doing that but if there’s no other option,” he shrugged with a frown. They moved off to find a better view.
Rachel was so envious of Sophia. She didn’t begrudge her the opportunity to get close to Ben like she had and understood the circumstances that led to it were less than optimal. She’d carried the guilt of Sophia’s accident since she’d challenged her to a climbing race when they were just kids. While she hadn’t pushed her sister out of the tree she still felt responsible for it and Sophia’s subsequent fears. She hadn’t even thought that the cable car ride might be frightening for her. When she heard Sophia having trouble breathing she drew her mother’s attention to it immediately. Thank god Ben was there for her. He was the one thing solid enough to take her mind away from the fact that they were in a box dangling from a wire going up the side of a mountain.
“Are you ok?” she asked her sister.
Sophia nodded and looked down. “I feel better now that we are on the mountain itself.”
“Good! So?”
Sophia looked at her and paused as she connected the dots in her scattered mind. “OH! It started off just as a panicked attempt to feel safe and being in his big arms is amazingly calming. But when we bumped past that last support, I lost it. I kissed him and started grinding on him in a panic trying to get my mind off the drop. He took control immediately and slowed it down, stretched it out. Oh my god! It was so intense! He kept me on the edge for the entire trip up to the summit! I thought I’d go out of my mind! Just when I couldn’t take it any longer he took me forcefully and…” Sophia’s eyes glazed over as she relived the moment. She lost her words for a bit then noticed Rachel’s wide eyes. “It’s never felt that good before. It went on and on and I was floating out of my body. I can’t imagine how much better it must be to actually have sex with him!”
“Oh my god!” Rachel gasped.
“I wasn’t too loud was I?” Sophia glanced around embarrassed but she hadn’t paid any attention to the other passengers in the car so she couldn’t recognize anyone.
“Well, there were some sounds that leaked out but most people weren’t paying attention what with the incredible scenery. Listen are you going to be ok going back down?” Rachel said.
Sophia shook her head frantically and looked up at the mountain to distract herself. “I’m not thinking of that right now!”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have mentioned it. Ben will be there for you, you know that, right?” Rachel asked.
Sophia’s expression relaxed and softened. She smiled dreamily at her sister and nodded.
Rachel snorted. “Now I wish I’d fallen out of that stupid tree.”
Ben and Catherine found Gabriella and her kids on the highest terrace. “Have you guys gotten your fill of walking in the clouds?” he asked.
Gabriella smiled and got nods from her kids.
“What’s our next stop again?” he asked.
“Saint Pierre d’Albigny, a little mountainside village an hour’s drive from here. We’re staying at a B&B in a renovated chateau owned by my cousins, Stephanie and Alexis Murino and Alexis’ wife Béatrice Renard. I attended their wedding six years ago and back then they were just talking about buying a place and setting up a business, catering to artists mostly. Stephanie is an amazing sculptor and Béatrice paints beautifully. Alexis is the business mind. I can’t wait to see them again!” She grinned at her friends.
“Let’s go then!” Ben grinned.
Daniel and Miriam led the way with Catherine right behind them keeping an eye out for her daughters. Ben felt a hand on his arm and saw Gabriella looking up at him.
“Sophia’s going to have trouble getting back on that cable car. Can you take care of her again?” she asked.
“Maybe if I carried her she wouldn’t feel the movement of the car and that might lessen her anxiety,” he suggested.
“It’s worth a try but can you hold her up for twenty minutes?” she asked.
“No, probably not. I’ll suggest to her that I carry her on and we’ll see how it goes,” he admitted.
The group gathered once more and Ben gave Sophia his suggestion and she nodded nervously. They got in line and she clung to his arm as they waited. As they approached the empty car Ben scooped her into his arms and carried her forward. The operator held up his hand to stop them and said something in French but Ben glared at the man causing the scar to stand out in stark relief. The operator had a sudden change of heart and let them pass.
“This scar comes in handy sometimes,” he whispered playfully to Sophia who grinned up at him.
“When we get moving I’m going to set you on my feet, like how you teach someone how to move their feet when they dance. Not that you need any lessons on how to dance!” he corrected with an exaggerated expression and she grinned at him again. “We’ll dance a slow number all the way, alright?”
“That sounds wonderful!” she whispered to him. “Rachel, can you slip my shoes off?” she asked.
Rachel’s eyes widened then she took her shoes.